# Satisfied with Hancock?



## mallardsx2

Just curious to see how satisfied hunters are with hunting Hancock County.


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## FootLongDawg

I voted yes because normally I see a lot of deer.  I have been hunting deer for 45 years in Ga. around 20 years in Hancock.  As far as the antler restrictions are concerned, I think that plan has been a monumental failure.  Im not a biologist, so I have no idea why it has not worked on my particular leases, but I really have not seen any improvement in the buck heard.  3 of us hunt 600 acres, and we go years at a time without shooting any bucks, so it isnt a matter of over harvest.  But at this stage of my hunting career, I just like seeing a lot of deer, with the hope of a good one maybe making its way by me.  I am pretty sure this poll will turn out pretty negative.  If I was a younger hunter, I would have voted no.


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## mallardsx2

Well that what we were discussing in another thread. Its not meant to be negative towards one another at all. Just curious what people are thinking is all as a whole. I think it will be interesting and its easy to vote using a poll. 

Going year without shooting a buck on 600 acres I would think you would be crawling with good deer. But when the rut hits all bets are off thats for sure.


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## mallardsx2

For the record I voted no. But not necessarily because we dont kill big bucks more towards the hunting pressure in Hancock where we are at.


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## brownhounds

Agreed 100% with Foot Long.  We see a bunch of deer.  I think the antler restrictions need to go because a lot of people get excited when they see a legal deer and they shoot it.  I don't think there are a lot of big bucks in our area.  They are few and far between.  But, I like being in a spot to see plenty of deer.  We have 550 acres with 7 hunters.  But, we rarely kill does.


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## aaron batson

I own property in Hancock and enjoy the antler restrictions....Back in the early days even spikes and four pointers got killed. We actually began some form of self-imposed antler restrictions about 1990. At least they have a fighting chance to get to 2.5 years old now....before - not so much.


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## mallardsx2

I guess its all in perspective on what you used to be shooting compared to what you are shooting today. Sometime I forget about this! Good input. Thanks


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## willie1971

any reports of deer chasing?  hope to hit it hard next weekend


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## aaron batson

Killed this one Sunday - pushing does


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## willie1971

nice one, thank ya


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## deepwater

Been hunting Hancock for 24 yrs. in that time I’ve seen it when you would see 20-30 deer a week end and they were all spikes, 4 pts or does. Antler restrictions came along and the does got hammered for a long time and deer numbers went down at least where I hunt. But I feel the last 6-7 years have really been good with bigger bucks and buck to doe ratio being close to one to one. I’m very pleased how things are now, but I’m also lucky to have like minded neighbors that don’t shoot a buck just because it’s legal. Killed my biggest so far in 2017 and hope things continue the way it’s been going in recent years.


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## HM

I'm satisfied!


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## Buckshot

aaron batson said:


> Killed this one Sunday - pushing does


What part of hancock are you in arron?


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## aaron batson

North


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## brownhounds

Killed last Saturday


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## thaney10

Killed this one Saturday morning in Hancock. All by himself in a thick bottom.


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## FootLongDawg

Got this one early last week.  First deer I have shot in years.  And I hunt a lot.


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## Buckshot

HM said:


> I'm satisfied!
> 
> View attachment 987658View attachment 987659View attachment 987660


Hey HM that bottom picture looks like a buck I got a good look at one night on the way down to my club. Somewhere around veazy


HM said:


> I'm satisfied!
> 
> View attachment 987658View attachment 987659View attachment 987660


Hey Hm do you hunt near veazey,ga? That picture on the bottom looks a lot like a buck I saw one night on way to my club a few years back.


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## HM

I'm north of Sparta a couple miles from Lake Sinclair


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## brownhounds

Seen a bunch of deer all year. Got some good looking young bucks coming along too


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## mallardsx2




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## C.Killmaster

mallardsx2 said:


> View attachment 1126990



The season isn't over, it doesn't make sense to compare 2021 to other years until the season closes.


