# Land Between the Lakes Deer Hunting



## LBL Forest (Apr 15, 2015)

How many of you are planning on hunting LBL this season ?


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## Rakkasan133 (Jul 27, 2013)

I just moved away from the area - I lived in Clarksville from 2010-2014 (just ETS'd from the Army). If I don't get drawn for a Missouri managed hunt I'll be heading to hunt the TN side of LBL the first or second week of November!


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## TNKnoxville (Dec 16, 2011)

I'm thinking of trying it out this year.


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## davglo35 (May 18, 2011)

I bowhunted up there last November. Did some scouting and narrowed it down to 3 areas. On the 3rd morning I rattled about 7:30 and a decent buck came in and I did my part. Had a good hunt. I have turkey hunted up there the last 2 years and I sure see a ton of deer on the roads before daylight and after sunset. Its been so bad i am nervous about hitting one with my truck. Here is a pic of the buck i killed.


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## Ky stump (Aug 9, 2015)

I am planning my first trip to Lbl on Nov. 5. Staying at Wranglers camp for a 3 day hunt. Thanks for the info.


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## bucknut1 (Sep 21, 2006)

davglo35 said:


> I bowhunted up there last November. Did some scouting and narrowed it down to 3 areas. On the 3rd morning I rattled about 7:30 and a decent buck came in and I did my part. Had a good hunt. I have turkey hunted up there the last 2 years and I sure see a ton of deer on the roads before daylight and after sunset. Its been so bad i am nervous about hitting one with my truck. Here is a pic of the buck i killed.
> View attachment 2627521


great buck


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## davglo35 (May 18, 2011)

Last year there was a bumper acorn crop. The deer were scattered and you couldn't just hunt anywhere a see deer. I spent a full day walking and looking and found what i was looking for. I saw deer on every hunt but one and saw another nice buck. You've got to know what to look for in big timber. Ive hunted big woods all my life and it wasn't hard to find em.


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## LBL Forest (Apr 15, 2015)

You definitely need to know how to hunt big woods if you want to be successful in LBL. I always look for pinch points, natural food sources and bedding areas in LBL.


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## LBL Forest (Apr 15, 2015)

Very nice Buck. 



davglo35 said:


> I bowhunted up there last November. Did some scouting and narrowed it down to 3 areas. On the 3rd morning I rattled about 7:30 and a decent buck came in and I did my part. Had a good hunt. I have turkey hunted up there the last 2 years and I sure see a ton of deer on the roads before daylight and after sunset. Its been so bad i am nervous about hitting one with my truck. Here is a pic of the buck i killed.
> View attachment 2627521


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## General RE LEE (Nov 8, 2012)

davglo35 said:


> I bowhunted up there last November. Did some scouting and narrowed it down to 3 areas. On the 3rd morning I rattled about 7:30 and a decent buck came in and I did my part. Had a good hunt. I have turkey hunted up there the last 2 years and I sure see a ton of deer on the roads before daylight and after sunset. Its been so bad i am nervous about hitting one with my truck. Here is a pic of the buck i killed.
> View attachment 2627521


Great buck and great shot!


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## davglo35 (May 18, 2011)

Here is a little advice on bowhunting LBL. We talk about pinch points or funnels. LBL is full of downed trees from the ice storm a few years ago. Find an area with some sign. Especially on top or the side of a ridge. Use these downed trees to your advantage. They will funnel the deer down to a certain area. I found some sign and there were two huge trees laying across the top of a ridge and there was a small gap between the top of one and the base of one. At the far end of each tree there was a sharp drop off. Any deer that cruised through the area would walk through the gap. 
The key is to find an area with the sign. Whether it be rubs, scrapes or just feed sign.


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## LBL Forest (Apr 15, 2015)

For those of you hunting LBL what month do you plan on coming here ?


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## davglo35 (May 18, 2011)

I always come first of November. If i kill i go somewhere else. Ive got 18 days to hunt this year.


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## MattRagle (Nov 28, 2005)

I make several trips a year first trip this year is going to be on opening weekend.


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## Rakkasan133 (Jul 27, 2013)

If I'm not drawn for MO managed hunt I'll be there for a week in early November. Any recommendations on local motels?


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## Onpoint85 (Jun 26, 2013)

I've turkey hunted lbl for 20 years. Would like to start deer hunting it.


