# Paulding Forest deer sign



## yellowhammer (Dec 30, 2009)

I squirrel hunted with a grandson today on PF in an area away from Braswell.This area has not had the same timber management that the areas around Braswell Mt.Rd.has.I was in open hardwoods with pine thickets that haven`t been thinned(yet).Lotta deer sign.Late season scrapes,some a few days old.Ya gotta have food and cover.I used to hunt this area on gun hunts,but too many hunters there now.This would be a good WMA again if the landowners would change the timber management somewhat.The whole WMA could rebound.


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## Gumbo1 (Dec 30, 2009)

Thanks for the info


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## truetalker (Dec 30, 2009)

well paulding forest was a great wma.since 2000 this wma has went down hill for good bucks.just look at what was killed last year an even worse this year. the nov.hunt they shoot anything with horns.30something yearling bucks.dnr need to make some changes.the biologist here needs to wake up an so do the hunters. man im sick of everybody killing every deer they see.bet if they stop tagging these deer they wont be so many small bucks shot.look people we have killed most of the deer off this land. so to all you happy deer slayers on paulding forest you might wont to think before  you pull the trigger. next year its going to be worse.the dec hunt should be stopped.600+ hunters an only 17 deer killed only 2 bucks thats about 2% kill ratio. between the deer killed on the nov an dec hunt and the # of hunters thats about 5 deer per square mile.the #ers dont lie.if something dont chang paulding forest is in big trouble. it will take 5 years to get the deer back that was here.hope some of you agree with me.one of the dumbest things is you can kill 2 bucks any size and lots of you do it an some even come back for 2 more bucks in dec.well dident get'em this year. you want to no why  "there all dead"


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## MR.BIGBUCK (Dec 30, 2009)

Well you might be right on some and wrong on the other. pc has a good number of deer on it in some of the areas and not so many on others just like all wma's. To take the 2 bucks alloud i see nothing wrong with. what hurts more than the bucks is the does that make the bucks.Do away with the doe days for 5 years and you will have to many deer again. 
   Now for this year i believe this year in the zone we are in the weather had a bad year for deer hunting. I do not think any county around pc had the number of deer taken this year as last. I do not have the numbers of each county but i have talked to alot of hunters that hunt around and there numbers were down to but they blame the weather too.But if a hunter takes a buck at 1year or 7 year old he still not going to make any more deer if we take the doe they breed.I hope next year a better year.


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## GA DAWG (Dec 30, 2009)

They should turn it into a quality managed wma like Dawson Forest!!!!!!! Heck I'll support it and have never even hunted there


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## Jeff Raines (Dec 30, 2009)

When I hunt the managed hunts I'm going deer hunting,not horn hunting.If I want to shoot a spike,that's my choice.IMO ain't that what America is all about?Freedom of choice?
If I want to hold out for a mature buck,my choice also.These hunts are fun for me,several friends get together and scout the area and we kill deer.
3 of us that scouted hard seen over 25 deer in a day and half hunting and all 3 of us killed deer.


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## yellowhammer (Dec 31, 2009)

*Pf*

I agree with Jeff.I don`t push my agenda on others,and I don`t want others pushing theirs on me.I would like to see PF return to the days of being open all season,or a long sign-in hunt(or 2 or 3).I would like to see the deer population rebound first.I would also like to see the thickets allowed to grow.Like they do on Pine Log,or Oaky Woods.Oaky Wds.was thinned to 80 trees per acre,but the underbrush was allowed to grow thick.There`s some good bucks in this stuff,plus a good population.By the way,I didn`t start this thread to have it hijacked to a qdm debate.Do that somewhere else.Another thing needed.FOOD PLOTS.I would rather see money spent on food plots than on keeping the roads where a Cadillac can go down them.I`ve owned a 4wd of some sort since 1972.That`s just part of hunting,to me.I managed to keep one even through extremely hard times.I never depended on DNR to"keep up"the roads for me.Next thing you know,people will expect MARTA to run a bus down Blue Car Body RD.


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## Dupree (Dec 31, 2009)

the pines on the portion that is now owned will probably not get thick as they are allowed to burn it and keep the plantation look, but they cant burn on the atlanta tract so it will get thick.

***i deleted my earlier post as to not hijack your thread. Sorry***


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## Jeff Raines (Dec 31, 2009)

There was a lot of politics involved concerning the part we now own.I talked with our former commission chairman about it.
According to him The Jones Co. owned the land but inland rome owned all the timber rights.Inland rome threatened to sue to stop the sale then Paulding's lawyer told inland rome that the land could be condemned and no cutting would be allowed.
So before the sale was finalized inland rome cut as many trees as they legally could.