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## mallardsx2

True but the figures will be within 2% I bet.


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## Ratrzcer1991

Looks like they need to shoot more bucks


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## willie1971

saw a lot of deer down there, even a herd one night which i haven't seen in years (first week of november 2021).  it seems to be cyclical at least for me.  it was the first year i didn't see a shooter buck in over 5 years, but saw many deer and had a nice trip.  also didn't hear much shooting nearby, which was a first.  i hunt a cousin's property which has zero pressure so that's a plus.


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## mallardsx2

It was a tough year for us. We killed 1 shooter buck this year. The lack of rutting activity was pretty sad. Never seen it this slow in the past 5 years.

Maybe next year will be better. 

Going to give it one more try this weekend.


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## common man

Ive never hunted hancock but just by numbers the county seems pretty consistent on high harvest numbers. I went a few years back and hancock is consistently number 2 in harvest to burke county which has like double the land.


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## westcobbdog

Hancock = shooting gallery. The other knock is the best food in the whole County may very well be the c-store Golden Pantry in Sparta which makes good fried chicken.


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## FootLongDawg

westcobbdog said:


> Hancock = shooting gallery. The other knock is the best food in the whole County may very well be the c-store Golden Pantry in Sparta which makes good fried chicken.




WCD....What part of the county you in?  I mainly hunt over near Jewel and I rarely hear much shooting after opening weekend.  I have a smaller tract over near Devereux and it's pretty much silent too.  You are right about the food there.  Awful.  I play golf a lot in Milledgeville and Sandersville, so at least there are a few good spots there plus a great Kroger.


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## mallardsx2

Hunters shot the crap out of the does on Saturday thats for sure. It sounded like a war zone in my area.

Seems strange that the adjusted buck harvest that I posted last Wednesday still has not changed even though there have been a lot of bucks killed since then??? The number of does has changed though....


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## westcobbdog

FootLongDawg said:


> WCD....What part of the county you in?  I mainly hunt over near Jewel and I rarely hear much shooting after opening weekend.  I have a smaller tract over near Devereux and it's pretty much silent too.  You are right about the food there.  Awful.  I play golf a lot in Milledgeville and Sandersville, so at least there are a few good spots there plus a great Kroger.[/QUOTE
> Between Sparta and Linton


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## mallardsx2




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## Ace1313

The part of Hancock I hunted this fall was actually the best that I have ever seen it. I saw a lot of deer on my three day hunt and a couple decent 2.5 year deer.  I think the fact the timber harvest and the fact there is much more bedding and food cover in the area has helped improved the numbers in the area. The guys I have hunted with claim they have heard a lot less shooting and less people hunting the last 5 years in the area.  They have hunted there for 20+ years


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## willie1971

Ace1313 said:


> The part of Hancock I hunted this fall was actually the best that I have ever seen it. I saw a lot of deer on my three day hunt and a couple decent 2.5 year deer.  I think the fact the timber harvest and the fact there is much more bedding and food cover in the area has helped improved the numbers in the area. The guys I have hunted with claim they have heard a lot less shooting and less people hunting the last 5 years in the area.  They have hunted there for 20+ years



Similar experience.   Timbering is the only non-government industry in the county.  Where do you hunt?  I hunt near Shoulderbone


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## Ace1313

I hunted in Powellton with my good friends.  I have hunted that area a good bit over the years.  I have since moved south and this was my first hunt back there in awhile.


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## The mtn man

This was our worse year since getting out lease in 2011. There were a good many deer seen, we just didn't have the racked bucks like normal, I'm gonna blame it on the fact that half our lease is bare dirt after it was recently cut, then the rest of the timber that had been thinned got a heavy spray job. And we have new neighbors that got some permission to hunt a thick 30 acres that border us, it has always been a sanctuary,  its too thick to hunt, so they hunt the property line. Found deer on our property near theirs with hams and loins cut out, illegal bucks too. We are keeping an eye on them.


