# Elmodel WMA



## Showman (Sep 8, 2012)

Went out there yesterday looking for Tree Rats and Hogs.  Got Skunked on both.  Most of the Corn has been harvested now and the peanuts are looking like they are getting plenty of water and appear to be growing well.  Went to the bottom of the WMA into the woods and I was sure glad I had my snake chaps on because I ran across several Rattlesnakes back there (and a couple Cottonmouths also).  The lone bridge is also closed so if you want to get from the Jeriko side to the south side, you have to drive around to the  Blakely Hwy entrance.  I did see 2 Turkeys, a huge Rabbit, and more Skeeters and Gnats than you could shake a can of Deet at.  They even laughed at my Thermacell.  There were plenty of Deer tracks out by the Peanut Field also (and someones boot prints).  I tried to talk to one of the field hands working up on the corn fields off Jeriko road and pretty much got blown off-seems he wasn't happy hunters were coming out there.


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## GDAWG84 (Sep 8, 2012)

FYI all the bridges on Chickasawhatchee are closed too....


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## Showman (Sep 8, 2012)

Found out about Elmodel by the sign at the entrance.  Saw that the rest on Chick were closed on the news last night.  There are other ways in and about the area though.


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## GAMHUNTER35 (Sep 8, 2012)

sure hope they get them fix soon got picked for the 2nd quota hunt


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## Showman (Sep 8, 2012)

Better get you a map of Chick and Google Earth it also.  The news said up to 2 years to repair/replace bridges.  Don't hold your breath, I think with this economy, it could be a lot longer.


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## GDAWG84 (Sep 8, 2012)

Yep cant say for sure but I sure wouldn't count on them being open by the quota hunts. its gonna take some serious coin to replace flat hole bridge....


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## GAMHUNTER35 (Sep 10, 2012)

bout like the dnr been driving over them all year  an they wait till hunting season to close them.


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## hortonhunter22 (Sep 10, 2012)

im not sure with all the traffic from the dove hunts and the farmers equipment...they may just got scared of it...but most likely they just thinking what i been thinking for years...that bridge is a bit sketchy...the chickasawhatchee bridges about the same...the chickasawhatchee bridges out will make it a hassle to get from one side to the other...the elmodel bridge aint so bad if ya know ahead a time...thanks for that guys


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## GDAWG84 (Sep 11, 2012)

Actually the closing of the bridges has nothing to do with the hunting seasons at all. All the bridges have to be inspected by DOT periodically and when they were inspected this time it was determined that the load bearing capacities of the bridges were a liability to the public. Its not like it was planned or anything. I can tell you that everyone is a little nervous abut driving over the bridges. And with the exception of the elmodel bridge, equipment is not taken over the bridges. This has been a topic of discussion for a while now.


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## Showman (Sep 11, 2012)

Still, I would not hold my breath on them being fixed/replaced any time soon.  Money gotta come from somewhere to do the work.


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## GDAWG84 (Sep 11, 2012)

Showman said:


> Still, I would not hold my breath on them being fixed/replaced any time soon.  Money gotta come from somewhere to do the work.



You sir are correct! I think we will gladly accept donations for new bridges if someone would like to donate It really stinks b/c two of my primary spots on the chick are on complete opposite sides of the wma.


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## hortonhunter22 (Sep 11, 2012)

yea rode through elmodel today...they had made it impossible to pass...earth berm...maybe a good archery target range through lunch lol...dad and i figured it was probably a liability issue since they all shut down at the same time


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## Showman (Sep 12, 2012)

Well, one thing is for sure, to get into the better hunting areas people are going to have to put the leather to the ground to do it.  There are parts of Chickasawhatchie I sure would not want to try and pull a Deer or Hog out of with the bridges closed.  May be one of these times when the DNR may want to relax the No ATV rule for getting game out of the deep woods/swamp areas (not turning the areas into an ATV race track).


