# 2020-2021 Catoosa-Walker-Dade



## ChattBuck (Oct 12, 2020)

Son scored his first ever deer yesterday in Catoosa.  Does were doing their typical thing and hitting a plot 30 minutes before dark and he connected. 

Dedicating this one to our buddy jinx0760 who has been very active on this forum and this yearly thread for years.  He's had some health issues and not sure he'll get to hunt this year.  This one is for you hoss.


----------



## NGa.MtnHunter (Oct 12, 2020)

Congratulations on his first !!!


----------



## ChattBuck (Oct 19, 2020)

Anyone with any luck?  They were moving Saturday morning in Catoosa.  Saw 7 does and had a 4 pt at 10 yards for a bit.


----------



## tjgregory (Oct 20, 2020)

I hunted the family farm in Walker on the modern firearms opener and saw two spikes at 8:45AM and a coyote shortly after.  The coyote did not offer me a shot.  Everybody hunting saw deer and one hunter killed a five point shortly after daylight.  I heard six shots total while in the stand.  I will give the woods a break this weekend since it is going to be warm, and I will be ready to go again with the return of cold overnight temps.


----------



## ChattBuck (Oct 21, 2020)

tjgregory said:


> I hunted the family farm in Walker on the modern firearms opener and saw two spikes at 8:45AM and a coyote shortly after.  The coyote did not offer me a shot.  Everybody hunting saw deer and one hunter killed a five point shortly after daylight.  I heard six shots total while in the stand.  I will give the woods a break this weekend since it is going to be warm, and I will be ready to go again with the return of cold overnight temps.



I'm not excited about the heat this weekend either.  Lots of folks I've talked to are seeing deer but no one is seeing the big boys yet.  A decent 8 was killed off Cherokee valley road in Catoosa yesterday.  Buddy posted it on facebook


----------



## Bushhog Bob (Oct 21, 2020)

congratulations on his first deer.  More kids need to be hunting and fishing.  I saw one doe Saturday morning.


----------



## ChattBuck (Oct 26, 2020)

Anyone seeing early rut activity? Always have felt last week Nov and first week Dec are peak for us.  But I’ve had two young bucks pushing does around in my food plot last week.  Buddy saw this old man in a field middle of the day yesterday (oct 25th) nose down zig zagging a field.  Maybe they are kicking off a bit earlier this year.  With the weather coming in Thursday/Fri this week, should be a great weekend to be in the stand.


----------



## ChattBuck (Oct 26, 2020)

Two good Catoosa bucks killed by buddies the third week of October.


----------



## tjgregory (Oct 27, 2020)

The approaching full moon might have  them stirred up a little bit. I have seen a few flurries of rutting activity in late October over the years and the moon might make things interesting this weekend along with the forecasted cold front.  I like the last two weeks of November for the real deal.  What county did that picture of the 10/25 giant come from?


----------



## ChattBuck (Oct 28, 2020)

tjgregory said:


> The approaching full moon might have  them stirred up a little bit. I have seen a few flurries of rutting activity in late October over the years and the moon might make things interesting this weekend along with the forecasted cold front.  I like the last two weeks of November for the real deal.  What county did that picture of the 10/25 giant come from?



Catoosa as well.


----------



## tjgregory (Nov 1, 2020)

I hunted this weekend and saw more action than on opening day.  Deer movement was decent mornings and midday.  I saw a spike and young six point and the six was trying to push a large doe with no success.  I saw four lone does, a group of four does, and a pair of button bucks.

The trail cameras captured the first pictures of large bucks for the season, all at night.  I also found the first scrape of the season while doing some light scouting.  Maybe I will catch a big one cruising next Saturday morning.


----------



## ChattBuck (Nov 2, 2020)

I made a major mistake this weekend.  One I'm not proud of.  

Friday evening saw plenty of movement.  Earlier than usual I suspect due to drop in temps.  

Had a buck come into my food plot chasing a doe about 15 minutes before shooting light was gone.  I got him in the scope and clicked off the safety.  Saw it was a small six I'd seen before and knew it wasn't a shooter.  So I put the gun down and watched him push a doe all over the field acting a fool.  

After about 5 minutes I decided to practice holding the crosshairs on the shoulder and gently squeezing trigger.  

BOOM!!!

Gun went off scaring me terribly.  I had neglected to put the safety back on several minutes earlier.  Left me badly shaken up.  Fortunately the shot was true and he dropped in his tracks.  

Hopefully everyone can learn from my mistake.  Check, check, and recheck the safety.  
Little guy was rutted up. He stunk, hocks were dark, and he was ready to go.


