# North GA Mtn Hunting



## BufordBassmaster12

Hello friends! I have just recently gotten married and my wife and I have moved to North GA from Athens where we met in school. I will be about ten minutes from Wilson Shoals WMA, and also about 30 minutes from Lake Russell WMA and Chattahoochee WMA. I am new to the mountain hunting although I hunted public land a lot while in school down in Athens. I was messing around on GON and came through this Bear Hunting section and have been reading through all the threads and needless to say it has me fired up for opening day Sep 10. I have never in my life seen a bear or a hog in person. So already being a deer and turkey hunter I think it would be cool to maybe get a chance at a bear or hog too. I love being in the woods and hunting anything. I guess what I am asking is are these new areas I will have convenient access to good places for all 4 species? Deer, Bear, Turkey, and Hogs? I will be scouting these areas in the coming weekends as much as I can and was just interested to see what info/stories any of y'all had on these areas for any of the 4 species?


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## livinoutdoors

Your best bet for bear or hog is national forest or the mountain wmas. I dont think there are any hogs on wilson shoals . Not sure about bears either. Time to get hiking, pig sign is easy to find, the pig that made it is another story. Ask me how i know haha.


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## BufordBassmaster12

I can't figure out how to go about hunting national forest seems like there is too much of it to choose from I would not know where to start. Are hogs mostly nocturnal or something? That why it is hard to find the hogs that made the sign? Or are they always moving? How about the deer and turkeys on those WMAs and national forest?


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## livinoutdoors

Hogs go nocturnal and they like to travel. So they can be a challenge, the wmas you listed have both deer and turkey. As for hunting the national forest get a map and pick a spot. Learn that spot. If that one sucks you got a bunch more to choose from. It helps if you like hiking as much as hunting! Good luck


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## BufordBassmaster12

When I pull up national forest map online I see light green and dark green shaded areas what do these boundaries mean?


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## mtridgerunner

start scouting about two weeks before .look for white oaks, lookup near the top. bears will climb up and tear small braches off ,getting acorn. blue ridge wma did have both hogs and bears


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## Joe Brandon

Man you just stay up on the forum and keep asking questions. There are some really great guys on here that will reach out to you and share information with you. That has been my experience. I have a couple of guys now that a feel very comfortable with shooting pms too and asking questions as they arise.


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## tree cutter 08

That's a good start. The map you pulled up looks to be pretty accurate. Dark green is gov and light green is private.I see a few spots that are Wrong but you will have to check it out in person. All gov land boundaries are marked with red paint and have signs posted.


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## BufordBassmaster12

tree cutter 08 said:


> That's a good start. The map you pulled up looks to be pretty accurate. Dark green is gov and light green is private.I see a few spots that are Wrong but you will have to check it out in person. All gov land boundaries are marked with red paint and have signs posted.



Great thanks treecutter I figured it was public and private just did not know which was which as there was no key on the map.


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## BufordBassmaster12

Joe Brandon said:


> Man you just stay up on the forum and keep asking questions. There are some really great guys on here that will reach out to you and share information with you. That has been my experience. I have a couple of guys now that a feel very comfortable with shooting pms too and asking questions as they arise.



I am hoping to get some help I love it up here in the mountains just not used to such steep terrain and how the game I'll be after uses it but am excited to start trying to learn and figure it out. I also really enjoy the challenge of public land.


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## Unicoidawg

I have hunted Wilson Shoals a good bit and never seen any hog or bear sign. Lake Russell has hogs, deer, turkey and an occasional bear . If you want a bear your chances are better up in the mountains on NF or WMA's. Check the ridgetops, hunt terrain features. IE.... saddles, benches and edges. For bear you find the food and you will see bears. Concentrate on finding the white oaks and you will find bears. I have always seen more bears in the evenings. As for deer, they are up here in the mtns, but the numbers are a lot lower than what your used to down around Athens. Turkeys...... your on your own. First rule of turkey hunting is to not talk about turkey hunting spots.


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## BufordBassmaster12

Thanks Unicoi Dawg what exactly is a bench? I know what a saddle is, would a bench be like a flat or a flatter area of land on a steep ridge? How about creek bottoms are they not as used up here in the mountains?


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## Tio Hey Seuss

You're spot on about the bench dude. Any flatter area on a steep slope. Bears do use creek bottoms, especially when it's hot they will wallow like a hog... but it's no fun dragging one uphill out of said creek bottom. Sometimes you'll find bigger ones down in the bottoms since they aren't as concerned with having trees to climb up since they don't have anything to fear. Wildlife resources has been trapping hogs at Lake Russell last I heard (about a month ago). Hogs aren't as much nocturnal up here as they are in south ga but they're highly nomadic. My advice would be to hunt bear and eventually you'll bump into hogs. As far as deer go on chattahoochee and national forest outside wma's they are few and far between. Definitely more difficult to find than hogs bear or turkey.


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## BufordBassmaster12

Tio Hey Seuss said:


> You're spot on about the bench dude. Any flatter area on a steep slope. Bears do use creek bottoms, especially when it's hot they will wallow like a hog... but it's no fun dragging one uphill out of said creek bottom. Sometimes you'll find bigger ones down in the bottoms since they aren't as concerned with having trees to climb up since they don't have anything to fear. Wildlife resources has been trapping hogs at Lake Russell last I heard (about a month ago). Hogs aren't as much nocturnal up here as they are in south ga but they're highly nomadic. My advice would be to hunt bear and eventually you'll bump into hogs. As far as deer go on chattahoochee and national forest outside wma's they are few and far between. Definitely more difficult to find than hogs bear or turkey.



Yea I can see how getting a bear or any animal really back to the truck out of a steep creek bottom would be a task. Thanks for the advice Tio, and everyone else. How active are bear and hogs before daylight? I have heard that both of them can and will charge you. I would hate to have this happen unknowingly walking into the pitch black for a morning hunt.


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## josh chatham

Hey Buford, I would recommend that you pick an area or two and try to focus on those places. Try to know those areas like the back of your hand.  And, the biggest thing you must have with you is patience.  You very well may go days without seeing an animal. Find sign, sit on it, and wait.  As far as your last post, I have hunted around bear my whole life and have never had one charge me.  Had one I thought was going to at one time but he walked off... after firing 2 times over his head with a shotgun loaded with rabbit shot... anyway, find you a couple of spots and KNOW them!


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## BufordBassmaster12

josh chatham said:


> Hey Buford, I would recommend that you pick an area or two and try to focus on those places. Try to know those areas like the back of your hand.  And, the biggest thing you must have with you is patience.  You very well may go days without seeing an animal. Find sign, sit on it, and wait.  As far as your last post, I have hunted around bear my whole life and have never had one charge me.  Had one I thought was going to at one time but he walked off... after firing 2 times over his head with a shotgun loaded with rabbit shot... anyway, find you a couple of spots and KNOW them!



