# FDR Hunt:  WHAT A FREAKIN' JOKE!!!!



## Dead Eye Eddy (Dec 9, 2009)

They estimate the deer herd at 62 deer per square mile.  You couldn't prove it by me that there are 62 deer on the entire park property.

They drew 200 hunters and 124 showed up.  As of 4:00 yesterday, 15 does had been checked in.  One hunter killed 2 of them.  

Yesterday morning, I thought I had found an area that no one else was hunting.  When I walked into the area, I was the 3rd person in the area.  I went ahead and climbed between them and faced away from them.  None of us saw any deer before I climbed down at 10.

I spent the rest of the day looking for somewhere else to hunt.  Everywhere I went, I kept running into other hunters and/or their trucks/stands.  I ended up going back to the cabin at 4:30, and I left this morning.


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## kevincox (Dec 9, 2009)

With reports like that it may be tough to fill the quota's on future hunts! I heard there were no deer trails are droppings anywhere!


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## Allen Waters (Dec 9, 2009)

yep, theres no deer on FDR.


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## Dead Eye Eddy (Dec 9, 2009)

kevincox said:


> With reports like that it may be tough to fill the quota's on future hunts! I heard there were no deer trails are droppings anywhere!



We found quite a bit of sign, but there were just too many hunters in the easily-accessible areas.  I had no desire to climb mountains to hunt the areas where no one else was hunting.  

There were also entirely too many Safety Zones.  Some of the most accessible areas (on the road to the check station and around the pool) were marked out of bounds.


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## Sixes (Dec 9, 2009)

Yep, it was terrible.

Our group of 6 hunted yesterday and til lunch today.  One of our guys killed a doe yesterday.  I saw an illegal buck yesterday and one of the other guys saw a deer crossing the road from the truck and that was it.

I think they missed the decimal point and the real count is 6.2 deer PSM.

Its simple, if there are fresh white oak acorns on the ground (and there was) then the deer are NOT in the area.


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## Dustin Pate (Dec 9, 2009)

Dead Eye Eddy said:


> We found quite a bit of sign, but there were just too many hunters in the easily-accessible areas.  I had no desire to climb mountains to hunt the areas where no one else was hunting.
> 
> There were also entirely too many Safety Zones.  Some of the most accessible areas (on the road to the check station and around the pool) were marked out of bounds.





I don't know about the safety zones but on most public hunts the people are going to be in the easy to get to areas. The rough areas to get to would have been the best areas to hunt if it were me. Assuming no one else was there.


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## JeffC3030 (Dec 9, 2009)

We had tough luck also. The rain and wind probably helped with the few deer. I agree that they are off by a lot on their estimation of the deer population. We saw an albino coyote, that was it. The wind today was blowing from every direction and giving me motion sickness in that ol pine I was sittin in.


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## Dead Eye Eddy (Dec 9, 2009)

Dustin Pate said:


> I don't know about the safety zones but on most public hunts the people are going to be in the easy to get to areas. The rough areas to get to would have been the best areas to hunt if it were me. Assuming no one else was there.



I had that same thought, but I don't have the knees for it.  I definitely didn't want to have to drag one or more deer up and over several steep ridges.  I asked for permission to quarter them in the woods, but was denied.


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## hevishot (Dec 9, 2009)

dear Lord...


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## bublewis (Dec 9, 2009)

Come up my way.  There'd be a party if the population ever hit 5 deer per sq mile here.  I usually get a buck or two every year, but I walk @ 3 miles from the truck; unfortunately, they won't come to my truck, most of the time.


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## bam_bam (Dec 9, 2009)

That is exactly why I left tuesday after the morning hunt. Got a refund for my cabin for wedsnday and came home


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## C.Killmaster (Dec 9, 2009)

The actual estimate was 55 deer per square mile from 3 years ago.  The hunt totals were 44 deer and 134 hunters, 33% success.  Realistically, only 3000 acres of the park was actually hunted just due to terrain.  That equals a harvest of 12 deer per square mile.  Not bad for a 2 day hunt with sorry weather on the first day.


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## Throwback (Dec 9, 2009)

It flooded rain all day yesterday and the wind blew 25 MPH all day today. I am guessing that probably had something to do with it. 

T


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## Milkman (Dec 9, 2009)

C.Killmaster said:


> The actual estimate was 55 deer per square mile from 3 years ago.  The hunt totals were 44 deer and 134 hunters, 33% success.  Realistically, only 3000 acres of the park was actually hunted just due to terrain.  That equals a harvest of 12 deer per square mile.  Not bad for a 2 day hunt with sorry weather on the first day.




