Anyone gonna try to go this year? I've heard deer numbers are way down.

They are down, and changes are being made:

http://www.courier-journal.com/story/spo...lakes/83122788/

http://www.landbetweenthelakes.us/2016-deer-hunting-changes/

One of the articles danced around it, but it's pretty obvious some patchwork timber harvest would be the best thing to happen to that place. It's way too "pretty". Clearcut or select cut about 50% of the operational ground, and deer numbers would have a chance to be stronger than ever.

They will not cut the timber the way it should be cut, due to the environmentalists and Preservationists and squeaky-wheel complainers who don't want anything done there. They would rather see it left alone than managed the way it should be done because that would kill trees and be ugly.

They don't get it. If we manage for "pretty" it's not the natural process for the forest. I took my son there a few years ago. Hunted for a week. Between the two of us we saw two deer. Rangers said blue tongue came through a few years before. That would be about 7 yrs ago now.

Same for the Pisgah and Natahala NF up here. Selective cuts would do a world of good for all of the wildlife but the "nature" nuts want the scenery, wildlife be damned..

You're right. They start screaming about logging, erosion, killing animals and animal habitat, destroying scenic vistas and will yell about moonscapes, clearcutting and whatever else to drum up the emotional response from knee-jerk ignoramuses instead of realizing what management really means.

They need to have some coyote hunts. That place is covered slam up with song dogs.

They don't allow predator hunting up there at LBL?

I have been hunting up there for the last 25 years. I haven't seen the deer numbers as low as they are right now. Even though the deer numbers are down I still enjoy hunting up there. I haven't bow hunted up there in about 8 years, but get drawn for the rifle quota hunt every 2-3 years. I think it gets hunted a lot more than just on the quota hunts. The rangers I see riding in the ranger trucks aren't going to get out of that truck to chase poachers. If your a TN resident if you kill a buck now it goes against your state bag limit and isn't a bonus deer.

I'm just putting in for the preference point this year (same as last year). Probably do the same thing next year too.

Application date is ending this weekend of any of you are interested. ..