Ok thanks I have some spots on the map I have picked out to go look at. I realize I am not going to be able to cover a whole WMA or forest in one season. And patience is not a problem as well I have had to learn to hunt on my own as I was the only hunter in my family. I could not even begin to guess how many times I went without seeing anything learning to hunt, but it only fuels the fire.


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## pnome

BufordBassmaster12 said:


> When I pull up national forest map online I see light green and dark green shaded areas what do these boundaries mean?



Check out my responses in this thread for help with figuring out the available maps and such:

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=770140


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## j_seph

Hog from lake Russell 2/14/15, field dressed 200 pounds around 10 a.m.


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## Dana Young

There are bear on all the wma's you mentioned although there are more on the chestatee and Chattahoochee. Ther are hogs on all of these wma's as well although I have seen very little sign on Wilson shoals. as for Deer Lake Russell and Wilson shoals would be your best bet. Turkeys are abundant on all the WMA's you mentioned. The Best area is Wilson shoals wma for turkey but you need to put in for the Quota hunt as it is a small wma.
If I can help you just pm me. I know where there is one bear that would make a new state record. and I can point you in the right direction on all of these wmas.
Good luck
Dana


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## BufordBassmaster12

Nice J Seph that is a big pig!


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## BufordBassmaster12

Hope you had some help getting him out of there


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## j_seph

BufordBassmaster12 said:


> Hope you had some help getting him out of there


1/4 plus mile across 2 creeks and all "buddies" were off somewhere else. When I leaned forward to drag and seen his weight would hold me leaning at a 45 I knew it was gonna be a longer day


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## BufordBassmaster12

Yea that is not fun. I shot a deer between 3/4-1 mile from the truck on Redlands WMA once. I tried to carry back pack stand rifle and drag deer out at same time. Made it about 100 yards and thought I was gonna die. Left the deer there and took stuff back to truck where, thankfully, a buddy of mine and my wife (girlfriend at the time) came to meet me and we went back and got him. Still struggled with two of us. Now I have a game cart...haha


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## livinoutdoors

Man this thread has got me excited for hunting season! Not that i wasnt already. Cmon aug 15th!


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## BufordBassmaster12

livinoutdoors said:


> Man this thread has got me excited for hunting season! Not that i wasnt already. Cmon aug 15th!



Aug 15? You going Squirrel Hunting?


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## Unicoidawg

BufordBassmaster12 said:


> Aug 15? You going Squirrel Hunting?



That's when a lot of people start bear scouting. If you see a hog all the more better.


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## BufordBassmaster12

Unicoidawg said:


> That's when a lot of people start bear scouting. If you see a hog all the more better.



What would you shoot it with? I thought you could only carry .22 until fox and bobcat season opened?


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## livinoutdoors

Unicoidawg said:


> That's when a lot of people start bear scouting. If you see a hog all the more better.



Yep! I scout off n on in summer then pretty much all till september. Shoot squirrels if i see em, yum yum!


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## livinoutdoors

BufordBassmaster12 said:


> What would you shoot it with? I thought you could only carry .22 until fox and bobcat season opened?



You can use a 22lr, archery, shotgun, or muzzle loader


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## BufordBassmaster12

livinoutdoors said:


> You can use a 22lr, archery, shotgun, or muzzle loader



Hmmm, I think some more days just opened up on my calendar...haha


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## j_seph

BufordBassmaster12 said:


> Hmmm, I think some more days just opened up on my calendar...haha


I carried 22 mag and ML, we had seen a sow and some smaller ones weekend before, figured if I seen the small ones I'd use 22mag, ML for big one. Walked out and walked up on that boar who was headed same place I was. Not sure I'd attempted the shot at 80 yards with 22 mag


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## BufordBassmaster12

j_seph said:


> I carried 22 mag and ML, we had seen a sow and some smaller ones weekend before, figured if I seen the small ones I'd use 22mag, ML for big one. Walked out and walked up on that boar who was headed same place I was. Not sure I'd attempted the shot at 80 yards with 22 mag



The one you posted earlier? In February fox and bobcat are still open and to my understanding any centerfire rifle .17 and higher can be used during that time. I have an M4 Carbine that I would love to walk up on a group of hogs with!


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## tallchris83

Buford,

I too left Athens after graduating and find myself in the North Georgia Mountains. Here are a few of my tools you might find useful:

https://mappingsupport.com/p/recreation/georgia_dnr_managed_land.html

Shows the WMA boundaries. Switch to Topo OSM Cycle World for a pretty good system map that shows dirt roads, trails. It won't show you everything.

Switch to Cal Topo Hi-Res for the most comprehensive topographic map that shows many hidden trails no one ever goes on. Again though, it's not complete. There seems to be many old trails and pathways that aren't on any map and so you will have to put in the footwork and map them yourself. 

Switch between the different aerial maps to get an idea of the lay of the land there. It's not high enough resolution in my opinion but it can still hint at what type of forest you're looking at (mixed hardwoods, decidious + pine etc). 

http://www.georgiawildlife.com/maps/hunting/region2

These are the official maps. Great for showing the Forest Service roads and campgrounds. Shows the big through-hike trails like Bartram, Benton-MacKaye, Appalachian etc. 

You might know this already, but hunting and camping regulations are generally less strict on national forest land outside the WMAs. The trick is to find unpaved forest service roads, trails, and wildlife openings outside the boundary...and then figuring out how to get there. You can't shoot a firearm from any road, even an old maintained forest service dirt road (please correct me if that is wrong). You can use them for scouting the terrain though, in conjunction with your maps. 


http://qpublic7.qpublic.net/qpmap4/map.php?county=ga_habersham&layers=parcels+roads+lakes&mapmode

Private property map. Make sure "Parcels" and "Roads" are checked. Many Georgia counties use this system; you can replace "ga_habersham" with "ga_union" etc to pull up Union County. Others use their own thing, you can Google it easily.  I use this if I'm going deep into national forest land or a new area and want to make sure I'm not going to stumble upon someone's land. 

http://sectionhiker.com/53-bushwhacking-tips-for-off-trail-navigation/

Basic bushwhacking guide. You will see far, far more game if you're ready to go off trail. Saw 6 turkeys this morning just bushwhacking up a small mountain. Similarly, if you put in the time to research it, the remote wildlife openings can yield a ton of game for the same reason: hardly anyone ever goes there. 


