# Miller county



## mcfay

Yesterday evening was very active with me seeing 20. There were 7 ( one small yearling buck chasing 6 does) in the woods behind me, 6 does on the edge of the woods and 7 ( small yearling buck chasing 5 does in the field and 2 real nice 3 year old 8 pts ).  The 2 8points were within 50 yrds of the young buck and does but were more concerned with eating.  If they go according to schedule, within 2 weeks the woods should be alive with rut activity.  It was hard to pass up one of the 8pts .  He had a very tall rack a little out past his ears with 8-9 inch tines.  He just looked young and its to early to settle for a 3 year old.


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## mcfay

.Yesterday evening... I saw 4 bucks ( 2 mature shooters) , 2 two year olds and 9 does. All bucks were actively cruising and one mature ( the largest) was wanting to chase some does but the intensity of full rut is still not here yet. I would think next week should be wide open. I ended up letting the 2nd shooter go trying to get a shot on the largest which was a big pot bellied 8 pt well outside his ears.


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## twtabb

Saw some nice bucks this weekend. I was in the stand mid day a had a nice eight and a busted up 10 walk by with noses to the ground.


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## Son

By Christmas, we were seeing lots of busted up racks, we let em walk. 
Never did see a hard rut, just a few young bucks chasing. Maybe a few 3 year olds.


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## HIGH COUNTRY

*Great Season*

Rut near early county line did seem to start earlier this year, I actually shot a good eight pt the last week of archery season and he had a strong smell which was surprising to me.

Of course, there was still chasing to the bitter end (and I mean bitter with the weather).

I passed a good eight pt with rifle the last ten days of the season at fifteen yards sitting on the ground (too cold even for me to bowhunt).

Great to hear from you Son!!!


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## Son

Most deer seen in one sitting near the Early, Miller Co. line near Lucille Ga was 21 by one of our members. No shooters in the bunch.  Most i saw in one sitting was about 10, does with a nice buck chasing. No shot i might add. Most wild hogs seen by me, was at night driving out. The entire road for about 20 yards was covered with hogs of all sizes. Too many hogs folks. Hunt hogs.


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## Son

I may look at this different than some. But the way i see Georgia's limit of 2 bucks and 10 does is like this. 10 does are allowed for those who need to take more does to manage their numbers. I see no other reason for anyone to take 10 does. Have read where some wish the doe limit would be reduced. If that happened, areas that need doe numbers reduced, would be in a bind. I feel each place, whether it be a management area, or private lease/property would do best if they evaluated their numbers and managed accordingly. My club at present has a two buck limit, two doe  limit. This works for us and has for several years now. Even though our property is long and narrow. We know those hunting around our boundary has no limit, nor are they selective to size or age. Oh, there may be some who think in management terms, but bet it isn't many. We shoot and trap every hog we can. This sow tried to get past my stand one evening, she got a ride to camp.


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## Son

Our club has taken out five shoats this past week. Only hundreds more to go.  No joke, hogs are taking over many thick areas. Only thinning of timber can drive em out. Nocturnal, and trap smart, most adult hogs will eat bait outside traps, but refuse to go in. So, we have added smaller wire to our traps to catch the pigs who will go in and eat the bait. Of the five, two were shot crossing a road, three caught in a trap. Every club and private land hunter needs to stay on the hogs to keep the numbers down. They run deer off, ruin food plots, farm crops and roads. A forth of our property in in Early co.  We stay after the hogs so our deer will remain.


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## Son

Nobody here, guess i will go away for another year.


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## HIGH COUNTRY

*Enjoyed Your Posts Recently*

Appreciate your recent posts.

Wish I could follow you around the woods for a week and pick your brain.


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## twtabb

Not seeing any hogs on my Miller county property. I don’t put out much corn, planted some food plots. I think my neighbors put out lots of corn and keep the hogs on their property.

Hunting quail In a few weeks then finish burning.


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## Son

Our property has lots of swamp, with plenty acorns still falling. Early cold made acorns hang onto the trees. But from the looks of hog sign, they are rooting for worms and roots. Plowing up acres of newly planted pines. Only thing saving the young pines is, they were bedded. The hogs are rooting in the furrows between the beds. Rather not have hogs, even though it's free pork. They are as hard to hunt as nocturnal bucks.


