Hunting and trapping is a national pastime and has been since American Indians first settled the mountains and valleys of East Tennessee. Every year, many venture out to private and public lands to hunt game.  The US Forest Service allows hunting on 650,000 acres in 10 Tennessee counties, along with the TWRA, which makes 7,000 acres available to the public for hunting.  However, not all public land is open to hunting. Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park is closed to all hunting and trapping.

In recent years, the Lookout Valley portion of the park has seen an increase in illegal hunting activity.  The area surrounding Lookout Creek has seen the most illegal activity.

The following individuals have been convicted and fined in Federal Court for various wildlife violations within the boundaries of the national park.  Below is a summation of the individuals and their activities.

Andrew Michael Thomason…