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## LBL Forest (Apr 15, 2015)

There are several hotels close to LBL. Look into hotels in Eddyville, Kuttawa, or in Draffensville, or Grand Rivers. All those towns are on the north end of LBL. There's a Days Inn and a Hampton Inn in Kuttawa, KY right off the Interstate 24 exit. There are several hotels at the Calvert City exit off Interstate 24 also.

Depending on how much money you can spend you may also want to check out Kenlake State Park and other state parks in the area for lodging.



Rakkasan133 said:


> If I'm not drawn for MO managed hunt I'll be there for a week in early November. Any recommendations on local motels?


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## gri22ly (Nov 24, 2008)

I've been roaming those hills and hollows for a long time, I can remember when you could walk all day out there and never get a tick on you, lol.

There are large sections that only hold 10-12 dpsm....other parts hold 30+ dpsm. When the crops come out and the acorns start to drop, the concentration will have a ripple effect and spread to a wider area containing densities of 15-20 dpsm. 

The controlled burn areas create hot spots in key locations also.


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## LBL Forest (Apr 15, 2015)

Do you hunt the KY or TN side of LBL ?


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## davglo35 (May 18, 2011)

Draffenville has some good food. There is a steakhouse there that's good. The kenlake campgrounds close on Nov. 1st. Good camping and showers on LBL at Piney, Energy lake and Hillman ferry. Full hook ups. Theres a good fish place in Aurora but their steaks are better than their fish. Theres a place north of Aurora on 68 that has home cooking as good as youll find. Theres a place in Dover called Mama Mias that has great burgers and pizza.


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## Ky stump (Aug 9, 2015)

**** hunted on Lbl before but never bow hunted. Could someone tell me how to get some good topo maps of lbl. I am looking at area 10 and 8 . Thanks in advance and best of luck this season.


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## srod (Oct 2, 2013)

Ky stump said:


> **** hunted on Lbl before but never bow hunted. Could someone tell me how to get some good topo maps of lbl. I am looking at area 10 and 8 . Thanks in advance and best of luck this season.


Caltopo takes a little while to zoom in but its free.


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## LBL Forest (Apr 15, 2015)

Also if your looking for some decent maps of LBL they are sold at the Welcome Stations, Golden Pond Visitor Center, and some of the Campgrounds.


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## pointndog (Jul 14, 2005)

I have always wanted to go there. I remember when I was a kid Knight and Hale hunted Fallow deer there. There still any fallow around?


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## LBL Forest (Apr 15, 2015)

Yes, but the Fallow Deer are now a protected species in LBL. The Knight and Hale guys live close to LBL and do a lot of hunting on private land.


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## LBL Forest (Apr 15, 2015)

Bump


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## FearNot (Dec 22, 2003)

Great area to hunt


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## PFD42 (Mar 31, 2011)

Been driving up there the last 8yrs from central Ms. Me and a few fellow fireman get a 5 day bow hunt in during Sept to start our season. Ms doesn't kick off until October 1st. We've taken some decent bucks and a few does to fill the coolers. I've noticed more hunters in the past couple of years , pushing us further back to see deer.


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## LBL Forest (Apr 15, 2015)

Are you all coming up here this year ? And do you all hunt the KY side or the TN side ?


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## LBL Forest (Apr 15, 2015)

Bump


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## LBL Forest (Apr 15, 2015)

The Ticks, Chiggers, and Mosquitos are extremely bad this year in LBL. A lot of campers and Hikers I've talked to all Summer say they've dealt with more Ticks, Chiggers, and Mosquitos this Summer than at anytime in the last 5 years. One of the reasons for this is because we had a lot of rain this Spring and Summer.

People were seeing a lot of Timber Rattlesnakes and Copperheads this Spring/Summer also throughout LBL. I've seen several myself.


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## LBL Forest (Apr 15, 2015)

Bump.


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## LBL Forest (Apr 15, 2015)

Bump.


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## davglo35 (May 18, 2011)

Where is the closest pro archery shop from LBL?


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## squirrelslayer (Jan 27, 2011)

davglo35 said:


> Where is the closest pro archery shop from LBL?


Depends which part. The lbl is very big so it depends on which area you will be near.


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## davglo35 (May 18, 2011)

Im always in the middle. On hwy 80


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## LBL Forest (Apr 15, 2015)

There is a good Archery Shop here in Murray, KY called Hinton Archery.


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## davglo35 (May 18, 2011)

Ill keep that in mind. Thanks. I have a spare bow and a bow press for the road but you never know.


