From Oct 31-Nov 9,2016 myself, several KTBA members and anyone else is welcome to join us to hunt. We camp at Energy Lake Campground, a fine, improved campground with all amenities. Over the years we have had success at LBL, but limited. The deer numbers are not the best, but hunting is varied, from hunting crops and food plots close to roads, to packing in to oak forested ridges as far as you wish. It really has it all. The scenery, and miles and miles of lake shore ground is spectacular, especially with fall foliage. In the past we had company of a group of 5 from.., south Carolina I believe, would love to see, or at least here from these guys again, as I have lost contact.

One from a few years back,

A buddy Scott Record arrowed this nice doe one morning within 30 minutes of myself taking a spike.

My first deer at LBL, several years back, scrawny, but sure was proud of that little deer. I saw about 20 deer that evening !

Camraderie with friends old, and new is what it is all about !

Its always good to find a lake shore.

Those are great photos and you are 100% correct Friends Old and New are exactly what its all about. I envy you guys and would Love to have dedicated buddies like that. I bowhunt by myself 90% of the time and it's the comaraderie that I miss the most. Keep us updated as to how you do this year. Be Safe and have fun. MTQ

There are some monster bucks at LBL, I have just never managed to kill one.

When I lived in Louisville I hunted there. Great Place!

How far from Louisville? I have a friend who moved there 2yrs ago. I'm in Michigan and have fished with him near Louisville. He and some friends hunt private land near there, but terms of their lease won't allow me to. Are nonresident fees reasonable? MP

Probably 3 hrs to the LBL from louisville depending on which part you go to, it's'170,000 acres. I hunted there for 2 years when i lived in Murray.

LBL took the "bonus buck" away this year, buck there counts on statewide...

"LBL took the "bonus buck" away this year, buck there counts on statewide... " . I know they did that on the TN side, did they do that with the KY side also?

Hunted there many years ago, to let on how long ago that was,the Fallow deer were still a legal deer to tag. Always a group of about 10,and we always stayed at Camp Energy.Had a lot of fun back on those hunts. I remember the first time I hunted LBl,we were staying at Energy and a skunk got in the tent with a couple of my buddies in the middle of the night,that was interesting.

there you go agin randy ...tempting me! this would be a great hunt! the {old timer}

Yes, one buck and it goes as state limit...going to affect KY side particularly...one buck limit there...

" I remember the first time I hunted LBl,we were staying at Energy and a skunk got in the tent with a couple of my buddies in the middle of the night,that was interesting. "

Skunk as a cover scent, think that is one I will pass on. LOL

Skunks love campgrounds, I have seen them at many campgrounds, we had a little encounter last year at Energy, about all you can do is fuss at them, and eventually they wander off. See Armadillos there some too. Date getting closer, and I cant wait ! I get as excited about deer hunting at LBL, as I do about elk hunting out west, well, almost. One thing for sure, this is a lot cheaper ! LOL

I hunted LBL back when I was going to college at nearby Murray State University, 1974-1978. Never heard of a seed tick until I went scouting there one warm late summer day wearing short pants. Quickly learned to never do that again! Back then fallow deer were legal to shoot and I saw several but never got one. Fun place to hunt.

I have never had a problem with ticks there, but I never go until late October -early November. Would love to hunt the Fallow deer, but they sadly are off limits. Cruising around the nature station around dark you can still see them though. I have never gotten an answer on how many there are, but pretty sure it is less than 100. They show no fear, and you can drive right up to them. Impressive racks for sure ! I don't understand how the brain worm wiped them out all but a few, but they never seem to recover in numbers. Whitetail numbers finally got low enough that they took the bonus tag away, yet they maintained their gun quota hunts, that does not sound like the best management practice to me. What the whitetails need as much as anything is some logging, to create browse. Years with low mast production make for lean times through the winter. Predator numbers seem high as well. I have seen 4 bobcats, and the coyotes keep a chorus all night there. Actually ran over one last year on way back to camp from an evening hunt. May just have to try some predator calling while up in the stand. For some reason their furbearing season does not open early like the rest of the state, and usually I have to just watch the cats walk by. There is enough of them they need an earlier cat season. Coyotes of course, are legal year round.

Good thing ticks aren't there in October. My wife and I camped there while fishing in March of 1977. My Irish Setter and Black Lab had ticks all over them. We had quite few on us too.

im sure they are there, but never once, in all my years have I had a problem, just lucky I guess, I have heard horror stories.

I was just there last week and the week before. We stayed first at Piney campground and then at Hillman. Wish I knew some trad guys were there. I had my bow and shot at the archery ranges. Only compounds where I was. We were site seeing not hunting.

How do you see 20 deer in one evening and call deer numbers so- so? I'm just curious. Not being argumentative. God Bless

that's what they claim. Fish and Wildlife said deer densities were 10 per square mile last I heard, that's not that great. Also the deer telechecked for the amount of acreage is not that hot, I have done that research myself. Sounds like you found a hotspot !

Crop lands around LBL are where the most deer are

You mentioned packing in, can you pack in and overnight it? I've long wanted to get a few guys together and do a backpack hunt. I've thought about doing it in the Cherokee NF in Tennessee, I didn't think about LBL even though I hunted it a couple of times while I lived in Tennessee.

We are staying in campers at energy Lake Campground, complete with electric hookups, but you can back country camp if you wish. Hard to get very far back in much more than a mile or so from some type road, but its possible. Of course these "roads" are just gravel, and some rarely traveled. Lots of nice spots to camp right beside your truck on these dead end roads and rarely ever even see anyone. You must purchase a Back Country camping permit to do so. I think it is $5. These can be bought online, or at any of the welcome stations. Only rule is not within site of the major roads (trace or hiway #68) and must move camp every 2 weeks.

Anyone going this year?

Yes, nov 1- ??? I plan to do about a week, but wot get there until nov 2. Energy lake campground, loop A . Others should be there

Awesome! Would a Canoe and/or mountain bike be beneficial?

I have a son who lives in Tennessee who mentions every now and then that I should give LBL a try. I never really seriously considered it. Hmmm.

Sounds like a great time. No qaurentee but I'm marking it on the calendar.

What happened with the fallow deer. When I hunted there the control area had lots of gallows but you had to get drawn. You could hunt outside the control area if you didn't get drawn. There were fallows there also but not in great numbers. I got my fallow buck along the lake where deer were using it for easier travel.

There has never been fallow hunting the 20 years i have hunted there. Very few fallows, congregated around nature center, and off limits

Lets see some fallow deer pictures.

I was able to draw a permit for one of the last fallow quota hunts in LBL. I believe it was in the mid 1980's.

Yeah my last was 83 or 84

1978 was the last year the TN side of LBL allowed fallow deer archery hunting...that same year the area had a severe case of EHD, called "blue tongue" disease back then...

Every year I see the post about this hunt. I no longer hunt but I think about going there to camp out with this bunch and enjoy the cooler weather. I might just do it this year.

The midday and evening campfire meals are worth the trip

I have tasted some of your venison Randy, you don't have to tell me how good it is, the best most tender I've had.

Hopefully next year I’m going there. Can’t make it this year (work)but there won’t be that excuse from May first, 2020! That is the date of my second and last retirement.

And the other hunt on my bucket list is a Georgia hog hunt with RC and friends.

Several will beat energy lake campground, loop A today, I will be there late tomorrow. Feel free to introduce your selves.

Had plans made to be there, but recovering from surgery now, no hunting for me this season! Sure was looking forward to it.

Not this year, but saving this....sure sounds like fun. It's now on my radar :-)

Good luck y'all !!

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