TnHunting.Com's 2008 list of Tennessee's top 10 public hunting destinations has been compiled. As usual, the list is not based on any one detail, but takes into account several combined details, including annual harvest, popularity, and hunter accessibility.
For the sake of comparison, previous top 10 lists are listed below:
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1. Fort Campbell 2. Catoosa WMA 3. Land Between the Lakes 4. Cheatham WMA 5. AEDC 6. Chuck Swan State Forest 7. Cherokee WMA 8. Milan Army Ammunition Plant 9. Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge 10. Laurel Hill HM: Royal Blue/Sundquist WMA HM: Prentice Cooper State Forest HM: Yanahli WMA |
1. Fort Campbell 2. Land Between the Lakes 3. Cheatham WMA 4. AEDC 5. Milan Army Ammunition Plant 6. Catoosa WMA 7. Chuck Swan State Forest 8. Laurel Hill 9. Prentice Cooper State Forest 10. Royal Blue WMA HM: Shelby Forest HM: Cherokee WMA HM: Yanahli WMA |
1. Fort Campbell
While Fort Campbell MWR has not made its harvest data available since 2005, it's a safe bet that the turkey harvest continues to rank towards the top of Tennessee's public lands list. It always does. That, along with the continued popularity of the base places it atop our Hot Spots list for a third consecutive year. This year, Fort Campbell's spring turkey season is open from March 22 through May 4. The bag limit is once again two bearded turkeys per day, not to exceed four per season. The birds do not count towards the statewide bag list, making this a good choice. Check their website for special hunting regulations.
2. Land Between the Lakes
After slipping into fifth place two years ago in terms of overall harvest among Tennessee's public lands, LBL was back in its traditional spot near the top in 2007, second only to Cherokee WMA. The reason? Many other WMAs declined and LBL did not, with 118 birds harvested in 2007 . . . down only four from 2006. As a result, we bumped the National Recreation Area back up to second from third place, and it was strongly considered for first place. But, fewer hunting days and the fact that birds here do not count as bonus birds forced us to leave Fort Campbell at the top of the list. LBL's nonquota hunts will be on April 14-20 and April 21-27. The limit is two bearded turkeys, only one of which may be taken per hunt. Hunters who harvest during a quota hunt may not hunt during the first nonquota hunt. Hunters age 16 and older must have an LBL Hunter Use Permit ($20) in addition to a valid Tennessee hunting license. Check their website for more information.
3. Milan Army Ammunition Plant
Milan AAP rockets up our list this year from its eighth place spot a year ago. Hunters are still getting acquainted with the relatively new hunting area, but they're liking what they're seeing. Milan AAP opened its doors in 2005, and immediately jumped to second place among Region I public lands for birds taken, second only to LBL. The 2007 harvest was 104, up from 90 in 2006, making it one of the few public lands that saw an increased harvest last year. For hunting regulations at Milan AAP, call 731-686-6682.
4. Catoosa WMA
We continue to be intrigued by this 80,000-acre wildlife management area on the Cumberland Plateau. Not because a lot of hunters find success here, but because of the unique challenge it presents. Novices will find it difficult to score here without a little luck, but seasoned veterans will enjoy the challenge that the spacious WMA presents. And, like Cherokee WMA and Royal Blue WMA, it offers one of the few opportunities at harvesting a true eastern bird. This year's nonquota hunts will be held on April 4-6, April 11-13, April 15-17, April 22-24, April 25-27 and April 29-May 1. The limit is one turkey per hunt, not to exceed two per season (and they count towards the statewide bag). A young sportsman hunt will be held on April 19-20. The bird taken on that hunt is a bonus bird. For more information, contact Jim Lane at 931-456-2479.