WOW !!! 33% success with the weather we had Tuesday and Wednesday.  That is a good ratio.  That rain and wind made me glad I got rejected again.


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## Throwback (Dec 9, 2009)

Milkman said:


> WOW !!! 33% success with the weather we had Tuesday and Wednesday.  That is a good ratio.  That rain and wind made me glad I got rejected again.






T


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## NOYDB (Dec 10, 2009)

C.Killmaster said:


> The actual estimate was 55 deer per square mile from 3 years ago.  The hunt totals were 44 deer and 134 hunters, 33% success.  Realistically, only 3000 acres of the park was actually hunted just due to terrain.  That equals a harvest of 12 deer per square mile.  Not bad for a 2 day hunt with sorry weather on the first day.



I thought you got the memo.

When someone is throwin' a rant, you're not supposed to actually use facts to dispute their version of reality.


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## GA DAWG (Dec 10, 2009)

I hate ya'll didnt see much but I dont think we need to fuss to much! We are atleast getting to hunt the place..Let some of those trail freaks see this thread and it will give em more ammo to shut the hunt down..5 of us in our cabin killed 11 deer last year atleast I think it was 11.. Besides that I saw some of the biggest buck sign I ever saw there..Had the doe rule not been in effect.I could have killed a dern good-un...


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## slip (Dec 10, 2009)

Dead Eye Eddy said:


> We found quite a bit of sign, but there were just too many hunters in the easily-accessible areas.  I had no desire to climb mountains to hunt the areas where no one else was hunting.



thats what you've got to do, get where no one else wants to go...thats most likely where the deer are going to be.

thats part of hunting dude, gettin out of the truck and workin for them...


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## backyard buck (Dec 10, 2009)

No deer at FDR.Please dont waste your time!!!


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## dawg2 (Dec 10, 2009)

LMBO.  There are deer in FDR.  Been seeing them for YEARS.  Problem is when every swinging hunter goes tromping through the woods and making all that noise climbing up trees, they bail.  They go hang out with the hikers on the Pine Mountain trail until the coast is clear.

You can't hunt like veryone else in there.  You have to go where no one else goes and I wouldn't climb a tree, I'd sit on the ground.  I sure wouldn't stop within sight of other hunters, you aren't establishing a firebase  With that being said, it is NOT a good place to hunt if you have bad knees.


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## whitworth (Dec 10, 2009)

*Beginning to think it was*

a hunt by 130 hunters per square mile, as long as the land was flat.

You know when you see talk of knobs and gaps in the area, the deer got some place to hide.


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## whitworth (Dec 10, 2009)

*Post Script*

lordy, I just looked at a terrain map of that park.  Some parks are parks for a very good reason.  

If you don't have the body of a 20 year old paratrooper, you ain't going to hunt a lot of that land, er...steep terrain.


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## CharrDad (Dec 10, 2009)

You would think going deep would be the answer, but I beg to differ. I was at least 1 mile in - down the steepest hill in the place. I thought for sure I'd have it made, but instead found 6 other orange vests in there with me by noon. I saw NO deer while in the woods. The DNR agent I spoke with said that many areas on the park do not really hold deer, while other areas have loads of them. My guess is that many of the 44 deer taken came from the same general areas. So, scouting was obviously key!

Killmaster, I appreciate your use of facts and stats. That always helps set things in perspective. And I agree 33% ain't bad for a foul weather hunt. However, I have one point of contention ... by your own math ... 124 hunters - divided by - 3000 acres hunted due to terrain - equals 24 acres per hunter. That's way too close for my comfort.

Over all, I have to say, that while disappointed with my lack of success, I am certainly glad to have had the opportunity to hunt such a beautiful state resource. And all the people working the hunt were top notch. I met good folks and had an enjoyable (but wet) time.


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## dawg2 (Dec 10, 2009)

whitworth said:


> lordy, I just looked at a terrain map of that park.  Some parks are parks for a very good reason.
> 
> If you don't have the body of a 20 year old paratrooper, you ain't going to hunt a lot of that land, er...steep terrain.



Yes, it is brutal terrain.  Similar to North GA


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## gsubo (Dec 10, 2009)

It would probably be best if the quota was shrunk down to 100 hunters.  All the deer that are there are gone by the time the first wave of hunters set up


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## Coastie (Dec 10, 2009)

I just looked at a topo of the area and unless I'm looking at the wrong park, what the heck are you talking about it being steep? Maximum deviation from highest point to lowest point is less than three hundred feet and the grades don't appear to be that severe. Those that think that country is rough best stay out of north Georgia.


