# Which WMA?



## CowetaLonghorn (Sep 25, 2017)

Hope everyone is well. I am planning a few short days camping up in Vogel State Park from Oct 9-14 and plan on hunting every day on one of the WMAs between Coopers, Chestatee, or Blue Ridge. Was interested to hear from you all which seems to have the best bear or deer population. Or if they're all about the same. I'd like to take either a bear or deer. I'll be hiking as many miles as it takes and will prob bring my climber along with me in case I find a good spot to set up. I am familiar with the area and have done a lot of hiking up there but have never been on the wmas or bear hunted at all. I would assume would need to get up high and find the acorns on the ground. Would think they would mostly be on the ground by then. Not looking for specifics but was wondering how crowded each would be during the week and the game population of each. Thanks for any info you guys could provide.


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Sep 25, 2017)

They shouldn't be crowded at all.  You'll be just a short drive from either Coopers or Chestatee.


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## Gerrik (Sep 25, 2017)

I've seen more bear sign on Chestatee, than coopers. But, I've SEEN more bears on Blue Ridge. And more deer.


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## CowetaLonghorn (Sep 25, 2017)

Thanks a lot guys really appreciate it.


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## HunterJoe24 (Sep 25, 2017)

You can hunt in the National Forest around vogel. They have some good bears there too. Just ask hikers where they are seeing bears( here's a tip: don't let them know you are hunting and they'll be more likely to tell you)


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## CowetaLonghorn (Sep 25, 2017)

This actually crossed my mind. I've hiked a lot in Vogel so I'm familiar with the trails in it. I know it backs up to CNF and I've seen the signs. Am I allowed to access the NF through the park? Not sure how that works if I'm carrying my bow through the park. I've had a lot of encounters with bears in the park.


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## HunterJoe24 (Sep 25, 2017)

CowetaLonghorn said:


> This actually crossed my mind. I've hiked a lot in Vogel so I'm familiar with the trails in it. I know it backs up to CNF and I've seen the signs. Am I allowed to access the NF through the park? Not sure how that works if I'm carrying my bow through the park. I've had a lot of encounters with bears in the park.



Yeah you can access the NF through the park. Just make sure to make it look like you aren't hunting in the park at all.


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## Killer Kyle (Sep 25, 2017)

I am not familiar with Cooper's Creek or Chestatee, but I can say hands down that I see far more deer on Blue Ridge than I see on Chattahoochee and Swallow Creek, ad well as most of the places I hunt in Towns and Rabun Counties. Lots of places on blue ridge just look different. The woods look different. Maybe more young. If hunting around Vogel, I'd try to locate some big leads heading down towards the park.  Vogel has long had an issue with problem bears that come in to attempt to take food and trash. If you hit some of those leads coming down, I'll bet you'll find some trails. White oaks will probably be the game still since they'll mostly still be good at that time. If you don't already know, make sure you can differentiate between white oaks and chestnut oaks. Chestnut oaks are big and look tempting to hunt, but they are favored least by the animals. The only real times animals will feed on them even remotely are in the dead of winter during a lean mast year. Usually red oaks are the game at that time.


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## CowetaLonghorn (Sep 25, 2017)

Killer Kyle said:


> I am not familiar with Cooper's Creek or Chestatee, but I can say hands down that I see far more deer on Blue Ridge than I see on Chattahoochee and Swallow Creek, ad well as most of the places I hunt in Towns and Rabun Counties. Lots of places on blue ridge just look different. The woods look different. Maybe more young. If hunting around Vogel, I'd try to locate some big leads heading down towards the park.  Vogel has long had an issue with problem bears that come in to attempt to take food and trash. If you hit some of those leads coming down, I'll bet you'll find some trails. White oaks will probably be the game still since they'll mostly still be good at that time. If you don't already know, make sure you can differentiate between white oaks and chestnut oaks. Chestnut oaks are big and look tempting to hunt, but they are favored least by the animals. The only real times animals will feed on them even remotely are in the dead of winter during a lean mast year. Usually red oaks are the game at that time.



Wow Kyle thanks a lot. Great advice. I can differentiate between the oaks and can identify some bear sign just from hiking up around Vogel for the last 30 years but as I mentioned before never hunted a bear. I am a big deer hunter and know there are a lot of similarities. I guess the plan will be to get up as high as I can behind the park and traverse ridges looking for heavy leads and follow those looking for acorns and trails.


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## ddd-shooter (Sep 25, 2017)

If I were hunting above Vogel, I might drive up 180 towards wolf pen gap. About a mile or so past the park, there's a nice little old road in the bend of a hard switchback curve. Much better than trying to go through a park and you should still be able to walk above the area. If I'm not mistaken, you cannot hunt a state park, and using it to access an area is a major gray area I'd avoid.


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## CowetaLonghorn (Sep 25, 2017)

ddd-shooter said:


> If I were hunting above Vogel, I might drive up 180 towards wolf pen gap. About a mile or so past the park, there's a nice little old road in the bend of a hard switchback curve. Much better than trying to go through a park and you should still be able to walk above the area. If I'm not mistaken, you cannot hunt a state park, and using it to access an area is a major gray area I'd avoid.



Right. Certainly can't hunt the state park there. Good point and I will def check it out up 180 thanks a lot for the pointers. I think I know where you are speaking of also.


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## ddd-shooter (Oct 2, 2017)

Actually saw a bear just above the park on 180 yesterday evening. About 100 lbs. 
Get up here and kill one. Lol


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