# Hancock County Roll Call



## Buckshot

I dont't think we have had an actual  thread for just Hancock County. I have seen Hancock/Washington but not just Hancock only. Lets help each other out with any tips and information that you are willing to share. What i'm talking about is deer movement , food sources, and rutting activity throughout the season. We want to see your harvest pics and some of those trail cam pics of those big boys . Let us know if the rattlers are on the prowl. We don't want to know where your stand is but what part of the county you are in. I'm in Devereux. Been there for over 25years and I know how unpredictable the deer can be and I am willing to give all the info I can if it might help some of those young'uns get their chance at a big buck or just their first deer or some of those seasoned hunters have the best season ever. Thanks to all for sharing and hope everyone has a great season. It's just around the corner. Be Safe !!!


----------



## HM

We're off Hunt's Chapel on Pumping Station Rd, been on the same lease since 1989.


----------



## DeltaHalo

I'm currently looking for a hunt club around Linton area
Linton Road, Dixon Road, Godfrey Road areas if anyone knows of anything
Been hunting between Milledgeville and Sparta for a few years now, and would like to stay in the same area if at all possible 
Thanks in advance


----------



## champ

Great to see a thread for Hancock! Appreciate You starting this up. Our club is on the county line, 15 South. Going on a 50yr old club now. We've been putting in the labor for the upcoming season and it looks like this will be a great season. Fawns running around everywhere, trees are in great shape for crop, browse is lush. There has been a lot of timber cuts going on all oround the entire county and it has the wildlife up and on the move.


----------



## DeltaHalo

If any of you guys know a club I could join, or a place i could lease a small tract, that would be great.
Looking around the Linton / Deepstep areas, east of milledgeville
Between M'ville and Sparta

Had to pull my stands off our lease 2 weeks ago...ugh
Thanks!


----------



## deerhuntingdawg

I'm on the Ogeechee River side of Hancock County. Just put out my first trail camera over there yesterday. We'll see!


----------



## shotgun01

My wife and I live in Gwinnett County, but have owned a place in Hancock County for over 16 years. We spend most weekends down there, pretty much year round. We are in the Culverton area, off of Hwy 16.


----------



## jtomczak

I'm on the Washington side of the Washington/Hancock line and do the Washington/Hancock thread every year.

Good luck this year folks!


----------



## swamp

Anyone hunt near the prison please pm me?


----------



## caldwd1

We are off Hunts Chapel Church Rd near Dickens Lake.


----------



## Buckshot

Where exactly is the prison? Is it close to browns chapel road?


----------



## swamp

Buckshot said:


> Where exactly is the prison? Is it close to browns chapel road?



Its a little north of your location.  It is off Buffalo Road, Hit n Miss Hunt Club is across from me.


----------



## HM

Anybody go down this past weekend?


----------



## swamp

I went down.  As soon as we finished our last hang on set the bottom fell out!  Rain pretty steady and hard.   Cant wait till Friday to get down and get ready.


----------



## hancock husler

Took the camper and got it set up and drank some beer with friends. Monday shot at some doves and hung my bow stand as the rain fell. Little buffalo creek should keep me company as I kill skeeters. Good luck to all this coming weekend


----------



## caldwd1

We prepped and planted a lot of our plots Sat. just in time for the rain.


----------



## HM

Nice to hear it has rained, I haven't been in a couple of weeks. Be there this weekend


----------



## HM

Almost that time!


----------



## BigBrett

We are on ogeechee just out side of jewel. Plenty of acorns, plenty of rain and plots are jumping.


----------



## Stumper

I've been hunting near Sparta (Devereux) for the past 10 yrs, deer were moving pretty good this opening weekend, does & small bucks were seen. The acorns are starting to drop in certian areas on our club, crabapple trees did'nt produce this year and we started seeing scrapes.


----------



## smitty

*Hancock*

On my 3 tracks of land acorns just starting to drop,alot of scrapes showing up and plenty of corn on neighboring tracts !!!!


----------



## HM

I saw 21 deer in three sittings this weekend, six were young bucks


----------



## champ

There are SO MANY SPIKES it's ridiculous, and it's not the young ones i'm concerned with. Anyone else see an issue with 20" wide 4ptr's or spikes with thick 10" beams??? Culling these is illegal right? I'm worried that the QDM rule is allowing a generation of poor quality bloodline to evolve.


----------



## HM

I have some tall, wide 6pts but all my spikes are young


----------



## shotgun01

champ said:


> There are SO MANY SPIKES it's ridiculous, and it's not the young ones i'm concerned with. Anyone else see an issue with 20" wide 4ptr's or spikes with thick 10" beams??? Culling these is illegal right? I'm worried that the QDM rule is allowing a generation of poor quality bloodline to evolve.