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## Son

Another one we saved for next season


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## twtabb

Son, how much rain you had this weekend?


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## HIGH COUNTRY

*Sw ga rain*

Rescued jon boat yesterday, had to wade through slough about thirty yards wide eight inches above my knees to retrieve the boat.

Lost one a few years ago, spring creek can really go up quick - dont want to make that mistake again.

SW GA got a ton of rain it appeared.


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## Son

5 inch gauge ran over, and it's rained a bunch since that happened, still raining. Report from Mayhaw yesterday at 3 PM, said over 4 inches. Later report around 6 from Donalsonville, said over 6 inches. It's wet folks, bet our swamps has water in em now. Wish they had been wet during deer season. Just went to the dock to check my boats. Bass Tracker high and dry, bilge pump working and batteries up good. Old Orlando Clipper i am using to do some finish work on the dock is full of water, but it wont sink.


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## Son

Look, one of the neighbors bucks has come on our property.   lol


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## Son

EZ Go buggy makes dragging hogs and deer easy. Wish i had bought one years ago.


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## Son

Super, some does and buttons make it through the season. lol, all's good.


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## Son

Grilled, wild pork shoulder. Is good, but wish we didn't have the wild hogs.


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## Son

Hunting hogs this morning, found lots of tracks and a fine little Bolen point rooted up by some pigs. Right in the road.


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## Son

Strong winds came through west Miller Co Ga Sunday right after noon. Couple of us were out in the hunting woods working on stands and moving feeders when it hit. Took some trees down, we had to move a few coming out. At camp, found the top of a large dead pine had come down. An oak saved the sheds and possibly my camper.


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## Son

Turkey hunting this spring? Mosquito's are getting bad in our woods, and at the camp. Thermacell and bug spray might be a good idea.


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## Son

One of our three traps scored, one large boar, big sow and four nice shoats. Miller/Early county line.


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## Son

March and we're still seeing bucks chasing does in Miller Co. Still have antlers. Look for em to begin dropping in late March.


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## Son

May 27th, 2018. Still after the hogs. Planting food plots with a mixture of peas, beans, sunflowers etc. Got some rains coming, got em in before it got here. I carry a 22, never know when i will walk up on some hogs. Have killed several this month, and trapped a couple.


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## Son

Noticed, my camera is a day off on the date.


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## Son

Darn hogs multiply faster than we can kill em. Mostly because they can run to another property when we get after em. Trap wise, some will root all around traps, but never go in. Ol sow just dropped a mess of pigs.


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## twtabb

Thats some big pigs you got. Did they knock that feeder over?


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## Son

The boar knocked it over.


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## Son

Three traps are set, we catch em all the time. Up to 7 at a time.  Shoot every one we see too. We wipe em out, and more come in from adjacent properties.


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## Son

Old age isn't friendly, not getting half done what i used to. very thankful for the help i get from a member or two. Traps are still catching the hogs, plenty left though. I shot two ol boars last week and left em for the coyotes. These two sows caught Jun 16, 2018, member worked em up for the freezer. We have about 15 plots planted and looking good with all the rain we are getting. Camp garden has watermelons, pumpkins, okra, tomatoes, cantalopes and squash doing good. Something ate the beans and peas down to nubble.


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## Son

Last two plots planted two weeks ago, looking good. Mixture of peas, beans, oily sunflowers and soybeans.  We keep the plots going year round. Well fertilized etc and nature's been watering em just right. Lots of big trees down in the Mayhaw area, looks like some storms have been through.


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## andlan17

When does the rut really kick in down in Miller County? I am thinking about coming down there and hunting Mayhaw WMA during early to mid December. Will that be a good time to see some rut activity or will it have already passed. I know in the SW part of the state, the rut is later, I am just not sure how much later. Thanks.


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## sowega hunter

Mid December should be just right.


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## florida boy

Just remember it took a serious beating from the hurricane . Gonna take some time to move around in there . Good luck !


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## mcfay

Ive been seeing a few young bucks acting like they want to chase.  Still a little early but its fun to watch.


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## HIGH COUNTRY

How bad are your woods - the bottoms look devastated...

Hard to even walk around - same thing seeing small bucks but quite a few deer.

