# Blue Ridge area HELP NEEDED



## hunter eric (Oct 28, 2010)

We purchased a small cabin in Blue Ridge.
We are doing a little work on it now.
It is on Aska road (across road from the river).
I have never hunted the mountain terrain of Blue Ridge.
Can any of you tell me some good possible locations (public) to hunt. I hear Rich Mountain (which isnt too far away) is ok.


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## hayseed_theology (Oct 28, 2010)

I'm afraid I'm not real familiar with that area, so I can't offer much advice.  But, this was a helpful thread in the Bear forum about hunting mountain terrain when you do find a spot to go:

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=572348


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## mbhawkins123 (Oct 28, 2010)

national forest everywhere in fannin county, even off aska rd....im looking for a good map myself...if you find one let me know


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## FritzMichaels (Oct 28, 2010)

I dont know anything about the mountains. But I just called Geico and saved 15% on my car insurance.


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## Disciple1st (Oct 29, 2010)

I have hunted in Cohutta several times and I can say you better be in shape. If you have to track one very far get ready to do some work.....


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## ripplerider (Oct 29, 2010)

Go by the Forest Service headquarters and get you a topo map of your area. They are located off 515 west of Blairsville, on the left shortly after you pass Wal-mart. You will want the Wilscot and possibly Blue Ridge quadrangles. They will show you the Forest Service lines and roads to access it. Theres a good bit of Forest Service land close to you that's not nearly as rough as Cohutta. Course the easier it is to get into the harder it gets hunted. P.M. me and I'll give you some hints, I dont live too far away.


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## deermeat270 (Oct 29, 2010)

I know the area around the Ranger Camp really well.  Anywhere up near there past the 4 H camp is good.  Right side of the road is WMA (or used to be) and left hand side of the road is National Forest.  Hunt the ridge tops and hill tops.  When i went to school at North Georgia, I would trout fish and hunt up there all the time.  Lots of good areas and low hunting pressure.  However, low deer pop, but in my opinion bigger deer.  Lots of Bear as well.  Turkey hunting is fair to good.  They used to plant the hill tops with food plots on the WMA.  I would hunt those and see deer everytime.


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## mikel (Oct 29, 2010)

FritzMichaels said:


> I dont know anything about the mountains. But I just called Geico and saved 15% on my car insurance.



me 2


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## blackbear (Oct 29, 2010)

All you got to do is go across the river on the old 1 lane steel bridge down by the resturant on the river,,,take a right and go out that road until you come to a fork if you go to the left you will come out at back side of blue ridge lake..if you take a right you will come back out on the very end of aska road...just look at all those miles of nice woods to explore down those dirt roads...they are all nationel forest...YOU CAN HUNT 'EM ALL...Of course get a map like the others have said and you can verify the state and private boundry lines.....HINT ...Its tore slap up with deer sign the closer you get to the lake....Hope this helps and good luck hope u get a big'n


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## hunter eric (Oct 29, 2010)

Thanks man!


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## hunter eric (Oct 29, 2010)

blackbear said:


> All you got to do is go across the river on the old 1 lane steel bridge down by the resturant on the river,,,take a right and go out that road until you come to a fork if you go to the left you will come out at back side of blue ridge lake..if you take a right you will come back out on the very end of aska road...just look at all those miles of nice woods to explore down those dirt roads...they are all nationel forest...YOU CAN HUNT 'EM ALL...Of course get a map like the others have said and you can verify the state and private boundry lines.....HINT ...Its tore slap up with deer sign the closer you get to the lake....Hope this helps and good luck hope u get a big'n




My place is only 1 mile from the iron bridge.


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## blackbear (Oct 30, 2010)

Oh My,You live in one of the best places to hunt bear,hog & deer in Georgia,,,no body hunts back up in there much because no body knows about it,,,
You need to get a map bad over at the ranger station outside of Blairsville,Ga. right on 515...you will walk your legs off exploreing and tracking those are some BIGWOODS go way back in there,...it's a awsome place to hunt... when you get one post a pic of that trophy buck here so we can all take a gander at that bad boy!
Also ask around town,you will get plenty info from the local hunters...Blue Ridge has some best hunting in the state,also go over to the check in station at Rich mountain on the stanley farm road right off aska,everything on that road on the north side is public national forest land... Also  check out the southern end of old Blue Ridge wma ..down around nimblewill....open all season long..Hope this helps Have fun and be safe!


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## hunter eric (Nov 1, 2010)

Thanks Blackbear! 
We bought this cabin from my grandparents last year.
Many, Many years ago he took me hunting somewhere over there.
We did cross the iron bridge off of Aska and turned right and drove A LONG WAY! I dont know exactly where we were (I was only about 12 years old then) but we hiked about a mile or 2 into the woods. We set down to rest on a ridge. At the bottom of the ridge was a pine thicket. We watched the pines as we rested from our walk and 4 does came out. About that time we hear something behind us. IT WAS THE BIGGEST BUCK THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN IN THE WOODS my entire life! Knowing what i know now (30 years later) it was a 5 1/2 year old 150 class deer. It was huge.
I (the 12 year old) had the only gun ( a 30 / 30 with iron sights) turned and fired. I felt good about the shot and we found a pretty good blood trail but NEVER FOUND THE DEER! That hunt has haunted me for the past 30 years!! 
Would have been one heck of a drag out of there with a 55 year old man and a 12 year old boy.


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## blackbear (Nov 1, 2010)

Yep that drag would have been long & hard!
Great hunt and great story for sure!
I want to try for trout someday on that river ...looks like its prolly got some line breaker sockeye salmonoids  in it!
Good luck and hope you get a big'N!


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## hunter eric (Nov 1, 2010)

I fished ALOT this summer.
I found that i liked some of the smaller creeks better.
Coopers creek is nice.
When my son goes with me I take him to creek beside the fish hatchery. They release ALOT of fish their for the young ones to catch. To catch the BIG BOYS you really have to float the big river. There is a park (i forgot the name) where you can put in (below the dam) and float a 3 - 4 hour section through some private property. There are some BIG trout but some of the land owners get mad! They usually wont say anything unless you completely stop and fish.


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## ripplerider (Nov 2, 2010)

Sadly the T.V.A. hes pretty much ruined the fishing on that part of the river this year. They have pulled lake Blue Ridge almost 70 ft. down for repairs on the dam and in the process released a bunch of un-oxygenated dead water that has killed thousands of fish. It will take years to build back up. Landowners are sick. We floated it twice this year before they started releasing 24/7 and I have never seen so many big fish in my life. The fishing above Lake Blue Ridge is good too just gets a little too warm in the lower stretches in the summer, need to go up at least as far as the swinging bridge area when it's hot out. I caught a 25inch rainbow in the dead of winter on National Forest land 2 yrs. ago, was a native not a feeder fish. Plenty of smallmouth bass in the lower end of the river too. Check out the hunting in the Skeenah gap area too. You really need to get a map.


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