# Mountain Hunters Needed!



## 35 Whelen (Oct 4, 2016)

http://www.gon.com/news/chattahoochee-national-forest-cohutta-wma-hunters-need-to-rise-up


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## Possum (Oct 4, 2016)

link to comment online
www.tinyurl.com/FoothillsLandscape.


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## Killer Kyle (Oct 4, 2016)

I'll be headed up to one of these. Not sure which yet. Anybody else going?


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## Joe Brandon (Oct 4, 2016)

Killer Kyle said:


> I'll be headed up to one of these. Not sure which yet. Anybody else going?



I believe I'll be making the Lumpkin Cty meeting on the 13th. In fact I will be.


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## jbogg (Oct 4, 2016)

Thanks for sharing.  Hoping to make it to next Thursday's meeting in Dahlonega.


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## whitetailfreak (Oct 4, 2016)

I'll be at the 11/1 meeting in Crandall. This needs to be posted in the turkey section also.


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## Luke0927 (Oct 4, 2016)

If I don't have kids baseball can probably make the Lumpkin meeting.


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## buckeroo (Oct 4, 2016)

Killer Kyle said:


> I'll be headed up to one of these. Not sure which yet. Anybody else going?



I plan to hit the Gainesville or Lumpkin meeting.


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## PARA1977 (Oct 6, 2016)

I'll be at the Crandall Meeting


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## Hammer Spank (Oct 7, 2016)

I hope to see some more cutting in the future for the grouse and turkey populations, but I really doubt there is much hope for a big increase in deer. Chattahoochee wma is loaded with early successional habitat because of the tornado and deer are still real scarce. There is only one reason and it is bears. Bears are incredibly succesful fawn killers. Coyotes arent even in it. Personally, Id rather have the bears. The entire rest of the state is absolutely covered in deer anyway. Im sure a lot of locals disagree with me but huge black bear populations rarely coincide with big deer numbers.


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## herb mcclure (Oct 7, 2016)

*Mountain hunters needed*

Plan to make the Dahlonega, Lumpkin meeting.
herb mcclure


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## Russdaddy (Oct 11, 2016)

will be @ Crandall


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## Killer Kyle (Oct 12, 2016)

I will be at the meeting tomorrow night in Dahlonega. Some of y'all still going? Id like to do a group photo with the GON Forum members here if possible. Think that would be neat.


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## Gerrik (Oct 12, 2016)

Gonna try to make the Dahlonega meeting, if I can get to 400 prior to 5pm.


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## Etoncathunter (Oct 12, 2016)

I want to make the Crandall one, but I think I'll be stuck working.


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## lampern (Oct 13, 2016)

If you can't make the meetings, you can usually mail or email comment


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Oct 13, 2016)

Killer Kyle said:


> I will be at the meeting tomorrow night in Dahlonega. Some of y'all still going? Id like to do a group photo with the GON Forum members here if possible. Think that would be neat.



That's the closest one to me, but I' leaving tomorrow at lunch headed to Illinois.


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## josh chatham (Oct 13, 2016)

ill be about 1 mile from the meeting teaching at night school.. Wish I could be there! Please inform us on what is said.


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## jbogg (Oct 13, 2016)

I will have to stay at the office until late tonight.  Will try to make it to Clayton next Tuesday.


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## Killer Kyle (Oct 13, 2016)

Guys, if you are local to Dahlonega and utilize the National Forest resources we have, and you skip tonight's meeting without a legitimate excuse, then your sister is your cousin, and your mom wears combat boots. That is all I have to say about that! Be there and support these potential changes within the bounds of our forests here. If you use it, it is also your responsibility to give back to it.


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## Luke0927 (Oct 14, 2016)

How did it go, I wasn't able to make it Gainesville is actually closer I should be there.

Any talk on forrest restoration for improved grouse habitat?


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## herb mcclure (Oct 14, 2016)

*Mountain hunters needed*

Same here Luke, I was unable to be in Dahlonega; but I hope to be at North Hall's Saturday morning meeting.
herb mcclure


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## Killer Kyle (Oct 14, 2016)

josh chatham said:


> ill be about 1 mile from the meeting teaching at night school.. Wish I could be there! Please inform us on what is said.



