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Bear Hunting
Even though several big bears have been killed, WRD reports a slower-than-normal archery bear season. “Our harvest record indicates that we only have 33 bear records that have come into the office thus far, and that’s low,” said Scott Frazier, a WRD wildlife biologist in Gainesville. “Typically, we’ll tag over 100 bears during archery season,…
Hunters in Jasper County got quite the surprise while rabbit hunting on Feb. 16. Andy Wheat, of Buckhead, had joined friends from Monticello for a day of hunting. A little ways into their hunt, Andy heard a strange noise that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. After tracking the noise, Andy and friends stumbled…
WRD Senior Wildlife Biologist Bobby Bond called it right. He said with record warm temperatures pushing 80 degrees, the bears would be on the move and a high harvest might occur. Bobby nailed it. For middle Georgia’s annual one-day bear hunt, which took place on Saturday, Dec. 13, there were 12 bears checked in. This…
Andrew Johnson, 18, of Folkston, had an unusual encounter with a Charlton County bear the evening of Nov. 29. After leaving his hunting lease off Hwy 121, Andrew was headed home when his Ford F-250 struck a huge black bear—which would later weigh 560 pounds. At the same time, a local landowner was down the road…
A giant bear has been killed in Rabun County! In fact, had the north Georgia bear been weighed prior to field-dressing, it would have been knocking on the door of becoming a new state-record bear. Brent Baker, of Clarkesville, was interested in shooting a deer on some private property in Rabun County during the weekend…
Justin Sapp, of Cochran, is one patient bear hunter. Two previous years, he was on the stand many hours but never saw a bear. His luck changed Dec. 14. He was hunting his family property in Twiggs County, arriving well before daylight and prepared to spend the day on the stand. The morning was slow.…
I grew up hunting deer and other small game and always dreamed of getting a chance at a bear. When the one-day bear season in middle Georgia started last year, I knew I had my chance. I’ve hunted with my brother-in-law Chad Proctor in Twiggs for the past five or six years and have collected a ton…
On Nov. 21, Jimmy Rhodes, of Chester, and his buddy Frog Mullis, owner of Frog’s Buck Shop Taxidermy in Hawkinsville, went on a scouting trip at the Westlake Tract, an archery-only area of Ocmulgee WMA in Twiggs County. After splitting up, Jimmy stumbled upon an incredible find—a massive black-bear skull. “I didn’t know if I…
Hunters got their second chance at middle Georgia bear hunting on Nov. 10 in Houston, Bibb and Twiggs counties. In all, 14 bears, eight of which were females, were brought into the Oaky Woods WMA check station for data collection, according to Raye Jones, Oaky Woods area manager. This was a private-properties’ hunt, so Oaky…
The biggest bear GON has heard about so far this season was taken by Danny Taylor, of Ailey. He killed a 528-lb. south Georgia bear in Clinch County on Sept. 27 while on a dog hunt. “I was observing a planted pine field when I noticed a pine sapling move,” said Danny. “Then I spotted…