# Coastie how's the WMA Bear Hunting?



## feathersnantlers (Sep 17, 2012)

Hey Coastie how's the archery bear hunting comin along on the WMA's?


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## Coastie (Sep 19, 2012)

Slow, no reports of sightings or bears killed so far. Acorns are everywhere so nothing is moving much. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!


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## NorthGaBowhunter (Sep 19, 2012)

Coastie said:


> Slow, no reports of sightings or bears killed so far. Acorns are everywhere so nothing is moving much. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!



I am trying to get one of your bears kilt jim


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## Coastie (Sep 19, 2012)

Heard of one killed on the Burnt Mountain tract a couple of days ago, didn't see it myself but estimated weight is 400 +/- pounds plus the guy killed two hogs the same day. 

NorthGaBowhunter, go for it, they are there, just have to find them. Hope to get the gate opened going in to Burnt Mountain soon but it is taking longer than expected. Try the new property off Steve Tate Hwy, especially for hogs.


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## monster012211 (Sep 20, 2012)

How are most of you hunting them, spot and stalk, ground blind or just the ground, or in a tree? Heading up to chattahoochee next thursday and was wondering what's been best strategy


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## Coastie (Sep 20, 2012)

Thr guy that killed the one on Burnt Mountain was in a tree stand watching white oaks.


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## GA DAWG (Sep 20, 2012)

How he get a 400lb bear and 2 hogs outta them mountains? Dangit


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## brandonsc (Sep 20, 2012)

GA DAWG said:


> How he get a 400lb bear and 2 hogs outta them mountains? Dangit



I bet i can guess where thosee hogs came from haha


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## GA DAWG (Sep 20, 2012)

You'd probably guess closer than most folks could  That's 14 I know of.


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## monster012211 (Sep 21, 2012)

Anybody have any reports on chattahoochee WMA?


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## Coastie (Sep 21, 2012)

Another bear yesterday evening on the Amicalola Tract, I estimated it at 135 field dresed but it could go a bit over that. The guy also got a shot on a doe but went back this morning to try to locate it, said his shot was a little too far forward and hit the shoulder.


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## xjd33x (Sep 21, 2012)

I saw a bear last tuesday on the Burnt Mountain tract. 150 lbs. max if that. He was climbing a tree and smelled me before I could get a clear shot. Been hunting hog sign all week but only spotted one and it was too far away. Anyone willing to help out with some good hog locations? Also can any give directions to the new property? I'm trying to help a buddy get his first bow hog.


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## GA_SPORSTMAN (Sep 22, 2012)

Where is Burnt Mt. at ? I am wanting to try to go bow hunting this year with a bow.


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## Coastie (Sep 22, 2012)

xjd33x said:


> I saw a bear last tuesday on the Burnt Mountain tract. 150 lbs. max if that. He was climbing a tree and smelled me before I could get a clear shot. Been hunting hog sign all week but only spotted one and it was too far away. Anyone willing to help out with some good hog locations? Also can any give directions to the new property? I'm trying to help a buddy get his first bow hog.



If coming in from the East, turn left on Steve Tate Hwy. to the north entrance to the "4-Star" property, about 2 miles +/- a bit on the left is Odis Whelchel's mail box. Turn left and procede about a milr through an old farm gate and you will be at the north end of it. Go past Odis' mailbbox about another 2 miles and a road bears odd to the left at a steep angle, this is the entrance to the southern portion of the property, there is a road through the entire place, but the ford at Amicalola river is so bad I hate to go through it even in a state vehicle so it is gated off. At the south entrance is an old red farm gate. We will replace it and mark it better some time in the future. Hogs have been working along all of the streams and along the Amicalola lately......kill em all!!


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## Coastie (Sep 22, 2012)

GA_SPORSTMAN said:


> Where is Burnt Mt. at ? I am wanting to try to go bow hunting this year with a bow.



Coming from the east, take Ga. Hwy 52 to Hwy 183 and go south until Hwy 136 splits off to the west, turn right on 136 for about 3 miles. Pass Fawsett Lake which will be on the right and travel another 3 miles or so. As you go up, there is a hard turn to the left and Burnt Mountain Tract starts along there. Just watch for the boundary trees along the highway painted yellow. There are several gates along there but we haven't got them open yet due to issues with the interior roads. We area working on getting them opened, but we only have one equipment operator and he has been tied up with other projects as well as having problems getting our dozer fixed.


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## monster012211 (Sep 23, 2012)

How are bears towards a new ground blind set up? Like deer or turkey or somewhere in between?


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## NorthGaBowhunter (Sep 24, 2012)

brandonsc said:


> I bet i can guess where thosee hogs came from haha



me too


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## NorthGaBowhunter (Sep 24, 2012)

Coastie said:


> Coming from the east, take Ga. Hwy 52 to Hwy 183 and go south until Hwy 136 splits off to the west, turn right on 136 for about 3 miles. Pass Fawsett Lake which will be on the right and travel another 3 miles or so. As you go up, there is a hard turn to the left and Burnt Mountain Tract starts along there. Just watch for the boundary trees along the highway painted yellow. There are several gates along there but we haven't got them open yet due to issues with the interior roads. We area working on getting them opened, but we only have one equipment operator and he has been tied up with other projects as well as having problems getting our dozer fixed.



I thought you drove the dozer, I don't see no foodplots you planted.


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## Coastie (Sep 24, 2012)

NorthGaBowhunter said:


> I thought you drove the dozer, I don't see no foodplots you planted.



I'm not an equipment (Dozer) operator there is one guy for the region to do that although most of the Techs can handle one for smaller jobs. There are no food plots on the Burnt Mountain tract and only a couple on the Wildcat Tract, most of which got burnt up by the drought in the early summer. Weeds took over before the seed had a chance to get going good. There are a couple on the new property that have some pretty good clover but that's about it. Some Sorghum made it a little further south on the area as well as Iron Clay Peas but I doubt you will ever see a food plot north of 136.


