# coosawattee 2nd hunt



## brandonsc (Sep 3, 2013)

did anyone else get drawn? this will be my first year hunting on coosawattee. what should i expect to see on this hunt? any one have any good luck there before?


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## brandonsc (Sep 7, 2013)

anyone planning on hunting there at all this year?


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## Etoncathunter (Sep 7, 2013)

I'll be bow hunting it, and be there for the 1st gun hunt. This will be my 1st time there as well.


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## NGa.MtnHunter (Sep 7, 2013)

I'll be on the first hunt, lots of deer but expect to see lots of orange vest. A lot of the land has been took out of the WMA, only about 6000 acres left and alot of it has been clearcut and so thick its hard to hunt. Hard to get away from other hunters, scout you out several different spots, move if you have to but stick with it and you should kill a deer. I've killed a good many deer there over the years. 

Good Luck!


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## whitetailfreak (Sep 7, 2013)

I put in and got drawn for the Dec hunt as well. Lots of pressure, but there have been some dandys coming off the area the last few years.


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## brandonsc (Sep 8, 2013)

i'm gogin to try to make it into town to hunt all 3 days and will be looking for one of those "dandys" but if its the last day meat is meat


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## brandonsc (Sep 8, 2013)

does anyone know how is the bear population there?


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## REB 73 (Sep 8, 2013)

Sure there some lot of food to eat corn etc.. Live about ten miles from there.
We;re got them!


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## whitetailfreak (Sep 8, 2013)

brandonsc said:


> does anyone know how is the bear population there?



Very few if any. In 20 yrs of hunting the Ballground tract of Coosawattee Ive never seen one. The archery area around the lake is a different story.


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## brandonsc (Sep 8, 2013)

whitetailfreak said:


> Very few if any. In 20 yrs of hunting the Ballground tract of Coosawattee Ive never seen one. The archery area around the lake is a different story.



Ballground tract?


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## Etoncathunter (Sep 8, 2013)

That is what some call the area not around the lake. Where they have the quota hunt. Years ago, pre 96' or so, All that land from bueacarts farm to almost 136 and from maple grove to the bridge on ball ground rd belonged to bowater. It was all open to the public you just needed a bowater permit, kinda like a WMA permit, if I remember right. (I was a kid/teen back then) all the locals called the area "The ballgrounds". Mid-late 90's bowater sold all the land off and the state got a lease on a chunk of it and named it as part of Coosawatte. Most people now know it by that name, but some locals still call it the ball grounds.


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## whitetailfreak (Sep 8, 2013)

Cathunter is correct. Most locals refer to the area where the gun hunts take place as "Ballground". Coosswattee Archery Only Area(Carters Lake), and Coosawattee Ballground tract share a check-in station, but are 2 very distinct tracts of land. Sorry for the confusion.


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## brandonsc (Sep 8, 2013)

its all good that is usefull information to know when it comes to hunting on the wma


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## Lake_and_stream (Sep 9, 2013)

I got drawn for the first hunt but will not have time to scout it.


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## brandonsc (Sep 9, 2013)

good luck on your hunt hopefully yall dont kill all of the deer outta there i wont be in town anytime close to the hunt to scout it


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## Coon Dog (Sep 10, 2013)

I will be there first hunt


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## Etoncathunter (Sep 10, 2013)

I do have 1 question since I haven't hunted there in years. For the quota hunts do they open any of the gates like they do other WMA's or do they stay locked up solid?  I've been walking some of the roads scouting and honestly they don't look like they are ever opened, some of the ones I've been on look like they haven't seen a vehicle since the logging trucks last left.


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## whitetailfreak (Sep 10, 2013)

Etoncathunter said:


> I do have 1 question since I haven't hunted there in years. For the quota hunts do they open any of the gates like they do other WMA's or do they stay locked up solid?  I've been walking some of the roads scouting and honestly they don't look like they are ever opened, some of the ones I've been on look like they haven't seen a vehicle since the logging trucks last left.



Mashburn Rd gate and the gate on the south side of Cagle are usually opened.


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## Etoncathunter (Sep 10, 2013)

ok, thanks. That may lead to a change of plans then. That means some spots may not be as isolated from the masses as I though. Dang it.


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## whitetailfreak (Sep 10, 2013)

I guided a fella to a nice 10 pt last year on the Dec hunt, and I put him in a spot 100 yards from a paved road. Isolated and Coosawattee don't go hand-in-hand these days.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=728642


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## brandonsc (Sep 11, 2013)

That's a good looking buck I'd be happy with just seeing a good buck. I'm planning on hunting from day light to dark or until I shoot something


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## steve woodall (Sep 15, 2013)

Never set foot on it either but I will be there for the first hunt. Is there a place to camp there?


