The National Park Service (NPS) says six local men have been convicted and fined in federal court on charges they engaged in poaching at or near the Lookout Mountain and Chickamauga Battlefield National Military Park. Three are from Tennessee, two are from Alabama and one is from Georgia – and a Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Technician.

NPS spokeswoman Kim Coons says hunting and trapping is a national pastime and has been since American Indians first settled the mountains and valleys of East Tennessee. She says 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. In addition, The US Forest Service allows hunting on almost 867,000 acres in 26 GA counties, along with Georgia’s Wildlife Management Areas, which make over 100,000 acres available to the public for hunting.

However, Coons says not all public land is open to hunting. Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park is closed to all hunting and trapping.

Coons says 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.

Coons provided a list of local convicted poachers who committed various wildlife violations within the boundaries of the national park:

  • Andrew Michael Thomason of Soddy Daisy, TN – Shooting from a boat onto NPS land.
  • Gavin Thacker of Lookout Valley, TN – Hunting and installing deer stands on NPS land.
  • Taylor Sewell of Lookout Valley, TN – Hunting and installing deer stands on NPS land.
  • Denver Scott of Bryant, AL – Chasing Raccoons with dogs on NPS land.
  • Jeremy Bell of Bryant, AL – Accompanied Scott in his activities.
  • James Alfred Jones of Rock Spring, GA – Maintaining a baited area within bounders of Chickamauga park as well as game cameras at the park.

Coons says Jones was actively hunting on the edge of the national park on private property with a clear view of the baited area. During the investigation and during the execution of a search warrant of Jones’ residence, he made several false statements to federal law enforcement officers. He also admitted to falsifying his deer harvest record and shooting a deer over bait in 2018 on private property adjacent to the national park. These violations occurred off federal property and were passed on to the Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division to prosecute at their discretion.

If you are in the national park and see or hear illegal hunting activity, please call 911 and inform them of your location. On duty Rangers will be dispatched immediately to that area.

Park boundary maps are available at the Chickamauga Battlefield and the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Centers, and a digital map is available online here.

WTVC