# J.L. Lester Rabbits



## ABAC33 (Feb 3, 2010)

I got drawn for the quota on the 27th.  Just wonderin what to expect from people that have hunted or ran there beagles there?  Good or bad rabbit population and what is the terrain like?  Briars, woods?  Heard it was a big old grown up field with bunch of broomsedge in it.  I think they have some field trials there.


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## Jeff Raines (Feb 3, 2010)

ABAC33 said:


> I got drawn for the quota on the 27th.  Just wonderin what to expect from people that have hunted or ran there beagles there?  Good or bad rabbit population and what is the terrain like?  Briars, woods?  Heard it was a big old grown up field with bunch of broomsedge in it.  I think they have some field trials there.



I've only driven by there once.From what I can remember,it looked pretty thick


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## Jeff Raines (Feb 3, 2010)

Abac,check out the map here
http://www.n-georgia.com/pdf/j-l-lester-wma.pdf

then compare it to what you see on google maps.Looks like it won't take a rabbit and a dog but a few seconds to be off the wma


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## specialk (Feb 3, 2010)

i've never been there either but the map says it's 477 acres if i'm reading it correctly.  i hunt spots a lot smaller than that and never leave the area...i don't know if i'd hunt with alot of other dogers on a piece that small though...


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## Ruger#3 (Feb 3, 2010)

*JL Lester*

The field trial clubs there work with DNR to try and keep a population at a level to support public rabbit dog training and field trials. Hence, only a few qouta days are offered.

If I had the permit I'd tear it up and say I did something good for Beagling.

You have a legal right to go but DNR provides such limited opportunities for Beaglers, read training areas, compared to others. IMHO we better take care of the few opportunities they provide. 

This isn't a personal attack, if you go I hope you have a great day!

IMHO putting a quota hunt on one of the few training areas open to Beaglers is testament to DNRs lack of concern for our sport. Rant off!


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## Beagler282 (Feb 3, 2010)

I run there when they hold ARHA trials and it's hard to find rabbits sometimes.There are some briars but they go in each year and burn it.Population would be alot better if they wouldn't burn it so much.


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## ABAC33 (Feb 3, 2010)

Thanks for the replys, but so far it looks like there aint much of a rabbit population there.  This hunt only allows 3 groups of hunters with 3 hunters per group and 8 total rabbits per group.  I understand where your coming from Ruger#3, from my understandin, DNR put this WMA in a quota because years before it was open huntin to anyone.  So if im not wrong, they are tryin to cut back some of the rabbit harvest by shortenin the number of huntable days on Lester.


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## gemcgrew (Feb 3, 2010)

If the rabbits are there and you don't have better places to hunt, I would take advantage of a good hunt. 3 groups on that small of a place will be a nightmare IMO.


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## Corey (Feb 3, 2010)

I went on a ARHA hunt there in November, we ran 6 cast of 
dogs and jumped one rabbit. We walked all over that place 
seen some Quail but not that many Rabbits. Heard they 
ran a AKC/SPO the week before and they had the same
luck we did. 

Also on one of the cast a pack of yotes were tracking us 
down on the bottom's, we started yelling and making all 
kind if noise and they went away.


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## Ruger#3 (Feb 3, 2010)

ABAC33 said:


> Thanks for the replys, but so far it looks like there aint much of a rabbit population there.  This hunt only allows 3 groups of hunters with 3 hunters per group and 8 total rabbits per group.  I understand where your coming from Ruger#3, from my understandin, DNR put this WMA in a quota because years before it was open huntin to anyone.  So if im not wrong, they are tryin to cut back some of the rabbit harvest by shortenin the number of huntable days on Lester.




Yes Sir, I agree quota protection is absolutely better than none. I guess having lived places that had thousands of acres in  WMAs dedicated to field trials of all types and round the year publlic training it's tough watching what goes on here. 

The Beagler in particular and hound men in general are getting the short end of the stick from the DNR IMHO. This area is just indicative of the issues we face.

Sorry to get the thread off track and hope you have a great hunt.


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## DROPPINEM (Feb 3, 2010)

Ruger#3 said:


> The Beagler in particular and hound men in general are getting the short end of the stick from the DNR IMHO.



Yes and how do we change it......something needs to happen before it becomes illegal to even hunt with dogs on private land.