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## LBL Forest (Apr 15, 2015)

Bump.


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## LBL Forest (Apr 15, 2015)

Bump.


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## The Archer (Sep 29, 2006)

Nice archery pro shops just north of LBL. Shooters Supply in Eddyville and Outdoor World in Calvert City.
Topo maps at visitor centers.


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## spyder jack (Oct 20, 2013)

I shot this buck in lbl in 2013 on the quota hunt KY side


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## LBL Forest (Apr 15, 2015)

I remember that Buck being taken. What did it score and how many points does it have ? 

Did you know the Buck was in the area and were you hunting a large forested area or close to crop fields ?


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## spyder jack (Oct 20, 2013)

It has 32 points I haven't had it scored yet I really need to I had trail cam pics of him so I knew of him it was in a big block of woods about a mile out I shot it half hour before dark the only deer I saw all day


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## LBL Forest (Apr 15, 2015)

Bump.


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## LBL Forest (Apr 15, 2015)

Keep in mind LBL does have a low deer density compared with a lot of other places. So if you find the right spot it can be good, but in a lot of other areas it's very possible to hunt all day and never see a deer.


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## LBL Forest (Apr 15, 2015)

Bump.


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## MattRagle (Nov 28, 2005)

Does anyone know of where I can find a map that shows what is planted in the ag fields? I found one last year but can't seem to find it. I'll be there next Friday.


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## Buddy Ro (Sep 9, 2007)

Ill be there Friday also


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## gri22ly (Nov 24, 2008)

What area's have been burnt off this year, if any?


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## MattRagle (Nov 28, 2005)

If your going to be there on Friday next week what zone/zones will you be hunting?


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## LBL Forest (Apr 15, 2015)

There has been a good amount of logging in Areas 1 and 2 along Old Ferry Road in the last few years. In the last few years most of the prescribed fire has been in the TN portion of LBL.


Another piece of information is since KY raised its NR License Fees, NR hunters can pretty much hunt the TN portion of LBL for about the same price as they can the KY portion. The TN portion is just as good if not better.


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## Buddy Ro (Sep 9, 2007)

MattRagle said:


> If your going to be there on Friday next week what zone/zones will you be hunting?


Looking at 8,9,10


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## LBL Forest (Apr 15, 2015)

Bump.


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## MattRagle (Nov 28, 2005)

I should be there around 9 a.m. tomorrow, Anybody know where I can find info on the crop fields for this year?


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## PFD42 (Mar 31, 2011)

Headed up next Wednesday for five days, first time in years I'll be by myself. My group of five firemen dwindled to just me this go around. That's ok hopefully I'll have all the bragging rights this year !


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## MattRagle (Nov 28, 2005)

When we went opening weekend we all got covered up in deer ticks and all of us were using permanone, we also ended up killing 3 copperheads and seeing several more.


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## cdtac1 (Oct 10, 2007)

Never deer hunted there but I did turkey hunt it when I was younger. Would like to go back.


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## Geauxhunter (Jun 4, 2014)

I live only about 20 minutes from LBL and of course I have some secret spots that's I wouldn't even tell my mother, but I will say EVERY year a big one is killed within 150 yards of 79.. I don't know why but it's pretty good right in there close to the road heading to piney..


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## PFD42 (Mar 31, 2011)

I spent 5 days of hard hunting and only saw 11 deer, 6 of which were bucks. Two were in the 130's with no shot opportunity due to some genius in a 30'RV that got lost on a dead end dirt road in the middle of nowhere at 6:50pm ! It's dry and hot so deer movement was after dark. Very few acorns ! This was the first year in nine years I didn't see at least 20 deer a hunt.


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## LBL Forest (Apr 15, 2015)

PFD42 said:


> I spent 5 days of hard hunting and only saw 11 deer, 6 of which were bucks. Two were in the 130's with no shot opportunity due to some genius in a 30'RV that got lost on a dead end dirt road in the middle of nowhere at 6:50pm ! It's dry and hot so deer movement was after dark. Very few acorns ! This was the first year in nine years I didn't see at least 20 deer a hunt.



That is very good for LBL. Sometimes you can hunt LBL for 5 days and see 0 bucks in a lot of areas. A lot of people just do not realize that LBL is mostly a large forest ecosystem that has a low deer density. So it is very easy to hunt for 1 or 2 days or more and never see a single deer in LBL. LBL takes a lot of time and patience to hunt.


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