----------



## Bushhog Bob (Nov 2, 2020)

Thanks for the reminder.   Hope you score on a real nice one next


----------



## BuckNasty83 (Nov 2, 2020)

They were moving good here in SW Catoosa this morning. Usually start seeing buck activity pick up about this time of year on my property.  Had 2 bucks together so we're not quite there yet. Had a decent buck (rack wise) in my scope that I thought was a target buck,  but his body looked like a 3 year old so I passed.  Kind of wishing I would have taken him now though ?


----------



## ChattBuck (Nov 2, 2020)

BuckNasty83 said:


> They were moving good here in SW Catoosa this morning. Usually start seeing buck activity pick up about this time of year on my property.  Had 2 bucks together so we're not quite there yet. Had a decent buck (rack wise) in my scope that I thought was a target buck,  but his body looked like a 3 year old so I passed.  Kind of wishing I would have taken him now though ?



Wanted to hunt this morning before work due to the cold but my wife wasn't too keen on taking the kids to school on her day off.  

I hunted both mornings this weekend and didn't see a thing.  Full moon usually hurts the AM hunts.


----------



## BuckNasty83 (Nov 8, 2020)

About hit a buck today in Catoosa that was chasing a doe.


----------



## ChattBuck (Nov 9, 2020)

Saw several non hunters post pics of nice bucks out in the open mid day at the battlefield this weekend.  I'd say it's kicking off a bit earlier than usual.


----------



## BuckNasty83 (Nov 9, 2020)

This is about avg. timing for me.  Usually start seeing bucks moving good around last week of October then dies back down 3rd week in November.  Crazy how much variance within a couple miles


----------



## ChattBuck (Nov 9, 2020)

BuckNasty83 said:


> This is about avg. timing for me.  Usually start seeing bucks moving good around last week of October then dies back down 3rd week in November.  Crazy how much variance within a couple miles



I've always seen way more 3rd week Nov to 1st week of Dec.  Two biggest bucks I've ever killed were both after hot does on Dec 3rd two different years.


----------



## tjgregory (Nov 9, 2020)

I hunted this past Saturday morning and saw five deer, all antlerless.  It was strange being dressed in turkey-weight camo and uninsulated boots while getting buzzed by mosquitoes in a November deer stand, and keeping an eye out for snakes once I climbed down.  We need to get deep into November and get some frosty mornings to make it happen.  I like the ten-day stretch from 11/19 to 11/28 to see a big rutting buck.  Give me some frost on the pumpkin during Thanksgiving week and I will put one on the ground.

The scrape that I found last weekend had been reworked and enlarged Saturday and there are also three new scrapes, all freshly worked and some had droppings in them.  I have trail cameras watching two of them right now.  I will pull the cards after my hunt this Saturday and see what all is moving around.


----------



## AJLBucks (Nov 10, 2020)

I hunt Walker, close to Catoosa line off 151. Still seeing groups of does and young bucks together. Big one’s hiding out still. But plenty of sign popping up. Found some new rubs on 4” trees while walking to and from stand and doing some bush hogging. I haven’t been looking for scrapes, hunted this farm my entire life so I pretty much know where the does hang out and that is where I’ll be for the next month. Killed a good 8 on opening day of bow season. Norm mounted him already


----------



## tjgregory (Nov 10, 2020)

That is a fine, fine Walker County buck and a spectacular bow kill.  I like the dark rack.


----------



## AJLBucks (Nov 10, 2020)

Thanks, I killed him with my crossbow.  Not my biggest buck, but my first archery deer. Just my second year hunting archery, passed does a small 7 several times last year. He had lost his velvet just about a week before. The antlers were still blood stained. He had rubbed some of it off and riding in my truck wore some off too. 





tjgregory said:


> That is a fine, fine Walker County buck and a spectacular bow kill.  I like the dark rack.


----------



## RossVegas (Nov 12, 2020)

I'm hunting a piece of property in Walker county this year.  Usually hunt on Thursday, but had to work today.  Hunted Tuesday, but didn't see anything.  Last Thursday, i saw 5 does, but no bucks.  I have seen a few small bucks in the battlefield, even saw a nice 8 a couple weeks ago (daylight)


----------



## gnumadic (Nov 13, 2020)

Walker County, Flintstone/High Point Area. I first picked up camera footage of bucks pushing does on 10/31. Young bucks. All the mature ones are only out at night. Couple days ago saw a doe walk by and estrus bleat. Today a 2.5 y/o 4 pt was pushing a doe (maybe the same one) by my stand.

I've got meat in the freezer from bow season so I'm holding out for big buck. But I'm also taking my oldest boy out in the morning, so maybe that 4 pt will be his first kill if he shows up again.