I've only been doing this about a year and haven't killed anything yet. Hiked a lot and seen plenty of woods now. Hope this helps!


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## jbogg

tallchris83 said:


> Buford,
> 
> I too left Athens after graduating and find myself in the North Georgia Mountains. Here are a few of my tools you might find useful:
> 
> https://mappingsupport.com/p/recreation/georgia_dnr_managed_land.html
> 
> Shows the WMA boundaries. Switch to Topo OSM Cycle World for a pretty good system map that shows dirt roads, trails. It won't show you everything.
> 
> Switch to Cal Topo Hi-Res for the most comprehensive topographic map that shows many hidden trails no one ever goes on. Again though, it's not complete. There seems to be many old trails and pathways that aren't on any map and so you will have to put in the footwork and map them yourself.
> 
> Switch between the different aerial maps to get an idea of the lay of the land there. It's not high enough resolution in my opinion but it can still hint at what type of forest you're looking at (mixed hardwoods, decidious + pine etc).
> 
> http://www.georgiawildlife.com/maps/hunting/region2
> 
> These are the official maps. Great for showing the Forest Service roads and campgrounds. Shows the big through-hike trails like Bartram, Benton-MacKaye, Appalachian etc.
> 
> You might know this already, but hunting and camping regulations are generally less strict on national forest land outside the WMAs. The trick is to find unpaved forest service roads, trails, and wildlife openings outside the boundary...and then figuring out how to get there. You can't shoot a firearm from any road, even an old maintained forest service dirt road (please correct me if that is wrong). You can use them for scouting the terrain though, in conjunction with your maps.
> 
> 
> http://qpublic7.qpublic.net/qpmap4/map.php?county=ga_habersham&layers=parcels+roads+lakes&mapmode
> 
> Private property map. Make sure "Parcels" and "Roads" are checked. Many Georgia counties use this system; you can replace "ga_habersham" with "ga_union" etc to pull up Union County. Others use their own thing, you can Google it easily.  I use this if I'm going deep into national forest land or a new area and want to make sure I'm not going to stumble upon someone's land.
> 
> http://sectionhiker.com/53-bushwhacking-tips-for-off-trail-navigation/
> 
> Basic bushwhacking guide. You will see far, far more game if you're ready to go off trail. Saw 6 turkeys this morning just bushwhacking up a small mountain. Similarly, if you put in the time to research it, the remote wildlife openings can yield a ton of game for the same reason: hardly anyone ever goes there.
> 
> 
> I've only been doing this about a year and haven't killed anything yet. Hiked a lot and seen plenty of woods now. Hope this helps!



Really good info!  The first link you mentioned has not worked for me in the last two months.  I can open the link, but when I click on Georgia DNR Maps I just get a blank screen.  Anyone else had issues?


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## BufordBassmaster12

Wow tallchris that first link is awesome. Very helpful thank you for sharing. I view the maps on the dnr website quite a bit. I think I have done all the map work I can its time to see it in person just waiting for the time to be able to go.


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## j_seph

BufordBassmaster12 said:


> The one you posted earlier? In February fox and bobcat are still open and to my understanding any centerfire rifle .17 and higher can be used during that time. I have an M4 Carbine that I would love to walk up on a group of hogs with!



Not sure that can be used on wma during small game only seasons.


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## tallchris83

jbogg said:


> Really good info!  The first link you mentioned has not worked for me in the last two months.  I can open the link, but when I click on Georgia DNR Maps I just get a blank screen.  Anyone else had issues?



I'm running an old version of Chrome. There's a small shield icon that appears next to the star for favorites. I have to click on it and click "Load unsafe scripts."

It's using scripting to load the maps and you have to give it permission from your browser.




Can anyone confirm the situation on hunting forest service roads? 

Two of the national forest regulations I really dislike are no road hunting and no night hunting, but I can see why they are in place. Anyway it seems like there's exceptions at times, especially considering the many wildlife openings that are directly adjacent and accessible from the more remote dirt roads. They are less than 150 feet. To clarify, the regulation states that it is unlawful act if you are "Discharging a firearm within 50 yards of a public road." The legal definition of a public road is one that is commonly used for vehicle access. I am arguing that the forest service dirt roads, especially the very remote back country ones, are a gray area.


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## BufordBassmaster12

tallchris, is that pic in your avatar the site you posted? If so what section gives you that view?


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## tallchris83

BufordBassmaster12 said:


> tallchris, is that pic in your avatar the site you posted? If so what section gives you that view?



No, it's an image of a topographic map I found on Google. The closest thing to that would be Google Maps with Terrain features turned on. This is also available from the drop down list in the DNR boundary / topo maps, first link.


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## ddd-shooter

tallchris83 said:


> Can anyone confirm the situation on hunting forest service roads?
> 
> Two of the national forest regulations I really dislike are no road hunting and no night hunting, but I can see why they are in place. Anyway it seems like there's exceptions at times, especially considering the many wildlife openings that are directly adjacent and accessible from the more remote dirt roads. They are less than 150 feet. To clarify, the regulation states that it is unlawful act if you are "Discharging a firearm within 50 yards of a public road." The legal definition of a public road is one that is commonly used for vehicle access. I am arguing that the forest service dirt roads, especially the very remote back country ones, are a gray area.



Unless there is a closed gate on it, it is a public road and you WILL be cited for hunting from a public road.


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## tallchris83

ddd-shooter said:


> Unless there is a closed gate on it, it is a public road and you WILL be cited for hunting from a public road.



There's plenty of gated roads. So I can't walk around and hunt behind it at all?


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## livinoutdoors

tallchris83 said:


> There's plenty of gated roads. So I can't walk around and hunt behind it at all?



If it has a gate on the road, and the gate is closed so that a car could not drive on it, you can hunt that road. If the gate is open the 50 yards from said road applies.


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## ddd-shooter

livinoutdoors said:


> If it has a gate on the road, and the gate is closed so that a car could not drive on it, you can hunt that road. If the gate is open the 50 yards from said road applies.



Bingo. That's where that "unless" came from in my original post.