Kids tooks two does, and missed two over Thanksgiving - i have not hunted mostly because of the woods being destroyed but also lost about fifteen stands and prob another 12 foot boat...

Was tempted this week with colder temps but want to save that vac for later weeks...


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## mcfay

Our swamps are a terrible mess.  It will never be the same in my lifetime.  I'm sure hunting will be good again but not this year.  We will just have to adjust .  We are seeing  deer every day but not the numbers we have seen in past years.


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## HIGH COUNTRY

It literally broke my heart, I have been roaming those woods since a young kid.  I know the financial loss is in the pines that were lost, but the hardwoods as you say will not be the same in our or even possibly our children or grandchildrens lifetimes.  You have to see it first hand to understand the gravity of it, cant explain it in words.  Took my zest for hunting out of it for a while, but we will have to adapt - hopefully can clean it up some over tiime and find ways to improve it.  Good luck, finally getting to the point I want to get in the woods hunting...


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## twtabb

I have not been in woods yet. Had a drone fly over to survey loss. I haven’t even watched it. I had 75 acres with catastrophic loss. Hope to clear cut it next week. Will salvage the other 100 acres of planted and volunteer pines. I am afraid hardwood bottoms will be terrible.
Can’t decide to clean up after loggers or just let it rot.


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## HIGH COUNTRY

An absolute giant was killed yesterday in our area.

Chasing a doe, i thought kinda early for really mature buck like that - I mean he is a stud!

May be biggest one harvested that I have ever seen from the area...


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## Son

Our club lucked out and didn't get much damage from the hurricane. Only because all our mature timber has been harvested in stages, and replanted. Young pines of 15 feet high and shorter took the storm well for the most part. Live oaks didn't fair so well, the storm took many of them down, and across our roads. Tower stands, all but two were laid down. Ladder stands, some survived, some didn't, depending on which way the tree fell. Hurricane got my roof, waiting on new metal roofing to replace the entire roof. Also got a shed, fence and several large trees. We're still cleaning up. Cancer surgery and the hurricane kept me from hunting until a couple weeks ago. And then I've only hunted about 8 days total. Got one 9 point, two does and several hogs so far. Just this week did our camera's begin getting photo's of older bucks, so the rut hasn't began in our woods. Guess the rut will begin about the second week of Dec. Because scrapes are showing up in great numbers, even in the food plots. It's wet, our woods are floating, and the rains we're experiencing now wont help matters much. Have some stand we can't get too without a boat, so they might not get hunted this season. I've killed the only buck in our club so far. Having to deal with the hurricane aftermath is keeping many from hunting. Hope they get in the woods soon, I like em to be around, and sharing camp too.


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## Son

My new office for this deer season. have a door on it now. Comfortable enough to take naps in. Of course i'll have a trail camera watching so I will know if I missed anything.


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## Son

After this piebald buck this season. He hasn't shown up yet, hope he does. If I get him, will make my forth piebald buck. If something better comes along, might take them instead. Can't be too darn picky.


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## Son

Hurry cane got us, but we're ok and are getting things back in order. Hope all y'all are getting back to normal as well.


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## Son

Trail cameras are showing too many coyotes and hogs. Not enough deer. My group better get busy and bust some of those varmits. 
Seeing a few does and small bucks no mature bucks showing up yet. Probably still out near the crop fields.


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## twtabb

Well my son finally got his first deer. Maybe now he can settle down and quit missing them. He shot it with his late grandfathers 30-30.
Western auto stamped on the barrel. Not a big deer but we cleaned it together.


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## psedna

Congrats!!!  My grandson smoked his first doe with a bow in miller about four weeks ago, and we both shot a pig with bow...


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## Son

I've been seeing more fog than deer lately. Some chasing going on, but young bucks are doing all the chasing. Cameras have not gotten any mature bucks day or night.


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## psedna

Same for me..,.,


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## Bear10

Report this morning is heavy fog again.


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## psedna

Still only small bucks, does - mostly at night...

Looking forward to Sunday and early next week, but could be breezy.


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## Son

I'm noticing, larger bucks are beginning to visit the scrapes younger bucks have had open for weeks now. Had one nice buck show on a scrape this afternoon right after 5 PM. Think it's a heavy horn 8 I passed on yesterday. Larger bucks are beginning to shows on cameras.