Yes, culling them is illegal. I too have the same concerns. When we advocated for the QDMA restrictions in Hancock County, we were told by the DNR biologists that the spikes and "weird racked" inferior deer would be phased out over about five or six years. We were told that the dominant bucks would keep these inferiors from breeding.
It has now been about 14 years since the QDMA rules were implemented, and we see more spikes and half-racks than we did before. This is on a total of about 1000 acres.


----------



## caldwd1

Nothing Saturday morning.  Saw 16 between Saturday evening and Sunday morning.  Had one grunting in the woods beside me Sunday morning.  Lot of does with yearlings, several young bucks, and a shooter my daughter saw.


----------



## hunt4em

We had deer all over us @ the Cadillac Ranch this past weekend,small bucks,mature does alone,and mature does with fawns.


----------



## smitty

*Hancock this week*

Finally finished up my plots , this week the rubs and scrapes showed up in full force ! The warm weather may shut down the dearly movement but with the rain and cooler temps coming next week the rut ought to be on time !!This week always is a good time to take a mature buck on the prowl , eating acorns and checking his scrape line !


----------



## champ

shotgun01, we're right there with You Buddy. Addressing the same concerns. This past weekend proved the same also. One member took one, it was a big body buck, thick horns, but just goofy looking. Brow tines almost non-existent, 2" kicker growing off the base. This makes several like this that have been taken this season in our club. We're just not shooting, seeing, or even getting pictures of the big clean 10 and 12 pointers we used to. Have they been killed and all that's left is the offspring of the wierdos???


----------



## DrWally

Lots of big ones on cams, near Baldwin line. Lots of scraping. I too think QDM is in need of revision for culling bad genetics, there is too much of that and no way to take them out. Should get at least a couple days a year for that.


----------



## hobbs27

I had one small racked nine pointer showing up last year that looked to be 5 1/2 +. I hunted him hard but never got any daytime pics of him. To me any 5 1/2 + buck is a trophy.

 I've hunted Hancock for a long time and buck size is definitely better than it used to be. Folks around me seem to be holding off the 2 1/2 year old 8's more but I'm worried more about doe #'s.

 The deer population on our property has drastically reduced since 1998.


----------



## caldwd1

Heading to the club Monday afternoon and hunting through Sunday.  Hope to have a good report and hopefully some pictures.


----------



## HM

Over the last 3 years we've made an effort to let bucks grow and it is starting to pay off. We're seeing more bucks and what's been killed have been good deer. 

I'll be heading down Sunday for 14 days!


----------



## jacuzman

Young bucks chasing does hard today, seen 7 different small racked bucks all pushing the does all over the woods. This is near White Plains..


----------



## bradlester

They are cruising for does near Powelton. Buddy and I both were blessed with decent bucks today, one came in to Tinks 69, other was cruising. Two other small bucks seen.
Hocks stained, necks just starting to swell.


----------



## deerhuntingdawg

I'll be over in Hancock when I can for the next week. The rut should be getting ready to take off!


----------



## foxdawg

*Hancock*

Was down from Thursday until Sunday, as dead as I have seen it in that area for this time of season in the last 10 years. Very few deer seen from stands or cam's. We are in the Mayfield area.


----------



## deerhuntingdawg

foxdawg said:


> Was down from Thursday until Sunday, as dead as I have seen it in that area for this time of season in the last 10 years. Very few deer seen from stands or cam's. We are in the Mayfield area.



Our club is south of Mayfield. I'll be there Wednesday morning so hopefully the cooler weather will have them frisky!


----------



## hobbs27

Hunted all day yesterday and today. Saw one two pointer ( not a spike) late this evening. Weather has been terrible, looks like Saturday will be good.


----------



## champ

My best friend knocked down a hefty buck on Friday morning at 7:00, said he came in to three briefs grunts almost immediately. Woods got quiet for the following two days after that. Maybe this weekend will be more successful with cooler temps and leaves mostly fallen to the ground.


----------



## caldwd1

Hunted hard all last week and count on one hand the number of deer seen.  Saw several button bucks, a four point, and a couple of small does.  No chasing and very little movement.  Heading back tomorrow and hope to see more activity.


----------



## champ

I'm headed out after I escape the office this afternoon. Looking to change up strategy a little bit and see if I can find some does. Forecast appears to be in our favor for dry air and cooler temps so maybe we'll fill some coolers up. 
On another note, any fellow Hancock Co. hunters with no family or big plans in store for Thanksgiving day; we'll be cooking and will have everything ready around 7:30PM. You're welcome to stop by and have a plate, meet & greet, tell some lies about the one that got away, whatever... Just be sane, sober, and friendly. 
PM me if interested. We're on the southside of Hwy 15 heading into Washington County.