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## Dusty Roads

*Bear-Fannin,Union*

USFS-Hard Slate RD,Rock Creek Rd,Gaddistown RD,Angel Dr(USFS Rd-looks private),FS 58-cemetary,FS42 (Suches-Garritt Farm(Cooper Gap Rd lower) area,nearby woods of Amicalola State Park for sure


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## Killer Kyle

There are more bears and hogs on the mountain WMAs than deer. Wilson Shoals is a deer and turkey game only...no bears or hogs there (as of the current), some might wander that way eventually. Wilson Shoals is good for deer, I see deer pretty much every hunt there. Lake Russell is the diamond in the ruff for deer hunting in Region 2. I believe Chattahoochee and Swallow Creek tie for dead last in the state fkr overall deer harvest. Deer are there but fewer than in southern areas. Killing a buck in the mountain WMA's is a true, real trophy. Our turbine later in the mind so plan on the last week in Nov and all the way through Dec to be prime time for bucks. Bears are most easily killed before October. Once the acorns drop, the bears scatter, so find the white oaks dropping first and hunt them. Also, hunt flats and points of intersection where two ridges meet, where several leads converge, or hunt a funnel like a deep gap with lots of white oaks in it. Later in the season, usually by November or so, the white oaks play out. They are eaten and half spoiled, so you need to go back to hunting the red oaks. Learn what true white oaks are and don't confuse them with chestnut oaks. Chestnut oak acorns usually lay on the ground and rot unless there is an extremely lean year for the animals. Sometimes you can target hogs on the food plots planted with clover, peas, sorghum, millet, wheat, or rye. The prime time to do that is late winter during small game season. I carry a muzzle loader during small game dates for hogs. Early turkey season is a good time to hunt the food plots with clover because it greens up sooner than most other plants, and is the first, real desirable food source available in the early spring (our spring comes much later than the rest of the state...in late March it still looks practically like winter here with virtually no leaf growth). For turkeys, walk the Ridgeline, and call off into the coves along the side of the ridge. Turkeys like roosting in a flat cove or off the crest of the ridges. They don't like roosting in the wind if they can help it, so they'll move to shelter from the wind. If you hunt the mtns, you will start seeing bears consistently. I have been hog hunting four days this small game season with my ML, and I have seen eight different bears in those four hunts.one hunt I saw none, so I really saw eight bears in three days total. As for hogs, they are primarily nocturnal, and move a LOT. This past winter, I followed a single set of hog tracks for about a mile and a half that were made the night before. I tell people "hogs are where you find them". *Usually. Like I said, once in a while they'll hit a food plot or stand of acorns consistently for two or three days before going along. I hunt a place on Swallow Creek where I have killed bear, turkey, hogs, and missed a big buck, and went back and saw him the next December. Most places in the NF and WMA's are like that. And remember, if you kill an animal in a place, you can usually kill another one there in later years. If a turkey likes a certain cove because the food is right, the vantage is right, the shelter is right, and he likes the bottom he can gobble down into, chances are the next yesr or the one after, another gobbler is going to like that place for the very same reasons and live there. Same for all other animals. If a buck likes a particular shelf because he can lay down a good rub line, there is decent cover nearby, he has good access to it, and the does like it because it has a nice stand of producing reds on it, chances are another buck will like it for the very same reasons next season, or the season after that. Certain places appeal to certain animals and usually are a total sum of their basic needs, and it will be used repeatedly throughout the yesrs. Be active on the forum and get to know these guys. This place is a goldmine of knowledge and experience, and is filled with the best teachers that are in the woods and on the water. Good luck, hike long, work hard, stay late, and be safe!


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## Killer Kyle

Also to clarify on an earlier post, you can kill hogs during any open season with the weapon and ammunition concurrent with that season. So for instance you can kill hogs with a shotgun during small game season, but you are required to use the shot size concurrent with small game regulations. You cannot use slugs or buckshot, and no buckshot is allowed on public lands period.


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## CornStalker

Kyle, have you been still ("stalking")hunting those hogs when you've seen those bears? And have they been on the ground or climbing in the tree tops?

We got into a mess of hogs last year on opening weekend. If you can get down wind on them, putting the Mohican sneak on them is a blast!


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## whitetailfreak

Killed this one with a ml opening wk of small game on Cohutta a few years ago. I'll take my .50 over a .22 lr any day.


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## Killer Kyle

CornStalker said:


> Kyle, have you been still ("stalking")hunting those hogs when you've seen those bears? And have they been on the ground or climbing in the tree tops?
> 
> We got into a mess of hogs last year on opening weekend. If you can get down wind on them, putting the Mohican sneak on them is a blast!



Yep, stalking. No bears in the tree tops yet, but they will be soon. Very soon.


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## jbogg

whitetailfreak said:


> Killed this one with a ml opening wk of small game on Cohutta a few years ago. I'll take my .50 over a .22 lr any day.



Any idea how much that pig weighed?  I unknowingly walked up on some hogs in a thicket a couple of months ago and when they broke from cover I was within 10 yds.  That was the first time I had seen hogs in the wild, and it got my attention. The first one that ran looked huge, but not quite as big as the one in your photo.  I was guessing 200 - 300 lbs, but it was moving fast so who knows.


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## BufordBassmaster12

Killer Kyle said:


> There are more bears and hogs on the mountain WMAs than deer. Wilson Shoals is a deer and turkey game only...no bears or hogs there (as of the current), some might wander that way eventually. Wilson Shoals is good for deer, I see deer pretty much every hunt there. Lake Russell is the diamond in the ruff for deer hunting in Region 2. I believe Chattahoochee and Swallow Creek tie for dead last in the state fkr overall deer harvest. Deer are there but fewer than in southern areas. Killing a buck in the mountain WMA's is a true, real trophy. Our turbine later in the mind so plan on the last week in Nov and all the way through Dec to be prime time for bucks. Bears are most easily killed before October. Once the acorns drop, the bears scatter, so find the white oaks dropping first and hunt them. Also, hunt flats and points of intersection where two ridges meet, where several leads converge, or hunt a funnel like a deep gap with lots of white oaks in it. Later in the season, usually by November or so, the white oaks play out. They are eaten and half spoiled, so you need to go back to hunting the red oaks. Learn what true white oaks are and don't confuse them with chestnut oaks. Chestnut oak acorns usually lay on the ground and rot unless there is an extremely lean year for the animals. Sometimes you can target hogs on the food plots planted with clover, peas, sorghum, millet, wheat, or rye. The prime time to do that is late winter during small game season. I carry a muzzle loader during small game dates for hogs. Early turkey season is a good time to hunt the food plots with clover because it greens up sooner than most other plants, and is the first, real desirable food source available in the early spring (our spring comes much later than the rest of the state...in late March it still looks practically like winter here with virtually no leaf growth). For turkeys, walk the Ridgeline, and call off into the coves along the side of the ridge. Turkeys like roosting in a flat cove or off the crest of the ridges. They don't like roosting in the wind if they can help it, so they'll move to shelter from the wind. If you hunt the mtns, you will start seeing bears consistently. I have been hog hunting four days this small game season with my ML, and I have seen eight different bears in those four hunts.one hunt I saw none, so I really saw eight bears in three days total. As for hogs, they are primarily nocturnal, and move a LOT. This past winter, I followed a single set of hog tracks for about a mile and a half that were made the night before. I tell people "hogs are where you find them". *Usually. Like I said, once in a while they'll hit a food plot or stand of acorns consistently for two or three days before going along. I hunt a place on Swallow Creek where I have killed bear, turkey, hogs, and missed a big buck, and went back and saw him the next December. Most places in the NF and WMA's are like that. And remember, if you kill an animal in a place, you can usually kill another one there in later years. If a turkey likes a certain cove because the food is right, the vantage is right, the shelter is right, and he likes the bottom he can gobble down into, chances are the next yesr or the one after, another gobbler is going to like that place for the very same reasons and live there. Same for all other animals. If a buck likes a particular shelf because he can lay down a good rub line, there is decent cover nearby, he has good access to it, and the does like it because it has a nice stand of producing reds on it, chances are another buck will like it for the very same reasons next season, or the season after that. Certain places appeal to certain animals and usually are a total sum of their basic needs, and it will be used repeatedly throughout the yesrs. Be active on the forum and get to know these guys. This place is a goldmine of knowledge and experience, and is filled with the best teachers that are in the woods and on the water. Good luck, hike long, work hard, stay late, and be safe!



