# Blackbeard Island Info



## MOON DAWG (Oct 27, 2004)

I'm looking for info on Blackbeard Island.  Our group did not get drawn for the Dec archery hunt on Sapelo so we are looking for alternatives.  Is Blackbeard similar to Sapelo?  How is the deer population?  How many hunters normally show up for the Dec hunt, and can it be crowded?  Would you recomend a bycycle or walking?  Is the dock close to the camp site?  Are there any restrictions on gear?  I would apreciate any info anyone could give me.  Thanks


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## frankwright (Oct 27, 2004)

I have never been there but the Traditional Bowhunters of Georgia usually go every year and this is from their Website. I cannot guarantee everything is still correct so double check the details but there is some good info here:
*BLACKBEARD ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE*​*Refuge Manager:  Robert Cail
*​*Location: *McIntosh County, GA​​*Contact Information:*​*Phone:* 1-229-652-4415​*FAX:    *1-229-652-4385​*Email:  fw4_rw_savannah_coastal@fws.gov *​*Web:    http://blackbeardisland.fws.gov/blackbeardnwrx.html*​*Directions: *Accessible only by boat. Located approximately 18 miles from Shellman's Bluff, Ga. Several marinas on the mainland (Shellman's Bluff area) provide charter service to the barrier island for a fee. (See the charter list provided by the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex.) Private boats may be launched from the Barbour River Landing at Harris Neck NWR on the mainland.​*Charter List:*



Pot Luck Charters

Charles Wells

1-229-832-6556





Belle Bluff

Campground Marina

1-229-832-5323





Shellman's Fish Camp

Sands Iller

1-1-229-832-4331



Tangle LineCharters

Cathy or Donny Sikes

1-229-832-5737



Delegal Marina

(Skidaway Island)

Joel Formby

1-229-355-7058



Suzanna Forsythe

1-229-832-4749


*This is a fun hunt* with a great opportunity to take the second smallest sub-species of whitetail. Only the Key Deer is smaller. Weights normally range between 30 - 100 pounds. Buck to doe ratios are tight and there is usually a few really nice 10 pointers taken every hunt. Hunter success rates vary hunt to hunt but 40% is not uncommon. The deer are challenging and beautiful, as is their environment. You should be able to do this hunt for less than a couple hundred bucks including food so it is a good value too. The roundtrip boat ride should cost about $70 - $80. 

The barrier island hunt is unique and rewarding. Blackbeard is 5,628 acres of pristine wilderness. 2,115 acres in a series of rolling dunes covered in pine and live oak forests, and a sea of palmettos dotted with sloughs and ponds. There are 1,163 acres of freshwater impoundments / marshes and 2,000 acres of saltwater marsh. A channel on the South and West seperates the island from Sapelo Island. The Atlantic on the North and East provides refreshing sea breezes and 340 acres of white sand beach.

State limits apply plus two Federal bonus tags will be issued which *do not count against your Georgia limit.* You must check in at the refuge dock prior to setting up camp. You must have a valid *Georgia hunting license and personal identification* (driver's license or official state ID card). They will not let you on the island without these papers. Hunters 15 or younger must have passed a state-approved hunter education course and must be supervised by an adult (remain in sight and voice contact), one youth per adult.

The grounds are primitive -- you should bring everything you need to hunt, eat, drink, sleep, and cook, etc. Bring lots of ice. There is potable water, showers, and flush toilets. Bring towels, soap, and toilet paper. You get the idea. Firewood is provided at a central location within the campgrounds. You may want to bring a saw, as it is not cut. Bring whatever you need, just remember you have to load it and unload it. There is a walk-in cooler to store harvested game. Whatever you take on the island you take with you when you leave. *Bring rubber boots and bug repellent!!!*


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## dave (Oct 28, 2004)

MOON DAWG said:
			
		

> I'm looking for info on Blackbeard Island.  Our group did not get drawn for the Dec archery hunt on Sapelo so we are looking for alternatives.  Is Blackbeard similar to Sapelo?  How is the deer population?  How many hunters normally show up for the Dec hunt, and can it be crowded?  Would you recomend a bycycle or walking?  Is the dock close to the camp site?  Are there any restrictions on gear?  I would apreciate any info anyone could give me.  Thanks



It's so similar to Sapelo, that it's only seperated from Sapelo by a small creek  Sorry ..... couldn't help myself.  

It's a nice maritime forest, almost identical to Sapelo, if you're familiar with Sapelo. A 60 pound 8-pointer will be a trophy :speechles Really.

I've been to Sapelo 3 times, and BB 2 times. I guess the unusual change of scenery is the best part. The tiny deer won't send you looking for a taxidermist, though.   Don't kill any rattlesnakes and put them under the toilets ..... a long story.


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