How much of that is true

I would love to see more food plots,I would love to help out on food plots


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## gobbler10ga (Dec 31, 2009)

bow all season , child/adult hunt , muz ld hunt
lock gates throw away keys


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## The Crowe (Dec 31, 2009)

gobbler10ga said:


> bow all season , child/adult hunt , muz ld hunt
> lock gates throw away keys



x 2


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## turkeys101 (Dec 31, 2009)

The Crowe said:


> x 2



you go dad.aw them pine gt's


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## EDH (Dec 31, 2009)

the crowe said:


> x 2



x 3


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## ironman48 (Dec 31, 2009)

when everybody's ideas are said and done on the deer populations on Paulding Forest there seems to be one thing missing: game other than deer. Not everyone is so much into deer hunting and I would be speaking of the small game hunters.
Where does an all season hunt leave the small game hunter? (and it's my understanding that most of you do also hunt small game?)  As far as what the owners do with thier own property is pretty simple; what ever they want. They can choose to cut all the timber, part of it, burn it, sell it, or, even close it down if push comes to shove. Sadly none of the WMAs I have been hunting in NW Georgia are the same as they were 25 years ago. And, NW Georgia is much more populated than 25 years ago. It's called development, as you who hunt PF know all to well. Guys its a combination of all the thoughts you have put forth on this and other threads about PF. A combination of all the thoughts AND actions to bring us where we are with All areas that are leased for public use. I tell my Daughter to enjoy getting "out there" while you can, cause, sooner than later there will be Walmarts, houses, gas stations on the the ground where we USE to hunt. use to hunt quail only a quarter mile outside the city limits of Marietta. Now the area is a shopping center. somebody offers enough big bucks and PF will be history. Really saddens me to see marker tape for new logging, you really never know if it's for lumber or new development now do we? I'm with you guys, I want to hunt PF just like you do, I don't know all that needs to be done to increase populations of deer or this or that type growth. I just know that on PF and 4 other WMAs I hunt, the deer are NOT there like they once were.


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## spotteddog (Dec 31, 2009)

bow all season , child/adult hunt , muz ld hunt
lock gates throw away keys 
x4


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## truetalker (Dec 31, 2009)

yellowhammer said:


> I agree with Jeff.I don`t push my agenda on others,and I don`t want others pushing theirs on me.I would like to see PF return to the days of being open all season,or a long sign-in hunt(or 2 or 3).I would like to see the deer population rebound first.I would also like to see the thickets allowed to grow.Like they do on Pine Log,or Oaky Woods.Oaky Wds.was thinned to 80 trees per acre,but the underbrush was allowed to grow thick.There`s some good bucks in this stuff,plus a good population.By the way,I didn`t start this thread to have it hijacked to a qdm debate.Do that somewhere else.Another thing needed.FOOD PLOTS.I would rather see money spent on food plots than on keeping the roads where a Cadillac can go down them.I`ve owned a 4wd of some sort since 1972.That`s just part of hunting,to me.I managed to keep one even through extremely hard times.I never depended on DNR to"keep up"the roads for me.Next thing you know,people will expect MARTA to run a bus down Blue Car Body RD.



I'm not pushing an agenda, just stating my opinion same as you are.  I've hunted this land for 25 years and just hate to see the deer population decline.  I think we have killed way too many deer over the years and it has finally caught up.  If next years hunt turns out the same, then I guess my prediction is right.  I would like to see the population come back as well, but killing all the yearling bucks will not allow that to happen.  The Dec hunt should be removed completely, several hunters that I have talked to that harvested Does, said they already had fetus' in them.  So that is really taking 2/3 deer instead of one.  I think the tagging system should be one buck and one doe, not just two "deer".  Once again this is just one mans opinion.  I think we all have the same agenda,  we love to hunt, but we have to manage our land.


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## yellowhammer (Dec 31, 2009)

*Pf*

Fair warning,guys,if PF went to QDM,it would end up being Quota,probably.Some of these WMAs are here to provide local hunters a place to go during the season if they can`t join a club.That`s good.Also,small gamers should have a say.I`m one of those also.The area around Braswell is also declining for small game,except for squirrels.Politics does play a big part in this WMA.The"plantation"look is ok with me if the habitat is managed for ,say quail.That would bring deer and some rabbits back.As I`ve said in other threads,I would prefer dumping the Braswell area property and using the money to lease timber land in Polk,Haralson,etc that would be more game-friendly.If I was offered to lease the area on both sides of Blue Car Body Rd.,with the present timber management,and it wasn`t going to change,then I wouldn`t lease it.Lotta good opinions on here.