Thanks for all the info, right now I have so many options and things I want to try and get done I am running in circles and losing time. I was riding Russell last night and got turned around in there couldn't get to the area I was trying to reach and came back out the wma somewhere completely different. The first initial entrance I tried to go in at was gated so I had to drive all the way through from the check station. Luckily wherever I came out was open or idk if I would have gotten back out haha. Didn't even get to get out of the truck and scout I did however see a monster copperhead crossing the road around the cemetery. Hoping to go back here within the next couple days and Wilson shoals too since it's so close to the house for me. Really wanting to make it up to chattahoochee before season opens as well but I'm not sure if I'm going to get the chance. If I do it might be week before season opens. With your comment of bears being killed earlier in the season, if I decided I really wanted to target my first bear, would it be better to do it in the first half or so of the season?


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## Unicoidawg

You'll stand a better chance at a bear early in the year with a bow or ML. Find the white oaks.........


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## BufordBassmaster12

I see, do you hunt them from climber like deer or off the ground? I know probably both ways can be done just was wondering what most did?


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## Killer Kyle

I hunt from the ground because I am too ADD to stay in one place for more than a few hours. It is a blessing, and a curse. Stand hunting is just as good, if not much more advantageous in many or most situations, but I ain't man enough to hump a minimum 22 lb climber up the mountain or ridge. The truth stated plainly. Haha. For me, I like slipping along.


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## tallchris83

Kyle, 

Thanks for that very informative long post. Here in Lumpkin/White we are scratching our heads trying to figure out where the hogs could be now. They are nocturnal and have been on the move. Best we can figure is to scout early in the morning after the rains are over (like now) and look for sign in many different likely spots. As many creek beds as you care to hike through.


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## tree cutter 08

Most pig sign I've seen has been up high, 32 to 3800 ft. Water close by is a must this time of year.


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## Outdoorstherapy10

I was born and raised in Cherokee county and always went campin and fishin in north ga. Over the years I have gotten more and more into huntin. I've been away from home for a while but I'm movin back the beginning of October. Can't wait to try and harvest a bear! I appreciate all the advice and insight y'all throw out there!!


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## BufordBassmaster12

I seem to usually get busted on the ground but that's always been deer hunting, if I was going afte hogs specifically I would definitely be walking and looking for them. Going back to scout some places tonight.


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## Killer Kyle

BufordBassmaster12 said:


> Thanks for all the info, right now I have so many options and things I want to try and get done I am running in circles and losing time. I was riding Russell last night and got turned around in there couldn't get to the area I was trying to reach and came back out the wma somewhere completely different. The first initial entrance I tried to go in at was gated so I had to drive all the way through from the check station. Luckily wherever I came out was open or idk if I would have gotten back out haha. Didn't even get to get out of the truck and scout I did however see a monster copperhead crossing the road around the cemetery. Hoping to go back here within the next couple days and Wilson shoals too since it's so close to the house for me. Really wanting to make it up to chattahoochee before season opens as well but I'm not sure if I'm going to get the chance. If I do it might be week before season opens. With your comment of bears being killed earlier in the season, if I decided I really wanted to target my first bear, would it be better to do it in the first half or so of the season?



Yep, first half of season is prime time for a bear. They start to scatter pretty good in October, and can be increasingly difficult to find with each passing day. Very few are killed in November andbDecember compared to Sept and October. Whitetail freak on here killed a dandy last December and posted a thread about it. I think DanaYoung's grandson killed one in December too on Cooper's Creek if I remember correctly. As bear post dwindle in Nov and Dec, I really enjoy seeing when December bear kill posts pop up here.


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## BufordBassmaster12

Nice, well I got held up at work yesterday so my plans to go back out didn't work out. However since that happened I am going to get off early some the rest of the week. I have Russell, Wilson Shoals, and Chattahoochee to check out still. Been eying some spots on each map for weeks. So with me running out of time I will be putting some miles on the snake boots here within the next week or two. For those of  you that have killed bears before what do you do with them? Full body mount, rugs? Also how do you cook them? Not many people I know have said anything about eating them. I feel like if I shoot something it is only right to eat it or donate it to someone that will.


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## BufordBassmaster12

Just looked through the kill threads and it looked like a lot of people did not even have them dressed so I am guessing you do not eat them? Or were most of those pics prior to dressing?


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## whitetailfreak

BufordBassmaster12 said:


> Just looked through the kill threads and it looked like a lot of people did not even have them dressed so I am guessing you do not eat them? Or were most of those pics prior to dressing?



Blasphemy, bear is fine eatin'. My wife makes bear b que that's fit for a king. A buddy of mine has some ground every season and smokes burgers. There are more good recipe's out there than one can type in this thread. Research them and see which one's appeal to you. As far as pics go, I usually take mine before dressing.


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## BufordBassmaster12

whitetailfreak said:


> Blasphemy, bear is fine eatin'. My wife makes bear b que that's fit for a king. A buddy of mine has some ground every season and smokes burgers. There are more good recipe's out there than one can type in this thread. Research them and see which one's appeal to you. As far as pics go, I usually take mine before dressing.



Good deal! I can't wait!


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## Buckman18

BufordBassmaster12 said:


> For those of  you that have killed bears before what do you do with them? .