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## rob keck (Feb 3, 2010)

wma's get hit hard but the way i see it is ,,,,atleast we do have somewhere to go ,,,well for now we do....i hunt alot of nf and wma"s and all i ever say to myself is hey atleast i have somewhere to go...i have been to jl lester one time jumped 2 rabbits. they are very fast and go long


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## thomas gose (Feb 3, 2010)

rob keck said:


> wma's get hit hard but the way i see it is ,,,,atleast we do have somewhere to go ,,,well for now we do....i hunt alot of nf and wma"s and all i ever say to myself is hey atleast i have somewhere to go...i have been to jl lester one time jumped 2 rabbits. they are very fast and go long



just slow dogs keck!


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## Ruger#3 (Feb 3, 2010)

DROPPINEM said:


> Yes and how do we change it......something needs to happen before it becomes illegal to even hunt with dogs on private land.



In AR the DNR provided specail use areas for training and field trials of all types. The mind set wasn't you needed a permit to get in, instead it was only closed for scheduled activities, field trials, 3d shoots, coon hunts, etc. It provided those that had little access to private land a place to train their dogs. Horse stables, kennels, and dining facilities could be reserved for these events for a small fee. A little more bang for your WMA buck than we get here. 

Another concept was a specail WMA permit. The DNR leased paper company land and for an additional fee you got access to undeveloped tracts across the state. These leases changed yearly as one would expect. Another way to get more land open to the public. 

I give thanks I still have a place to hunt but have seen it done considerably better. To the question, we better figure out how to pressure the legislatures collectively.


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## novarider_12 (Feb 3, 2010)

You should we went a couple of years back and got our limit within a few hours. Some pretty good size buck rabbits too.


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## RayP (Feb 3, 2010)

i was at an Akc field trial at JL lester this past weekend and we found very few rabbits.good luck


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## red dragon (Feb 5, 2010)

i have went to feild trials at j.l. lester and since you are hunting it you wont ever have enough shotgun shells to kill them rabbits there everywhere youll kill your limit if you got good dogs but im sure you do go to the lake and go up the road that goes buy the lake and hunt up there in them thickets


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## georgia sportsman (Feb 9, 2010)

Went 2 years ago and loved the place.  It was open 2 weekends a year to rabbit hunting.  I went on Sunday of the 2nd hunt, and still had great runs and limited out.  These are smart rabbits, that know where to go once the dogs get after them.  There are good cotton tails, as well as cain cutters.  Wish I had the chance to go.  Good luck.


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## jsimages (Feb 12, 2010)

i live maybe a mile from there and have ran beagles and bird dogs there and had good luck with both. they have alot of field trials there and therefor you have to kinda know where to hunt them. as a matter of fact their are some people there now having some type of event but i didnt see any signs so im not sure what it is. hope this helps


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## ABAC33 (Feb 14, 2010)

appreciate the info fellas.  sounds like i'll be tryin to wear em out that day.


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## SouthernBeagles (Feb 18, 2010)

Ok I am a member of two of the AKC clubs that holds trials there......I was also at a meeting a couple of years ago with the DNR where we discussed how to control the hunting of such a small WMA. JL Lester is the only WMA in Georgia that I know of that has the facilities for field trials and there are dozens of clubs that use it for birds and rabbits. My hunting lease is more than twice the size of that wma! I have been up there and seen groups of 15 or more spread out at arms length killing everything they jumped not even giving the dogs they had with them a chance to bark! 
I live 15 min from that WMA and have never hunted it for rabbits....I know how the place was getting hunted and know how hard the rabbits are to come by! I am GLAD we have it worked out the way it is now......although I would like to go a step further and just do parent child hunts where the only kids get to do the shooting. Oh well.......maybe next year! 
BTW I don't mean anything personal.....congrats on the draw and good luck with the hunt.


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## Streetsweeper (Feb 18, 2010)

SouthernBeagles said:


> Ok I am a member of two of the AKC clubs that holds trials there......I was also at a meeting a couple of years ago with the DNR where we discussed how to control the hunting of such a small WMA. JL Lester is the only WMA in Georgia that I know of that has the facilities for field trials and there are dozens of clubs that use it for birds and rabbits. My hunting lease is more than twice the size of that wma! I have been up there and seen groups of 15 or more spread out at arms length killing everything they jumped not even giving the dogs they had with them a chance to bark!
> I live 15 min from that WMA and have never hunted it for rabbits....I know how the place was getting hunted and know how hard the rabbits are to come by! I am GLAD we have it worked out the way it is now......although I would like to go a step further and just do parent child hunts where the only kids get to do the shooting. Oh well.......maybe next year!
> BTW I don't mean anything personal.....congrats on the draw and good luck with the hunt.




Question is, do you actually think it is worth our time to even go up there and try, considering it is on the last weekend of the season.


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