Standing Rock Lodge, Tennessee?
Contributors to this thread:Hogs
From: Kiteman@work
08-Mar-20
Wondering if any of you folks have hunted here. Mainly interested in hogs with dogs. This is where Johnny Thompson, who used to guide at Clarkrange, now works.
From: Bou'bound
08-Mar-20
No but check caryonah out if you are looking in that area
From: Hancock West
09-Mar-20
Never been to standing Rock but i'm headed to Spartan Hunting Preserve this year. They harvest some giants.
From: bb
09-Mar-20
Roger Yenn, hunted it recently with Johnny, He said it was very good.
From: Owl
09-Mar-20
Another plug for Johnny Thompson. If he's at Standing Rock, it's good.
From: RK
09-Mar-20
Johnny is the man. Standing Rock looks like crap on their website
But it may rock when you get there
From: Fuzzy
10-Mar-20
ditto Owl, if Johnny is there, it's a good operation.
From: Kiteman@work
10-Mar-20
Thanks guys. We hunted with Johnny in ‘04, ‘05 and 2013, and yep he’s a good, honest, hard-working guide. I’m really interested in what the hunt is like at SR compared to CR. He told me there is more acreage at SR; wondering if the terrain is similar, how the lodge is, etc. just general info. Hopefully Roger will see this and comment.
From: RK
10-Mar-20
Or go to their website
www.standingrockhuntinglodge.net
From: bb
11-Mar-20
I just spoke to Roger tonight. He's going back in a couple of weeks. He told me the lodge is Very nice. He told me the terrain was similar to CR and thought there was much more land.
From: Kiteman@work
11-Mar-20
RK, I’ve checked the website.
bb, thanks; that’s good to hear!
From: Highlife
11-Mar-20
From: Panhandle Bob
11-Mar-20
Dave, Roger is doing well...New job, New Grand baby, & well...just being Roger :)
From: Fuzzy
11-Mar-20
just being Roger is what Roger is best at ;)
From: bb
11-Mar-20
Dave, I guess he's doing well. It was hard to tell, there was about 4 hours of conversation that I fell asleep through.
From: Owl
11-Mar-20
lol, Brian. I was going to call BS on your claim "I just spoke to Roger tonight." No one will believe that. No doubt you were on the phone with him, though. :)
From: CAM
11-Mar-20
Good to see that Roger is still talking. Dang Ignert Chinaman ;)
From: Highlife
11-Mar-20
From: bb
11-Mar-20
could always work up a revival.
From: Matt
11-Mar-20
"lol, Brian. I was going to call BS on your claim "I just spoke to Roger tonight." No one will believe that. No doubt you were on the phone with him, though. :)"
bb probably snuck in a "hello". That is as close to talking to Roger as you get.
From: Kiteman@work
21-Apr-20
Could one of you fellers that’s in contact with Roger let him know about this thread. I thought we could private message on here, but don’t see it anywhere, except for across from their name if you find a post from that person. I have a bunch of guys booked with me at SRL, and would love a decent description of his hunt there so I can show them. Thanks
From: lewis
21-Apr-20
Good luck all this is in my neck of the woods I live a little northeast of Crossville stay safe Lewis
From: Highlife
21-Apr-20
From: Kiteman@work
21-Apr-20
Thanks Lewis. Beautiful country there! Highlife, will do. Not going til next spring but we have the whole camp booked. Totally trust Johnny!
From: WoodMoose
22-Apr-20
did I hear MHH revival????
bring it!
From: Highlife
22-Apr-20
From: Highlife
22-Apr-20
From: WoodMoose
22-Apr-20
bwahahaha
I still sport some of the T-shirts and the sweatshirt from a couple of them,,,,
fun times
From: Highlife
22-Apr-20
From: bb
22-Apr-20
I'm not sure I could ever go back...You guys are just not serious enough.