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## FireFighter101 (Dec 31, 2009)

I live near the Wayside road area and in an area that is 200- 300 hundred acres that is privately owned between about 15-20 land owners and completely surrounded by PF. I have lived there for over three years and never saw a deer on my 3 acres that is all wooded. I have permission to hunt sixty acres of it and in the last two years have hunted it ten - fifteen times and only saw deer one time. Very few tracks and very seldom see deer any where near my house, even driving home at night. I see alot more deer on the sides of the road where I work in Austell than I do near my house. Originaly I thought it was because right around my house is all mature hardwoods, but most of my driving in and out is close to some of the grown up clear cut.


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## Jeff Raines (Dec 31, 2009)

yellowhamer,I agree with you on the small game.Very very few rabbits out braswell mt. rd.


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## Drycreek (Dec 31, 2009)

I say earthbeam up all the roads and make it archery only,,,,,In fact  I wish the whole county  was archey only,,,,


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## meherg (Dec 31, 2009)

Jeff Raines said:


> When I hunt the managed hunts I'm going deer hunting,not horn hunting.If I want to shoot a spike,that's my choice.IMO ain't that what America is all about?Freedom of choice?
> If I want to hold out for a mature buck,my choice also.These hunts are fun for me,several friends get together and scout the area and we kill deer.
> 3 of us that scouted hard seen over 25 deer in a day and half hunting and all 3 of us killed deer.



do you need another friend


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## ironman48 (Dec 31, 2009)

*Pf*

After my last post I started thinking about what I heard a "wildlife expert" say some years ago. I quote; "If possible a deer will stay within 1 square mile of the place he was born." The deer will only leave that area if he is forced to; either by predator, or lack of habitat."
I understand "predator" as an animal (four legged or two) that can kill the deer. I understand "lack of habitat" as development of the area, or mis-management of the area. Either way, I can understand how both are affecting the deer population as well as other game, not only on PF but many other areas that are well populated with lots of hunters in the field. I guess for me, that's the bottom line.


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## Jeff Raines (Jan 1, 2010)

meherg said:


> do you need another friend



LOL,the others would hurt me.RVGuy is ex special forces


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## Dupree (Jan 1, 2010)

Jeff Raines said:


> LOL,the others would hurt me.RVGuy is ex special forces




so i guess i should feel special that i know where you hunt?


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## Jeff Raines (Jan 1, 2010)

4x4powerstrokesd said:


> so i guess i should feel special that i know where you hunt?



no,you should feel sorry for me that I have to cart a deer out that far


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## randre12 (Jan 1, 2010)

Drycreek said:


> I say earthbeam up all the roads and make it archery only,,,,,In fact  I wish the whole county  was archey only,,,,



I like walking for a few miles to get to my hunting spots. As long as the gates are closed on PF I know that I have a chance to hunt without other people walking all over me. I feel I have a much better chance to harvest a mature buck getting to those hard to reach places. If it was "archery only" the deer numbers would increase.


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## cumphlett (Jan 3, 2010)

*Paulding Forest*



yellowhammer said:


> I squirrel hunted with a grandson today on PF in an area away from Braswell.This area has not had the same timber management that the areas around Braswell Mt.Rd.has.I was in open hardwoods with pine thickets that haven`t been thinned(yet).Lotta deer sign.Late season scrapes,some a few days old.Ya gotta have food and cover.I used to hunt this area on gun hunts,but too many hunters there now.This would be a good WMA again if the landowners would change the timber management somewhat.The whole WMA could rebound.



Any good places on PF to rabbit hunt?