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## FootLongDawg

I wonder how turkey hunters would respond to this poll.  My observation  is that the decline in turkey population FAR out numbers the deer decline


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## willie1971

Turkey in Hancock - in my experience - is really hit-or-miss.


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## shooterinthefeild3

We had a awesome year in Hancock. Plenty of deer seen! Solid year!


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## Kev

No. Everything about Hancock sucks except for deer hunting.


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## willie1971

that sucks for you


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## little rascal

Hunted above Sparta for years, took a lot of nice bucks when I was a young man. I miss it but don't miss the seed ticks!


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## westcobbdog

FootLongDawg said:


> WCD....What part of the county you in?  I mainly hunt over near Jewel and I rarely hear much shooting after opening weekend.  I have a smaller tract over near Devereux and it's pretty much silent too.  You are right about the food there.  Awful.  I play golf a lot in Milledgeville and Sandersville, so at least there are a few good spots there plus a great Kroger.


Footlong I am in the southern part of the county near Linton. In addition to poor food choices there are also zero decent hotel \ motels that don’t reek of cigarette smoke in the whole county. Mostly stay in Sandersville.


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## mallardsx2

Very slim pickings this year so far for us. I passed up a bunch of small bucks with my bow so far and we have not had what I consider a good buck in front of the cameras all year. 

Lots of up and coming 8 points if they make it through this year but I say that every year and sadly they seem to vanish....lol

Hopefully some deer get shuffled around come this weekend and into gun season.

Good luck to everyone.


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## Rich Kaminski

If you plant year round food plots, use some deer feeders and have plenty of mineral sites you will have great deer. Just set up deer sanctuary areas in the  middle of your property to keep the deer on your property; because if they leave the hunters on the next property may shoot anything. It's not cheap and if you can't afford to do that, then maybe you should be hunting 
WMA's.


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## The mtn man

This year seems better, although we really havnt shot anything yet, have a reasonable amount of nice bucks on camera, had a ton of small bucks last year, have a ton of small bucks again this year. Seems like last year the spraying killed our hunting. This year there's still alot of logging but we are getting pictures unlike last year.


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## smitty

Slow year hot no rain plots just now coming out ground after 6 weeks tilled under waiting for moisture. Hadnt seen a scrape in over 3 weeks and friday 10 showed up overnight ! Lots of does with fawns and no chasing or interaction just feeding ,strange year!


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## mallardsx2

According to our cameras the rut is winding down quickly. 

I agree it was a strange year down there. I am really hoping that a few of the bucks we had on our lease make it through till next year. 

Good luck to all.


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## JWT

There was 200 inch deer killed there in Hancock yesterday


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## Gadestroyer74

We are in warren and the big buck sightings have been down. Not a single buck over 125 inches killed on 2000 acres. Seeeing a lot of deer just not many big deer. Been managed for many many years.


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## mallardsx2

Interesting results so far for Franklin County and Hancock Counties. I'll update after the close of the season to see what the totals are.

Edit- Removed table. See below table for totals.


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## mallardsx2

JWT said:


> There was 200 inch deer killed there in Hancock yesterday



I would be "satisfied" with that buck. lol Interesting how that deer had been on cameras three miles away. They said he was very nocturnal. That makes sense for a deer to get to that size he would almost have to be.

Congrats to the hunter!


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## JWT

Yeah , I went to school with the hunters , we’re still friends, very deserving guy


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## mallardsx2

Updated 1/10/2023


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## Laurens91

I heard from a friend the buck was killed around Devereux. I don't know if that is true, but Devereux has some big bucks.


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## mallardsx2

Laurens91 said:


> I heard from a friend the buck was killed around Devereux. I don't know if that is true, but Devereux has some big bucks.



Lot of clubs around there too. Surprised anything could even grow that big.


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