# Early hunt on Cohutta



## ProphesyMountainHunter (Oct 7, 2014)

I know that there is a thread in the deer hunting section about this hunt, but I was wondering if I could get some input on a couple of questions regarding bear hunting. I know if you kill a bear you have to check it out. However, is it acceptable to skin the bear and get the meat and pack it out and take just that to be checked out. Does the DNR require bear in its whole minus field dressing? I plan to hunt fairly deep so I was trying to figure out the best course of action to take if I were to kill one. Thanks for any input!

...On a side note, does anyone know if you have to check out a hog if you kill one? Thanks!


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## Etoncathunter (Oct 7, 2014)

You can quarter and pack out, infact that is the recommended way. The only exception is if you get one that is borderline on size, you may want to bring it out whole just to prove it was a 75#+ bear to CYB. Yes hogs are checked just like deer and bear.


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## Etoncathunter (Oct 7, 2014)

Oh yeah and good luck, I'll be up there myself. Don't forget your rain gear this weekend. Also watch your butt on those trails, those stream crossings are gonna be rough with this weather we are getting the next several days.


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## jp94 (Oct 7, 2014)

They do want all game checked out, but they really don't seem to get to worked up over the hogs.  I have seen hunters that have only brought deer capes to the check station.  Bears I have seen quartered in a cooler and they didn't even weigh it.  I guess if there is a question they may want to put everything on the scales.
I was lucky enough to have a down hill drag when I killed one last year.  So I took the bear gutted to the check station.

In your case I would make sure it's a good bear and take as much as you can carry. Or you could stop by the check station and ask the game warden what they would like to see as a minimum.  Good luck, I hope you kill a big one.


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## andlan17 (Oct 8, 2014)

If you kill something late evening, the game wardens will most likely be gone by the time you get it out of the woods and down to the check station. So you will have to wait till morning to get it checked out and will need to have a way to keep your meat cool till then. So that most likely meats quartering everything up and keeping it in a cooler on ice overnight. Just something to be aware of. Also, I will be up there Thursday evening after work camping at Horseshoe Bend. I will be in a red Tundra, so stop by and say hello if anyone is in the area. Hope we all can stay dry this weekend.


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## Sgt.USMC (Oct 8, 2014)

I'm going up sat til sun. Lookin for a safe place to set up a base camp. Ain't worried about critters just thieves.


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## brandonsc (Oct 9, 2014)

Anyone check anything out today?


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## Benjamin1977 (Oct 10, 2014)

There was one buck killed and one female bear killed so far on Cohutta at the south check in station.


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## whitetailfreak (Oct 10, 2014)

Its been a warm and wet first 2 days.


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## Etoncathunter (Oct 10, 2014)

I haven't been up yet, and it stinks. Had last minute family obligations come up on Thursday and then had to spend all day to day playing plumber after the bathtub faucet decided to blow up and drown the whole room. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for tomorrow.


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## ChattNFHunter (Oct 12, 2014)

Any body been by the check station to see what has been checked out yet?


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## jp94 (Oct 12, 2014)

2 bears 4 deer as of yesterday afternoon on the holly creek side.


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## deadend (Oct 12, 2014)

Gonna take me a week or so to dry out and lick my wounds.......


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## ProphesyMountainHunter (Oct 14, 2014)

deadend said:


> Gonna take me a week or so to dry out and lick my wounds.......



I hear ya.. rain was a big inconvenience.  Just curious, were you hunting around the rough ridge area?


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## deadend (Oct 15, 2014)

ProphesyMountainHunter said:


> I hear ya.. rain was a big inconvenience.  Just curious, were you hunting around the rough ridge area?



Part of the time.


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## deadend (Oct 16, 2014)

ProphesyMountainHunter said:


> I hear ya.. rain was a big inconvenience.  Just curious, were you hunting around the rough ridge area?



Was that you I ran into on Saturday?


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## ProphesyMountainHunter (Oct 16, 2014)

deadend said:


> Was that you I ran into on Saturday?



I believe it was. Thought I recognized you from one of your pictures on here, but I wasn't sure.


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## deadend (Oct 16, 2014)

I was the sweat and rain covered chump wearing the orange with no shirt.  I didn't find the sign I was hoping to.  We were wondering how you boys fared in the hammocks during that downpour.  My tarped wall tent nearly collapsed under 5" of rain.  You do any good?


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## ProphesyMountainHunter (Oct 17, 2014)

Surprisingly we stayed pretty dry. Our tarp held up well. We did not see anything either. My buddy saw some bear sign down toward the sugar cove area, but that was about it.
This picture shows how we were set up. The rain poured off the sides pretty well actually.


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