A Year For Big Racks

The calls just keep coming in at the GON office this deer season—another giant buck from another Georgia county. We’ve seen top-end bucks killed from one end of the state to the other. 

Official scores can’t been done for 60 days after a buck is killed, so we haven’t even begun to compile all of these bucks to see how this season compares. But, it sure seems like GON’s pre-season prediction of a stellar season for big bucks is coming true. 

As always, the conditions in the deer woods vary across the state. Here are the reports from our experts in the field who are spread across Georgia. 

NORTH GEORGIA

Lumpkin County: Richard Von Scherr, of Dahlonega, reports, “Several smaller bucks had been seen in mid-November pushing does and signaling the beginning of the rut. The rut moved into full gear the weekend of Nov. 19-20 with the mature bucks actively chasing does.

“The dry weather does not seem to be impacting the deer behavior significantly at this point, but if we don’t get some rain soon, we may see travel patterns change slightly as the deer go to creeks and water ponds.

“Early December will likely continue to see rutting activity in the north Georgia mountains until the change in moon phase. At that point, the bigger bucks will likely move toward known food sources nocturnally to replenish their spent energy stores. Late December typically sees a second rut, so if you haven’t harvested that big boy yet, there is still plenty of time. Good luck, and God Bless!”

Madison County: Keith Ingram, of Comer, reports, “Well, considering how the weather has been with the warm temps and extremely dry conditions, I have seen quite a few deer so far this season. With this being said, as of the week before Thanksgiving, I’ve seen no hard evidence of the rut in the county. Normally between the middle of the month into early December is the time to be out there. I’m still seeing does bunched up and does with last year’s fawns with them. The bucks are making and working scrapes on a regular basis, but the does are showing no interest. Food is in short supply. What acorns we had are long gone, and the plots are nothing but dirt. Water is in short supply on one of my properties, but at least we have the Broad River on the other. I will finish out the last month of the season hunting as close to whatever food and water is available, and hope we get some sort of a rut before the season’s out. Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving.”

North Fulton County: Greg Grimes, of Ball Ground, reports, “I have yet to get on a bigger, older-age buck. No complaints because I have been on three good hunts and saw 3-year-olds rutting in early November. One a.m., I saw 17 deer before 10 a.m. The other guys hunting the burbs have had some great hunts with several hitting the ground. I wanted to comment as I write this it is a nice, brisk 32 degrees, and while windy, it should be great. Well, I’m writing because I’ve seen nothing. Some would call it the lock-down, and two other fellow hunters would agree with nothing seen. However, I’m getting texts that there is lots of chasing, and two big bucks just got killed. The lock-down is used as an excuse when you don’t see much. It is simply a matter of your location. It is hit-or-miss during peak rut. Spend time in the woods during the rut in the right location, and it will be a hit eventually. 

“With the bumper acorn crop, there will be plenty into December, and that is where the deer will be. The second rut is quite good in these travel-corridor deer populations, so don’t lose focus just yet. Get out there this next month, and hunt the white oaks either for some great venison or the second rut chance at your buck.”

Paulding County: Hunter Galloway, of Dallas, reports, “I hunted the Paulding Forest WMA check-in hunt, which was Nov. 10-13. On Thursday evening, Nov 10, I killed a beautiful 8-point. This buck came in, and I watched him rub a couple of trees before I shot him. His hocks were black as could be, and he smelled terrible. Wasn’t a doubt he was in rut. 

“The 1- to 3-year-old bucks have been trying to rut for a while now, but I have yet to see any older bucks start chasing in middle Georgia. I hunted a full week straight in Floyd County after the Paulding Forest hunt only to see a bunch of small bucks chasing. Nothing worthy to shoot. Typically, I do have my best of luck around the end of November into early December. The older and bigger bucks will be on the move, and some may even be on lock down with does for breeding. Best tactic I use is to sit an area with does and wait it out. Nine times out of 10, if you see a doe in December, there’s going to be a buck following it. December is one my personal best times to catch a big older buck slipping through behind a doe, and then it’s game over.”

MIDDLE GEORGIA

Crawford County: Randy Kee, of Locust Grove, reports, “November, as always, was a great time to be in the woods! The rut this season was good but seemed to be a little strung out. Lack of rain has food sources scattered, and warm temps kept shutting down activity. On days that the temps were cool, bucks were on their feet. We had a good week in early November and another good week beginning on the 15th. 