For early bow season bears up in the mountains, generally, you will look for white oaks that have acorns that look like these




 and loads and loads of: 





The more the merrier. As much as I'd like to take credit for product in this picture, this the work of a Sasquatch or a nice bear. Other sign might include fresh limbs broke under said white oaks, claw marks in the trees from climbing, or bear marking trees like these:



They actually killed this tree.




Probably a smaller bear




Killer Kyle Cheesing!

Fresh is critical. If the sign is dried up, the odds of success go down. Be prepared to walk. Walk a little further. Keep walking. Don't panzy out. Ok, youve walked in to the point where you are questioning if it's worth it? Walk another mile, and you'll score. Good luck!

PS: you may also find them in red oaks, especially when white's are a miss (this is where I found success last yr both bow and gun season) clear cuts, persimmons, apple orchards, and corn fields. Remember, the kill zone on a bear is a bit further back in the ribs than a deer.


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## BufordBassmaster12

Fresh is critical. If the sign is dried up said:
			
		

> Love the pics and the info, should have given me a call or shot me a pm. All my hunting buddies like to hunt easy land where they can ride their atv 3/4 of the way then get off and walk. I enjoy the challenge of public land. If you can be successful on land everyone can hunt you are a real hunter. Doesn't take much talent to hang a stand or sit in a heated blind on a food plot protected by miles of private land and shoot something, then drive the truck up to it and take it to the processor. Only problem is I have an 8-5 mon-fri schedule and weekends bring more obligations from family and stuff. Oh well, that's life. I will get out there before the season starts, if plans hold together Friday afternoon and evening will be the day. Hoping to hit multiple WMA's but do not know how much time it will take. We'll see.


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## tallchris83

Buck, in the third photo above the bear sign, what makes those carvings on the tree? It looks like:

Square
Oval
Nine 
Oval


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## Killer Kyle

Those are not human markings. Those are horizontal teeth marks going cross grain on the tree. The bear stands against the tree and turns its head sideways and bites the tree. Look at the relation between the height of the bite marks, and Buck's height. It was a good bit taller than him. Probably a good sized bear. Buckman is a good sized bear himself!  Heh!!  . 
He mentioned how the bear killed the tree. This almost always happens on smaller trees. The bears(s) will strip the tree of its bark in a horizontal ring all the way around the circumference of the tree. This is termed "girdling". In forestry management terms, girdling is a way to strip a tree of its bark in a wide ring or band around a tree's circumference. This affects the trees ability to transport carbohydrates adequately and almost always results in a slow death of a tree. In some cases, a slow death is desirable because it is generally more natural and so on and so forth. Some foresters will use this method in creating longer term bedding and nesting habitats for certain animals. At any rate, bears do this to trees that they use for territorial markings or calling cards to other bears, and this kills the tree usually every time. And nearly every marking tree you find is going to be a hemlock or a white pine. I only remember one marking tree that isn't evergreen, and it actually happens to be one of the biggest poplars I have ever seen on Chattahoochee WMA. The bears can't bite it but they claw it annually. The tree is gargantuan and the clawing has no real affect on it.


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## BufordBassmaster12

Kyle do you work in the forestry field?


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## Killer Kyle

BufordBassmaster12 said:


> Kyle do you work in the forestry field?



Nope. But I'm a 30 year old college student that will be there soon enough. I learned that about girdling last year when I spent several hours one night watching forestry vids on YouTube trying to learn new ways to cut down trees (this was before I went back to school this year... I'm a nerd and do things like this in my free time), and buck them down and all that. There is a FS guy that has some incredible sawyering videos on there. He is the most crafty man with a chainsaw I have ever seen. He was the one that explained the process of girdling a tree, and looked it up for myself, and saw that it was true. That's when I figured out why all the small bear marking trees I was seeing were dying after I put the pieces of the puzzle together.  I just read a lot. A whole, whole lot!


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## BufordBassmaster12

Killer Kyle said:


> Nope. But I'm a 30 year old college student that will be there soon enough. I learned that about girdling last year when I spent several hours one night watching forestry vids on YouTube trying to learn new ways to cut down trees (this was before I went back to school this year... I'm a nerd and do things like this in my free time), and buck them down and all that. There is a FS guy that has some incredible sawyering videos on there. He is the most crafty man with a chainsaw I have ever seen. He was the one that explained the process of girdling a tree, and looked it up for myself, and saw that it was true. That's when I figured out why all the small bear marking trees I was seeing were dying after I put the pieces of the puzzle together.  I just read a lot. A whole, whole lot!



That is awesome man congratulations on going back to school. Where are you going if you don't mind me asking? I used every bit of my elective courses on forestry classes at UGA. I really wanted to switch my major but being that I already had a couple times and was already on the five year plan and racking up student loans I just stuck with what I was doing. Sadly I eventually ran into the issue of not being able to take a lot of classes I wanted to take because I was not a forestry major so I only took basic entry level courses that were open to anyone. I spent a lot of time out in Whitehall where they do all their research down there and where the deer lab is. I could hang out with those guys all day and ask endless questions, it was awesome. View attachment 882308
Here is a pic of a deer they had at their facility that they were studying. I am a "nerd" too with this stuff. Looking back I might should have went ahead and changed my major and just bit the bullet. I never would have worked a day in my life.


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## Buckman18

tallchris83 said:


> Buck, in the third photo above the bear sign, what makes those carvings on the tree? It looks like:
> 
> Square
> Oval
> Nine
> Oval



I think this bear was writing in code to other bears? "We should be safe to feed on this ridge!" 

Keep thinking that, Bear.


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## Buckman18

Killer Kyle said:


> It was a good bit taller than him. Probably a good sized bear. Buckman is a good sized bear himself!  Heh!!  .



Too many years sitting in an office bossing people around. I'm still good looking, though.


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## RossVegas

whitetailfreak said:


> Blasphemy, bear is fine eatin'. My wife makes bear b que that's fit for a king. A buddy of mine has some ground every season and smokes burgers. There are more good recipe's out there than one can type in this thread. Research them and see which one's appeal to you. As far as pics go, I usually take mine before dressing.



I have yet to kill a bear, found fresh scat, but never a bear.  As for not eating them, my 9 year old son is about as picky an eater as you'll find.  If you ask him his favorite food, it's bear.


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## Killer Kyle

P





BufordBassmaster12 said:


> That is awesome man congratulations on going back to school. Where are you going if you don't mind me asking? I used every bit of my elective courses on forestry classes at UGA. I really wanted to switch my major but being that I already had a couple times and was already on the five year plan and racking up student loans I just stuck with what I was doing. Sadly I eventually ran into the issue of not being able to take a lot of classes I wanted to take because I was not a forestry major so I only took basic entry level courses that were open to anyone. I spent a lot of time out in Whitehall where they do all their research down there and where the deer lab is. I could hang out with those guys all day and ask endless questions, it was awesome. View attachment 882308
> Here is a pic of a deer they had at their facility that they were studying. I am a "nerd" too with this stuff. Looking back I might should have went ahead and changed my major and just bit the bullet. I never would have worked a day in my life.


