"Each WMA in the state prioritizes for species with a five-year plan," explained Cheatam WMA Wildlife Manager Randy Cromer. "The practices in that plan state what you are managing and how that management affects each species. Our number one species in Cheatam is wild turkeys, then deer, squirrels, rabbits and quail. After that, it's raccoons and non-game species."

Cromer noted that the Haynes Bottom WMA, which he also manages, is the "mecca of small-game hunting." The 1,000-acre WMA, along with the 5,000 acres at Cheatam Lake WMA, are popular duck-hunting destinations, but "half of Haynes is uplands, and we manage it for small game -- rabbits and quail. The hunters are very happy. It was a working cattle farm before TWRA bought it. We planted warm-season native grasses that grew in Tennessee 100 years ago. The thing about these grasses is they grow in clumps and get real tall. Under there are travel lanes for small animals, cover and things they need to do better. We are really pushing the plantings of warm-season grasses because it helps quail and rabbits, too."

Haynes is 56 miles from Cheatam on the other side of Clarksville off Highway 79. In December, Cromer said, "most everything is open -- ducks, squirrels, deer, rabbits, quail, raccoons." There is also a dove field. When Cromer took over at Cheatam in 1988, there was a draw quota hunt, which he did away with.

"Now I open Cheatam the same as Unit I, only I stop Dec. 25, about two weeks early," he said. "A lot of WMAs close small-game hunting during big-game hunting. Cheatam does not. It has the same small-game seasons as statewide. The only problems I've had is during archery season, because the leaves have not come off and deer hunters (not required to wear orange) are up in trees -- and squirrel hunters shoot into trees -- it can be a little testy. I have not had one shot or anything like that, but there can be some harsh words."

"The squirrel population is really making a good comeback," Cromer said. "The winter of 2005 was the best mast crop that I have seen since I've been at Cheatam. The white oaks were absolutely loaded.

"Cheatam has 63 miles of road we build and maintain for access and harvest. We are also creating more permanent wildlife food plots for turkey. Our GIS system has as much data on Cheatam as any other place, and it shows me where the red oaks are, where in the turkey program the available water is within a quarter of a mile. If there is none, the program places an X on the map and we'll build a pond -- turkeys have to have water. Of course, everything else needs water, too. There is no place on Cheatam that year-round water is not available now. We have about 125 acres of permanent openings, which attract insects for mama (turkey) to take the poults in and let them eat bugs.