----------



## tjgregory (Nov 16, 2020)

I sat in the tree from daylight until 11:00AM Saturday morning and saw eight, two with antlers and six without.  Both bucks were young and I didn’t care to shoot a doe from my good buck stand because I am conserving live bait until I get a chance at a good buck.  Maybe that will happen Thanksgiving week, when I will hunt many consecutive days rain or shine.

The trail camera pictures from what were fresh scrapes turned out to be a little disappointing.  Mostly young bucks with single pictures of two big 7 pointers, both at night.  The scrapes are no longer active.  Makes me think that the bucks were too far ahead of the game or that the peak was early, quick, and during the week.  I get in this frame of mind at this point every fall and start doubting the season, but I just keep hunting and then I usually see the biggest buck of the year sometime Thanksgiving week and he is often following a doe or cruising around with his neck stretched out.


----------



## Otisman (Nov 17, 2020)

Finally got some time to hunt this morning. Saw 3 buck before 730, each one alone with nose to the ground and on the move. First two were younger deer, third was a decent 10pt. Took him home with me. Walker co. One processor I use was full, not taking deer. Next one told me I got lucky because they are only taking 10 and I was number 7. Must be lots of people hunting. Never encountered this before.


----------



## tjgregory (Nov 23, 2020)

11/19: hunted from daylight until 11:00 and saw six antlerless deer between 8:20 and 8:40.  I filled my hands with my rifle in anticipation of a following buck, but he didn’t show.  Three separate deer ran off in the dark on the walk to my stand.

11/22: hunted from daylight until 11:00 and saw a doe and two fawns being chased by two spikes.  The spikes gave up the chase and started fighting.  This all occurred in the eight o’clock hour.  At 10:13, I heard a buck grunt three times to the north of my stand.

11/23: hunted from daylight until 11:30 in an absolutely frigid north wind and saw two antlerless deer feeding on acorns a hundred yards away through the timber at 11:05.  One scrape still being worked and it is the first one started this season.  The others are covered with leaves.

I will be back out there Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  Looks like my quality Walls rain suit might see some action.  The farm is as dry as a bean and needs some rain to hopefully resuscitate the annual winter plots that have been slow to start.


----------



## tjgregory (Nov 26, 2020)

A young buck with a broken antler chased a doe passed my stand this morning fifteen minutes after daylight.  Five minutes later, a nice eight point came through on the trail of that doe.  Did not see another hair until 10:25, when a large doe crossed about a hundred yards to the west of me.  Hoped that she might have been towing a buck, but he didn’t show.  I got out of the tree at 11:15 and headed to the family meal.


----------



## tjgregory (Nov 28, 2020)

I hunted from daylight until 11:30 on 11/27.  A large buck cruised through the timber at first light at a distance of around a hundred yards.  When I first spotted him, he was halfway through the only clearing on his route and I could not get the crosshairs on the right spot before he exited the clearing.  A goat-sized spike eased through at 8:45 and bedded down for half an hour before resuming his travel.  At 9:48, I watched three antlerless deer feed around the same area that the big buck passed through earlier in the morning.  At 10:02, another large buck chased two does out from my stand and I would have ground checked him, if he had stopped.  At 10:50, I watched a unidentifiable deer milling around to the north of me.

I hunted from daylight until 11:45 today and did not see a single deer hair until 10:30, when a spike chased a doe and fawn around and began mounting the doe.  He ran the fawn off by chasing and snapping at it, then returned his attention to the doe.  I was going to shoot this spike, but he was close to the property line and I didn’t want to shoot and have him run across the line and die on the neighbor’s property.  Around 11:00, I saw a large bodied deer cruising through the timber at well over one hundred yards.  I was ready to climb down at 11:45, when I caught movement and looked to see a big deer moving steadily my way through the brush.  It turned out to be a large fork horn and I chose to shoot.  I had to call five processors before I found one that could take my deer.

The deer are rutting on my place and my knife is freshly re-sharpened.  I will be back after them tomorrow and again on one of the cold front days this coming week.  I am now hunting one for the wall.


----------



## BuckNasty83 (Nov 28, 2020)

I MISSED a 10 point yesterday that was locked down with a doe.... ? They was bedded down 30 yards from where I climbed up my tree and completely ignored me as I did so. Lots of chasing today as well,  just no shooters.


----------



## ChattBuck (Dec 1, 2020)

Haven't done much hunting as got a bad case of Covid.  Pneumonia the whole 9 yards.  Thought it might get me for a bit, narrowly avoided hospitalization after a trip to the ER via ambulance. 