From: Highlife
22-Apr-20
From: TradTech
24-Apr-20
So, I made it through recovery after the 15 years of Wingnut antics. Sheeeeeesh. Took a couple years to realize playing around with logistics to invite a band of misfits to assemble once again in the Tennessee Plateau Region could very well work against rational thought... Wait, gotta' grab a case to get my mind right. So yes, I've been toying around with the idea of an MHH reunion at Standing Rock. I had originally planned joining Johnny for a few days at the lodge to discuss putting together a reunion. TWRA met with Johnny a few days before. They put the clamp on hunters coming from different states understanding the complexity of the Wuhan virus and controlling the spread. I must agree with that decision. Should a reunion take place, it will be coordinated to take place in '21, in the spring before it gets too danged hot. I've already been in contact with a few of the original MHH crew and will reach out to the others in due time. Trying to stay healthy as the company I work for is essential. Once this country starts to open back up and business operations return to a new norm, I'll have some time to get to work on this. Cheers Ladies!!!!!!!!
From: Highlife
24-Apr-20
From: Highlife
24-Apr-20
From: bb
25-Apr-20
Hey Rog...Good to see you post again...!!!!
From: TradTech
26-Apr-20
:) Gotta' save face. In MHH tradition....kick any man down! Cheers! LOLOLOLOL
From: TradTech
26-Apr-20
Brian, remember the beer cap fling? Hit Bowyer, out of the seat next to the door and had CAT by the throat! Never knew Rich could move that fast. LOLOLOLOL
From: bb
26-Apr-20
Or kick him until they're down.
From: Fuzzy
28-Apr-20
lol
From: Fuzzy
29-Apr-20
I'm heading down to Standing Rock to do some boots-on-the ground research week after next.
From: Kiteman@work
29-Apr-20
Fuzzy, thanks for de-highjacking my thread! LOL Will you be using dogs or baited stand? Whatever method you use, hope you have a blast with much success! Please post a description of your experience if you can. I’m taking a pile of knuckleheads down there next spring, and I’d like to give them a nice synopsis of what a day’s hunt at SRL is like. Much appreciated and TIA. I know Roger TradTech Yenn has hunted there recently, and I’d love to see a write up from him also. I know Johnny is the best, and have no doubts, but some of my crew is unfamiliar. THANKS GUYS!
From: Fuzzy
30-Apr-20
I'm taking my sweetheart Crissy on her first hog hunt (rifle) and we will definately run the hounds since you can't get that experience just anywhere. I'll probably be bowhunting if my shoulders co operate. I'm badly in need of shoulder surgery and COVID put that on hold. I may hold off on a kill and do some spot and stalk with an old (family heirloom) blackpowder shotgun loaded with round balls if I can't bowhunt.
From: Fuzzy
30-Apr-20
Lewis how are you doing? We might try to look you up while we're in the area if you're not afraid of meeting folks vis a vis the COVID thing?
From: Kiteman@work
30-Apr-20
Fuzzy that sounds like fun! Hope Crissy enjoys it too. Love the BP shotgun idea, but hope you can bow hunt. Be sure to let us know how it goes.
From: lewis
30-Apr-20
Fuzzy would love to meet you let’s see how this thing plays out just came in from chasing turkeys ?? windy as hell yesterday gusts up to 50 plus. Good luck and stay safe Lewis
From: Matt
30-Apr-20
Blunt force trauma, Tennessee style.
From: Fuzzy
05-May-20
lol...I miss you guys .... Matt, do you have any hunting pants I can borrow for this trip? If they hold up as well as your hand me down boots I could be showing my @$$ more than usual
From: Highlife
05-May-20
When hog hunting with dogs all a real man needs is a loincloth and grit ;)
From: Fuzzy
06-May-20
loincloths are for sissies
From: Highlife
06-May-20
Well I guess you're probably not fond of a kilt either for hunting hogs ?
From: bb
06-May-20
I want to know who's the pitcher and who's the catcher on this team.
From: Matt
06-May-20
Fuzzy reserves the kilts for sheep hunts. They can hear a zipper from a mile away....
From: Highlife
06-May-20
Now that is just plain freaking funny Matt
From: Fuzzy
06-May-20
I sheepishly admit to this....baaaaad joooooooooke Maaatttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From: Highlife
06-May-20
I can just see him catching hisself on the fence lol
From: Matt
06-May-20
The older he gets, the lower the fence....
