# Late season Chestatee



## splatek (Nov 30, 2019)

1) worth it?
2) tips?
i think there are tell more hunts and I’d like to fill a bear tag. early season didn’t work out. I’m still using a bow, but would be happy to pull out granddaddy’s Marlin 30-30


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## tree cutter 08 (Nov 30, 2019)

Don't want to discourage you but it's not going to be easy. It can be done though. I found as much bear sign in the last few days as I've seen all season. They were feeding on mt oaks and grass patches. Just get out and look. Anytime you can get in the woods and learn new places you will have more knowledge for the future.


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## tree cutter 08 (Nov 30, 2019)

And I'd leave the bow at home on this one.


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## GAbullHunter (Nov 30, 2019)

Tree cutter, I'm gonna have to track you one day an get the ones you leave behind


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## Joe Brandon (Nov 30, 2019)

GAbullHunter said:


> Tree cutter, I'm gonna have to track you one day an get the ones you leave behind


Yes find the truck and let's put a tracker on it haha! Hes darn good.


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## Christian hughey (Dec 2, 2019)

Joe Brandon said:


> Yes find the truck and let's put a tracker on it haha! Hes darn good.


Boy does his homework. Probably spent many years wondering them hills.


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## mallardsx2 (Dec 3, 2019)

I wont be going back to a mis-managed WMA like that ever again so let me extend you an olive branch....

Hunt between Ground Squirrel Gap and Cedar Mountain on the thick side hill. I may or may not have seen fresh bear poo there.


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## tree cutter 08 (Dec 3, 2019)

mallardsx2 said:


> I wont be going back to a mis-managed WMA like that ever again so let me extend you an olive branch....
> 
> Hunt between Ground Squirrel Gap and Cedar Mountain on the thick side hill. I may or may not have seen fresh bear poo there.


Just curious, what's different here than any other mountain wma?


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## Buckman18 (Dec 3, 2019)

mallardsx2 said:


> I wont be going back to a mis-managed WMA like that ever again



I wish you'd reconsider. Treecutter and I are going to need some help dragging, skinning, and packing over the next few weeks.


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## GAbullHunter (Dec 3, 2019)

Buckman18 said:


> I wish you'd reconsider. Treecutter and I are going to need some help dragging, skinning, and packing over the next few weeks.


Lead me, I'll help!!  hahah


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## chrislibby88 (Dec 9, 2019)

Last year I didn’t see any bear sign in December, there weren’t really any acorns though. The year before there was decently fresh sign, but not much and I bumped into another hunter that saw a bear busting off a ridgeline.   I don’t think Chestatee is really known for bears like some of the other WMAs, but you never know what may happen.


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## chrislibby88 (Dec 12, 2019)

Seeing does, and fresh buck sign on Chestatee. No bucks or bears. Stepped over a few piles of bear poop today, none super fresh though, I’m no bear expert, but it all seemed to be at least a few days old.  Plenty of chestnut oaks left between 2000 and 2500, so they should be feeding somewhere.


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## Professor (Dec 12, 2019)

chrislibby88 said:


> Seeing does, and fresh buck sign on Chestatee. No bucks or bears. Stepped over a few piles of bear poop today, none super fresh though, I’m no bear expert, but it all seemed to be at least a few days old.  Plenty of chestnut oaks left between 2000 and 2500, so they should be feeding somewhere.



Chris, see if you can find any of this stuff on the ground around openings or along old logging roads. This is the stuff that Killer Kyle identified as winter grape and they are just finishing it off in some other areas.


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## chrislibby88 (Dec 13, 2019)

Professor said:


> Chris, see if you can find any of this stuff on the ground around openings or along old logging roads. This is the stuff that Killer Kyle identified as winter grape and they are just finishing it off in some other areas. View attachment 994988


I saw that thread. I’m keeping an eye out. None of the scat I saw in my area had any of those seeds in it. I’m gonna check some new ridges after the morning sit and see what I find.


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## chrislibby88 (Dec 13, 2019)

Found him. Now I’m off to find some bear.


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## Thunder Head (Dec 13, 2019)

Congrats chris!


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## splatek (Dec 13, 2019)

Nice work!


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## Joe Brandon (Dec 13, 2019)

Man congrats! There have been a lot of great mountain bucks dropping this year!


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## livinoutdoors (Dec 13, 2019)

Nice one chris!


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## chrislibby88 (Dec 13, 2019)

Thunder Head said:


> Congrats chris!


Thanks everyone! I’ve been seeing some monsters on the forums. I will take a mountain 6 over a flatland 12 any day. Hopefully my brother can get on one before this hunt runs out. It would be epic if we both carried one off a mountain.


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## Thunder Head (Dec 13, 2019)

Hey Chris,

Tell us about your rifle.


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## Joe Brandon (Dec 13, 2019)

Hey this has been the year of the bear for the hounds man and the year of the buck for the solo man! Id say this has been a pretty cool and unique year. I can only hope that next year those of us that were blessed with mountain harvests will reap the same reward.


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## chrislibby88 (Dec 13, 2019)

Thunder Head said:


> Hey Chris,
> 
> Tell us about your rifle.


