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February 2025 Issue
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Latest Truck-Buck Entries
Hunting
Oak species are generally divided into two main groups: red oaks and white oaks. While there are many differences between the two, the most important factor for us is mast production—essentially, which oaks will best feed our deer herds. White oaks tend to grab the spotlight because, in general, their acorns are more appealing to…
VOTES, which stands for Voice Of The Educated Sportsman, is a survey of GON magazine readers that has been around for more than two decades. A question on the survey each and every year is Rate Your Deer Season, which gives us county-specific ratings that can be compared to historical trends. We’d like to hear…
By Will Jester My life has never been easy. The very first year of my life, when I was 9 months old, my biological father passed away. Soon my mother remarried a wonderful man. When I was 15, my life took a drastic turn again as my adopted father, and who I will always call…
The weekend of Dec. 28-30 was the 10th Annual GTA Youth Field Trials, held near Swainsboro. GTA Youth Director Jason Chapman truly outdid himself and put on what was possibly the best GTA youth event ever! If you are unfamiliar with the event, I cannot recommend it highly enough. My kids and I have gone…
Santa came a little early for a group of well-deserving deer hunters and American patriots just before Christmas 2024. On Dec. 14 and 15, the Georgia Chapter of Safari Club International hosted its annual Wounded Veterans Hunt in central Georgia. For the second year in a row, Fieldstone Hunting Preserve near Dry Branch, just east…
Fishing
Brayden Batchelor and Quinn Williams of Georgia Southern University knew they’d found the spot, and their confidence delivered a two-day winning total of 42 pounds, 3 ounces in the Strike King Bassmaster College Series event at Lake Okeechobee presented by Bass Pro Shops. Edging Kentucky Christian University’s Cameron Dials and Ethan Burnette by a margin of 2-3, Batchelor…
On Jan. 19, Chas Strickland, of Nahunta, decided to make a late-afternoon trip to the Brantley County section of the Satilla River, despite less than optimal conditions. “The river was running high, and the temperature was dropping fast, but me and my buddy Caleb Sarrows grabbed some minnows and decided to go see if we…
Some people luck into record Georgia freshwater fish. Some people deserve it. Kevin Carey, of Glenwood, earned his new river record. Kevin’s 62-lb., 15.2-oz. blue catfish caught Jan. 12, 2025 on the Oconee River below Lake Sinclair has been certified by DNR and is now recognized by GON as a new river record. It is…
I’m not much of a cold weather person. Yes, I love watching college football on fall Saturdays, frying turkeys at Thanksgiving and of course Christmas with my family. But the gray, cold, short days depress me to no end. I continue the grind into January and pick up the shotgun a few times and brave…
For the third consecutive year, 44 new fish were added to GON’s Georgia Lake and River Records list. In the past, GON has published these exclusive fish records in the February issue, but we’ve moved them into the January issue to help kick-start off the new year as we start collecting new records for 2025….
News
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Coastal Resources Division (CRD) has successfully added two new structures to its artificial reef system, enhancing marine habitat and fishing opportunities off the Georgia coast. On Jan. 3, 2025, CRD deployed the retired tug Megan at the CDH Reef, approximately 12 miles offshore. The Megan, a 46-foot vessel,…
Gov. Brian and First Lady Marty Kemp joined Georgia Department of Natural Resources leaders today in recognizing four corporate forest landowners for stewardship and land management practices benefiting Georgia wildlife. Georgia Power, Weyerhaeuser, PotlatchDeltic and Forest Investment Associates were named DNR’s Forestry for Wildlife partners for 2025. Partner projects are coordinated by DNR’s Wildlife Resources…
The J. Strom Thurmond Lake Project, managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, sustained severe damage to its forested areas as Hurricane Helene traveled across Georgia and South Carolina on Sept. 27, 2024. In a race against time, the Thurmond Project is clearing fallen trees as quickly as possible before the trees…
Videos
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Coastal Resources Division (CRD) has successfully added two new structures to its artificial reef system, enhancing marine habitat and fishing opportunities off the Georgia coast. On Jan. 3, 2025, CRD deployed the retired tug Megan at the CDH Reef, approximately 12 miles offshore. The Megan, a 46-foot vessel,…
As the sun came up on Feb. 1, Capt. Ken Athon took two brothers out for a casual fishing trip on Goat Rock Lake. The air was cool and a dense fog was set over the water. Despite the conditions, the group was eager to get started, knowing the fish were going to be active….
It seems counterintuitive to go north in the winter to catch bass, but Lake Chatuge largemouth and spots are moving from winter holes to prespawn structure and cover, and they offer great catching opportunities. February is a good month to land your personal best largemouth or spot on Chatuge. Chatuge is a 7,000-acre, 13-mile-long TVA…
Issue
Latest Issue
February 2025 Issue of GON Magazine
In this issue:
Prespawn Is Slab Time On Oconee
CWD Confirmed In Georgia
Rate Your Deer Season Questions
Targeting West Point Yellow Perch
Delayed Harvest Trout Fishing
Through The Eyes Of A Deer Dog
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