Hey Josh...this meeting was different than I had expected. Not a lot was said, per se. An introduction was given, and some brief welcomes. The Forrest supervisor cave a very general outline of their goals. She stated that in the past, a lot of great ideas have been presented, and a lot of good plans had been made, but it seemed the FS has faltered in following through with such plans historically, and in the management plan, she wants to see a very proactive stance taken in the management of the forest. "The right work, in the right places, and for the right reasons" was the theme of the presentation. After a brief overview, the attendees were released to visit various stations that were manned by FS personnel working within various departments. It was somewhat set up like an expo. The stations around the room showcased the various departments I.e. Unique Habitats, Timber Management, Recreation, fire planning and controlling, ect. Attendees were encouraged to visit the stations, look at the various aspects of information provided, ask questions, and engage the supervisors in conversation. We were encouraged to talk about concerns, things we'd like to see done, things that may need improving. Various methods were given for leaving comments. You could do so on the forum created specifically for this project on tablets located at each station, or you could manually write the comments on the boards provided.
I spoke with the recreation supervisors about the closing of the primitive camping sites along the southern stretch of Chattahoochee River Road on the WMA which were closed this year due to homeless people living there for like eight months throughout this year and completely trashing the campsites. I made it known that I'd like to see them re-opened and volunteered my time to clean them up and collect trash when I am there, and to report excessive or prolonged use of the sites. I spoke to a guy named John in Timber Management about the increased frequency of dying red oaks that I am seeing in my woods, the potential for reforesting the B3F3 chestnuts back cross bred by the ACF. Seems like those gears are just starting to turn. The FS does have a test plot of trees they are tasked to monitor, and they serve as potential seed stock in the near future. If all goes well, he said they might begin propagating the trees within the next five to ten years. I also spoke to an individual in the fire section about their methods, purposes, plans of approach, ect. I did see in the rec Dept that lots and LOTS of maintenance issues have been identified in and around public use areas with frequent travel. Culverts that need to be built over streams, hardened stream crossings, runoff reduction, road and trail widening, ect. In Timber Management, much planning is going into the thinning of certain pines where they are taking over forests that were traditionally hardwood forests. Namely, the white pine and loblolly pine. Jason McGoughey told me he has just completed a weeklong marking of pines to be removed from Lake Russell WMA in the immediate future.
As is stated in the article from the hyperlink above, this is a public input phase, so nothing finite has been produced. The forest manager, Betty said they plan to have a hard management plan for the next 10-20 years finalized "by this time next year".


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## jbogg (Oct 14, 2016)

Thanks for the recap Kyle.  I am hoping to go next week, or at a minimum completing the comment section online.


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## Killer Kyle (Oct 14, 2016)

Thanks J.

For everyone here, if you are planning to attend one of the meetings, I urge you to pre plan and make a list of questions you have, concerns you have, and proposals you have prior to attending the meeting so that you can provide some thoughtful insight and valuable input on the varying issues you see within the NF or its management. I don't usually loaf too much in the foothills region they have designated, but many, MANY of you here do. I guess I piddle most in the region they have designated "high mountains". Anyway, I went in there under prepared, and in doing so, was left scraping and scrambling for questions to ask on the spot. I'm still a mountain novice, and the majority of you in this forum know more about the mountains than I do, and so you most likely have better insight to issues that I do not. If you'd like to express your opinions, concerns, or desires, these meetings facilitate a place to express them. Not often does the government ask our opinions and how they can cater to our personal interests, so when that opportunity arises, and you have something valuable to say, seize the day. Leap on that opportunity!


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## Cwb19 (Oct 14, 2016)

Thanks for the info Kyle  due to my work shed won't be able to attend any of the meetings but will check the online comment section   as for the homeless they have moved to tray mt. Same car has been at one campsite since aug


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## Killer Kyle (Oct 15, 2016)

Cwb19 said:


> Thanks for the info Kyle  due to my work shed won't be able to attend any of the meetings but will check the online comment section   as for the homeless they have moved to tray mt. Same car has been at one campsite since aug



Yep. Sounds about right. I think July/August was when they closed those campsites on Chattahoochee. I knew of a man and a couple that were staying there. Now I think another homeless man is sleeping every night in his SUV. Before the lower Chattahoochee River Road turns to dirt, there is a bend in the road and a pull off, and there is a man parked there every single night. He has been parked there every night for months. Every time I drive by he is smoking a cigarette and is talking on the phone. Anyway, the lady at the presentation told me that homeless people living on the WMA's has become a significant concern lately.


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## Gerrik (Oct 16, 2016)

Red SUV? I've seen one parked at one of the lower campsites several times since bow season opened.


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## Hammer Spank (Oct 16, 2016)

This year's bow opener was the first time in a long while that I didnt see that long haired "meth skinny" guy and his girlfriend. Hes always shirtless. Guess he just moved one wma over


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## Cwb19 (Oct 16, 2016)

Yes that's the one


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## herb mcclure (Oct 16, 2016)

*Mountain hunters needed*

Killer Kyle, and all the rest of you mountain hunters on this thread. I made the meeting at North Hall, Saturday morning. They are open-minded right now.At least I made my point about the future of the hardwoods loosing-out to the white pines; in the not to distance future. 

The forest service seems very concerned about the problem too. A nice forest service representative even type my prepared comment talk, which I had written beforehand, into the online-remarks --under general  remarks. For all to read. 
herb mcclure


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## Killer Kyle (Oct 19, 2016)

Gerrik said:


> Red SUV? I've seen one parked at one of the lower campsites several times since bow season opened.



Yup. He is there every single night I believe, and most mornings. I have been running around diffetent places lately, so I haven't been back the last couple of weeks.

Herb, thanks for your attendance! I know a great deal of planning is going into some thinning of white pines and loblolly pines. I met one of your old friends there, northgahunter (incredible guy!!!), and he and I talked about the pines as well. Wouldn't it be cool if a guy could buy a $10.00, or $25.00 permit to hand saw, machete all the white pines he could for say 30 days? We will never see a day like that arrive I'm sure, but it is fun to dream. If that were the case, I'd have arms like Hulk Hogan from all the swinging!!


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