5. Cheatham WMA
Cheatham typically ranks at the top of the list among Region II public lands, and was near there again in 2007, though the overall harvest slipped substantially from 98 to 75. The 21,000-acre WMA will feature five nonquota hunts in 2008: March 29-31, April 4-6, April 11-13, April 16-20 and April 24-26. The bag is one turkey per hunt, not to exceed two per season, and the birds count towards the statewide bag. For more information, contact Randy Cromer at 615-792-4510.
5. AEDC
Somehow, AEDC always winds up behind Cheatham WMA because of the number of available hunting days, which are typically fewer at AEDC than at Cheatham. The two hunting areas battle each year for top spot in Region II in terms of overall harvest, and that is the same again this year. AEDC dropped from 99 to 73, but stayed nearly even with AEDC in 2007. This year, the refuge has five quota hunts, and we simply couldn't distinguish between AEDC and Cheatham. So, they're both in our top 5(6). This year's hunts will be held on March 29-31, April 4-6, April 11-13, April 25-27 and May 2-4. The bag limit is one turkey per hunt, not to exceed two per season, and birds count towards the statewide bag. For more information, contact the manager's office at 931-967-6101.
7. Royal Blue/Sundquist WMA
Like Catoosa, Royal Blue intrigues us because of its difficulty, and because it offers an opportunity at harvesting a bird of pure eastern strain. The two WMAs previously connected to form 120,000 acres of public hunting land, but this year Royal Blue has doubled in size . . . one of the reasons we moved it back into our top 10. The combined areas now present a total of 160,000 acres of land, making it one of the largest continuous hunting areas in the state. Four-wheeler riding is popular here, but that hindrance is off-set by the beautiful scenery. The season is open with the statewide season. For more information, contact Stan Stooksbury at 423-566-8557.
8. Natchez Trace State Forest
This 50,000-acre WMA is a newcomer to our list, primarily because quality hunting lands are hard to come by in Region I and Natchez Trace is just that. There aren't a lot of birds harvested here (36 in each of the past two seasons), but hunters should be able to find plenty of room to hunt. The nonquota hunt is open from April 14-27. The bag limit is two birds, which count towards the statewide bag limit. A note for hunters who like it hear: Apply for a quota hunt before the February deadline next year, and if you're drawn, you'll have an opportunity at a bonus bird. For more information, contact David Ulderich at 731-968-5351.
9. Cherokee National Forest
This is one of the toughest hunts in Tennessee. There are fewer birds in Region IV than in any other region, and fewer birds in these mountains than elsewhere in Region IV. But the sprawling national forest encompasses 630,000 acres in multiple East Tennessee counties, giving hunters on that end of the state plenty of room to roam. Last year's harvst remained tops in Tennessee by far, at 187. That was down from 247 in 2006. The seasons are open with the statewide season. But in South Cherokee, the limit is only two bearded birds per season. Birds harvested here count towards the statewide bag limit, and a Type 094 permit is required. For more information, contact the Region IV TWRA office at 423-587-7037.
10. Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge
The feds opened Tennessee NWR to turkey hunting in 2006, and it immediately shot to near the top of the list for Region I public lands, with 75 birds harvested. Last year, the number of birds dropped drastically to 36. But Tennessee NWR remains a good option for turkey hunting, with 50,000 acres along the Tennessee River. The Duck River bottoms are an excellent location for turkeys, and units at Big Sandy and Busselltown are open for hunting as well. An annual hunting permit ($12.50) is required and can be obtained by visiting the refuge website. The hunting season is open with the statewide season, and the bag limit is one bearded bird.
Honorable Mention: Chuck Swan (continues to be one of the top turkey hunting destinations in Tennessee, but we don't include it in our list since it doesn't offer a nonquota hunt. Try earlier (before February) next year! Information: John Mike @ 865-278-3248), Yanahli WMA (40 turkeys harvested again in 2007 on this 13,000-acre WMA. Information: Tommy Edwards @ 931-840-4042), and Eagle Creek WMA (32 turkeys harvested last year at this 32,000-acre Middle Tennessee WMA. Information: Region II TWRA office at 615-781-6622).