From: Fuzzy
06-May-20
these days the fence is lower than my girlfriend's standards
From: bb
06-May-20
So that fence is non existent?
From: Highlife
06-May-20
Yup we all need to get gathered together lol
From: Fuzzy
07-May-20
lol....we sure do Dave
From: Fuzzy
07-May-20
Brian
From: Highlife
07-May-20
Cecil is Nick still flinging pointy sticks with recurves ?
From: Fuzzy
07-May-20
Dave he's too busy being an urbanite and all successful and shit....I'm sure he will come to his senses soon tho
From: Matt
07-May-20
"Flinging" might be too refined a description based on my most recent sample.
From: Highlife
07-May-20
Urbanitis There's a disease that needs stamping out. Maybe I'll start a Go Fund me page.......
From: Fuzzy
07-May-20
lol...Matt Dave was asking about Nick not me'
From: Kiteman
14-May-20
Waiting to read about your hunt with Johnny, Fuzzy!
From: Kiteman
14-May-20
From: Kiteman
14-May-20
From: Fuzzy
15-May-20
I'll post about it when we get back. I'm super excited about this one :)
From: Fuzzy
15-May-20
I'll post about it when we get back. I'm super excited about this one :)
From: Fuzzy
15-May-20
I'll post about it when we get back. I'm super excited about this one :)
From: Highlife
18-May-20
Well?
From: Highlife
18-May-20
Well?
From: Highlife
18-May-20
Well?
From: Fuzzy
18-May-20
lol..we are heading down to Jamestown this afternoon.... be Thursday morning before we report/
From: Fuzzy
18-May-20
lol..we are heading down to Jamestown this afternoon.... be Thursday morning before we report/
From: fuzzy
18-May-20
lol..we are heading down to Jamestown this afternoon.... be Thursday morning before we report/
From: Fuzzy
18-May-20
lol..we are heading down to Jamestown this afternoon.... be Thursday morning before we report/
From: Fuzzy
18-May-20
lol..we are heading down to Jamestown this afternoon.... be Thursday morning before we report/
From: Fuzzy
18-May-20
lol..we are heading down to Jamestown this afternoon.... be Thursday morning before we report/
From: Highlife
18-May-20
Well alrighty than
From: Highlife
18-May-20
Well alrighty than
From: Highlife
18-May-20
Well alrighty than
From: Highlife
18-May-20
Well alrighty than
From: Fuzzy
18-May-20
lol lol lol
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
OK here is the deal:
#1 we did NOT bowhunt, so if that offends you skip the rest of this thread.
I absolutely love bowhunting hogs and have bowhunted them many times and many places in the last 30 years. I'm currently unable to draw and shoot a bow with any degree of consistency and without severe pain, so I had to gun hunt. Crissy isn't a bowhunter (yet) so we went with the guns.
I decided to challenge myself as a hunter as much as possible and disciplined myself to spot-and stalk hunting only (except for the time I spent sitting a blind with Crissy without the intent to shoot) and to use the 100 plus year old single shot break action blackpowder shotgun (handloaded all brass shells with 80 gr Pyrodex and paper-patched .69 caliber round balls if that kinda thin interestest you) the accuracy (or lack od same) of this gun and load necessitated a 15 yard or under shot distance.
Crissy was carrying a 7mm-08 scoped bolt action rifle so she had a bit more leeway as to range
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
The land and lodge:
Johnny Thompson needs no introduction to anyone into hog hunting. He has at least 30 years of hog hunting experience, is honest, hard working, respectful, helpful, knowledgeable and a joy to be around. Nuff said.
Standing Rock is near Jamestown Tn in Fentress County. It's typical Cumberland Mountain mixed farming country and "rough" timber land cut by rushing rocky streams and gorges.