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## Son

For several days now, all I'm seeing is young bucks, from spikes up to 8 points. The does and big bucks must be on winter break. I do see some chasing sign in the roads, done at night. Cell cams are getting the best bucks around midnight, they need to change their schedule.


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## mcfay

Very few signs of mature bucks.  Mostly small bucks and does.  This past weekend was very slow


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## psedna

Got lucky, two does feeding ten steps away sunday afternoon - buck walks in behinbd me ten steps away.  I finallyt get my bow up, and with all three heads down - lead doe spooked and he started walking directly away .  finally angled at twenty yards.  Nine point, 215 lbs approximatley didnt weigh him.  Jawbone he is six and a half years old...  Best bow buck to date!  Some chasing by little bucks and some doe movement sunday am,, but nothing like I was hoping for.  Didnt hunt monday came back to work wwaitiing on colder weather before I try to get my second buck - never had only one tag left this early in the rut...  I honestly came close to hyper ventilating, never practiced shooting sitting down - but the does would have busted me if I had try to stand.  Tought enough just to get bow up off my lap, and then get the bow drawn with them and the buck basically within fifteen yards at most in open pines...


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## BASS1FUN

Nice one, Congrats


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## Son

Most everyone hunting in my group have seen chasing. I haven't yet. Couple nice bucks have been taken in the last three days, and a  couple missed. I've passed on four 8 point bucks so far, figuring they were 2.5 year olds with good racks. holding out for an older mature buck, no matter the rack. My first buck was an 8 point 195 pounds.


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## Son

Here it is, the new year and deer movement is nil. Some of my group continues to hunt in the heat, rain and wind. Only one buck has fallen this past week, a nine point. And the hunter is glad I suggested sitting in my stand. I had plenty photo's of the buck this season. I wasn't hunting him, he wasn't on my hit list.......lol.... don't ya just love it when folks have hit list? Actually I have been hoping on something bigger, we have photo's of some real monsters for our area. I need to get back out for the rest of the season, haven't hunted the last four days.


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## twtabb

Will be back at it some this week if work doesn’t interfere. Need one or two more for the freezer.


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## Son

The fat doe sang, but before she did. Timber cruisers came in and walked every block of our woods while we had 8 people in stands the last day. Everybody got down and went home before noon. The last day on Sunday. Never knew those people worked on Sunday. Maybe it was PETA.


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## Gator89

Son said:


> The fat doe sang, but before she did. Timber cruisers came in and walked every block of our woods while we had 8 people in stands the last day. Everybody got down and went home before noon. The last day on Sunday. Never knew those people worked on Sunday. Maybe it was PETA.



Too bad they did not hit a few thickets and stir a few deer up for the standers.


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## twtabb

Finally got it done. Been trying to get my son to take his first buck. He took this young buck with his late grandfathers Marlin 30/30. He left that gun to him. It has a lot of use got Western Auto stamped on the barrel.
Took the deer on land that’s been in our family for well over a hundred years. I am sure both his grandfathers would be pleased, I know his dad is proud.


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## Son

twtabb said:


> Finally got it done. Been trying to get my son to take his first buck. He took this young buck with his late grandfathers Marlin 30/30. He left that gun to him. It has a lot of use got Western Auto stamped on the barrel.
> Took the deer on land that’s been in our family for well over a hundred years. I am sure both his grandfathers would be pleased, I know his dad is proud.View attachment 1127881


Great start, and congratulations to the young feller.


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## psedna

How many days until deer season - Ha?


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## Son

One good thing about next season, the bucks start out with nice racks. The last couple weeks, we had too many busted up racks running around.


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## 4HAND

twtabb said:


> Finally got it done. Been trying to get my son to take his first buck. He took this young buck with his late grandfathers Marlin 30/30. He left that gun to him. It has a lot of use got Western Auto stamped on the barrel.
> Took the deer on land that’s been in our family for well over a hundred years. I am sure both his grandfathers would be pleased, I know his dad is proud.View attachment 1127881


That's awesome! Congratulations to you both.


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## Son

Up in our woods in Miller co yesterday, bucks still chasing. There was chasing sign on several of our roads. Looks like they are after the younger does now.


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