The recent fatal hunting accident on the Catoosa Wildlife Management Area has some hunters concerned about utilizing the popular public land managed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

“The accident was a factor,” said Lebanon’s Roy Denney about his decision to cancel a Catoosa camping trip and deer hunt he and a friend had planned for months.

“The cold weather was also part of it,” Denney said, “but after hearing about the accident we were concerned about the area’s congestion.”

Although the Catoosa WMA spans over 82,000 acres in parts of three counties, during deer season it can become crowded in some of the more accessible spots.

Photo by Larry Woody
Hunters must clearly identify their target before shooting.

A party was hunting on Catoosa on Nov. 8 when one of the members – a 38-year-old…