Johnny didn't state how much land is actually in fence but Crissy and I walked the perimeter fence and it took over 3 hours at a "walk and look" steady pace. Say 500 to 700 acres in fence at least. There were no fenced off areas interior to the perimeter fence, ie:, no "pens" . The hay fields and crop fields bordering the property show significant hog activity. The hogs in the fenced area are locally born feral animals, no ear tags, no pen pigs, no barrows that we saw. We saw a good mix of age structure from young sows with piglets, mature sows with piglets, dry sows, bred sows, shoats, young boars and mature boars. The ferals tended to hang together in groups and be less wary, the "Russian" (strong European genes) tended to hold in the cliffy areas in this laurel and holly cover broken by ledgerock and what look like small flooded mine or quarry pits.
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
The Lodge is clean and well maintained, nicely situated on high ground sloping toward a couple small ponds (very scenic) back from the rural 2 lane blacktop road maybe 400 yards with timber cover, no road noise. The lodge is T-shaped with the center of the T being the greatroom (lots of taxidermy and horns! ) sofas and stuffed chairs, fireplace (and TV if you're into that) There's a well appointed kitchen and dining room area with two referigerators and an upright freezer. There's a big bedroom off the greatroom with a full/queen bed and 3 twin beds and a half bath with shower (3/4 bath??) clean. Beds are rustic barnwood, handmade with real quilts.
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
There is a skinning pole out front with a hand operated chain hoist, hog hooks, water hose etc if you want to skin and quarter, there are chest freezers on the back deck for cooling meat. There are two more bedrooms, one on each arm of the "T" . These are large as well with four beds and a bathroom with shower. They are just as nicely appointed as the main bedroom. The porch runs the entire front of the lodge and has benches rocking chairs and canvas chairs. The facilities are nice enough to bring wives and non hunting friends as a "get away" ....I'd honestly gladly pay > $100/night for this kind of lodging as a non hunting getaway.
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
I'm going to say that the place could readily accommodate up to 12 hunters as a group (after the COVID restrictions ease up) without feeling too cramped. The porch, greatroom, dining room, bedrooms/beds and kitchen seem suited. I wouldn't go much over a dozen, for everyone to be comfortable.
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
The property has good cover, good "rough" road access throughout, the fences are maintained, and there are blinds in the right places.
The blinds are a bit rough. They work, there are plenty of them and they are in the right places for intercepting hog travel patterns in all weathers and winds. Most of them are built with rifle and handgun hunting in mind. It would be tough for a compound shooter to use several of them and only a couple would accommodate a stickbow shooter.
A couple of low ladder stands near at least three of the blinds would help a lot. A Minor issue honestly since there is good cover on the property for ground hunting.
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
The hogs did what hogs do. They stayed in the cover, moved where and when you least expected it. Stayed the #$%@ away from the hunters as much as possible, and then sometimes unpredictably showed up at the corned blinds en masse, ate all the corn as fast as possible, then melted into the cover.
The diversity in size and age structure made it imperative that you be good at judging hog size on the hoof. Until this trip I thought I was.
Well fellas I'm not. LOL
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
Crissy and I spent a good bit of the first day just getting familiar with the place, stalking up on hogs that didn't meet her standards, etc. And of course there was the little time we spent dressing and bringing out the sow I misjudged and making sure I missed the one I missed.
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
About an hour and a half before full dark we went to a blind close to some good cover and well away from the only other hunter, and sat.
Just before sunset a mixed group of ferals came in and started feeding, there were a couple sows in the group that may have shaded 180 pounds, and Crissy was starting to second guess her decision to wait for a real trophy European boar on her first hog trip.
I was ok with that but whispered to wait since it wasn't close to dark yet and a couple of the adolescent feral boars were nervously eyeing the cover and acting like they wanted to leave, one eventually did.
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
We were in a large blind that actually had good room for shooting a wheelbow. The hogs came in along a beaten trail and even without the corn to hold them a bowhunter could have gotten a good shot on most of them.
