# Dawson Forest



## RustyKnight (Sep 7, 2011)

Any suggestions on which tract and a good road to start walking from into Dawson Forest WMA?  I'm gonna try with my bow in the next few weeks.


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## ripplerider (Sep 9, 2011)

My nephew's killed a pretty good bear at Dawson Forest before, 177 lbs. field dressed. Was the 10th bear he saw and the only one that didnt have cubs with it. He was sworn to secrecy about the exact location, just know it was on the north side of the place. Good luck!


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## BAR308 (Sep 10, 2011)

i saw poop all over the place yesterday... going back soon!


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## johndrut (Sep 11, 2011)

pm sent


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## GA DAWG (Sep 11, 2011)

Bears all over it. I mean everywhere .. Id start at the top and work your way down. More up there. Monument rd.


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## shakey gizzard (Sep 13, 2011)

GA DAWG said:


> Bears all over it. I mean everywhere .. Id start at the top and work your way down. More up there. Monument rd.



Same with the Rattlesnakes!


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## GA DAWG (Sep 13, 2011)

shakey gizzard said:


> Same with the Rattlesnakes!


Not as many as they use to be


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## CornStalker (Sep 13, 2011)

How's the acorn crop looking at Dawson? GA Dawg, you said you've seen sign/bears all over the place---are there a lot of hunters in that area too?


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## GA DAWG (Sep 13, 2011)

More hunters than critters. Has the most signed in every year. Being close to the big A is the reason for that. Still if you can sneak in some weed day hunts. You'll be alright. Acorns are decent and falling.


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## GA DAWG (Sep 13, 2011)

Yes LOTS of hunters. Bear sign is already falling off. Just to close to hotlanta. Acorns are decent where I've looked. Have not checked the way up high though.


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## CornStalker (Sep 14, 2011)

Thanks for the info, GA Dawg. I think I might just stay clear of Dawson---I don't want to compete with too many hunters.


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## Eddy M. (Sep 14, 2011)

not all the "traffic" in Dawson are hunters ---- on some of the trips I took my son up there  we saw hikers , campers , folks joy riding on 4-wheelers, and trucks riding back and forth on the roads constantly----- we would pull off road and park and then hear trucks stop at our truck as we walked back in the woods


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## River Rambler (Sep 22, 2011)

Yep. Lots of traffic from non hunters during hunting season going on right now.
Guess people just itching to get out of the house and Dawson is easy to get to.


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## feathersnantlers (Sep 23, 2011)

*Walk*

I started hutning Burnt Mtn last year no traffic, not another person, but I hunt a mile from the truck.


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## GA DAWG (Sep 23, 2011)

I saw 2 truck loads of hunters on Burnt Mt yesterday. 3 if you counted me But I was just looking. A man that hunts a mile from the truck off Burnt Mountain is a tough son of a gun. I could hunt a mile in but no way I could get anything out up there.. Do yall know if you have to sign bears out on the kill sheet? Im hearing of some killed but not seeing them on kill sheet. JIM???


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## Coastie (Sep 23, 2011)

Yes they are supposed to be on the kill sheet, I know of one that was not signed out and got it taken care of today. So far I know of 2 killed on the City tract and 3 wounded, one near Steele Bridge and the other two south of the Etowah on the City Tract. The deer have been slow too, 5 killed, some guys are waiting for the "Bigun"and passing up does. One guy I talked to saw a good buck and has been after just him ever since. I have been seeing does nearly every day at some point but no bucks moving in the daytime.
Some of the traffic from folks just passing through has been cut down due to our posting signs on the open roads that state that the road is open for hunters only and that all other users are illegal. More roads will be opened next Wednesday but all of them will not be closed to the non-hunters (ie. Mill Road) I'm not sure yet how we will handle Rail Road Rd.
 A bunch of young guys ended up in the crowbar hotel last summer after they were found drinking down by the Reactor field, when Dawson County got there and did a search, they found a quarter pound of weed and several firearms in their vehicle. They all went to jail and things have been pretty quiet ever since. The litter problem has nearly ceased to exist and traffic has dropped off by nearly 60% although there are still people "just looking around"


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## Coastie (Sep 23, 2011)

GA DAWG said:


> I saw 2 truck loads of hunters on Burnt Mt yesterday. 3 if you counted me But I was just looking. A man that hunts a mile from the truck off Burnt Mountain is a tough son of a gun. I could hunt a mile in but no way I could get anything out up there.. Do yall know if you have to sign bears out on the kill sheet? Im hearing of some killed but not seeing them on kill sheet. JIM???



Did you drive in to the area? there is one road open up there and is in pretty good shape, it will take you nearly 2 miles down the mountain. A few Hogs in there I'd like to see gone if you are so inclined. You can get down into the bottom of the area and there is some good looking country in there, four wheel drive is recomended for the trip out though if it has even thought about raining. The new Forestar property should be open in a week or two when we finish getting our internal gates installed, there are several areas we would like to keep folks from getting in to because if they did get in, they would likely not get out without an air lift.


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## GA DAWG (Sep 23, 2011)

What forestar property? You now know I went down that one road probably further than most should attempt to go. Seemed like 4 miles to me. Saw FRESH since the rain hog sign!!! Couple of turkeys. Then 4 bear in a different place!


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## ridgestalker (Sep 23, 2011)

X2 on info on forestar property.How many acres will the track be?


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## Coastie (Sep 24, 2011)

The forestar property is 470 acres located along Steve Tate Hwy. and ties the Wildcat tract and Amicalola tract together. New maps are available at the check station and should be available at the bulletin board at the highway 53 entrance to the check station. The online maps already reflect the change.


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## Pickens Dawg (Sep 24, 2011)

Can you give me an idea of what road is open on the Burnt Mtn tract?


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## GA DAWG (Sep 24, 2011)

3 are open.


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## ridgestalker (Sep 24, 2011)

Coastie said:


> The forestar property is 470 acres located along Steve Tate Hwy. and ties the Wildcat tract and Amicalola tract together. New maps are available at the check station and should be available at the bulletin board at the highway 53 entrance to the check station. The online maps already reflect the change.



Thanks for the info coastie.Is it only gona be accessible from steve tate on forestar rd.Or will there be access from goshen church rd also.


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## GA DAWG (Sep 24, 2011)

That land ain't new is it? Same land they got last year. Right?


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## ridgestalker (Sep 24, 2011)

GA DAWG said:


> That land ain't new is it? Same land they got last year. Right?



I am not sure did hunt over on wildcat once last year but hunted the atlanta tract more. On bottom right corner of the map is where i was thinking he was talking bout the new tract is.
Never remember there being a rd or gate there or it being posted with signs.Maybe Coastie will chime in an let us all know.


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## Coastie (Sep 24, 2011)

I hope this works, I have tried to attach a map of the area which shows the new property. The map is from my personal mapping program and the boundary is hand drawn so is not all that accurate but it is close. The brighter green lines are the new boundary to the west of Steve Tate highway, the brown lines are roads we have made but will not necessarily be open. There are gates being installed to keep traffic away from roads that are not in the best of shape.


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## Makeithappen01 (Sep 24, 2011)

turkey all over it and bear not alot of deer i think they cut alot of it It use to be a hunting club


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