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## truetalker (Jan 6, 2010)

FireFighter101 said:


> I live near the Wayside road area and in an area that is 200- 300 hundred acres that is privately owned between about 15-20 land owners and completely surrounded by PF. I have lived there for over three years and never saw a deer on my 3 acres that is all wooded. I have permission to hunt sixty acres of it and in the last two years have hunted it ten - fifteen times and only saw deer one time. Very few tracks and very seldom see deer any where near my house, even driving home at night. I see alot more deer on the sides of the road where I work in Austell than I do near my house. Originaly I thought it was because right around my house is all mature hardwoods, but most of my driving in and out is close to some of the grown up clear cut.


sorry to say the deer here on pf has been killed off.its time to make a change in the hunts that are held here.its only getting worse.the WLB on pf dont give a flip about deer population on this land and that is fact


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## truetalker (Jan 6, 2010)

yellowhammer said:


> Fair warning,guys,if PF went to QDM,it would end up being Quota,probably.Some of these WMAs are here to provide local hunters a place to go during the season if they can`t join a club.That`s good.Also,small gamers should have a say.I`m one of those also.The area around Braswell is also declining for small game,except for squirrels.Politics does play a big part in this WMA.The"plantation"look is ok with me if the habitat is managed for ,say quail.That would bring deer and some rabbits back.As I`ve said in other threads,I would prefer dumping the Braswell area property and using the money to lease timber land in Polk,Haralson,etc that would be more game-friendly.If I was offered to lease the area on both sides of Blue Car Body Rd.,with the present timber management,and it wasn`t going to change,then I wouldn`t lease it.Lotta good opinions on here.


PF is heading for quota hunts anyway.to many hunters


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## truetalker (Jan 6, 2010)

randre12 said:


> I like walking for a few miles to get to my hunting spots. As long as the gates are closed on PF I know that I have a chance to hunt without other people walking all over me. I feel I have a much better chance to harvest a mature buck getting to those hard to reach places. If it was "archery only" the deer numbers would increase.


man you cant talk about a mature buck on this land that makes the none QDM hunters mad.people get mad if you dont get all happy about killing a yearling buck.rember its a manged hunt and a free tag so we must kill every thing we see untill we have killedem all then we all can cry together.i hope they close this WMA down to gun hunting.heck thats right where we are heading...kill em all boys cant get much worse..LOL


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## Jeff Raines (Jan 7, 2010)

If Paulding Forest goes quota.I will do my dead level best to petition all paulding residents and get the 9000 acres that paulding residents voted in for greenspace out of the wma system.


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## BattleSausage (Jan 7, 2010)

Jeff Raines said:


> If Paulding Forest goes quota.I will do my dead level best to petition all paulding residents and get the 9000 acres that paulding residents voted in for greenspace out of the wma system.



Don't you have a filter to wash? Back to work stirring the water.


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## Jeff Raines (Jan 7, 2010)

BattleSausage said:


> Don't you have a filter to wash? Back to work stirring the water.



Nope,but I do need to run a jar test


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## Jeff Raines (Jan 7, 2010)

BOWHUNTHERE said:


> .  I vote we make PF a quota to help make this a safer and more managed WMA.



A few years ago the residents of paulding county voted to tax themselves to buy 9000 acres from the Jones family.This would make it permanent green space and keep it part of the wma.
Now you are wanting to implement a system that could keep the very people that are paying for it off of it.
At one time there was talk of only allowing paulding residents to hunt that 9000 acres,it stretches from 278 out thru blue car body road.Yeah,we'll keep that,y'all can quota hunt the 10000 acre atlanta tract


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## BOWHUNTHERE (Jan 7, 2010)

*Sorry Jeff, but you had your acreage wrong....*

Paulding Forest Wildlife Management Area
The Paulding Forest Wildlife Management Area is a $45.8 million acquisition that includes 6,865
acres previously leased by the DNR and the Georgia Forestry Commission. DNR will acquire
approximately 4,350 acres, Paulding County will acquire approximately 2,500 acres, and The Nature
Conservancy will purchase and hold approximately 320 acres. The state and county property will be
managed by DNR through a Memorandum of Agreement. The property protects a tributary of the
Etowah River as well as the remnants of a rare montane longleaf pine forest. It is used by hunters, anglers
and other wildlife enthusiasts and protects vast forest lands along the Silver Comet Trail.
The total project cost is $45,866,156 which includes a $15,177,320 GLCP grant. Matching
sources include Paulding County ($15,000,000), Polk County ($100,000), federal Forest Legacy and
Endangered Species Recovery Land Acquisition grants ($7,788,836), and private foundations and
organizations ($7,800,000) including the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation and The Conservation Fund
through the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The Nature Conservancy will purchase and hold 320
acres until additional federal funding is appropriated. It will then sell this acreage to DNR.


