# Which WMA?



## Zachry (Nov 19, 2012)

Where a good WMA to hunt bears in ga?


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## FMBear (Nov 19, 2012)

With today's bear populations, there's no good answer for that.  Whether north GA or south GA, it takes the hunter getting out there to look for the FRESH sign and hunt hard.  This year has shown plenty of acorn production, making hunting hard for the most experienced and hardest hunting guys I know on this forum.  Any of the north GA mountain WMA's have great opportunity for harvest.  It comes to putting in the effort this time of year to find the bear.  Bow season was hard enough with the abundance of acorns.  With rifle season well in, it takes finding the freshest of scat and close proximity to their bedding areas to get lucky in harvest.  If you caught the article in the GON on bear hunting north GA prior to the season, it gives some pretty good advise.


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## Killer Kyle (Nov 19, 2012)

This question has literally been asked on this forum dozens of times.  All you have to do is skim through threads for five minutes, and you will probably find 10 other posts asking the exact same question.  Please do some digital scouting.  Cohutta, Chattahoochee, Chestatee, Coopers Creek, Warwoman, Dawson Forest.  They all have bears.  Great bear populations in fact.  Take your pick.


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## satchmo (Nov 30, 2012)

Zachry said:


> Where a good WMA to hunt bears in ga?



Cohutta, no contest. Check out the stats on bear harvest wma's and this one is good bear hunting for anywhere.


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## deadend (Dec 1, 2012)

Saw ZERO bear sign this week. Two weeks ago I saw a fair amount.  Crazy.


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## motoman202 (Dec 2, 2012)

I saw a lot of fresh sign pretty deep into cohutta yesterday. But never saw any bear. Cam across a hogs bed with 4 piglets though.


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## Killer Kyle (Dec 2, 2012)

What kinds of terrain features were you finding the most sign around?  Did you check those saddles likewe recommended?


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## motoman202 (Dec 2, 2012)

Everything I saw was pretty low.  All below 2,000 ft. Shallow sloped ridge side.  Close to a creek. Fresh poo and ripped up stump beds as well as torn apart dead logs.  Best I could tell it was from the night before.  Scat had no crust on it yet and there was a heavy dew that morning and all the shredded wood bits were all dry.  I was hiked in pretty deep too.  With the acorn crop being gone they are needing to cover more ground to eat.


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## Zachry (Dec 2, 2012)

Thanks going next year I hope


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## greg_n_clayton (Dec 11, 2012)

satchmo said:


> Cohutta, no contest. Check out the stats on bear harvest wma's and this one is good bear hunting for anywhere.



We got so much USFS land in these parts, we don't need the WMA's up here to hunt bear, and the good part is you can save that money that it costs to hunt 'em !!  Good to have 'em (WMA) where you can small game hunt without interferin' with deer and bear hunters though !! Deer population on the local WMA's ain't nothing to brag about.


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## Cavalry Scout (Dec 13, 2012)

NF land.  We went up for MZ season.  No bears but, found all kinds of sign!  Never hunted em before this year but, I will be back!!


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## The mtn man (Dec 17, 2012)

Killer Kyle said:


> This question has literally been asked on this forum dozens of times.  All you have to do is skim through threads for five minutes, and you will probably find 10 other posts asking the exact same question.  Please do some digital scouting.  Cohutta, Chattahoochee, Chestatee, Coopers Creek, Warwoman, Dawson Forest.  They all have bears.  Great bear populations in fact.  Take your pick.



don't forget swallows creek, and blue ridge


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## Luda (Dec 27, 2012)

motoman202 said:


> I saw a lot of fresh sign pretty deep into cohutta yesterday. But never saw any bear. Cam across a hogs bed with 4 piglets though.



Is it legal to hunt hogs in Cohutta during small game season? I'm asking because I saw they have some special "Feral Hog Special Hog Hunt: Feb. 4-10" so I'm wondering if these are only dates allowed for hogs or is it only like an event/special hog hunt?


