TN Unit B Deer Laws are RIDICULOUS - see why...

[BlountArrow]

[font=arial]I'm not sure how many people, if any, read much under the Tennessee blog but I want to express my severe distaste for the Deer Hunting Regulations in Tennessee.  I'm a simple man, I work for a living, have a family, hunt when I can, but not nearly as much as I like and every year I'm more and more disappointed with what I see happening in Tennessee.  I know we Tennesseans don't have the most nutrient rich soil in the country and depending on whether you're in East, Middle, or West Tennessee the terrain and environment varies greatly.  However, I want to key on the Unit B area (primarily Eastern Tennessee) as the topic of this post.  In East TN there are several areas of up and down mountain ranges that nothing short of a mountain goat (or whitetail deer) could climb.  However, we also have large vast areas of farmland where there are corn and soybeans almost as far as the eyes can see.  Of course it is nothing on the scale of the mid-west US but nevertheless we still have vast areas supplying a plethora of forage for the whitetail deer.[/font][/align][font=arial][/font] [/align][font=arial]Now, to get to the meat and potatoes here what most upsets me is that a young buck has almost no chance of surviving through deer season in Unit B (East Tennessee) if he happens to be seen by a hunter and our laws make it that way and push people to take small bucks!!  That is right folks I said it; the laws for Unit B might as well encourage the hunter to take small bucks and here is why!  If you deer hunt in Tennessee's Unit B and you don't bow hunt guess how many opportunities you have to kill a Doe....about one weekend and even that is black powder.  Unless you are extremely lucky enough to get drawn for it you can never kill a Doe legally in Unit B with a center-fire rifle.  I'm an avid bow hunter but let's face it - our K-Mart hunters or Joe Six Packs are not going to be the avid sportsman type, the bow hunting type; these guys are your meat hunters.  But, who can blame them - many of these same people, not all but some, are of a lower income and use deer season as a means to put food on the table not so much as a means of sport and preservation.  Now, put yourself in his shoes.  You have no chances to kill a Doe with your rifle and if you happen to black powder hunt you have only one weekend to kill a Doe.  So, you tell me what is going to be the deer you shoot?  The answer:  the first legal animal you see.  In Tennessee a legal buck in Unit B has spikes at least 3" tall....3" tall!!!  Knowing that you have little to no chance to kill a Doe to put food on the table you are going to shoot any buck, the 1st buck, the only buck you might see all year!  [/font][/align][font=arial][/font] [/align][font=arial]Tennessee's Unit B laws are so screwed up I just can't stand it.  I don't know if this is the fault of the board of commissioners or TWRA or both - but it is a joke!  Tennessee will never be known as a state that produces competitively large whitetail bucks as long as these laws are in place.  I can't tell you how many times, year after year I see spikes, 4 points, and little forked deer being checked in and it makes me sick and just really upsets me!  But, I think back to the laws and I'm reminded that these guys may only get one chance to kill a legal deer so the 1st buck they see is a dead one.  OH WAIT, DID I ALSO MENTION THAT YOU CAN KILL SOMETHING LIKE 3 OR 4 BUCKS IN TENNESSEE??!!  [/font][/align][font=arial][/font] [/align][font=arial]The problem is folks is that like all things in this world it is all about the almighty dollar.  Tennessee's laws care more about bringing in the money than cultivating, growing, and producing a better whitetail herd for tomorrow.  A resident sportsman's license in TN is $135/yr.  Most out of towners I tell that too are pretty shocked by that.  I'd love to see TN go to a 4 point or better on one side law, but it will NEVER happen.  No chance, because they think people would quit buying licenses - maybe they're right but I don't think so.  Heck, if nothing else - who needs to kill 4 bucks in one year, seriously?!  I don't even know of a family that can eat 4 deer in one year's time....although I'm sure there are a few.  Well, thanks for allowing me to vent.  If anyone knows how to bring some common sense into the Board of Commissioners or TWRA who put all these bullseyes on the backs of anything with a set of horns let me know.  [/font][/align][font=arial][/font] [/align][font=arial]Signing off...[/font][/align]

[backstrapcrazy]

I could not agree with you more and have you ever talked to any wildlife officers about the
regulations {they don't understand them }. I've ask two of them and called the office and
they can't help me. They do not know what a station hunt is, orhow it differs from a quota hunt
We are over populated with does in this area, I saw six does today in
downtown oak ridge today at 8:45 am this morning. and two does in clinton along the highway
at 9:30. And nothing was chasing them. We should have one week before the rut comes for rifle
or even three day weekend would help.

[BlountArrow]

Glad to hear I'm not voicing a lonely opinion.  I wish I understood more about who was behind the Tennessee state deer regulations, not that it would matter.  I've heard, and this is merely a rumor and possibly there is no truth to it (so dont quote me), that a board of "commissioners" sets these regulations for TN that it isn't actually the TWRA.  Now, I dont know what input they get before making these decisions other than looking at a balance sheet and focusing on the almighty dollar.  You would think a biologist somewhere would stand up and say something or maybe we hunters need to...I just dont know how you make your voice be heard on this issue.  Or, I would love to hear their explanation for imposing such jacked up laws that allow the Doe population to explode and put a death warrant out for every Buck that dares venture up from his bed.
 
Thanks for the reply...

[Legnip]

Interesting opinion. I don't agree, but I have a different point of reference. I have a lifetime sportsman license and I hunt in Unit "L". I do think that the Game Wardens do understand the laws.
 
Something to think about. I am from WI. The limit on Bucks is 1 for gun season and 1 for Bow Season. Most of the Bucks that are shot there are young and if you can get one that 2.5 or 3.5 years, then you have gotten an old deer. Statistics of the bucks harvested in the state of TN will show that the number of older deer harvested has been increasing over the past couple years. I was able to harvest an 8 and 10 pointer last year.
 
I agree with you about some things. You can't shoot a big mature buck when there aren't any. I'm not apposed to anyone meat hunting, since that is what it is all about. Horns make thin stew. You may want to look at how you are going about things. Look at the terrain. See where the hunters are probably going to hunt, where the deer will escape to, and get there. Just some thought.
 
A sportsmans license is expensive, that is why I bought the lifetime license several years ago. It has great privledges, but it is expensive, but my cost for a license this year was $0.
 
Good luck this season and good discussion.

[BlountArrow]

As far as the license thing yeah the lifetime is the way to go and that is what I did about 5 years ago when it was still $1,200...as you know now it is $1,640.  Regardless, my main issue here is not with the license. 
 
I guess if I had to sum it up in just a couple of sentences my main "beef" is that Bucks just dont have a chance to live in Unit B.  You're from Wisconsin, plus you dont hunt Unit B and trust me there is a world of difference between Unit B and L.  I live in Unit B and drive to mid-west TN to hunt Unit L; that is where my lease is located as well.  I hunt Unit B too but I'm just tired of seeing nothing but Does and seeing Lil' Bucks...if I see any.  It's not a pressure thing it is just simply that the "Ol' Boys" kill anything with antlers...and again who could blame them they have virtually no chances to kill a deer.
 
Thanks for the reply.