In the past few years I have written several blogs that criticize the T.W.R.A. for its ill management of The Bridgestone Centennial Wilderness Area. Consider the following outline a gift to the T.W.R.A. in order to resuscitate the wildlife in The W.M.A., and bring back the hunting public to the area.
These are some of my suggestions for steps that need to be done:
1. A moratorium on all “Prescribed Burning” for five years, and if resumed, to be done in fall or winter, not early spring as apparently is the current policy.
2. Reintroduction of at least fifty Whitetail Deer from healthy populations of properly managed hunting ranches in Texas or other states or even Tennessee, to insure genetic viability of the deer herds.
3. Reintroduce at least one hundred Wild Turkeys from other parts of the state or nearby states, and perhaps even introduce The Rio Grande strain from south Texas, (a larger variety of The Wild Turkey.)
4. Introduce Axis or Fallow Deer, as they don’t follow the same rutting schedule as Whitetail.
5. A moratorium on all Big game hunting for at least one year after any introduction.
6. Winter Wheat and other seasonal food plots to be sown into the recently cleared Bowater pine forests at regular intervals.
7. When Big Game Hunts resume, no does or antlerless deer are to be taken for two additional seasons, and current antler restrictions remain in place.
8. New regulations in The W.M.A. should be strictly enforced with harvest restrictions, along with random night patrols in The W.M.A. That means that an agent must be present and actively patrolling and checking hunter’s licenses every day during Big Game Hunts. Additionally, an agent must be parked at the entrance to The W.M.A. on the opening day of rifle season, or rent the currently unoccupied building across the street to be used as a substation.
9. Optional, but probably helpful, would be to have a special season for Coyote Hunts, after the regular season with a $25.00 bounty for every one surrendered. The T.W.R.A. could then sell the pelts to recover the financial burden from the bounty paid. Coyote Hunters would be responsible for removing the pelts prior to surrender.
10. Optional, but probably very beneficial, to request that the adjacent property allow the Virgin Falls parking area to be relocated much closer to the actual falls location. There’s a good road to get there, and it probably would avoid the several injuries and extractions of people that occur during the year because of the redundant arduous trek people are now undertaking to get there. This move would also put valuable space between the hunting public and the general public.
11. Allow A.T.V. access to only licensed and insured vehicles and a strictly enforced speed limit of no more than 20 miles per hour. All vehicles are to be logged in at the agent’s station for identification purposes, and drivers must agree to minimize road wear wherever possible, in a written agreement with The T.W.R.A.
12. Ladder stands and other temporary stands are permitted as long as they don’t cause permanent harm to the tree, and a name tag can be placed at the stand to identify the owner. Severe penalties are enforced for stand thefts.
13. Optional, all Big Game hunters check in prior to the season for a pass (free of charge) to access The W.M.A. for the season.