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## Coastie (Sep 24, 2012)

monster012211 said:


> How are bears towards a new ground blind set up? Like deer or turkey or somewhere in between?



Bears travel so much I doubt they would pay much attention to a new ground blind unless it was down wind from it and got a whiff of you.


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## PappyHoel (Sep 24, 2012)

Coastie said:


> Bears travel so much I doubt they would pay much attention to a new ground blind unless it was down wind from it and got a whiff of you.



Thanks for the updates coastie!  Are bears ever taken on the Atlanta Tract?


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## GA DAWG (Sep 24, 2012)

PappyHoel said:


> Thanks for the updates coastie!  Are bears ever taken on the Atlanta Tract?


Yes and a good many.


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## Coastie (Sep 24, 2012)

PappyHoel said:


> Thanks for the updates coastie!  Are bears ever taken on the Atlanta Tract?



We average 4 a year but none so far this year. I know of several in that area but you will have to find their feeding spots to connect.


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## PappyHoel (Sep 24, 2012)

Coastie said:


> We average 4 a year but none so far this year. I know of several in that area but you will have to find their feeding spots to connect.



I found some scat and I can smell them in the area I have been hunting.  Im pretty much deer hunting, but the chance at a bear makes it more fun.


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## Coastie (Sep 25, 2012)

There's some Coon hunters that will tell you a tale of an encounter with a Bear on the City Tract last year after the big game season had closed. I understand there were several sets of drawers that needed changing afterward.


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## GA DAWG (Sep 25, 2012)

Coastie said:


> There's some Coon hunters that will tell you a tale of an encounter with a Bear on the City Tract last year after the big game season had closed. I understand there were several sets of drawers that needed changing afterward.


They were pretty skeered.Probably havent got over walking in on him yet


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## thomas gose (Sep 25, 2012)

I got drawn in a hunt in Cochran one year, it was a nite champion cast and two of the four dogs in the cast treed a bear! that was a fun tree to walk into and shine!


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## GA DAWG (Sep 25, 2012)

I wish we could dog em and shoot em out. That would be fun.


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## thomas gose (Sep 25, 2012)

GA DAWG said:


> I wish we could dog em and shoot em out. That would be fun.



Hahaha yeah it would be funny to hear some of the loud mouth coon hunters i know of that think they have rough dogs try and walk one out of a tree!!


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## j_seph (Sep 26, 2012)

GA DAWG said:


> They were pretty skeered.Probably havent got over walking in on him yet


Lets hear the story since you seem to know


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## GA DAWG (Sep 26, 2012)

I was just waiting on em when they came out. I heard folks yelling and dogs hollering. They didn't want to cut loose anymore that night lol. I've treed a few on accident but Im not to skeery. You want to see one come down a tree wide open. Blow a coon squaller at it. You best be outta the way though. When they hit the ground. They are moving. What ever is in front of them gets run over!!


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## brandonsc (Sep 26, 2012)

GA DAWG said:


> I was just waiting on em when they came out. I heard folks yelling and dogs hollering. They didn't want to cut loose anymore that night lol. I've treed a few on accident but Im not to skeery. You want to see one come down a tree wide open. Blow a coon squaller at it. You best be outta the way though. When they hit the ground. They are moving. What ever is in front of them gets run over!!



sounds like fun when you wanna do it gadawg?


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## xjd33x (Sep 26, 2012)

Thank you Coastie for the info and directions. Went to the new property today and was very impressed with the amount of work that you guys have done. Saw 5 hogs and 1 bear but no shot was offered. I'll be back though, enjoyed my hunt immensely!


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## GA DAWG (Sep 27, 2012)

Dang hogs are taking over. We need to kill em. Bear to


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## feathersnantlers (Oct 6, 2012)

I got there a little late it was daylight when I got in the tree. Just got my bow up when the hogs showed up, I was surprised and excited. 2 hogs came by, I stuck one, I thought it was good hit at first but then he circled and went down hill to the thick stuff. On his way down I could see the arrow sticking out his rear hip. No blood anywhere and I couldn't find it or my arrow. I looked all over the bottom and couldn't find the hog.

Then about 10 mins after that a bear runs by at about 50 yds. My first time seeing a bear or pig in the wild. I was shocked but the sign is everywhere. Saw lots bear and hog scat, and the hogs are tearing it up high, middle, low doesn't matter they're there.

I saw no deer though, I was on the Burnt Mtn tract.

I can't wait for gun season.


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## buckeroo (Oct 7, 2012)

I saw the biggest buck I have ever seen in North Georgia in all of my life run out in front of my truck after dark while leaving the mountainous part of Dawson Forest. Easily a 150+ deer.


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## feathersnantlers (Oct 7, 2012)

Thanks Buckeroo gives me confidence. The place I hunt is high for NG, 3K ft above sea level and secluded. I just have to walk a mile to get there.

No deer sign YET! Takes mtn deer awhile before they get moving good.


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## buckeroo (Oct 8, 2012)

feathersnantlers said:


> Thanks Buckeroo gives me confidence. The place I hunt is high for NG, 3K ft above sea level and secluded. I just have to walk a mile to get there.
> 
> No deer sign YET! Takes mtn deer awhile before they get moving good.



Don't get me wrong, if the buck I saw in my head lights gave me a shot while hunting, I'd take him all day long and twice on Sunday, but I have been looking for bear and not deer up there. That buck would make someone a really nice trophy. Honestly, I'd bet money that it would make a GON cover if someone got it off the WMA. Good luck!


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## GA DAWG (Oct 8, 2012)

It was still on wma? Prolly lives in the canoe


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