“I was lucky enough to take my best buck to date on Nov. 6, when I rattled in a 8 1/2-year-old 12-pointer known around camp as “Ric Flair.” He came straight to the horns, and I was able to take him at 20 yards. Two more good bucks were taken that week on our property. The bucks began showing up regularly just a few days before Halloween. Trail-cam photos showed them on their feet during daylight hours more than any other time prior. Scrapes were being checked regularly, and rubs were showing up everywhere. Opening weekend, there were several reports of young bucks chasing does around the woods.  

“By the time December starts, I will be focusing on late-season food sources. It looks like this will be winter browse in most of the areas that I hunt. There are some acorns, but not many. Food plots are a complete loss this season. We have not had a single drop of rain since the season opened back in September. With the rut winding down, the deer will be focusing on food and cover. Set up on a thick clearcut or a thick, secluded honeysuckle patch, and you should be able to locate some deer, and maybe a good late-season buck. Good luck!”

Fayette County: Shane McMonigle, aka “rutnbuk” on the GON Forum, reports, “What a November it has been. However, the deer didn’t seem to know we had an historic election, historic drought, smoke-filled skies, or even a super moon. It was just business as usual for them. Someone flipped the Rut Switch to “ON” on Nov. 1 in my area, and deer have been running around ever since. I was able to log time in the stand 12 out of the first 14 days of November and witnessed chasing, seeking, sparring­­—lots of activity. Things I did NOT need in November however included—another squirrel that sounded like a deer in these dry leaves, more acorns, food plot seed, a tree-stand umbrella, and sadly, I didn’t need to phone a friend to help load a big buck! I got plenty of meat in the freezer, but so far shooter bucks have given me the slip this year. I am overly optimistic about December though. We still have a lot of leaves on the trees, and I am covered up with does in most spots. At press time there is still a lot of daylight buck and overall deer activity. As usual for this time of year, the closer you can hunt to bedding areas without disturbing them, the better. This season is flying by, but it isn’t over yet folks! I’ve got plenty of arrows left and a few extra vacation days still to burn. It may be December, but look out Rudolph—here I come! Good luck, and God bless!”

Hancock County, Keith Ingram, of Comer, reports, “The season started out pretty good on our property, as the rut seems to be in full swing the first couple of weeks of November and going strong, as usual for the county. As of the week before Thanksgiving, there had been three good 8-pointers taken, and a few more seen. The acorns were plentiful and should be around through the first couple of weeks of December. After that it may get tough on the deer herd to find a good food sources. I think right now, and possibly the remainder of the season, water is what their going to be in need of more than anything. I look for the secondary rut to be around late November through early December. The strategy I would use for the rest of the season would be to sit close to a water source, but both creeks are dry, so the only thing we can do is stay with whatever food is available.”

Jones County: Tanner Edenfield reports, “With most acorns finished falling, no food plots, and the best days of the rut behind us, December will be some hard hunting. However, there’s still some potential opportunities to put a good buck on the ground. There’s a possibility of catching a doe in her second estrus cycle during the first couple weeks of the month. I had a nice buck come by chasing a doe last year on Dec. 5, exactly 28 days after the GON Rut Map’s predicted peak. 

“Food will be key through most of December. Some water oaks will still be dropping throughout the month, and deer will be eating a lot of browse, as well. Like early season, bucks are somewhat predictable this time of year. I was able to kill a mature 5-point over water oaks on Jan. 4 last year in the same general area he frequented early season.” 

Monroe County: Greg Grimes, of Ball Ground, reports, “We have managed despite the lack of rain to have some good hunts putting kids on does. The rut was a little unpredictable and still few bucks seen on camera or while hunting. A neighbor did kill the best buck ever on his land on opening day of rifle season. 

“Like most of the state, the acorns will be the main food source in December. They were still dropping in this strong wind as late as this report. Lots of deer sign around the lake and river. If drought continues as predicted, hunt close to water next month. The combo of close water, thick cover and acorns is the December trifecta.”

Walton County: Darrell Dickens, of Loganville, reports, “With the above average temperatures during most of November, it’s been a strange year for seeing rutting activity. The first two weeks of November, we hit mid to high 80s temperatures. I was seeing dead deer on the side of the road but wasn’t seeing much chasing in the woods. They were doing most of the chasing and seeking at night during the hot weather. At the end of the first week, we finally got some decent weather, and the chasing really ramped up during daylight. Once we got back into the 80s, the rutting activity slowed down again. I saw a couple of good chases this month and several nice bucks cruising for does.

“This season so far, mornings have been a lot more productive for seeing deer then afternoons have been. Typically I see more deer in the afternoons during the month of November. This was also a result of the warm temperatures.