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## Killer Kyle (Dec 27, 2012)

Hogs can be killed during any season that is open, with the weapon appropriate for that season.  So if it is small game season, you can hunt hogs with small game weapons.  If it is turkey season, you can hunt hogs with your turkey gun, ect.  If it is in the middle of the summer, you could probably kill one with your fishing rod and I'm sure nobody would care.  Haha.  Take them during whichever season is open.  No limit.  Ever.


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## T-N-T (Jan 5, 2013)

Killer Kyle said:


> Hogs can be killed during any season that is open, with the weapon appropriate for that season.  So if it is small game season, you can hunt hogs with small game weapons.  If it is turkey season, you can hunt hogs with your turkey gun, ect.  If it is in the middle of the summer, you could probably kill one with your fishing rod and I'm sure nobody would care.  Haha.  Take them during whichever season is open.  No limit.  Ever.



   Kyle, you aint right!


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## Killer Kyle (Jan 18, 2013)

I'll stab 'em and jab 'em!


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## bfriendly (Feb 10, 2013)

Killer Kyle said:


> Hogs can be killed during any season that is open, with the weapon appropriate for that season.  So if it is small game season, you can hunt hogs with small game weapons.  If it is turkey season, you can hunt hogs with your turkey gun, ect.  If it is in the middle of the summer, you could probably kill one with your fishing rod and I'm sure nobody would care.  Haha.  Take them during whichever season is open.  No limit.  Ever.



I dont know that I have ever heard this explained in such a Manner........and we both have explained it 100 times

Thats some funny junk Kyle


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## sneaking squanto (Feb 22, 2013)

Cohutta is great..you better be in shape


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## Millcreekfarms (May 2, 2013)

sneaking squanto said:


> Cohutta is great..you better be in shape



X2 times ten on the better be in shape part


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## VenisonMan (Jun 22, 2013)

Oaky woods


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## ridgerunner404 (Jul 3, 2013)

My take on NF land. There are plenty of animals in the NF lands they are just not going to be where the highest foot raffic volume is. You have to go deep and look away from every one else. I gave up hunting club 30 years ago because of camp politics and such, thats another story. But I started hunting NF and WMA's every since and have never been so happy with my results. People say you cant go anywhere on them without seeing others walking thru the woods, well what would that tell you. My point is, there is a lot of open land to hunt, when you do find animals and quality animals no matter what spiecies you are looking for, the feeling of accomplishment that you hunted stalked and found your animal thru hard work and hunting the way hunting is meant to be done. THAT my friends you cannot replace and that will carry farther than any piece of meat. As time goes on you will get better at your tracking skills and hunting skills and listen to what the woods and animals are telling you, This art is lost to 99.5% of hunters today, and you will find places that nobody hardly ever gets to and if you see someone there  then you can be proud that there is another TRUE HUNTER among you and us. So my best advice for NF and WMA's,, look where everyone else is going and go the other way or go farther,,,, WAY farther you will be glad you did. Just so everyone understands I have hiked back 3 miles in the woods and set up camp then scouted out a prime hunting area when needed, life dosent get any better than this, and I dont see anyone for days  and see a lot and take a lot of prime animals. Just sayin


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## 7Mag Hunter (Jul 3, 2013)

ridgerunner404 said:


> My take on NF land. There are plenty of animals in the NF lands they are just not going to be where the highest foot raffic volume is. You have to go deep and look away from every one else. I gave up hunting club 30 years ago because of camp politics and such, thats another story. But I started hunting NF and WMA's every since and have never been so happy with my results. People say you cant go anywhere on them without seeing others walking thru the woods, well what would that tell you. My point is, there is a lot of open land to hunt, when you do find animals and quality animals no matter what spiecies you are looking for, the feeling of accomplishment that you hunted stalked and found your animal thru hard work and hunting the way hunting is meant to be done. THAT my friends you cannot replace and that will carry farther than any piece of meat. As time goes on you will get better at your tracking skills and hunting skills and listen to what the woods and animals are telling you, This art is lost to 99.5% of hunters today, and you will find places that nobody hardly ever gets to and if you see someone there  then you can be proud that there is another TRUE HUNTER among you and us. So my best advice for NF and WMA's,, look where everyone else is going and go the other way or go farther,,,, WAY farther you will be glad you did. Just so everyone understands I have hiked back 3 miles in the woods and set up camp then scouted out a prime hunting area when needed, life dosent get any better than this, and I dont see anyone for days  and see a lot and take a lot of prime animals. Just sayin




Best reply to a thread I have seen lately.......

