Posts by Daryl Kirby
Hunters Rally Against Park At Rich Mtn. WMA Archery Tract
About 200 hunters packed a recent Gilmer County meeting, upset over what they heard were the county commission’s intentions for the Cartecay Tract, a state-owned property east of Ellijay managed by WRD as a WMA. While some may have had hopes to develop the Cartecay Tract with more park-like features, hunters had other ideas, and…
Read MoreLegislative Update: Some WMAs Likely Spared The 2009 Budget Knife
The key issue for sportsmen during the current Georgia legislative session is the Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) budget. The overall budget for WRD has been cut year after year along with other state agencies, despite sportsmen paying for about 80 percent of their own way through license fees and taxes on sporting equipment. This year,…
Read MoreSadness, Fond Reflections Around Woody’s Campfire As Woody Coffee Mourned
Woodrow Wilson “Woody” Coffee Jr., 66, of Alto, died of a heart attack in his home Saturday, Jan. 24. Woody was born Aug. 22, 1942 in Habersham County. He founded the Chattahoochee Bass Club and was a member of the Walkinshaw Hunting Club in Richmond. Woody was known to thousands of sportsmen through his business,…
Read MoreSpecial Legislative Meeting On Northern Zone Deer Season Proposal
There will be a special subcommittee meeting on HB 402 on Wednesday, March 4, at 3:00 p.m. in Room 216 of the Capitol. HB 402, introduced by Rep. Martin Scott (R – Rossville), calls for a statewide ending date for deer season. Since no one expects a shorter season for Southern Zone deer hunters, the…
Read MoreGeorgia Legislature Debates Proposals That Would Impact Sportsmen
While the key issue for sportsmen during the current Georgia legislative session at the state capitol continues to be the Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) budget, several bills have been introduced that could affect hunting and fishing. The overall budget for WRD has been cut year after year along with other state agencies, despite sportsmen paying…
Read MoreNo Change Yet To Snapper, Grouper Limits And Seasons
Limit reductions, season closures, new non-fishing areas — federal efforts to manage saltwater fish have recreational anglers confused, while charter captains question the data being cited for proposed restrictions. The bottom line for right now is this — Georgia snapper and grouper limits and seasons have not changed yet, and the fishing is excellent. At…
Read MoreWRD Eyes Increase For Non-resident License Fees
State senators and representatives from across the state are at the capitol for the 2009 legislative session, and that means sportsmen should be on the watch for bills that could affect hunting and fishing. Budget cuts promise to take center stage this year. GON will keep sportsmen updated as WRD’s budget evolves during the legislative…
Read MoreFDR Park Deer Hunt A Success
Georgia’s largest state park, 9,049-acre F.D. Roosevelt State Park in Harris County, near Pine Mountain, held its first-ever hunt to control deer populations. The quota hunt, operated in conjunction with WRD, took place Jan. 13-14. Out of 150 hunters selected in the quota drawing, 105 attended the hunt, and 104 deer were killed — 78…
Read More2009 WRD Regs Meeting Draws Crowd To Dalton
Close to 200 people packed the Jan. 8 WRD public meeting in Dalton to comment on hunting regulations. Most were deer hunters who want a later closing date for the Northern Zone deer season or more either-sex days in some north Georgia counties. The crowd was part of an organized effort that included ads in…
Read MoreCougar Shot By Hunter In Troup County
On Nov. 16, Dave Adams of Newnan was deer hunting with a muzzleloader on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers property along West Point Lake when he shot and killed a male cougar that weighed 140 pounds. The property was south of Hwy 109 near the Abbottsford community west of LaGrange. According to DNR, the cat…
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