“With the drought and virtually no food plots, I’ll be hunting around red oaks and privet for the remainder of the season. Hunting around water may also be a good idea since a lot of the creeks are drying up, and there isn’t much green browse in the woods in December, especially since food plots are in poor condition.”

SOUTH GEORGIA

Crisp County: Jodi Manders, of Cordele, reports, “To recap our hunting season so far, despite the lack of rain and being so dry we have seen lots more rut activity this year than in the past couple of years. Scrapes and rubs have been all over the place, but so have 2- and 3-year-old bucks, which are plentiful on our place. However, as far as mature bucks, there have been a lot less than years past. We have had just a few mature ones on trail cameras at night, and they have managed to stay hidden during hunting hours. 

“The doe population seems to be fewer in number. There have been several really nice mature bucks taken in Crisp County this year, according to social media. The rut activity was at its peak on our place on the 17th and 18th of November, which is later than usual for us. Others have reported that the rut had started the week prior to that in some areas. There were also some nice bucks taken in Crisp the week of the 6th through the 12th during pre-rut activity. 

“As we head into December hunting, we are really praying for some rain and cooler weather. If you have green plots, they will be good spots to hunt for sure. By mid December, we usually go back to hunting the bottoms, known travel routes and any acorns that might be left. Hope you all have safe and successful hunting.”

Early County: Sam Klement, Founder of Good Outdoor Technologies/Huntin is Good!, hunts a trophy-managed lease in southwest Georgia on the banks of the Chattahoochee River. “Our food plots are dust bowls this year. We have not had a single drop of rain since September, and it doesn’t look like any is in sight. Because of the lack of rain, most our acorns trees have dropped and are certainly hot spots to hunt. The good news, with no rain these acorns shouldn’t be rotting anytime soon and will be great places to hunt as long as the acorns are around. With regards to deer activity, our camera surveys are starting to show a good number of mature bucks starting to hit scrapes during daylight hours, with approximately 40 to 50 percent photos during daylight. With the cooler temperatures creeping in, we are seeing lots of smaller bucks starting to harass the does. Now is a good time to start to try some light rattling and grunting in hopes of getting a mature bedded buck to check out your area. Regardless of the lack of rain and food plots, my strategy is always to focus on timber changes and pinch points in hopes of catching a shooter buck slipping to or from his bedding area. If you have water on your land, focus in on it! These deer will frequent these spots daily for sure. Our rut, if history repeats itself for Early County, typically happens around the first hard frost in early December and then waxes and wains throughout December early January. If you are fortunate enough to have a farmer near your land who puts in winter wheat/rye and is irrigated, these deer will be focusing on these fields in the evenings. Try and set up in path catching them coming and going. Good luck to all my fellow hunters, and remember enjoy every single sunrise/sunset and time with your family and friends. Life is short. Huntin is good for the soul.”

Harris County: Jimmy Harper, of Hamilton, reports, “As I write this hunt report for Harris County at the beginning of Thanksgiving week, I can’t remember another year over my past 35 or so years in the local deer woods when we’ve had this many ‘good’ hunting days in one deer season, all the way from the start of bow season until now. With no significant rainfall in Harris County during this entire period, and almost no windy days as well, there have been no weather-related excuses for hunters not to be in the woods—unless they didn’t want to sit in almost beach-like afternoon conditions on many of those days. 

“Because of this lack of measurable rainfall in Harris County over the last four months, most local food plotters either lost what they had planted, some multiple times, or they didn’t attempt to plant their food plots at all. I was in the latter category and have now given up planting any cool-season food plots completely this year. This lack of green fields has resulted in deer feeding patterns to be focused heavily around the spotty white and red oak trees which did produce good acorn crops this year, with these locations having been where many of the best Harris County bucks have been killed thus far. Buck movement in Harris County was and continues to be good during the rut period, with the harvest during that period appearing to be at least on pace with that of the last several years.

“As the rut winds down in Harris County and we move into and through December, I’ll shift back into a pattern of hunting more afternoons than mornings.  With no food plots available to hunt this season, I’ll focus first on the remaining white and red oak acorns, and then on any natural browse available to the deer. Also, as the weather gets colder and other food gets harder for the deer for find, a stand overlooking a trail leading to a corn feeder located near a known bedding area will become a more likely afternoon hunting location.”

Twiggs County: Richie Green, of Jeffersonville, reports, “Can’t remember a time when I didn’t hunt in the rain during deer season, but this year is looking to make it a first, and that ain’t good for anything. Deer are feeling the effects of it, too. No green food plots to graze in or green of any kind for that matter. So if you have water on your hunting spot, hunt it because they will come.

