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Troup County Cougar Is A Florida Panther

On Nov. 16, when a big cat was killed in Troup County west of LaGrange, DNR indicated it was probably a captive-reared cougar. Now that genetic testing has been conducted, it turns out the cat in question came from the endangered Florida panther population, of which there are only an estimated 100 to 120 individuals…

103-lb. Flathead Catfish Pulled From Ocmulgee River

An Ocmulgee River flathead catfish weighing 103 pounds on certified scales was caught the morning of Aug. 19. The giant Appaloosa, taken above the Highway 96 bridge in Bonaire, would have swamped the current 83-lb. state record. However, the fish was caught on a trot line, meaning it’s not eligible for WRD’s state-record status. When…

Chad Poole Wins 2009 Georgia State Duck-Calling Title

Chad Poole, of Soperton, used a Buck Gardner Kryptonite call and plenty of wind to earn the title of Georgia’s 2009 State Duck Calling Champion. Chad faced tough competition to claim the title in this year’s event, which was held in Macon at the Outdoor Blast on Aug. 7. Placing an extremely close second was…

Hog Attack!

It was his last cartridge and his last hope. The 192-lb. wild boar had already gored Dr. Joseph “Larry” Jackson Sr. twice and had him right where it wanted him. It had all happened in a whirlwind… the quick tremble of leaves in the thicket, the scrape of tusks and teeth against his rifle. Dr.…

Wild Panther Confirmed In Georgia

Genetic testing by the National Cancer Institute, Laboratory of Genomic Diversity, has indicated the panther shot by a hunter in Troup County last year came from the resident southern Florida panther population. On Sunday, November 16, a sportsman observed a mature panther or cougar while he was hunting deer in the woods of Troup County.…

Is There a New World-Record Largemouth Bass?

Georgia may soon have to share one of its most coveted claims to fame — the world-record largemouth bass. The details are sketchy, because no one at GON speaks Japanese, but from what we could glean from The International Game Fish Association (IGFA), Internet forums and the Associated Press, a flashy Deps pro-staff angler from Japan, Manabu…

Central Bank Hunting Lost Money After Boater Registration Foul-Up

Problems continue with the state’s new licensing and boater-registration system. This time the headache falls not only on Georgia’s sportsmen, DNR and the company contracted to handle the duties are in the mess as well. For more than five months, from Dec. 23, 2008-May 27, 2009, Georgians who registered their boats through the new online…

New Management Plan Could Expand Hunting At Bond Swamp

Hunting access could expand greatly at Bond Swamp in Bibb and Twiggs counties over the next 15 years, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  (FWS) wants to hear from hunters in order to do it. The public comment period for a new draft of a 15-year management plan for FWS-managed Bond Swamp ends July…

Anglers Fighting For Access To Bear Creek Reservoir

More than eight years after it was impounded and stocked with F1 bass, Bear Creek Reservoir finally has a boat ramp under construction. It should be completed by August. Now, Jackson County, which will control day-to-day operations at the 505-acre water-supply reservoir near Athens, has announced plans to limit access to just three days a…

Snapper Ban Delayed As Council Weighs Ban Of Bottom Fishing

The good news first: An interim, 6-month ban on red-snapper fishing on the Atlantic coast from North Carolina to Florida has been put off. Originally slated to begin as early as June, the closure has been pushed back, possibly as late as October, as the measure is reviewed. The bad news: You better catch your…