CA Knoxville Wild Life Area

[Wolf13]

Was lucky enough to draw a lottery for access to the Knoxville Wild Life Area August 8-14th where only 120 hunters are allowed that week. Wasn't expecting this so scouting starts this weekend. Excited for the opportunity with my dad and hopefully I'll have a follow up to this with some good pictures!

 

[jfs82]

Nice, I may be out there this weekend with the bow (maybe some of the BLM plots to the south). GL

 

[JNDEER]

Bucks come and go to the creek. If it were me I would focus on those bucks as the predators have exploded in there and the preds “tend to” avoid the road. Good luck and wear orange

 

[lifeisgoodsteve]

Saw a good bit of boar sign there last year, also by the creek, but never saw the hairy beasts. There are a few nice knoll glassing spots if get up high, where can see a good ways.

Good luck!

 

[Rob5589]

Good luck! I haven't been there in 20+ years. Never saw much in the way of deer but it used to be thick with turkeys.

 

[MeatBuck]

Everyone sees hog sign when they start looking for deer in early summer and think that pigs must be close but they almost never are. Pigs roam around during the late fall, winter and early spring when water sources and food sources are more widespread. Most guys aren’t out wandering the hills that time of year so the opportunity to kill those hogs has long passed. Exception being fresh wallows, if the wallow is murky there’s no doubt there’s a hog around.
Knoxville is a joke, good luck.

These guy really enjoyed their time in Knoxville last year.

 

[MeatBuck]

Good luck! I haven't been there in 20+ years. Never saw much in the way of deer but it used to be thick with turkeys.

Used to be...

 

[JNDEER]

Come one Meat... you know that buck in your avatar was from Knox... keeping all the good bucks for yourself, haha.

bucks were thick 5 years ago if you knew how to find them. Now I find 20% of the bucks I have before and 75% more predator sign and sightings.

Good luck to you Wolf- best advice I can give is don’t glass under the oaks and in the yellow grass- focus in the brush and brushy areas on the edge od

 

[Wolf13]

Appreciate the advice everyone. Not expecting it to be amazing, but hoping with the limited hunters to have a far better opportunity. Still wearing orange, have heard and seen too many things that worry me.... This is already a huge improvement over my B tag, and just 45 min away!

 

[MeatBuck]

Appreciate the advice everyone. Not expecting it to be amazing, but hoping with the limited hunters to have a far better opportunity. Still wearing orange, have heard and seen too many things that worry me.... This is already a huge improvement over my B tag, and just 45 min away!

That’s not an improvement on a b tag if you ask me but you didn’t so carry on.
120 people in that small area seems excessive but if you consider it like Hmong, that’s only 5 or 6 groups of hunters.

 

[blackshuk]

Was in there last year... hot, dry, and full of ticks. I'd definitely spray your clothes down with Ben's before you go.
There are some cool areas in there forsure if you're willing to bushwack.

 

[Dart368]

Two years ago when I went, it was scorching with high 90's up to 100 degrees during the day with no water source. I had to bring water and was lucky I ran into another hunter who gave me some of his water. If he hadn't, I would have ran out early.

I did not see a deer but it was my first hunting experience so I probably didn't know too much except for what I had read and what that other hunter told me during our short hike together with him and his daughter.

It was a great experience though and I hope yours is as well.