Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting NE Tenn deer hunting?

How is the deer hunting in NE Tennessee?

What are the best counties from Rogersville-Kingsport-Bristol-Johnson City?

2 bucks per year. How about does?

I’ve never hunted that area specifically. But some bordering counties I have.

Typically low deer density. Smaller bodied deer. 125” deer is a big deer in East Tn with occasional bigger deer being seen or killed.

Typically lots of public land opportunities , but Lots of hunting pressure in East Tn as well.

If looking for a trip somewhere to kill a nice buck it’s not the right place.

Thank you for the input.

Just wondering since this is an area I’m interested in relocating to in the future.

There are some giants up there. If you like hunting in the mountains and getting away from people, there is plenty of opportunity.

Cousin lives in Kingsport and has 20 deer a day every day in his yard.

Friends regularly kill deer over 140 in Greene, Unicoi and Cocke counties.

Plenty of deer around Rogersville. Never seen anything over 130 class bucks in pictures. My friends who moved there from Florida can't let anything decent walk yet. He has cattle and the deer are in the back pastures every afternoon.

Wow, good to hear!

This is VERY encouraging to hear!

I travel through miles of this area with work (railroad) and I have several friends who live and hunt this area and from what I see there is not much public hunting unless you hunt the Eastern part of the boarder counties with North Carolina, otherwise the private land is covered ( thicker than fleas on a dogs back!) up with small deer, a 125" buck would be a monster for this area but if your just after freezer meat and can get permission to hunt on some decent private land it should be an excellent area...Good luck....Hb

Monsters? This ain’t the mid west.

Most people around here think the 120ish buck is 140. Bubba thinks he killed a giant basket 8!!

Do people kill some decent bucks. Yes.

Is it common for deer 135-140”. Not at all


The genetics, soil, and food aren’t here to grow big deer consistently.

We have some beautiful scenery and woods to hunt in. But if your a trophy hunter East Tn isn’t the place.

In it for the fun and meat. Well tn like most places has that

Not saying they are on every ridge around here, but they are out there.

175 inch


135 inch 6 point


Top secret location in upper east Tn

I guess what I’m trying to say is


Your not very good at scoring deer


Those deer dont score anywhere near what you think they do. Might want to find a qualified person to score them instead of guessing

They’ve been scored, no guessing. I agree with everything you have said up until now. There are pockets of some damn good above average deer in E Tn but they for sure aren’t easy to come by. I see deer every year come out of Cocke county over 160 inches, some from in town and some from in Cherokee National Forest.

Please. Post score cards on those deer since they have been officially scored. Would love to see them for you to prove me wrong. I’ll gladly eat crow and accept my own ignorance


I’m not saying not nice deer for East tn. But not as big as your saying they are.


135” 6 point would need huge mass and brawl tines. That deer does not have that. Plus it doesn’t have the beam llength to make up for it. Takes a lot for a 8 point to be 135” with 2 more score able points. So please post score card

Tn state records only show like 3-4 typical racked bucks scored over 175. Non from eastern half of the state.

175” buck with no mass and brawl tines under 5”. In area known for deer sub par in body weight and rack

Please

Post score cards and I’ll gladly eat crow

Yeah i got to say that dont look like no 135" 6 point, I know pics usually dont do them justice but I just dont see 135" there...120" I might believe..Hb

Ok...I lied about the 6 point, it grossed 133, If memory serves me correct it dressed close to 200 pounds.



The other deer grossed 178 and change and netted 173, this deer was skinny and dressed around 140 pounds.



I'll buy you a beer to eat with that crow next time I get over near Blount county

Another innanet expert.

Charles Smith 178 5/8” typical from Scott Co killed in 1978 and Lonnie Hulse 180 1/8” from Campbell Co killed in 1995 are East TN bucks.

Well I’ll gladly eat crow then and stand corrected. Probably gonna need a beer to



Scott and Campbell are technically East Tn your correct. I should have specified a little more. Non from that Far East in the state. I wasn’t thinking about plateau region as the deer tend to be a little bigger there than the valley and eastern mountains