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
She had just about decided to shoot the sow when all the hogs tensed up, stared into the cover, and blew out of there fast
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
At this point we had maybe 15 minutes of leagal shooting light. I could see she looked disappointed at letting the ferals go, but I signaled ";wait" and thumbs up
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
a few minutes (three? five?) later a grunt and squeal or two announced the arrival of more hogs... two young boars of obviously strung European bloodlines trotted from the cover and circled the corn, testing the wind, before starting to feed
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
a few minutes (three? five?) later a grunt and squeal or two announced the arrival of more hogs... two young boars of obviously strong European bloodlines trotted from the cover and circled the corn, testing the wind, before starting to feed
From: Highlife
21-May-20
Well? I ask with anticipation
From: WoodMoose
21-May-20
dang fuzzy,,,,suspense!
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
the difference in body language between this group and the ferals was dramatic. the ferals were obviously not pen raised, but these were more wary than whitetail deer.... since this was her first experience with hogs, Crissy was spellbound....
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
the hogs milled around, displaying nervous body language, often turning backs to the corn and stading in a circle like wagon spokes, nose lifted, ears pricked, sniffing and listening for danger...we hardly dared to breathe of blink, even in the blind
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
within a few minutes three tiny red pigs with the telltale stripes trotted out of the pine brush, followed by mom, a gunmetal gray sow with the classic European sow snout, almost a bottle-nose.... her gait and raised hackles, every aspect of her demeanor spelled trouble for anything near her piglets.... (I risked an almost inaudible whisper in Crissy's ear ("that's a mean b%$#") this was a mature "Russian" sow, the queen of the piney-woods and Ivy thickets, afraid of nothing that walked the planet and ready to kill anything that threatened her piglets
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
after the boss sow, a couple more young young adult hogs drifted out to feed warily...one 130 ish pound boar dragging a broken back leg (no doubt the work of another hog, maybe momma, maybe a mature boar. I was tempted to signal Crissy to take him since I could tell she wanted to....
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
soon after the gimpy boar came out, all the hogs spun to face the cover... all acting very nervous... the first two young boars tore off in another direction into the pine brush... then a boar stalked out into the open
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
when he hit the clearing I turned to Crissy and mouthed "KILL HIM" the other hogs moved aside and he fed for maybe a minute, warily.... she eased the rifle into position as he started turning broadside and started her trigger squeeze
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
the boar was in the clearing less than two minutes, he didn't like being in the open and the corn wasn't worth the risk, he started picking up his pace to a fast walk as he got within 15 feet of the brushline
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
the crack of the rifle sounded and the boar was instantly tearing away, Crissy looked at me in shock and whispered "I missed!" . I chuckled a bit and said "the heck you did, you nailed him. He'll be laying dead within 40 yards tops" Sometimes you can just tell... He never flinched at the shot but I knew from the reaction that he was hit hard and in the right spot. Maybe it was the way he went from a 5 mph brisk walk to 35 mph top speed in half an eyeblink... maybe just instinct. I whispered we ain't going to look for him until we are sure that mean b@#$ is gone tho. Let's go find Johnny and get him to bring a flashlight and the truck." We smoked a cigarette and let the trembles pass and then I walked over to inspect the trail before it was too dark to see blood
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
I quickly found two large splashes of bright lung blood on the bare sand of the trail... Crissy found more blood spots leading to the pine brush line. We made small stone piles at first and last blood and started walking back to the lodge.
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
As luck would have it Danny was coming down the road as we started out, we took his small flashlight and started looking for blood... we were having trouble with the small light since it was full dark by now. We again started back to the lodge and met Johnny coming in to check on us.
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
Crissy was starting to doubt her shot again (she felt she'd held to much forward for his walking speed). Her descirption of the hold and my assessment of his reaction, and the blood color, led me to have no doubts at all. We had a dead boar to bring in.
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
Starting at the first stone pile, with a good light, the blood trail was what I call a "walking speed blood trail" there was blood spatter on weeds and saplings at knee height. To me that spells high lung hit and dead animals. We lost blood for a moment and trying to pick up a starting point when Johnny looked to the side and said "and there he is"
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
apologize for the dark pic. Johnny has better ones on his Facebook and the Standing Rock webpage
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
my old school shotgun feral
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
we didn't run dogs for several reasons. Johnny offered several times and says he has excellent Plott hounds, knowing Johnny as I do I'm certain his dogs are tops. We are going back this September and will run the hounds then.