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## elfiii (Dec 10, 2009)

Coastie said:


> I just looked at a topo of the area and unless I'm looking at the wrong park, what the heck are you talking about it being steep? Maximum deviation from highest point to lowest point is less than three hundred feet and the grades don't appear to be that severe. Those that think that country is rough best stay out of north Georgia.



Well we sure ain't got no Brasstown Bald down there Coastie, but come on down and hike our hills anyway. You'll find out just how much "topo" we got.


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## GA DAWG (Dec 10, 2009)

Coastie said:


> I just looked at a topo of the area and unless I'm looking at the wrong park, what the heck are you talking about it being steep? Maximum deviation from highest point to lowest point is less than three hundred feet and the grades don't appear to be that severe. Those that think that country is rough best stay out of north Georgia.


I dont know what you looked at but parts of it are steep..As steep or steeper than the monument tract on the forest..I hunted it last year  but I aint complaining...


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## vol man (Dec 10, 2009)

thanks for the report eddy.

i was real disappointed i didn't get drawn this year.  sounds like it was a blessing in disguise now.


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## NCHillbilly (Dec 10, 2009)

You guys need to come hunt here in the Smokies. Elevations from a little over a thousand feet to nearly 7,000' at the tops. Half the land you are climbing to where your nose is about a foot away from the ground in front of you and covered with rhododendron and laurel with big cliffs thrown in for good measure. And my county has less than 1 deer per square mile.


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## dawg2 (Dec 10, 2009)

NCHillbilly said:


> You guys need to come hunt here in the Smokies. Elevations from a little over a thousand feet to nearly 7,000' at the tops. Half the land you are climbing to where your nose is about a foot away from the ground in front of you and covered with rhododendron and laurel with big cliffs thrown in for good measure. And my county has less than 1 deer per square mile.


It is no Smoky Mountains for sure, but it is rough for middle GA.  Many people are surprised when they get there.


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## bowbuck (Dec 10, 2009)

Some folks would complain if you hung them with a new rope.   Thanks DNR and Parks for allowing us the opportunity to hunt our state parks, and be part of the solution.


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## coastalredneck (Dec 10, 2009)

i guess people expect to kill something everytime they go to an "un hunted" place. Me and my buddy had a great time..put one in the cooler, (90lbs dressed) pretty good size doe..and would go back. Saw 6 deer on first day..no bucks and did not see one hunter in the woods..heard some shots but thats it. Great job by the DNR also..very helpful..even had one of them tell us when we were leaving on wednesday at noon that he had just seen 2 nice bucks chasing a doe at around the check station..even offered up the location. anybody else get this story? or just me. Sorry some of you cant see no deer...that got these things called GPS' and they work great.


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## bam_bam (Dec 10, 2009)

Main reason I left on Tuesday was the weather. When I was checking out I spoke with the lady at the office and she said that when she was coming in that ten deer all in sigle file line crossed the road in front of her, coming off dowdels knob which was where I was gonna hunt but due to several folks already being there I decided to go elsewhere (and dont think it because I was there late, is was there at 5:30am). Went to my second and only spot scouted and there was 4 trucks there so I didnt go in ther b/c of not knowing where everyone was hunting. If the weather had been better I would have deffinatly stuck it out and got me somewhere else to hunt.


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## onemoretime (Dec 10, 2009)

well i think dnr did a good job of putting on the hunt... however i dont think it helped our chances by  having a race there on sunday .. there where tables sat up all up and down the hiking trail with food and water for the hikers sure put alot of scent in the air even before us hunters got there...   one hiking even got lost i lead him out with my gps...


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## Stingray23 (Dec 10, 2009)

Yep. A guy who hunts with me got drawn. He went and scouted back last Friday up in those hard to reach places and that's where he found the deer. He said they were running everywhere. He also found the skull of a pretty nice 8ptr. He passed on the hunt, the weather and the fact that everyone would probably be hunting those easily accessed areas (which apparently is what happened) and he really didn't want to climb those hills, much less drag a deer out from up there by himself.


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## Jimmyp (Dec 10, 2009)

a friend of mine said he shot a good 9 point there, it was a 4.5 year old deer.


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## backyard buck (Dec 10, 2009)

Coastie said:


> I just looked at a topo of the area and unless I'm looking at the wrong park, what the heck are you talking about it being steep? Maximum deviation from highest point to lowest point is less than three hundred feet and the grades don't appear to be that severe. Those that think that country is rough best stay out of north Georgia.



Coastie i think you are looking at the wrong map.the max trail elevation is almost 1400 ft
http://www.gastateparks.org/info/fdr/


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## C.Killmaster (Dec 10, 2009)

CharrDad said:


> Killmaster, I appreciate your use of facts and stats. That always helps set things in perspective. And I agree 33% ain't bad for a foul weather hunt. However, I have one point of contention ... by your own math ... 124 hunters - divided by - 3000 acres hunted due to terrain - equals 24 acres per hunter. That's way too close for my comfort.