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## brandonsc (Oct 10, 2013)

has anyone bow hunted coosawatte this year?


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## tonyrittenhouse (Oct 11, 2013)

steve woodall said:


> Never set foot on it either but I will be there for the first hunt. Is there a place to camp there?


There are no places to camp on the wma. It is all leased property from timber company. They do not allow camping. The closest camping is at carters lake but, that is closed now because of the gov't shutdown. There is a motel right up the road in Chatsworth.


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## merc123 (Oct 22, 2013)

brandonsc said:


> has anyone bow hunted coosawatte this year?



Yes.  Didn't see anything.

The clear cuts off mashburn road usually has about 100 people in it.  Looks like you're in the orange groves in Florida.  Some big deer have come out of there though.  One road to the right off Mashburn requires a 4 wheel drive especially if filled with water.  Just a big mud hole.  

Gate 17 which is around 34.65162, -84.79568 (Put it into Google maps) is usually open and usually see about 20 or so trucks parked along the road in various places.  

Pulliam/Conniston road has some good places to hunt.  Some of it has been clear cut though.  

My buddy has seen one bear in ballground and we've seen several around the lake.

Also it is pronounced, COO-SUH-WAH-TEE.


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## steve woodall (Nov 1, 2013)

That's some good intel fellas, I appreciate the help. I'm going to go kick around there some this weekend and see if I can find someplace off the beaten path.


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## brandonsc (Nov 11, 2013)

Steve how did the place look this year?


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## NGa.MtnHunter (Nov 13, 2013)

I got drawed on the 1st hunt, it starts Thursday and I'm headed over there this morning to scout and check in.


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## steve woodall (Nov 13, 2013)

brandonsc said:


> Steve how did the place look this year?



It looks like there are plenty of deer in there, but it's also pretty well traveled by hunters too. We didn't go too deep so it may be different farther in though. We talked to a game warden at the checking station. He said that they had been working on the roads for a couple weeks so that may help folks spread out.


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## Etoncathunter (Nov 13, 2013)

It has also been pretty dry up here for a change, that may help the roads. I don't know about their conditions in recent years, but years ago before it was WMA most of those access roads were hideous in wet years.


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## steve woodall (Nov 14, 2013)

My little secluded patch of woods looks like a Wal-Mart black friday sale. I've had seven people walk past me already. I'm going to try to hang in till lunch time then they can have it.


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## Etoncathunter (Nov 14, 2013)

Yeah well my plans went out the window as well this morning. The road I'd done most of my scouting on I didn't think they opened to vehicles. When I was walking it prior to season it looked like crap, like the last vehicles to see it were the logging truck half a dozen years ago. I expected to park at the gate and walk in about 1.5mi to a couple nice spots. Suprise suprise the gate was open and the road fixed up and I drive in to find people parking at my nice spots, so I had to wing it this morning.


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## whitetailfreak (Nov 14, 2013)

Sounds like a typical Coosawattee morning.


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## Etoncathunter (Nov 14, 2013)

Well, scratch one 3 pointer. He will go well on the grill. Mine was the 24th checked out so far.


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## brandonsc (Nov 14, 2013)

Etoncathunter said:


> Well, scratch one 3 pointer. He will go well on the grill. Mine was the 24th checked out so far.



thats awesome congrats man got any pictures of him?


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## Etoncathunter (Nov 14, 2013)

Yup i do.


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## brandonsc (Dec 5, 2013)

has anyone been hunting around the wma lately?


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## brandonsc (Dec 18, 2013)

well tomorrow is the first day of the hunt whos gonna be there? i've got an 8 hour drive today but i'll be there come daylight in the morning


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## marathon (Dec 19, 2013)

Was there this morning in a good spot when low and behold around 8:30 or so Murray County public works decides they gonna rebuild the bridge near where we are. With all the noise needless to say we decided to move to another spot. Was a bust of a day for us.


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## brandonsc (Dec 19, 2013)

marathon said:


> Was there this morning in a good spot when low and behold around 8:30 or so Murray County public works decides they gonna rebuild the bridge near where we are. With all the noise needless to say we decided to move to another spot. Was a bust of a day for us.



I was right there too in a crew cab dark grey ford moved spots and ended up killing a 6 pointer


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## marathon (Dec 20, 2013)

brandonsc said:


> I was right there too in a crew cab dark grey ford moved spots and ended up killing a 6 pointer



Congrats, glad it worked out for you. Got any pics?