“Some people have found the magic though. Jody Chance, of Danville, killed a beautiful Twiggs County 9-point with his bow. Jody said the buck came out right by himself eating on the edge of a  field. He shot him at 4:30 p.m. at 20 yards with a Rage Hypodermic. He ran probably 70 yards or less. This is his best bow buck to date. 

Another good one was killed by Wesley Odom, on Danville. He killed a tall Twiggs County 8-point with super tine length. Wesley said he had been watching a black bear only 10 minutes earlier.

“I haven’t heard of much rut activity around here other than a little chasing by smaller bucks, but some colder weather is coming, so maybe the second rut phase will be better. But the main thing is rain. I heard one guy saying he was carrying it on his 4-wheeler to 55-gallon barrels cut in half on his lease because he didn’t have any streams or ponds. Hey, we hunters can find a way.”

On The Cover: Sledge’s Worth Co. Giant

This month’s GON cover is an incredible Georgia buck killed in Worth County on Nov. 2, by Shannon Sledge, of Ty Ty.

Shannon told GON the buck had been seen on his dairy farm for the past three years, and his buddy Roger White Jr., aka “Skippy,” had been hunting the buck. Skippy works on the dairy.

“He hunted that deer for three years and never saw him while hunting him in the daylight, never got a daylight picture,“ Shannon said. “This was right here on our dairy. We only have maybe 25 acres of woods on the farm, and that little head where the buck lived was maybe 10 acres. I never hunt my place because I didn’t want to intrude on his hunting. Hunting there was just like a fringe benefit for him. He’s put cameras out all over, and we had said that he needed to kill the buck this year or something else was going to happen to him.

“So he calls me up yesterday, and he says, ‘I just saw him.’ This was at 11 o’clock. When I got finished with what I was doing with my work, I came back home, and he’s got the climbers ready. I said, ‘Man, it’s 1:30 in the afternoon—I can’t sit all day. I just can’t do it.’

“He said, ‘If you’d seen that big son of a gun, you could.’

“So we feel like he may still be bedding in this little head of woods. We work out a plan. I’m supposedly going to Point A, which is north of where he’s gonna go in the woods. Well, there was a man picking cotton up there, so I went to Point B, the next place where we think he might cross this powerline that runs through there. We walk in together on the powerline, and I’ve got my shotgun and my rifle—I’m prepared for this deer to cross,” Shannon said with a laugh. “He’s got his climber and his rifle.”

“When we’re walking in on the powerline, there’s a little creek, a little draw. I saw some big tracks, and I said, ‘This is where I’m going to set up.’ Then I didn’t feel comfortable about that spot. I couldn’t see very far, so I walked a little farther and saw a big trail and said, ‘This is where he’s going to cross.’

“So I get set up, and I’ve got my shotgun and my rifle. Skippy goes on up about 50 yards ahead of me, and he turns and walks in close to where we think he’s bedding up. Just like we planned, he walks in, and out comes this big son of a gun. You couldn’t have planned it any better.

“He came straight at me, and I shot him with my rifle… I should say, I shot at him. He didn’t slow up. So I grabbed my shotgun, and I unloaded three rounds of 00 Buck. He didn’t go 50 yards.

“It was just a crazy event,” Shannon said. “But a buck like that, we might not have ever killed him hunting traditionally.

“I always called it Skippy’s deer,” Shannon said. “I felt bad. I hated that I killed it, but he was happy for me. He really was.”

Word soon spread among their friends, and lots of pictures were taken as folks gathered at Shannon’s farm. Tye Cottle, a GON subscriber from Tifton, put a tape on the antlers.

“I just measured horns, and it was dark and we were shining flashlights trying to do it real quick,” Ty said. “I got 196ish. I know there will be deductions all that, and I wasn’t trying to be exact, but I know he’s in the 190s.”

GON readers might recognize Shannon from last year’s Truck-Buck contest. Shannon won the Week 1 South category with a Turner County Pope & Young buck, and Shannon competed in the Truck-Buck Shoot-Out at the Outdoor Blast hunting show in Duluth.

Oconee National Forest Gives Up Huge Bucks

There are more than 100,000 ares of public-hunting land available on the Oconee National Forest. The forest land is spread out in various-sized tracts from Oconee County south of Athens to Jones County just north of Macon. 

Don’t dismiss public land as not good deer hunting. A couple of bucks killed on the Oconee National Forest last month are proof. On Nov. 11, Jeff Goins shot a main-frame 10-pointer with six kicker points. The buck green-scored in the 170s and should net in the mid 150s. 

The next day on another part of the forest, Ben Holt shot a big 13-pointer. 

Both hunt stories appear in full at www.gon.com