White-tail in Tennessee

My wife and I recently went to a BBQ and like all of the others I've attended, the men were outside braving the smoke and the woman were inside….doing whatever they do. As we walked through the door my wife and I didn't have to say anything, we knew the drill and without even a word or a glance separated to our primeval groups. The conversation was well under way when I joined the man circle around the grill, and like all conversations between men it oscillated between sports and politics.

 

I wasn't too interested in the current topic and began to contemplate why men discuss the same two things. My conclusion; men like to be right. No one can ever prove that Richard Petty was better than Dale. Sure the win totals aren't close, but no one can ever prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that one driver was better than the other. Tackling these types of subjects that have no end gives men an opportunity to flex their memory muscles for useless facts, hear themselves talk, and no matter what happens walk away knowing they're right.

 

This realization motivated me to start a series devoted to finding the best state to hunt in for White-tailed Deer. I'll pick experts from every state to give their opinions and at the end of it all choose the state that I think is best. But, like every favorite male topic, I won't be able to fully prove I'm right and you won't be able to fully prove I'm wrong. Feel free to email in thoughts or post comments on articles. And without further ado, our first state is Tennessee.

 

The first thing that struck me about the Tennessee ranchers I talked to was how confident they were about people having a successful harvest. Larry from Craig Game Preserve put it, "you'd have to be a pretty bad hunter to not get a deer." And Larry should know, his family has been on their 900 acres for 176 years! He told me about how they have stands set-up all around the property and when hunters come to his land, they put them in the best position possible by already knowing where the deer are due to the camera system they've installed. Combine that with the size of the deer herd, and it's easy to understand Larry's confidence.

 

That's not to say that this is like going to the zoo with your Winchester. All of the deer on Larry's land are free range and if you don't show enough patience or hunting savvy you might be out of luck. At Craig Game Preserve any weapon can be used (even crossbow) and lodging and meals are provided. They suggest a 3 day hunt and if you're able to find your trophy with time to spare there are other activities. As well as, Tennessee has a very liberal limit when it comes to bucks and does and you might go home with more than one.

 

After talking to Larry I was happy with my selection of Tennessee as the first state of the White-tail Series because of the impressive opportunities and then I talked to Mike from Goodman Ranch and my happiness doubled. Here's a guy that sneaks within 2-3 feet of white-tail for fun - think he knows a thing or two about hunting them?

 

Without knowing it he agreed with the Larry about the biggest challenge of hunting White-tail, avoiding their nose and sense of smell. The wind needs to be right and the days he's been able to get the closest have been ones with a constant breeze, lush vegetation and a little bit of rain to cover any noise.

 

Probably the coolest thing about the Goodman Ranch is that they don't only have White-tail Deer, there's also Axis and Fallow Deer which can be hunted year round since they're not a native species to Tennessee. The Goodman Ranch is a working ranch and so Mike and his staff have a good handle on where the deer are and the best positions to place hunters. They understand that some more experienced hunters prefer to be on their own while other hunters may not have as much experience and prefer to have a guide.

 

Lodging and meals are provided and the hunts typically are for 3 days. Once the deer are harvested they quarter the meat and place it in coolers for the trip home. Good ol' Southern hospitality.

 

Two additional facts about hunting White-tail in Tennessee this year is that the rifle season is one continuous season opposed to being split like in previous years. And, even though this summer is hotter than usual, it has been wet enough to maintain the clover and the deer herd is expected to be strong as ever.

 

There are many more states to go and Tennessee has gotten us off on the right foot. With only eight weeks until opening day prove Mike and Larry right that Tennessee is the best state for White-tail and go get some monsters. Feel free to send in your pictures or videos and we'll add them to the evidence to help settle this argument once and for all (yeah right).