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Bear Hunting
Kill a Georgia Mountain Bear Since the late 70s, when WRD began managing the bear harvest, the idea has been to grow the state’s bear populations to sustainable levels. Mission accomplished — especially in the north Georgia mountains, where nuisance bear complaints were at record levels last year, according to Adam Hammond, WRD’s Bear Committee…
Georgia bear hunters are currently limited to killing one bear per season. If the Georgia legislature passes a bill currently being considered, DNR would have the option to raise the season bear limit to three. The bear-limit legislation, HB 1000, is the only bill of significance on the radar of sportsmen this legislative session, according…
In December, a rumor reached GON that biologists with WRD were meeting to discuss the possibility of allowing dog hunting for bears in north Georgia. There was a bear meeting at Dawson Forest on Dec. 8, but the impetus for the meeting may have been the opposite of what the rumor suggested. Region I Supervisor…
It was a remarkable archery season for black bears in north Georgia, and the gun opener brought in a flood of bear reports to the GON office. Judging from those reports from hunters across the state, this year’s black-bear harvest is on track to be off the charts. Here are two of the most impressive…
The topic around the breakfast meeting places across the north Georgia mountains the past month has been bears. Bears in the backyard bird feeders. Bears in the trash. Bears almost getting hit on mountain roads and highways. The past few weeks another topic of the conversation is bears — and some big ones — being…
On opening day of archery season 12-year-old Laura Cloud of Jasper may have become the youngest hunter in Georgia to kill a bear with a crossbow. Laura and her dad, Raymond, were hunting on a Pickens County club. “I had found a few white-oak and red-oak acorns right together that were falling,” said Raymond. “I…
North Georgia bear hunters this year set a new record for total numbers of bears harvested, taking 259 bears. The number eclipses the previous record of 256 set in 2003 and follows a slow hunting season during the 2004 season. The rebound year was not unexpected. “We figured that this would be a bounce-back year…
Randy hadn’t even got situated in his stand yet when his 13-year-old son Hunter Crumpler shot. Randy, from Townsend, headed 75 yards away to learn that Hunter had shot at a big bear. This all happened Saturday, November 12 on a Dixon Memorial WMA bear/deer hunt. After a quick search Hunter discovered the big male…
The night before, and then again upon rising out of bed on opening morning, I considered not even going bowhunting since I have never shot any game on opening day of archery season. Finally, I decided to go ahead on and give it another try. After all, opening morning only comes once a year. Not…
Despite the heavy rain, Gabe Kidd, of Calhoun, and Chuck Cain went to the Lake Burton WMA bear, boar and either-sex hunt on Nov. 16-17. The result would be the first—and likely the last—big bear either will ever choose to tangle with. Chuck arrived at the campsite Saturday at about noon. Gabe had hunted that…