Jeff Durniak, the former cold water fisheries boss once said that he will hire a graduate from N.E. GA Tech for a Wildlife Tech position before he would a graduate from Warnell at UGA. He said the education at NE GA Tech is job specific, while a degree in Wildlife Biology at Warnell is a broad scoping overview of general Wildlife Biology and doesn't specifically focus on management. When I heard that, I said "that's all I need to know". I dropped my three years of college at UNG and basically threw them in the trash, and started over this year at Tech. The starting pay is meager, but it keeps the job field honest. If a person is willing to finish college and begin working for $28,000 / yr, it means they are passionate about what they want to do and don't care about wages. Working as a tech is not a lucrative field, so it keeps people who are truly passionate about the field working in it. I know I will never make much working for DNR or USFS, but I get the chance to leave this planet better than I found it, and that's all I want out of life. I see you are in Alto. You aren't far from the school, and should give Kevin Peyton a shout. We could use passionate people in the field who don't care about the pay. If you are interested, let me know and I will get you hooked up with the right people there at the school.


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## Killer Kyle

RossVegas said:


> I have yet to kill a bear, found fresh scat, but never a bear.  As for not eating them, my 9 year old son is about as picky an eater as you'll find.  If you ask him his favorite food, it's bear.



BBQ bear is the best. I once fed a guy a BBQ bear sandwich when he came up to camp and fly fish with me the winter before last. He was from LaGrange. He went in for a second sandwich, and ate that too. After he consumed both, I told him it was bear. He had thought it was pork. He said "I don't care...it was freaking amazing", and that was the end of that. Most people have no idea how good bear is!


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## Joe Brandon

Buckman18 said:


> For early bow season bears up in the mountains, generally, you will look for white oaks that have acorns that look like these
> 
> 
> 
> 
> and loads and loads of:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The more the merrier. As much as I'd like to take credit for product in this picture, this the work of a Sasquatch or a nice bear. Other sign might include fresh limbs broke under said white oaks, claw marks in the trees from climbing, or bear marking trees like these:
> 
> 
> 
> They actually killed this tree.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Probably a smaller bear
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Killer Kyle Cheesing!
> 
> Fresh is critical. If the sign is dried up, the odds of success go down. Be prepared to walk. Walk a little further. Keep walking. Don't panzy out. Ok, youve walked in to the point where you are questioning if it's worth it? Walk another mile, and you'll score. Good luck!
> 
> PS: you may also find them in red oaks, especially when white's are a miss (this is where I found success last yr both bow and gun season) clear cuts, persimmons, apple orchards, and corn fields. Remember, the kill zone on a bear is a bit further back in the ribs than a deer.


Looking at all these trees, had a bear at camp take an office chair half way out of a box stand this week and just completely tear it to shreads. He did that chair like my dog does a pair of leather shoes lol.


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## BufordBassmaster12

Killer Kyle said:


> P
> Jeff Durniak, the former cold water fisheries boss once said that he will hire a graduate from N.E. GA Tech for a Wildlife Tech position before he would a graduate from Warnell at UGA. He said the education at NE GA Tech is job specific, while a degree in Wildlife Biology at Warnell is a broad scoping overview of general Wildlife Biology and doesn't specifically focus on management. When I heard that, I said "that's all I need to know". I dropped my three years of college at UNG and basically threw them in the trash, and started over this year at Tech. The starting pay is meager, but it keeps the job field honest. If a person is willing to finish college and begin working for $28,000 / yr, it means they are passionate about what they want to do and don't care about wages. Working as a tech is not a lucrative field, so it keeps people who are truly passionate about the field working in it. I know I will never make much working for DNR or USFS, but I get the chance to leave this planet better than I found it, and that's all I want out of life. I see you are in Alto. You aren't far from the school, and should give Kevin Peyton a shout. We could use passionate people in the field who don't care about the pay. If you are interested, let me know and I will get you hooked up with the right people there at the school.



I have considered going back several times and if it was just me I would probably jump at the opportunity. However that is not the case anymore and we are pretty set where we are in our budget and I do not think going back to being a student would be a possibility. Thank you though. That is why it is good to have friends that are in the industry!


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## tallchris83

Back from Bull Mountain trail. This time I went all the way to the northwest end, about half a mile east of Springer Mountain. I didn't get back till after dark. I found more oaks dropping acorns right on the trail. I saw a buck deer at sunset foraging around near the trail. I crouched down and called him to me by saying "MEHHP." He paused, and gingerly approached to 10 yards, saw me and bolted. Highlight of the trip. I heard a turkey and a crow towards the end, along with a couple owls. Small game doesn't have a chance around here; place is full of owls and hawks. I found possible bear damage to a tree so I took some pictures of that. Most interestingly, I found very freshly laid scat right on the trail on the return journey, which wasn't there before. Some jokers were leaving me presents. Took pictures of that. Deer or bear? It's a bit hard to see, but I opened up one with a stick and the inside looked like chopped up chives, along with a partially digested acorn. Other one, it's some kind of purple nut, all nuts and partially digested. Interestingly, scat gets recycled very quickly in the mountains. I found armies of beetles going to work on the new piles, and older ones had mushrooms / fungus growing out of them.


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## livinoutdoors

The bottom pile is full of muscadine skins,could be pig, hard to tell.


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## O-Country

Made a quick lap this morning,started at the corn field that the bears are smoking every night. Then up the mountain where they are starting to climb some trees for acorns. A lot of yellow jacket nest been dug up. Found a few white oaks dropping with deer feeding on them. Good bit of hog rotten and wallowing along the creek. One of the bears in the corn field has a track round as a horse. Dang it was HOT.......


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## O-Country

Another one


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## Killer Kyle

The muscadine are coming down pretty good in the places I'm hunting. Found several piles of bear droppings with skins already. I watched a raccoon cross the path in front of me the other day and climb a poplar at the edge of the field. I watched him cut down grapes for probably 45 minutes until a bear stepped into the field. The raccoon saw the bear and went still as a knot on a log. I watched the bear for maybe another half hour before I decided to move along with my scouting and hunting and yet still, that raccoon never moved a muscle. I could and should have gotten on with my scouting earlier, but it was just nice to sit and watched the raccoon going to work on the grapes. It was something I had never seen before. It looked and sounded exactly like squirrels cutting down acorns. Neat sight.


