TN Canyon Buck - hunting Western style

DBungard · Jan 3, 2015

Hello All,

New guy here, sharing my first story on hunting Western backcountry style on public land here in TN.

Not many folks backpack hunt here, so it's a great way to get away from the crowds. Getting in and out of canyons and crossing rivers is hard work, but for solitude and old deer, it's worth it.

Full story can be found on my blog here:
http://www.orioncoolers.com/east-meets-west-a-recipe-for-hunting-success-in-the-tennessee-mountains/

Poser · Jan 3, 2015

Very Cool buck, good story. I sometimes do very similar type hunts here in TN as well. I did a backpack hunt in Big South Fork back in Nov and just got back from hunting Whitetails and bear in Cherokee Nt'l forest for 6 days. I live down in Memphis so the only disadvantage to backpack hunting in TN is I have to travel to the East Side to find areas of public land large enough to warrant these types of hunts. Unfortunately, the further East you go, the more the Whitetail population declines. Its a bit ironic to leave some of the most coveted whitetail counties in the state, drive past virtually every whitetail the state has to hunt some of the counties with the lowest populations. But, you know, I can always reliably kill whitetails down here on day hunts -going out on the backpack hunts is more about the experience than anything else.

realunlucky · Jan 3, 2015

Congratulations beautiful buck love the blades beams. Never thought about mountains in tn before nice to enjoy some solitude while in the woods

ethan · Jan 3, 2015

I know EXACTLY where you are!!! I hunt the same spot and have seen your jeep there! You've probably seen mine, it's a blueish/grey TJ with a hood rack on it. In fact, I just packed out of there this afternoon. We should hook up and do a little fishing or hunting sometime. I live east of there about 5 or 6 miles.

robtattoo · Jan 3, 2015

Holy crap! I thought it was just me, Ethan & Josh hunted The Gulf! Looks like you're a fluff-chucker too

We've got to all get together & fish or hunt sometime. I'm an hour south of there in Tullahoma, but Ethan's one of my bestest buds & I'm up there all the time.

kamcgraw · Jan 4, 2015

Congrats! A very effective way to hunt whitetails for sure. I started applying those same tactics to my whitetail hunts here on national forest land with great results. Great buck!

CAMONICK · Jan 7, 2015

Awesome write up and pictures. Great mountain buck!

johnnylaw · Jan 7, 2015

cool story, really enjoyed it

jwb300 · Jan 7, 2015

Great story and pics. That looks like some cool country

Wyatt G · Jan 7, 2015

Awesome buck, ive been thinking about doing the same type of thing here in on some public land in arkansas.

Manosteel · Jan 7, 2015

Great story

Forestryguy · Jan 9, 2015

Very nice deer and story. I am starting to take more of a Western approach to my hunting, at least on public ground. I shot my doe this year still hunting a bedding area.

hunter_mike · Apr 8, 2015

Awesome story great job

Warren1726 · Apr 9, 2015

That's a cool old buck! I'll be applying the backpacking philosophy to Eastern KY mountain bucks this season.

Take-a-knee · Apr 10, 2015

Nice palmated rack on that buck.

Dougfir · Sep 16, 2015

That's great. Congrats! Living and hunting deer in the Adirondacks, I'm no stranger to big country and hunting in the mountains. However, prepping for an upcoming elk hunt has really gotten me thinking about why no one employs the gutless method around here and packs out their deer. Even people who routinely kill deer miles from their car, drag the whole thing out, which is a tremendous amount of work. I'm already scheming about some areas that once seemed too far and now seem possible...

ChrisS · Sep 17, 2015

Dougfir said:
... why no one employs the gutless method around here and packs out their deer. Even people who routinely kill deer miles from their car, drag the whole thing out, which is a tremendous amount of work.

It's a point of pride for a lot of guys. I've helped dragged out four bucks the last two years from more than 2 miles back. It sucks, but it's also tremendously satisfying hauling it up the game pole back at camp and whole bodies look impressive hanging outside, sacks of meat, not so much.

I know a lot of the old time hunters packed out the meat in packbaskets. Traditionally, to get in the big buck club, it would be a 200lber that was carried out whole solo. Personally, anything I shoot more than a couple of hundred yards from a wheeled vehicle is getting cut up and carried out.

Poser · Sep 17, 2015

^it does seem to be a point of pride for some guys, but others swear off hunting certain places or more than a few hundred yards from the road because of the drag outs involved. Butchering in the field is just not even a remote consideration for many Eastern hunters -it is not even in their vocabulary. You mention the suggestion of packing a deer out and they just go blank. I'm like you, anything that I can't throw over my shoulder is getting cut up in the field. I'll often string Whitetails up by the neck with some paracord and skin them hanging and then pack out. With the phone app check in system, it's a breeze these days: kill it, check it in, skin and butcher, pack out -no evidence of sex needed since it was checked in before even cutting into it.

Dougfir · Sep 18, 2015

To be fair, it's illegal in many states to cut up a deer in the field. I believe Maine is one of those. However, here in NY, it's totally legal and I intend to try it!

mauidiver · Sep 19, 2015

You got to take it back only field dressed here in Austin Tx public land (Lake Georgetown)

TN Canyon Buck - hunting Western style

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