Cohutta wilderness Georgia

[Julian]

I've seen a lot of topics about this place and am just wondering what some of your experiences are. I've looked it up on the search app here but it's just so much info it's hard to wade through it all. Was hoping to consiladate and compile some info as far as required licenses and what can be expected from a hunt in this area focusing on big game, bears specifically from a nonresident perspective. I'm from Alabama and on a budget, I'm very interested to say the least in a possibility of a big game adventure so close to home.

Any other spots to possibly go on a bear hunt in Georgia would be good to hear about as well, didn't mention any other places because I don't know of any I'm just now learning you can hunt bear in Georgia

[Pat B]

I've only been to Cohutta once and it was for trout fishing which was more like mountain climbing than fishing.

[Izzy]

Terry Green is very fond of cohutta and has killed all the critters cohutta offers. Hopefully he sees this although he's tied up with work now.

[Jerry Russell]

Cohutta is right on the Tennessee border and is the largest WMA East of the Mississippi at just under 100,000 acres and is mostly connected to the Chattahoochee National Forest of 750,000 acres.  It is VERY rugged and I have done a ton of solo backpack hunts there over the years.  You will need a Georgia hunting license, big game license and a WMA stamp.

Quality of bear hunting there is very, very much tied to mast production. In years where acorn are very sparse you will find bears if you can find the acorns.  In years with a heavy mast crop, finding a bear is like looking for a needle in five hay stacks as the bears are dispersed over huge areas and will stay in the thick laurel thickets to feed. A GPS is critical for finding acorns at specific elevations in sparse mast years as sometimes the acorns will be at a narrow band of say, 200' wide.  

  If you are hunting the cowpens or tear britches areas, get in the best shape of your life. One of my most vivid memories of Cohutta was climbing a steep mountain and being able to touch the ground without bending at the waist one bit- no joke.

Good luck on your hunt.

[Julian]

That's some solid informations thank you. I figured it was pretty rugged, normally when they say wilderness they mean it! I'm FAR from planning a hunt I'm just trying to research some cost affordable adventures for DIY bear. I'm up for an adventure just trying to figure out what would be best for me.

[Julian]

The more I research this place it looks like it would be worth a trip just to hike and camp the pictures I am seeing are beautiful. How is the fishing and small game? I'd love to get into some trout and fox squirrels since the bear seems to be aomething I need to research more in depth.

[Etter]

Doubt you can find any fox squirrels. We lost most of our greys during a mast failure two years ago but theyre coming back now

[gobbler10ga]

Killed couple good bear there

[RC]

I hunted Blue Ridga WMA a couple of years ago. Did`nt kill a Bear but it was one of the best hunts of my Life. I went to the top of a "short" mountain. A feat for my bad knees and sat on a rock outcropping that I just know a fella sat on a thousand years ago with a bow in his lap. Worth the trip.RC

[Terry Green]

All of Cohutta is not steep....there are flat bottoms and old roadbeds you can follow, and there are tops that dip up and down without much elevation change, and some trails that aren't too bad....so don't get intimidated by what is steep cause there are 100 foot cliffs there but its not all up and down unless you want it to be...and there's some up or down to get to flats....open woods and some you can't back through.

It is an awesome place, and you don't HAVE to be in the wilderness...the management area that surrounds it is HUGE!!!

I would get a map and study it, that way you will have an idea of where you want to go and what's steep and what's not and gauge what you want to do.

Sorry I didn't post earlier.