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## GDAWG84 (Sep 12, 2012)

This is a huge liability is; this actually came down from HQ to shut them down. The atv is at the discretion of the area manager. Its up to him to decide. Again I wouldnt hold my breath on that one either given the trouble with atv riders in the past....


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## cpowel10 (Sep 12, 2012)

GDAWG84 said:


> This is a huge liability is; this actually came down from HQ to shut them down. The atv is at the discretion of the area manager. Its up to him to decide. Again I wouldnt hold my breath on that one either given the trouble with atv riders in the past....



Yep, especially since a man was killed on an ATV at Chickasaw a year or two ago.


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## Showman (Sep 12, 2012)

I agree with you.  After reading the Shame article this month in GON, I wonder how much else goes on?.  People know better yet they do it anyway.  WHAT IF (Notice all CAPS, as in an example) the word came out the ATV's Could be used to haul out large game animals with stress being put on that being the only time ATV's would be allowed off road.  How long do you think it would take someone to think if they are allowed to do that then they are allowed to just ride and scout or haul large stands in/out off road?

I have nothing against ATV's.  I think they are fun, useful, and safe when used in the appropriate manner and place.  I just have a problem with people who own them and do not think about what they are doing with them.  I have seen parents use them to "babysit" their kids while in camp.  I have seen kids (somehow they always know when the parent(s) are not looking) take off down the road, do donuts, run through drainage ditches, and do other not allowed activities in a couple different WMA's (2 of the larger ones at that) down here.  S.O. here in Lee County has caught a couple of our local kids (not mine-they are grown and gone) riding on the roads, doing donuts on the dirt road we live on.  Twice, the parents have been warned and strike 3 means pick the kids up from the S.O. and loose of the ATV's.  Won't be long.  Then the parents will scream bloody murder.

Yes, I do say a lot on here.  I offer my apologies.  But I feel strong about something, I have to let it out.


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## GDAWG84 (Sep 12, 2012)

I agree wholeheartedly with you Showman. Atv's are definitely an asset when trying to get to get a deer or hog out. But I would go ballistic if I was sitting there and some jackleg come cruising up. It wouldnt take long for the joy riders and troublemakers to show up if we started allowing unrestricted atv use again. The restricted use started around the summer of 08. Riders had made trails thru the swamp all the way from the dove fields to hwy 62. They had even cut trees in the swamp an made some bog holes. It was really quite ridiculous.


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## Showman (Sep 13, 2012)

Still, it would be nice if somewhere here in SW Georgia, the State would open an area, not so much for hunters, but for ATV Riders to go have fun at.  I know that there are a couple "private" areas in the state but they are a good long ways from here.  If there are any around here, I have not heard about them (then again, I don't own an ATV and don't hear about much for them).


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## hortonhunter22 (Sep 14, 2012)

yea cant do that because so many of the ATV fun having folks would turn it into a bad thing with drinking, and raising cane...theres bad folks in every crowd and ya have to plan for them not the ones that do as they should.


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## GAMHUNTER35 (Oct 23, 2012)

i think you can still ride atvs on tired creek in grady co


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## Showman (Oct 23, 2012)

In Albany, there was/is a place over by the Flint River out near Radium Springs behind the Winn Dixie Store where people did ride.  I think it was set up for MX races but I haven't seen anyone out there in a long time. Don't really know anything else about it, but it was rumored around here that it was set up for some kind of televised event with the scaffolding for cameras and what-not.  Next time I go out that way, I will try to remember to check it out.


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## Backstrap11 (Nov 2, 2012)

Any body had any luck on Elmodel this year? Thought about checking it out Sunday and bow hunting since Chickasawhatchee closes Saturday. Heard the bream fishing is good on the creek of Elmodel. Any body ever fished it? Any regulations regarding fishing it other than having your wma stamp?


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## GAMHUNTER35 (Nov 2, 2012)

got to hav fishing license bout dry up now but the ichawaynochaway runs on the back side an i hav  floated it several times.


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