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## Killer Kyle

Joe Brandon said:


> Looking at all these trees, had a bear at camp take an office chair half way out of a box stand this week and just completely tear it to shreads. He did that chair like my dog does a pair of leather shoes lol.



Also, be mindful of your stands. Bears have an affinity for climber seats!!


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## jbogg

O-Country said:


> Made a quick lap this morning,started at the corn field that the bears are smoking every night. Then up the mountain where they are starting to climb some trees for acorns. A lot of yellow jacket nest been dug up. Found a few white oaks dropping with deer feeding on them. Good bit of hog rotten and wallowing along the creek. One of the bears in the corn field has a track round as a horse. Dang it was HOT.......



Glad to see they are climbing for chestnut oak acorns.  I have seen more of those than whites.


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## tallchris83

Any more hogs spotted in the mountains? Killer Kyle?


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## Dudley1993

Is anyone familiar with hunting Swallow Creek WMA? This will be my fifth year going and I still have not brought home a bear. Am I even hunting a good location for bears?


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## Killer Kyle

tallchris83 said:


> Any more hogs spotted in the mountains? Killer Kyle?



No luck to speak of. Randomly walked up on a sow with piglets the night before last. Never saw them, just heard the piglets squealing. Ridgetops with white pines and red oaks mostly.


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## Killer Kyle

Dudley1993 said:


> Is anyone familiar with hunting Swallow Creek WMA? This will be my fifth year going and I still have not brought home a bear. Am I even hunting a good location for bears?



Swallow Creek is the e exact same as Chattahoochee for bear, only 70% fewer hunters. What is your hunting strategy?


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## Buckman18

Killer Kyle said:


> Swallow Creek is the e exact same as Chattahoochee for bear, only 70% fewer hunters. What is your hunting strategy?



X10. Swallow Creek is the most under rated and under hunted bear factory in GA. And the fact that it has so many fewer hunters makes it that much sweeter. Me and Killer Kyle will just keep it to ourselves! Another great bear producer is the southern nantahala wilderness. Makes Cohutta look like the JV mountains. But the bears are stacked in there for sure.


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## Dudley1993

Killer Kyle, the hunting strategy has changed over the course of the past years. When we first start traveling up there, I sat in the food plots because they were a food source and easy to get to. Last year, however we all ( I take this trip with a group of normally four friends) left camp with the basic needs gear and hiked the ridges as much as we could until finally finding a place to sit.


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## Killer Kyle

My favorite time to hunt bears in around the archery opener. If you can find a large stand of say, 15-20 or more solid white oaks that are situated somewhere like on a ridgetops, long lead, bench, gap, or mountaintop...any prominent terrain feature, and those whites are dropping acorns, chances are there will be feeding sign there, and that's where you need to be sitting. A bear might hit it at any time of the day. Last year during opening week I saw bears at all hours of the day coming up to hit a big stand of white oaks. Like always, morning and evening are probably your best bets, but I saw many bears at like 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. Just keep at it and don't be afraid to hike deep in. You'll get one, just be patient!


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## tree cutter 08

Go to deer hunt instead of bear. That's when you will see a bear! Bumped into some guys with dogs on the ga/nc line a few weeks ago and said they seen more bear this year than ever this year. This would be in the southern nantahala woods. They are there in big numbers.


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## Joe Brandon

tree cutter 08 said:


> Go to deer hunt instead of bear. That's when you will see a bear! Bumped into some guys with dogs on the ga/nc line a few weeks ago and said they seen more bear this year than ever this year. This would be in the southern nantahala woods. They are there in big numbers.


Just left mom's house in Highlands NC, landscapers said they've seen more bear this year than any other.


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## Killer Kyle

As of last night, I have seen 32 bears this summer while scouting for the archery opener. I have been chasing bears specifically, and I have kept a detailed journal of each one to help me catalogue each one and where it was seen, feeding on, how long observed, where it was coming from or going. This helps in situations like say if you see a sow with a set of two year old cubs frequenting a ridge this year, next year she will probably be alone and fair game. Anyway, I have seen 32 throughout my summer scouting, and season hasn't opened yet. I've got my big bear's already located and I know generally where they are at now, and where they are most likely to be when the white oaks are dropping heavy. And this does not even include the places that I have seen loaded with sign, where I know bears are going, or where I have located big bear's and just have not laid eyes on them yet. The journal also does not include the bears I have spooked while walking but did not actually lay eyes on which would drive my numbers even higher.  I was hoping to top 100 bear sightings by the end of the year, but I don't think that will happen. I am thinking something like 70 or so will be the total number of sightings by the end of the season. That said, I texted my friend Drew last night and told him ''I don't know if I will ever have a year like this again. The number of bears I have seen this year has been unreal". I dont know if their numbers are way up or what, but I have indeed seen a lot this year. I think I have only seen maybe six deer or so in that same time frame. I saw a bachelor group of four small bucks on Chattahoochee in the early summer, saw a couple does around a food plot a little later on, and saw a single either doe or small buck while scouting with a friend the week before last. Quite the disproportionate ratio if you ask me!!


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## CornStalker

Kyle, you inspire me. I started a hunting journal this year to track sightings and to help myself learn more about the animals (and the land). I've got a couple of those "Rite in the Rain" waterproof pads to keep in my pack. Looking forward to using them this season.


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## Killer Kyle

CornStalker said:


> Kyle, you inspire me. I started a hunting journal this year to track sightings and to help myself learn more about the animals (and the land). I've got a couple of those "Rite in the Rain" waterproof pads to keep in my pack. Looking forward to using them this season.



I think journaling is great so myself, friends, and family can look back on my experiences in later years, but I approach it from a pragmatic point of view mostly. Just a decent way to keep track of what beats I'm seeing where and why, where I think I should hunt them where when season opens, and what bears I want to hunt more than others. It just helps me keep my plans a little more organized I guess.


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## ripplerider

Buckman18 said:


> X10. Swallow Creek is the most under rated and under hunted bear factory in GA. And the fact that it has so many fewer hunters makes it that much sweeter. Me and Killer Kyle will just keep it to ourselves! Another great bear producer is the southern nantahala wilderness. Makes Cohutta look like the JV mountains. But the bears are stacked in there for sure.



I've been hunting Swallows creek the last few years only killed a spike there so far but I love the country. There are some seriously rough places there I've fished there all my life but seemed like there was always another WMA open that I liked better. Not anymore I'm going to hunt it several times every year from now on. Started digging ramps there about 5 years ago and got interested in the area. A couple of my old haunts on Coopers Creek started getting hunted pretty hard so I'm checking out new country which I love to do anyway.


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