I fully agree, I had hoped that Parks would open a few more access roads to spread people out.


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## GA DAWG (Dec 10, 2009)

C.Killmaster said:


> I fully agree, I had hoped that Parks would open a few more access roads to spread people out.


Why didnt they? They were open last year..


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## Throwback (Dec 10, 2009)

Coastie said:


> I just looked at a topo of the area and unless I'm looking at the wrong park, what the heck are you talking about it being steep? Maximum deviation from highest point to lowest point is less than three hundred feet and the grades don't appear to be that severe. Those that think that country is rough best stay out of north Georgia.



Come drag a buck from the valley floor to the FDR statue. 

T


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## justhunt (Dec 10, 2009)

well i will tel yall this i worked up there for about two years have been all over that park there is some great hunting there....alot of big bucks there.......alot of them i seen right off paved roads.......i just can't get drawn for a hunt there.......yall take it for what its worth but i have seen them......there might not be a lot of them but there is some big ones there just a few hindng spots yall over looked


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## C.Killmaster (Dec 11, 2009)

GA DAWG said:


> Why didnt they? They were open last year..



I meant a few more in addition to what was open last year.


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## Dr_Science (Dec 11, 2009)

I'll throw in my $.02, sure. I picked out 3 spots the day before the hunt, two of which I talked myself out of by morning. I went with the most rugged one, which was off 190, across the road from and about 0.5 from Dowdel's. I rolled out of the hotel at 4:45, had my pick of spots, and was snug in my stand by 6, about 0.55 miles from the truck according to the Garmin. Right away I started to think I'd out-clevered myself. I'd see about a dozen sorry pellets, a few tiny tracks, TONS of untouched acorns, and 2 anemic rubs on my way in.  By 6:35, I see a flashlight headed up the hill like I'd laid down rails on my way in. After about 5 minutes of frantic flashing on my part, no more light. Still don't know what became of that dude. Sat till the wind started really howling around ten, and decided that if I was gonna see anything, I'd have to stalk hunt. Went another .3 miles in, started following a trail (marked with horseshoes?!) and caught sight of 2 white flags, one little buck running what looked to be a yearling doe. Didn't try a shot, posted the rest of the day in that spot, and saw nothing else. Hunted the next morning with same results. A family member killed a pretty 8-point on a similar park hunt up north yesterday, posted up 60 yards from my daddy on the left, and about 75 yards from the next guy on the right. That park was alleged to have similar pop. density and the same # of hunters, but in a much tighter area of the park. It may seem counter-intuitive, but I actually think the huntable area should have been LIMITED more than it was, within reason, and with an eye toward safety, of course. There was a patch dynamic at work here in terms of density- I can tell you definitively that there were nowhere near 55 or 60 deer per square mile in my neck of the woods, so if your intent is to reduce the population in areas that are over-browsed or exhibit a high incidence of deer-vehicle collisions, why not limit your "management tools" to those areas?


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## GA DAWG (Dec 11, 2009)

All that are complaining should have their real names taken down and never be allowed to put in for a state park again..How does that sound?


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## Dr_Science (Dec 11, 2009)

Just to clarify- I ain't complaining. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the woods, I thought the pre-hunt meeting was well organized, and somebody did a thorough job of marking everything that was out of bounds, which was itself a big job. All I'm saying is that it's a big park with big differences in population from cover type to cover type. It's like when people tell you sit-ups are no good cause you can't "spot-reduce."- in this case you can, if that's really the intent of the hunt.  Confine the removal to the areas where it's needed, and rope off the rest. Make it shotgun-only if necessary.

Second thought: I was kind of complaining about whatever fella it was who saw my truck out at the road and walked straight in on me anyway, but in retrospect, it was probably good to have somebody shaking things up with the weather being what it was.


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## buckshot4:13 (Dec 12, 2009)

Why can't we complain?  I applied for this hunt based on last years sucess.  This years however was no where near that of last.  I agreed that people were stacked in too close no matter how far you walked back.  And the Park Manager did say in the meeting that there are 62 deer psm  not even close.  The park however was nice and I will propably bring my family back for camping in the summer.  But for next year I will apply for something a little closer to the house.


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## GA DAWG (Dec 12, 2009)

I dont see why it was more crowded than last year.. Could someone please explain it to me? We only had 105 hunters but 20 more should not have made the world come to an end I mean did yall really think you would have a 1000ac to hunt alone? Did anybody go look at the park before hand?


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