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## brandonsc (Dec 22, 2013)

Yea I do I'll have to get them put on my computer then upload them


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## merc123 (Dec 23, 2013)

Last evening of the hunt.  10 point with a small sticker that wasn't quite big enough for 11.  125# or so field dressed.


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## REB 73 (Dec 23, 2013)

Nice one age?


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## merc123 (Dec 23, 2013)

I want to say it was 2.5 or 3.5.  Around 15" spread and 18 something main beam?  There was another one checked out that was similiar except had a little bigger spread but short beams.  Weight was lighter too.  

This one did have blue tongue at one time also.  The GW said you can tell by the hooves.  They were not looking good at all compared to a standard deer hoof.  You could see the difference.  He said quite a few came in with hoof problems showing that blue tongue was in the area.


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## howee24 (Jan 2, 2014)

Can yall school me on this area a lil bit. I didnt realize it was so close to me until i went fishin at carters a couple days ago for the first time. I looked it up on regulations and it looked to me to only have a Q400 hunt but yall are saying some of it is open hunt and some of it is and some of it aint and what not??? Thinking bout checking it out next year


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## marathon (Jan 2, 2014)

howee24 said:


> Can yall school me on this area a lil bit. I didnt realize it was so close to me until i went fishin at carters a couple days ago for the first time. I looked it up on regulations and it looked to me to only have a Q400 hunt but yall are saying some of it is open hunt and some of it is and some of it aint and what not??? Thinking bout checking it out next year


There's actually 2 different Coosawattee WMA's. One is called Coosawattee Carter's Lake WMA and is primarily located around Carter's Lake itself, which is strictly archery only and is an open hunt with a break after archery season and to allow for wheelchair bound hunters to enjoy a quota hunt. The other is simply called Coosawattee WMA and is located away from the lake in the area some refer to as ball ground. This particular WMA is an open hunt during archery season only, but to gun hunt you must get drawn for either of the quota hunts. About forgot, they usually have and adult/child gun hunt right after archery season, which of course only the child may hunt. Hope this clears it up for you.


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## howee24 (Jan 2, 2014)

marathon said:


> There's actually 2 different Coosawattee WMA's. One is called Coosawattee Carter's Lake WMA and is primarily located around Carter's Lake itself, which is strictly archery only and is an open hunt with a break after archery season and to allow for wheelchair bound hunters to enjoy a quota hunt. The other is simply called Coosawattee WMA and is located away from the lake in the area some refer to as ball ground. This particular WMA is an open hunt during archery season only, but to gun hunt you must get drawn for either of the quota hunts. About forgot, they usually have and adult/child gun hunt right after archery season, which of course only the child may hunt. Hope this clears it up for you.



Thanx man. That helps a lot. But i guess the only one im seeing on the pocket ranger app is coosawattee that has quota hunts for some reason and its not showing the lake one. But i did see wma marks on a tree on the way to the dam ramp which is what got me to looking. About quota hunts i know you have to sign up and get drawn but im new to all this and ive seen people talking about using "priority points" or something like that to get drawn. What are these points and how do u get them?


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## marathon (Jan 3, 2014)

howee24 said:


> Thanx man. That helps a lot. But i guess the only one im seeing on the pocket ranger app is coosawattee that has quota hunts for some reason and its not showing the lake one. But i did see wma marks on a tree on the way to the dam ramp which is what got me to looking. About quota hunts i know you have to sign up and get drawn but im new to all this and ive seen people talking about using "priority points" or something like that to get drawn. What are these points and how do u get them?


Priority points are points you receive if you DO NOT get drawn for a quota hunt. If your goal is to accumulate points, whenever you fill out a quota application instead of choosing a hunt then simply send in a blank application. Or I believe there is a choice for priority points only that you can check. If you get drawn for any quota hunt you will not get any points that year. The reason for points is to use them for hunts that have a low probably of normaly getting drawn. For example: Flint River has a quota of 35 and is quality buck/anterless. I've heard that it has some tremendous bucks because of the management practices and is also a very small WMA at 2300 acres, therefore you wouldn't want to be crowded while hunting. I've also heard that it typically takes 3,4, even 5 points to even be lucky enough to get drawn there, meaning if you really wanted to go there you would have to sit out quota hunts 3,4,5 years accumulating points while waiting to have a chance to get drawn. I believe you only get 1 point per year for not being drawn. On the other hand a hunt at Berry College with a quota of 1000 you're almost guaranteed to get drawn, if you don't, then don't ever play the lottery for the rest of your life. As for Coosawatte with a quota of 400, I put it for my 2nd choice the last 2 years behind B.F. Grant and got drawn both times for it but not B.F. Grant.


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## howee24 (Jan 3, 2014)

Thanx for the info man. Very helpful


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