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## Jeff Raines (Jan 7, 2010)

yes and no
We had to vote on the 9000 acres before the state and the feds would pony up their 1/3's.


course you weren't supposed to go digging for ALL the facts


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## yellowhammer (Jan 7, 2010)

*Pf*

I doubt very much if this land was aquired to benefit hunters in the long run.Having lived here for 40 years,I`ve found that all big deals in this county are self-serving,in some way,to the power-folks who run the county.New airport,that we voted against:it`s there,and some day will be a commercial hub.Reservoir that we voted FOR:it ain`t there.Silver Comet Trail:will be a MARTA line.Greenspace?can be a park,a golf course,a preserve,can be "green"with hotels in the middle.Ain`t most resorts green?Let`s put our money in land that`s good for us.The land that the county bought is not accessible in the summer,as it is surrounded by Jones land and locked gates.The gate at Braswell Mt.and BCB rds.is locked after hunting season.If you go in it when the timber guys have it open,you`ll get locked in.Been there.


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## randre12 (Jan 9, 2010)

If you want to know what the future has in store for PF and the surrounding area look here: http://francoeleuteri.com/paulding_project.pdf and try http://www.dca.state.ga.us/developm...h/programs/downloads/plans/PauldingAgenda.pdf   This is older information but it looks like their plans are coming together. Example of what you will read:

Lake-focused cluster: Surrounding Goldmine Lake, the
plan calls for a resort, hotel and convention area,
together with an active-adult living development specifically focused on enabling work from home.


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## Dupree (Jan 9, 2010)

randre12 thanks for the links. Those are an eye opener.


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## Dupree (Jan 9, 2010)

Sheffield WO said:


> That is exactly why we have got to find a way to buy the rest of this property.



im all for that but with the recent purchase and new courthouse my property taxes are high enough.


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## striper commander (Jan 9, 2010)

I posted that link on here a few years ago. I am glad atleast part of the wma is saved. Maybe we need to transfer some fish to a few different streams.


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## Drycreek (Jan 9, 2010)

randre12 said:


> if you want to know what the future has in store for pf and the surrounding area look here: http://francoeleuteri.com/paulding_project.pdf and try http://www.dca.state.ga.us/developm...h/programs/downloads/plans/pauldingagenda.pdf   this is older information but it looks like their plans are coming together. Example of what you will read:
> 
> Lake-focused cluster: Surrounding goldmine lake, the
> plan calls for a resort, hotel and convention area,
> together with an active-adult living development specifically focused on enabling work from home.



i was told   every thing the jones own on paulding forst is for sale now,,,


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## Dupree (Jan 9, 2010)

300mag said:


> I posted that link on here a few years ago. I am glad atleast part of the wma is saved. Maybe we need to transfer some fish to a few different streams.



im game, just dont tell anyone.


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## Jeff Raines (Jan 10, 2010)

randre12 said:


> If you want to know what the future has in store for PF and the surrounding area look here: http://francoeleuteri.com/paulding_project.pdf and try http://www.dca.state.ga.us/developm...h/programs/downloads/plans/PauldingAgenda.pdf   This is older information but it looks like their plans are coming together. Example of what you will read:
> 
> Lake-focused cluster: Surrounding Goldmine Lake, the
> plan calls for a resort, hotel and convention area,
> together with an active-adult living development specifically focused on enabling work from home.



All of those plans were drawn up when Jerry Shearin was the commission chairman.All of those development projects got him voted out of office.That stupid airport being the main one.He thought that since there was no tax payer money used it would be good for him.
There is a new guy running against Wayne Kirby in post 4
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=1256754804


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## Dupree (Jan 10, 2010)

back to the original topic of the post....... I walked through an old cutover that is thick with briars and privet trying to stomp up a rabbit this morning and it was absolutely covered up in deer sign!!!


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## yellowhammer (Jan 10, 2010)

*Pf*

Sheffield WO,in reference to buying the property,I assume by "we",you mean DNR.If DNR(the state)bought the property,the WMA could be turned around.I`d love to see that;however,if the county bought it,I don`t think we would be any better off.Also,in answer to Jeff Raines,who apparently has done his homework,I also remember being told by Shearin and Swafford that the county taxpayers would not foot any of the bill.Those who watch have seen the county trucks,etc.busy as bees,entering and leaving the property, ever since the project started.


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## trentb (Jan 27, 2010)

is gold mine lake even there anymore? i know we to go in beside b&c millwork. i grew up in dallas down near gore lakes, had alot of great times when it was paulding county sportsman club. i have not hunted the wma in 10 years, moved to newnan in 2000. all my family live in dallas still an i ride the roads a good bit when im out that way. last time i was headed to check out goldmine lake i couldnt even figure out where it is or use to be lol. kinda sad.


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