From: Fuzzy
21-May-20
So my honest synopsis is:
Great lodge,
Great outfitter (of course)'
Great hogs (wary enough to be challenging, healthy and fat enough to be good meat, plentiful enough for good success rate, with a real trophy boar a definite possibility)
Good area, plenty big, plenty rugged, plenty of cover, sufficient access roads
Good setups for all types of hog hunting, bow, rifle, handgun etc whether blind sitting, spot and stalk, or hounds
I will say that all factors considered its a top notch operation. The only, and very minor criticism is that the blinds are old, were designed for gun hunting not bow hunting and some are a bit cramped. Any bow hunter worthy of the name can find a good spot to ground hunt or set up a low height tree stand to take advantage of the low cover (there aren't a lot of trees suitable for climbing stands), spot and stalk, or work with the hounds. I'm giving this one an "A plus" over all rating in all categories.
From: lewis
21-May-20
Congrats to you all looks like a great time was had by thanks for sharing stay safe Lewis
From: Kiteman
21-May-20
Fuzzy, I can’t thank you enough for that superb, detailed write-up of your hunt! Never expected such detail. You either have a great memory, kept excellent notes or don’t drink much. LOL Congrats to you both on some fine hogs and a hunt to remember.
From: Fuzzy
22-May-20
Kiteman I paid close attention and took "mental notes" of the facility and property details with an eye toward writing this review as accurately, honestly and objectively as possible. As for the hog action, I was excited (since this was Crissy's first hog hunt ) and my memory tends to be more vivid and detailed when I'm excited. Also Crissy, Danny and I discussed the details several times at day's end. I may not have gotten the conversational part word for word but the gist is correct, and as for the European hogs showing up at the blind I may have some of it out of order, I do remember that there was a gray and white "Russian" of over 100# and under 150# with unique markings which I didn't mention and for the life of me can't remember if it was a sow or boar. Had it been a bit bigger we may have taken it.
From: Fuzzy
22-May-20
If anyone is interested in the performance details on the .69 caliber roundball from the old shotgun PM me, I'm not going to turn this into a gun hunting forum.
From: Fuzzy
22-May-20
If anyone is interested in the performance details on the .69 caliber roundball from the old shotgun PM me, I'm not going to turn this into a gun hunting forum.
From: Kiteman
23-May-20
Again, thanks Fuzzy. What would you say was the overall ratio of “Russians” to feral? Even “razorback” type hogs are acceptable. We like the long snout, small-eared, big chest, smaller hind quarter type vs. floppy ears and pot belly.
From: Owl
23-May-20
Just caught up on this thread. You Wingnuts still crack me up. Glad you had a good hunt, Cecil!
From: bb
24-May-20
Awesome Cecil!
From: Highlife
24-May-20
I don't know read more like a travel log or something you'd find on a plane ;)
From: Highlife
24-May-20
BTW When we gonna go?
From: Fuzzy
26-May-20
Dave lets start planning. Maybe Feb/March '21?
From: Fuzzy
26-May-20
Kiteman some of the sows (like the one in my pic) were carrying some extra fat but all the hogs were "true" feral and the boars, even the small ones, were small-hipped, long snouted and muscular.... we saw no barrows and no floppy-ears
From: Highlife
26-May-20
Fuzzy let's do that can they handle more hunters? Is there nearby lodging if we need it?
From: Fuzzy
26-May-20
12 is about max, I am not sure about lodging but I don't think so. It's pretty far out. Even the pigs are homeless.... lol
From: Highlife
26-May-20
Well I'm willing to take one home. Soooooo I guess we're putting the band back together? Lol
From: Fuzzy
27-May-20
lol...possibly :)
From: Highlife
27-May-20
Well keep me in the loop
From: Fuzzy
27-May-20
Dave if it happens I won't be the organizer. I'm not authorized.
From: Highlife
27-May-20
Okie dokey
From: CAM
07-Jun-20
I think there is lodging in Jamestown or at least it was back around the turn of this century?? Good review Cecil!!
