Use to hunt cherokee public land and see deer every time I went out. Killed several deer but got tired of killing very little deer. Started hunting kaw last year and only seen 3 deer during bp and rifle combined luckily I got a nice 10 point that weighed 147lbs on the last day of rifle. This year seeing a few more deer but not much. Is this the price u pay for big deer or do I just not have good spots? Hard to spend much time in the woods when you might not see a deer for 9 straight days. By the way I hunt for meat not bone.
I've never rifle hunted Kaw, but used to hunt BP and archery.
By the time gun season gets around the large number of people scouting and being there on earlier hunts, kind of keeps the deer ran off to the surrounding private ground. They do kill some nice ones on Kaw though.
By the time gun season gets around the large number of people scouting and being there on earlier hunts, kind of keeps the deer ran off to the surrounding private ground. They do kill some nice ones on Kaw though.
I camped out in a tent there two rifle seasons ago for a few days and only saw one doe the entire time. Unless you count seeing a buck crossing the road that was the only deer I saw. As mentioned the more pressure there is the less the daytime movement. I did enjoy hunting that area though and saw plenty of fresh sign.
TerryD I work with a few guys that still hunt there and they haven't been seeing as many deer at Cherokee either. I always had a lot of luck and never hardly hunted more than 100yds from the truck. I know several spots there and still have a map thinking bout going back I guess. The problem I had was the last 4 deer I killed there were less than 60lbs field dressed. Doe I killed this year at kaw was 110 that's bigger than my biggest 8 point i got from cherokee.
Kaw needs to be managed better. Most of the places I used to hunt, are too over grown. Needs a good fire. Used to see tons of deer in Bear Creek area.
The Corps of Engineers do controlled burns in different areas around the lake every year.
Part of the problem with Kaw hunting is that is the first lake on the Arkansas river and is designed for flood control as its primary purpose in life.
Not uncommon in the spring to have most of the hunting areas under water.
Try getting more than 100 yds from the road.
I have been hunting pretty far from the road at kaw. I have been looking at arial maps of the area and found a spot that nobody has been hunting that I need to walk bout .5 mile back hoping it pays off. It does need a good burn. I found a good spot that had sign everywhere including a 8in tree rubbed pretty good but will be orange everywhere on Saturday. Will try the spot .5 mile in and hope for the best if not I will be looking for new pha next season. I need to see deer! Thanks For everything so far
my wife has a bunch of land in pawnee we hunt, and my grandmother has alot of land near talihina. we live in muskogee so when we arent in the other two places we were wanting to find a place close to home so we started looking at cherokee. I know the deer here in muskogee are very small too. I killed a doe on my place here last year and she field dressed at 80lbs. But we figured we would go to cherokee while we were at home so we wouldnt be just sitting at home during the season. we usually spend 3-4 days in Pawnee and 3-4 in Talihina. but I really dont want to waste tags on the little deer here but at least it gives us a chance to get out. but not seeing anything isnt much fun either.
That sounds like a good strategy. The hunters that like to hunt next to the road, and the ones that get bored and want to stomp around in the woods will very likely drive deer to you. I'd take a lunch and TP and plan on spending the day.