Remington .308 model 7 compact threaded. 16.5 inch barrel, silencerco Omega 30, and Trijicon accupoint 1-4 scope. Shooting Federal Sierra Game king 165 gr. The gun is a beast. I think it weights 7 or 8 lbs loaded with the can on the end. The base model with no optic is around 6 lbs I think. It’s an excellent mountain gun. Got it last year. This is actually my first deer with the rifle. I hunt back home with my 9 lbs Tikka.


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## chrislibby88 (Dec 13, 2019)

Joe Brandon said:


> Hey this has been the year of the bear for the hounds man and the year of the buck for the solo man! Id say this has been a pretty cool and unique year. I can only hope that next year those of us that were blessed with mountain harvests will reap the same reward.


I’m glad for it. I’ve been getting my butt kicked back home in middle GA. Now I just need to get my first bear, I would settle for another mountain buck though.


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## Professor (Dec 13, 2019)

Well done, now go get the bear,


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## Professor (Dec 13, 2019)

chrislibby88 said:


> I’m glad for it. I’ve been getting my butt kicked back home in middle GA. Now I just need to get my first bear, I would settle for another mountain buck though.


Im with you on that. I got bucks all over the place in West Georgia but these shifting winds are killing me. I wish I were back up in the mountains where I can move on to the next ridge. Here I am confined and when my cover is blown it seems every deer in the woods knows it.


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## Professor (Dec 13, 2019)

chrislibby88 said:


> Found him. Now I’m off to find some bear.


Chris, was he chasing a doe?


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## chrislibby88 (Dec 14, 2019)

Professor said:


> Chris, was he chasing a doe?


Nope. Cruising a trail through an area I’ve seen does in since I got here though. Hocks were black, lots of very fresh rubs in the area. His gut was full of chestnut oaks.


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## chrislibby88 (Dec 14, 2019)

Professor said:


> Chris, see if you can find any of this stuff on the ground around openings or along old logging roads. This is the stuff that Killer Kyle identified as winter grape and they are just finishing it off in some other areas.


Found some on southeast side of a peak. No feed sign or scat around though. I tried the dried ones and a very fleshy one that wasn’t dried up all the way. Tastes pretty good. Seeds aren’t as big as I expected though. @Killer Kyle educate me.


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## Professor (Dec 15, 2019)

One More Day.


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## Dan DeBord (Dec 15, 2019)

chrislibby88 said:


> Remington .308 model 7 compact threaded. 16.5 inch barrel, silencerco Omega 30, and Trijicon accupoint 1-4 scope. Shooting Federal Sierra Game king 165 gr. The gun is a beast. I think it weights 7 or 8 lbs loaded with the can on the end. The base model with no optic is around 6 lbs I think. It’s an excellent mountain gun. Got it last year. This is actually my first deer with the rifle. I hunt back home with my 9 lbs Tikka.


I got a Tikka t3x with 4.5 x14 x40 Leupold that weighs exactly 7 lbs.


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## Professor (Dec 15, 2019)

Dan DeBord said:


> I got a Tikka t3x with 4.5 x14 x40 Leupold that weighs exactly 7 lbs.


My Tikka t3x 270 win has a Leupold 4-12x40 on it and it weighs 7 lbs 2 ounces loaded and with the sling. I love the rifle but hate the plastic. I need to upgrade to metal lower, magazine, bolt stop, and bolt shroud.


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## chrislibby88 (Dec 15, 2019)

Dan DeBord said:


> I got a Tikka t3x with 4.5 x14 x40 Leupold that weighs exactly 7 lbs.


Mines the T3x tactical, 10 rd mag fed, and heavy profile 20in barrel.  The rail and scope rings add some weight too. And the can on the end of a 20 inch barrel is a lot more cumbersome than on the end of a 16.5 barrel.


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## chrislibby88 (Dec 15, 2019)

Man y’all won’t believe it but I got another buck this morning and he’s a mountain monster.  Post going up soon in the deer forum.


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## Killer Kyle (Dec 15, 2019)

chrislibby88 said:


> Found some on southeast side of a peak. No feed sign or scat around though. I tried the dried ones and a very fleshy one that wasn’t dried up all the way. Tastes pretty good. Seeds aren’t as big as I expected though. @Killer Kyle educate me.


No education needed man. Thats the frost grapes! I did think of something a couple days ago...I said they were not palatable to humans. I ate some several years ago earlier on in the season. Their color looked good, but it was significantly earlier in the fall. I'll bet they simply weren't ripe. I wonder how a bunch of perfectly ripe ones would taste if you could get ahold of some?!


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## Professor (Dec 15, 2019)

chrislibby88 said:


> Man y’all won’t believe it but I got another buck this morning and he’s a mountain monster.  Post going up soon in the deer forum.


I hope it is. You wouldn't tease us with a button head would you?


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## chrislibby88 (Dec 15, 2019)

Professor said:


> I hope it is. You wouldn't tease us with a button head would you?


Haha buttons aren’t legal on buck only. I’m not above shooting one though!


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## Professor (Dec 15, 2019)

chrislibby88 said:


> Haha buttons aren’t legal on buck only. I’m not above shooting one though!


you were not teasing


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