Land Between the Lakes Bowhunting

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    USDA Forest Service Land Between the lakes Recreation Area
  • Sponsored By:
    Tennessee Traditional Archery Society (TTAS)
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To: USDA Forest Service Land Between the Lakes Recreation Area

We are concerned about the decision by the USDA Forest Service Land Between the Lakes Recreation Area (LBL) staff to reduce the number of hunting days available to archery hunters. The change from one day of no Archery Hunting prior to a Quota Gun Hunt to five days of no Archery Hunting prior to a Quota Gun Hunt eliminates 12 prime hunting days available to archery hunters. To our knowledge this decision was made without public notice nor opportunity for comment from the tax-paying citizens the USDA Forest Service was created to serve.

We are dissatisfied with this change and request a return to the old policy. We also request that you provide documentation on 1) Why this change was necessary, 2) What were the expected results from the implementation of this change, and 3) How the results of the change would have been verified to validate the removal of the 12 days of bow hunting.

In order to return to the previous policy of 1 no-hunting day prior to a quota gun hunt with short notice, we propose that the LBL administration post a revision to the current 5 no-hunting days to 1 no-hunting day (as in all previous years) at various locations of public access within LBL and on the LBL Web Page. Those who dont see these notices will not be in danger of breaking the law if they adhere to the current policy of five days no hunting, and those who do will benefit in having what was taken from them returned.

We would also like to find methods of better communication with USDA Forest Service Staff on decisions that effect hunting seasons to prevent miscommunication and mistrust from occurring in the future. We request that the USDA Forest Service give public notice of proposed changes to hunting season, with opportunity for public comment.

98 Signatures

  • Bob Brundage
  • Mark Baggett
    • Comments
    • Please think about this
  • wade shikoski
  • Chad K. Slagle
  • Travis Slagle
  • Howard L Middleton
  • Ryan O'Sullivan
  • Pat Brennan
  • Bart Holzer
  • Shannon D. Walker
  • David Tiller
  • Joshua H Stark
    • Comments
    • Please do not institute a change in regulations without adhering to the federal statutes requiring public input
  • Bill Dunn
  • Robert McCann
    • Comments
    • Quick messin g with the archery season and changing the rules around.
  • Scott Parson
  • Scott Hall
  • Joel Reed
  • Richard Kimberly
    • Comments
    • Just what is your motive for this? Why didn't you have a public discussion on it?
  • Eddie Parker
  • Jeff Outlaw
  • Brian Gillispie
    • Comments
    • please dont shorten the archery season.
  • Tony Valentine
    • Comments
    • The USDA National Forest Service seems to forget that they are Public Servants
  • Robert McDowell
  • Bob Walker
    • Comments
    • This land is OUR land!
  • Robert Honaker
  • Brian Krebs
    • Comments
    • I am a veteran; I fought for this land. I want management decisions to be made publically based on biology- was this decision?
  • Ethan Rodrigue
    • Comments
    • I am very displeased with the current policy regarding this issue. As a concerned, responsible, and ethical bowhunter I sincerely hope for a reversal of this decision.
  • Kevin Little
  • Brian Hatch
  • Ricky Butts
  • Todd Goodson
  • David Wilton
  • Daryl Damron
  • Daniel Teague
    • Comments
    • I am 26 years old...since I was 9 year old my family has travelled to LBL for a bowhunt every year the week of the 15th of October. My honey moon was spent at LBL and following anniversarys have been spent there. Now with this new rule change, you all killed the whole tradition of going out there that week. Thanks a lot guys and gals for asking the public about this.
  • Daniel Novotny
  • Donald Moffatt
    • Comments
    • "Of the people, by the people, and for the people. Does anyone remember the constitution? Decisions such as these MUST be made with the public having knowledge beforehand. Decisions such as these, MUST have some form of validation for imposing them. In short , the Forest Service has taken away the rights of the citizens of the United States by reducing the hunting season by twelve days. This I feel, is NO SMALL MATTER, and those responsible should look at it as NO SMALL MATTER! Those responsible MUST be held accountable, and bring forth a reasonable explanation as to why twelve days of recreation were taken away from the people of Tennesee, and the people of the USA!
  • Andrew Wallingsford
  • Scott Turner
  • Scott Mann
  • keith h. miller
    • Comments
    • against the 1 buck limit and the 5 day no hunting period prior to quota hunts
  • Phil Goodson
  • Blaine Litteral
  • Jerry W. Riner
    • Comments
    • As a managment regulation, closing the archery season for five days before a gun hunt does nothing. The one day closure was plenty of time for archers to clear the area and the gun hunters to move in. The gun hunters will scout all day before the hunt and negate any positive results from closing the area for five days. Twelve days seems insignificant but those twelve days are probably the best archery hunting days of the year, especially BEFORE the gun hunts have thinned the herd. Many archery hunters will not make as many trips this year (including me) to LBL because of this rule. Also, many go the gun hunters are archers also and use those days to pinpoint a good area.
  • David F. Lee
  • Harold Keim
    • Comments
    • The change was an unnecessary complication
  • JOHN E. RIDDELL, JR
  • Bill Schaefer
  • William Cheshire
  • Joe Bryan
    • Comments
    • Is it really necessary to close it to all hunting that many days prior to a Quota hunt? We are not talking about a small parcel of land. The limitation of one buck per hunter, quota or not, will greatly decrease the amount of hunting for many of us. Some things are better of left as they were!
  • Joseph Bowman