----------



## hobbs27

My property is close to Lake Sinclair just below  Deveroux. We had several white oaks  dropping opening weekend of gun, but what few acorns they had are now gone. Last week seemed to be a transition period of deer coming off the acorns but not hitting the food plots hard yet.
 I have the best looking plots I've had in a long time, hope they get in them soon.


----------



## foxdawg

*Got this 8pt*

Saturday evening in Hancock, he was cruising by himself through a cut over.


----------



## smitty

Nice 8 Fox,been a slow week in my part hancock.Alot deer seen just not what I'm looking for...still have white oaks dropping and the deer are there like clockwork, seem like the rut hasn't started yet and so maybe this will be the week.


----------



## 404

foxdawg said:


> Saturday evening in Hancock, he was cruising by himself through a cut over.



Nice deer hope the cooler worked for u after the little fix


----------



## foxdawg

*Thanks*

Yep it worked great, thanks again!!


----------



## Buckshot

What part of Hancock?


----------



## foxdawg

*buckshot*

Mayfield area off fulsome creek road


----------



## brent613

Anyone out close to youngblood rd area.Down all weekend maybe saw 6 or 7 between all ofus at camp real slow since they cut half of the property.


----------



## GSD732

Anybody seen any rut activity around? I'm off of 15 close to Washington. We are wondering if we missed it or what????? Crazy weather.


----------



## champ

All of the chasing we seen was during the full moon last week of October into the first week of November. We are on the County Line Hwy 15 South. Most successful bucks were brought in the week before when the bucks were out cruising, rubbing, and making scrapes. Doe that aren't bred should come into heat in a couple more weeks, ya think?


----------



## nriner1

*Hancock Rut*

I live in Hancock close to county line off 15. Sunday morning and Monday afternoon I saw bucks hanging very close by or in the food plot feeding with a doe. They seem to be in the breeding stage. I have seen good activity Thanksgiving week the last few years.


----------



## GSD732

Headed down tomorrow any 2nd rut predictions??? Fingers crossed. They've been locked down past few weeks seems like not much movement.


----------



## kevincox

Id say still a week out for any secondary activity. Seems like the primary was a few days late this year. Course yearling could come into heat anytime between now and season end


----------



## champ

Headed down after work. How we looking in Hancock the past week or two? Happy Thanksgiving Fellas.


----------



## EightpointbuckDown

Been slow


----------



## deerhuntingdawg

This^^^


----------



## GSD732

been slow for us as well. some sign of 2nd rut starting up though. I'd say kevincox is right on on his prediction. keep us updated.


----------



## hunt4em

It's as slow as I have ever seen it here.dont get it.


----------



## champ

LOCKDOWN. Deer were moving, just not the right ones.


----------



## champ

Did manage to harvest an additional twenty pounds by eating Thanksgiving supper and leftovers for three straight days.


----------



## deerhuntingdawg

Over the weekend we saw several bucks crusing. An 8 & 9 pointer were killed. A few few other bucks were passed. I think the second rut is about to kickoff. And the weather looks great for this weekend!! I tagged out on the 9 pointer so I'm done for the year( less a few does and hogs to shoot). Good Luck to the rest of ya'll!


----------



## champ

I'm with Ya on Rut#2. New rub-lines showing up and scrapes active again.


----------



## jtomczak

Got pics of the bucks? Love to see em!


----------



## deerhuntingdawg

He was a young deer( 3 1/2).  Happens when you make a quick desicion. But he did have a pretty rack. Not NEAR as big a my first buck...
Now I'm hog and doe hunting!


----------



## deerhuntingdawg

First buck from Warren next door...


----------



## deerhuntingdawg

Front view...


----------



## kevincox

deerhuntingdawg said:


> Over the weekend we saw several bucks crusing. An 8 & 9 pointer were killed. A few few other bucks were passed. I think the second rut is about to kickoff. And the weather looks great for this weekend!! I tagged out on the 9 pointer so I'm done for the year( less a few does and hogs to shoot). Good Luck to the rest of ya'll!



I had some good buck movement on cam on Dec 1st. Unfortunately i was at at work


----------



## jtomczak

Nice bucks!


----------



## deerhuntingdawg

Thanks^^


----------



## champ

Buddy had 200 pics on trail cam since thanksgiving. Only one of them was taken in the daylight.


----------



## champ

Throwing the hail mary this weekend! Rachel and I are going to try some crazy tactics to fill a couple more tags. Anybody else going?


----------



## deerhuntingdawg

I killed another Doe Saturday afternoon and decided to call it a season. Gun is cleaned and put up. Good luck Champ!!


----------

