I'm planning on bow hunting wheeler this coming season. I've only hunted it a handful of times over the past 2 years, seen a ton of sign just no deer. Can someone give me advice on what part of wheeler is better? Thanks

well it looks like either there are no deer or everyone is too stingy with their secrets.

Caleb, you have to find the food source. Deer are going to be where the best tasting food is at any given time. You really have to hunt Wheeler if you plan on being successful. Scout it this summer, scout it on Sundays during season, hunt and scout at the same time, but scout it.

I've never hunted south of the river. Heard good things, just haven't gone. I've got a couple honey holes, but if i told you bout them, i'd have to...well, you know. Seriously, follow cam's advise. Some say you gotta get away from the roads...BUT, i've seen deer living in back yards so you gotta scout. Lotta grain there for them to eat, but they are gonna go after natural till its gone...then they'll hit the remaining grain hard (but mostly at night).

i park under i-65 bridge and walk in bu i have heard the islands is best also near mallard point, but i have heard the best place early is swan creek i don't know but that is what a guy told me.i really like hunting in the bottoms.

planning on going Saturday to scout a little, I know its swampy. Have any of yall ran across many cottonmouths in there? I got muck boots just don't know how good they would do against a biggin.

Snake Boots or Leggings needed if you're not the adventuresome type , also take plenty mosquito spray and something to keep the ticks off

If I showed you the pics of the cottonmouths I see on Wheeler you wouldn't go scouting this weekend I promise you.

Yes be careful, all of the low water areas and rivers/creeks in that part of the TN river are known for the moccasins. I wear rubber hip waders when I'm in that area. Doesn't protect the arms but I can kick em without worry

Its full of alligators too

Post them pics! I would love to see hem

Ill dig up some pics tomorrow from last year and since were spraying on wheeler tomorrow ill probly have some new ones tomorrow pm.

Dang, thanks for making me feel better about it. How pricy are snake chaps or should I just buy snake boots. And yeah one of the times I went last year behide mitchelle pond the mosquitos about took me and the therma cell off. They are bad in there

DITTO!

Did you run into any cottonmouths while you were spraying up there today

I saw a cottonmouth on flint several years back on opening day that was as big or bigger than most you can find pics of online. It wasn't but about 4ft long but was very thick. I've saw gators and snakes so for me I avoid wheeler this time of the year.

Yeah the more I hear the less I like the idea of going this time of year. My only problem with scouting it in sept is my wife is due in sept with twins. So I planned on scouting it before them

I spooked a gator in 4-5 ft of water last weekend that shook me up. I was in a gheenoe. He dipped below the surface when we got close and sat there about 20 seconds before he exploded outta there.He was bigger than I thought.

No I didn't see any at wheeler today Caleb but I just handed off maps and had to run. Killed one big one north of the river on private land though today that gave me the woolies!

A few I took fishing a couple years ago

Awesome, where amounts on the refuge is that ?

dang...big ole gators there!

i never would have thought it was warm enough to support gators here seems too cool. to me.

there a bass under that tree. waiting for your spinner bait .

Flint Creek got a couple so does limestone. Those are some good pics.

Those came from Flint. Most people I talk to say Limestone has the heaviest population but I've heard of people seeing them in several places along the river. Honestly I think anywhere up and down the TN river in north AL has a chance of having them, especially when you get into the creeks and backwaters. The day we took these was the first time I had seen any. We saw around 5 that day. The first one was 5-6 ft long but someone had shot him. He was floating and had a hole back behind his head. Personally I wish someone would put a hole in all of them. My wife and kids were with me and my wife was a little spooked when we came up on the dead one. She really didn't like it as we continued seeing live ones. It was one of those things where you had always heard people talk about seeing them but didn't really believe them. Now she doesn't like me going there or want me taking the kids. The others in the pics were better than 10ft and we saw one small one maybe 2-3ft. I nearly caught him on a fishing pole.

If your wife is due with twins you won't be hunting much this season. Our son was born September of last year. It's hard to find the time or energy to hunt the first couple of months. Good luck.

Crocs would die. They drown when the water temp drops. Alligators can survive in waters with ice in it. They are lethargic but alive. I've known duck hunters running into them at Swan creek during duck season.

I see this is an old thread, but I hunt wheeler a lot and have killed deer out there and seen many. two pieces of advice. 1. If you get there without a boat, hip waders or on two legs, don't hunt it cause every other guy has already been there. and two hunt mid day. Use the other hunters coming out for lunch to drive deer toward you. I have a bike that i ride on the roads that close during season to get miles deeper than I would walk with a climber on my back. Good luck.

sorry AUwrestler you are not alone with the bicycle idea otherwise good advice

i am working on perfecting carrying deer out on bicycle. ive seen some good pictures that show how to tie wrap a deer on top of the bike while you push it out. now all I need is to get a deer for practice. also sometimes i find that its more crowded 1mile and a half out than by the road.

Dang lake is so low it was stump city getting out there a few weeks back. Bent my prop up and everything. Gonna have to take a push pole next time I recon. Wheeler is covered up with cameras, everywhere I go I find them. I hate getting caught by the cell cameras!

Resurrecting a 7yo thread?

Trail cameras are illegal on Wheeler, so feel free to take them down. I've thought about doing it before, but I can't bring myself to steal.

I've found bear scat in the northwest part of Wheeler. I've also seen coy wolves that are over 70lbs out there, and they are not afraid of people. They really need to open up a coyote season, and gators too.

I've heard from a few people that gators were released on Redstone Arsenal in the 70's to reduce the beaver population.