Managed to hunt from the front porch Sunday morning and had two small bucks chase does through my front yard (it's two acres surrounded by woods).

This morning went and sat in a box stand for an hour before my first day back at work in two weeks and had 4 different bucks come through a food plot for a bite to eat.  One decent 8 that I hope my son can harvest and a six, a 3pt with whole left side broke off, and a spike. 

Was nice to see that many bucks.  Just needed THE MAN to show up but he didn't.


----------



## tjgregory (Dec 3, 2020)

11/29: I almost bagged a giant with my F-150 on the way to the woods, looked like a 4.5 plus year old 8 point and paid my truck no attention after forcing me to a complete stop.  This was near Villanow and I got a good look at him in the high beams as he loped across the highway in the predawn.  I hunted my south wind stand from daylight until 11:05 and did not see anything, but I found a piece of treasure when I climbed down in the form of a five point shed that the squirrels and mice had not gotten all of.  This was a nice prize to take home on the first hunt of the season with zero deer sightings.

A guy hunting with me saw a small buck feeding in a clover plot in the 8:00 hour.

12/2: Back to my north wind stand on one of the coldest days that I have ever hunted.  I saw a small buck slipping around shortly after 8:00 and no deer after this.  I shot at a coyote just before 10:00 am watched him streak away in a blur after jumping at the shot.  Climbed down at 11:00 and looked for any sign of a hit, and found one drop of blood the size of a pencil eraser.  I followed the tracks left when he dug out on his sprint and found nothing else.  He was broadside and quartering slightly toward me when I squeezed and he turned directly toward me just before the trigger broke.  I believe that the bullet grazed his shoulder or hind leg.  I saw a group of eight does of all sizes on my walk out of the woods.

I am switching to afternoon hunting until Christmas Eve, when I will resume mornings and try to catch the second rut.  I have seen just four instances of it since 2003, all between 12/23 and 12/26, and 2016 was the last time that I saw any second rut activity.  Until then, I will hunt afternoon food plots and try for a doe or two.


----------



## tjgregory (Dec 5, 2020)

I climbed into a stand overlooking a food plot at 3:20 this afternoon and killed a large doe at 4:00.  She came out into a clover plot with two others and all three put on their feed bags.  I had to watch them for a while in order to get a nice, clean shot.  My 180 grain .30 caliber bullet passed through her boiler room broadside at 85 yards.  She ran a little ways and I do not know how.  She was fat and healthy, and looked like she had been eating good.


----------



## mformica (Dec 8, 2020)

tjgregory said:


> 11/29: I almost bagged a giant with my F-150 on the way to the woods, looked like a 4.5 plus year old 8 point and paid my truck no attention after forcing me to a complete stop.  This was near Villanow and I got a good look at him in the high beams as he loped across the highway in the predawn.  I hunted my south wind stand from daylight until 11:05 and did not see anything, but I found a piece of treasure when I climbed down in the form of a five point shed that the squirrels and mice had not gotten all of.  This was a nice prize to take home on the first hunt of the season with zero deer sightings.
> View attachment 1053434
> A guy hunting with me saw a small buck feeding in a clover plot in the 8:00 hour.
> 
> ...



Nice.  Was this on private property or in the national forest?

I've had a large buck 8 or 9 pointer coming show up on video coming through the front of our property near LaFayette twice now, but unfortunately both times have been in the middle of the night.


----------



## tjgregory (Dec 8, 2020)

mformica said:


> Nice.  Was this on private property or in the national forest?
> 
> I've had a large buck 8 or 9 pointer coming show up on video coming through the front of our property near LaFayette twice now, but unfortunately both times have been in the middle of the night.



The big eight crossed the highway on private land.


----------



## RustyJeep (Dec 10, 2020)

Got this one Tuesday morning Dec 8.  It was chasing a doe with 3 other mature bucks.  South Walker County.


----------



## tjgregory (Dec 10, 2020)

RustyJeep said:


> Got this one Tuesday morning Dec 3.  It was chasing a doe with 3 other mature bucks.  South Walker County.



Congratulations!  That is a dandy buck.


----------



## Bushhog Bob (Dec 10, 2020)

That is one fine Buck.   That would be a beautiful mount


----------



## 520ranger (Dec 11, 2020)

Outstanding deer. They are starting to get crank up in Dade county. Congratulations


----------



## RustyJeep (Dec 30, 2020)

Found this yesterday 10 feet in front of my stand.  Going to hunt this evening as mornings have been slow.


----------



## 520ranger (Jan 7, 2021)

Got a north west Georgia deer this evening. His girlfriend got him in trouble. A good mountain deer for dade county.


----------

