# Cedar Creek Dove report -D-



## Meat Hunter (Sep 2, 2012)

I took my kids and kin to the annual Cedar creek WMA dove hunt. This year was met with the usual mile long walk to field.  This was due to the DNR once again not opening the gate that leads down the long graveled road to the actual upper dove field. When I got upon the field there were some hundred or so hunters, kids and folks posted about all with smiling faces and cordial greetings. The field perimeter was plowed with a fire brake, the field recently cut but not burned? The doves were sporadic slow from noon on until a thunder storm with heavy rain descended upon us. We had to leave the field due to the rain and lightning, again the mile long walk back to the truck. My 71 year old Dad remarked to me how appreciative he was that the DNR refused to unlock the gate, I mean lets not make hunting easy for anyone.  God forbid someone got struck by  lightning or had a medical issue (rattle snake) and needed to leave the area. Cell phone coverage is non existent down there. No ranger was to be found all day long if you did have a problem. I guess they were at all of the other managed quota hunts they had? I spoke to another hunter who was there with his two brothers, he remarked that he used to go to Oconee WMA for years until they turned it into a quota hunt for 60. I told him we too used to go to Oconee WMA as they had two great fields there one on the main road by the check station and one big field in the back.  We had been out here for years back when Ranger Mallory was there. We made every dove hunt out there for years, hunted rabbits, turkey and deer, my kids grew up on that WMA. Before the quota hunts we used to have at least a hundred people on each field, no one ever had a problem or got hurt. Mallory tended those fields excellently and again there was nothing but good neighborly interactions young and old even with the amount of people. Too bad they turned it into a quota deal. Getting back to Cedar creek we went back to the truck, and decided to ride across the street to the other field. We were all wet and soggy from the rain. We walked down to the other field and found a spot. Again another group of at least a hundred hunters, again a cut unburned field, and a fire brake perimeter. We had some shots from that point on, I think between the 8 of us we shot 4 doves and missed a bunch more. This all happened from about 4 to 7pm, at which point it slowed down a bunch and we called it a day. All in all the consensus from my clan of 8 was that it was a D for the hunt. (from a scale of A-to-F.)  It was an A for a good family day, I guess that's all that mattered.


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## WOODSWIZE (Sep 3, 2012)

State buget cuts hurt -what if the field was not even planted? My 78 year old paw in law enjoyed the walk. Not many shots,but could you beat the price? I talked to those who paid $150 -and never pulled the trigger!


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## Meat Hunter (Sep 4, 2012)

*Really?*

The DNR are our employees, we pay their salaries and its the apathy of the hunters in this state that gets this type of performance and service we receive. They have restrooms at Roberts bike park inside of Redlands WMA, they have a several million dollar conference center at Charlie Elliot WMA, they have marked trails and horse stalls in many of the WMAs in this state. Do you know why?, those people are more vocal about what direction they want their funds directed. We hunters for some reason keep quiet and let money be taken in the form of taxes for all hunting products and license/registration fees and all we can say is can you beat the price? Really? I remember a more responsive DNR and state wildlife program. Anyone out there ever hunt Oconee years ago knows exactly what i'm talking about. The hunters in this state need to be more vocal and organized and not afraid to speak the truth. Wheres the customer service? They complain the hunter's numbers are going down? I wonder why? to see a bunch of old timers trying to get off a field during a thunder storm and have to walk down a mile road past a locked gate and no DNR ranger to be found is just poor performance...period!


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## WOODSWIZE (Sep 4, 2012)

To some, I am one of those old timers too. Yes, I have hunted Oconee, Redlands before it was Redlands, Allatoona, Oaky Woods, Cedar Creek, Dawson Forest, Central Georgia Branch Station, (where nearby, my dad killed his first buck in 1962 and I have on display) -all these were "good ole days" for sure on these "Refuges". I have a shoe box full of black & white pics of nice bucks from all. 
Killed my first tom turkey off Oconee in 1985. Great memories for sure.


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## monticellorob (Sep 9, 2012)

I hunted this field on the afternoon of the 8th. Wish I had some help. I was the only one there.  There were  plenty of birds after the rain.  A huge flock came in from the north at 6:15 and landed right in the middle of the field (120 yds. east of the old red cattle chute).

Had there been some more hunters that afternoon, we all could have done pretty well I think.  I do wish I had more out there to help "herd" some birds my way.


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