With so much dialogue about having good hunting land
vs hunters per acre, I wonder are there any TRUE hunters
out there that do as you have described in your reply....

"Get out in the BIG WOODS and find sign, and hunt the
deer, rather than plant food plots and sit and watch them
grow......

I hunt NF and WMAs exclusively the past few years and 
use each trip try to learn more of the areas and enjoy
being in the woods.....I cant get around as good as I once
did, but my freezer has as much venison as I want to drag out....


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## MCBUCK (Jul 3, 2013)

no doubt.  I am a long way from "old" but I will be 50 in September, and stuff just doesn't work like it used to.  climbing trees ain't as easy! freighting a climber up these ridges here in the mountains is getting harder the last few years, but I can still roll up a ridge even farther without a stand like I did when I was 30....and that is where I seem to find more game.....farther out.  even on family land that is steep and away from the fields, I seem to find more game. here in the mountains game will tend to feed low at night and climb up to bed during the day to catch those thermals bringing scent up to them.  same way on the NF and WMA's....good read, and a couple of really good posts. thanks for the encouragement.


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## NorthGaBowhunter (Jul 3, 2013)

ridgerunner404 said:


> My take on NF land. There are plenty of animals in the NF lands they are just not going to be where the highest foot raffic volume is. You have to go deep and look away from every one else. I gave up hunting club 30 years ago because of camp politics and such, thats another story. But I started hunting NF and WMA's every since and have never been so happy with my results. People say you cant go anywhere on them without seeing others walking thru the woods, well what would that tell you. My point is, there is a lot of open land to hunt, when you do find animals and quality animals no matter what spiecies you are looking for, the feeling of accomplishment that you hunted stalked and found your animal thru hard work and hunting the way hunting is meant to be done. THAT my friends you cannot replace and that will carry farther than any piece of meat. As time goes on you will get better at your tracking skills and hunting skills and listen to what the woods and animals are telling you, This art is lost to 99.5% of hunters today, and you will find places that nobody hardly ever gets to and if you see someone there  then you can be proud that there is another TRUE HUNTER among you and us. So my best advice for NF and WMA's,, look where everyone else is going and go the other way or go farther,,,, WAY farther you will be glad you did. Just so everyone understands I have hiked back 3 miles in the woods and set up camp then scouted out a prime hunting area when needed, life dosent get any better than this, and I dont see anyone for days  and see a lot and take a lot of prime animals. Just sayin



I agree, I actually done the same thing. I left the clubs in the mid 80's. I have also had lots of good luck on the wma's and NF. GREAT POST


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## NC Scout (Jul 25, 2013)

*No 4 Wheelers*



ridgerunner404 said:


> My take on NF land. There are plenty of animals in the NF lands they are just not going to be where the highest foot raffic volume is. You have to go deep and look away from every one else. I gave up hunting club 30 years ago because of camp politics and such, thats another story. But I started hunting NF and WMA's every since and have never been so happy with my results. People say you cant go anywhere on them without seeing others walking thru the woods, well what would that tell you. My point is, there is a lot of open land to hunt, when you do find animals and quality animals no matter what spiecies you are looking for, the feeling of accomplishment that you hunted stalked and found your animal thru hard work and hunting the way hunting is meant to be done. THAT my friends you cannot replace and that will carry farther than any piece of meat. As time goes on you will get better at your tracking skills and hunting skills and listen to what the woods and animals are telling you, This art is lost to 99.5% of hunters today, and you will find places that nobody hardly ever gets to and if you see someone there  then you can be proud that there is another TRUE HUNTER among you and us. So my best advice for NF and WMA's,, look where everyone else is going and go the other way or go farther,,,, WAY farther you will be glad you did. Just so everyone understands I have hiked back 3 miles in the woods and set up camp then scouted out a prime hunting area when needed, life dosent get any better than this, and I dont see anyone for days  and see a lot and take a lot of prime animals. Just sayin



no 4 wheelers is best thing about getting out of clubs and hunting public land.


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