Need some input on a hunting plan

[ron w]

Being new to Georgia last fall I tried several places to hunt, mostly WMA's. Not to productive for me so this year I think I will change my approach. I think I will take a day pack or lumbar pack with a lunch and water, and my regular gear, my bow and a few arrows and just take a hike. I will try to wander and find some good looking areas with sign or browse. I think this will shown me some new territory and maybe lead me to some game. Anybody else hunt in this manor or am I barking up the wrong tree. I know private land would be better but being new to the state that's not so easy. Give me your thoughts or ideas......  thanks

[Cory Mattson]

Sounds like scouting- which is necessary

Try to get you a private place inside that Bow Zone that will cover days available and fill the freezer

GA has so many fantastic WMAs - pick one and get to know it and you will have plenty of deer turkey and hog hunts - spend at least one weekend a month scouting

Blackbeard Island is one of my all time favorites- steeped in bowhunting history- adventure wildernesses and loaded with game

Good Hunting <><
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[Terry Green]

This place is covered up with deer. Berry is know as 'The Deer Factory'.  They were the major contributor to repopulating GA, back in the 70s.

Just Google Berry College Management Area.

[ron w]

I’m over near Buford, want to be a bit closer to home. Don’t want to travel 2 hours to hunt.

[Patknight]

Dang if i thought  that way id probably  never hunt...ya gotta want it...

[Bowguy67]

What are you hunting for? Wandering aimlessly hoping to luck into a spot lowers your odds.
If say you’re early season “scouting” for white tails learn their preferred food sources and scout them out not where the deer are now.
After you find the areas as things start to ripen watch and determine relevance.
Let me explain.
I’ll use oak ridges up north as an example. This time of year you can easily see oak stands. I’d head into em and look primarily for white oaks. There’s dif types but they most often key in on them first. Take note of blacks as well and place them in order in your brain.
As summer comes you’d walk the same areas w binoculars. Check the trees to see if nuts are growing and how well. Say they’re all great. Use your preferred food sources first as they deplete you already know where to go next. You’ve planned your hunt already.
Checking trees you can often tell ones most used by squirrels clipping tree tops off and throwing em down. If the squirrels are keying in the deer are as well around here.
Say you had bean fields. Great draws. They can’t be kept out when fields are green but sit there when they’re yellow and you have a low odds chance. Brown things go back up.
Corn, they often eat the silk than here the rows are planted to woods. They stay inside and it’s too tough for the most part. Upon harvest the deer are nuts in a fresh cut field for a few days. Show up weeks later it’s over during daylight hours.
You can approach rutting type areas, escape routes etc the same way. Find old rub lines. Come walk phase rut it might show directions to set up in.
I could go on but if I write too much it’ll make you not read.
Turkey, hogs whatever. Plan to succeed not hope to blunder into a “good” spot

[ron w]

Most of what I’m looking at is big woods,  very little agricultural land !! I was planning to still hunt ,  not just wander aimlessly !! I’m almost 70, just can’t go like I once did !! Still want to give it a shot......

[Bowguy67]

You don’t have to stand hunt. You still wanna key in on areas like I suggested. If you knew food sources or routes to em, you’d just start there.
I’m not a bedding hunt area guy. I think it’d add too much pressure. Not good imo. They need areas to relax. Calm deer are easier deer

[ron w]

I know what to look for, been at this for a long time. I just thought some guys from Georgia or the south would maybe have tried what I’m talking about.

[Bowguy67]

Well brother there’s lots of guys at this forever who don’t know what they don’t know.
I don’t know you and was only offering insight. Good luck

[emptyquiver]

Sent you a PM Ron.

[elk nailer]

best way to learn a new area is to take a walk!

[bucknut]

Hey Ron,  I agree there is no better time than the present to get feet on the ground.  Unlike the posts a bit further up I use this time as my main scouting time.  I hunt big woods National Forest almost exclusively. (just not in Georgia) I use the sign from the previous year (Trails, Rubs, Scrapes and maybe a shed or 2) as my tool to tell me where they will be next year or later years. I think winter/ early spring is the easiest time to unravel the puzzle .On heavy mast years they will for the better part use the same travel routes.  When mast is bad is when it gets difficult, because the change in food can take them clear out of your area.. Being unfamiliar with the area the first thing I would do is get some Topo maps and try to find some terrain features that help steer wildlife your way and possibly get you in a spot away from others. Just my 2 cents.  Get out and enjoy! 

John

[ron w]

Thanks bucknut 

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Good luck Ron.  Learning new areas can be fun but discouraging at the same time. Hope you find some good spots and try to remain positive.  I know nothing of the area you are now in or about southern deer. 

My best advice is to try and run ole RC down or try to search some of his old posts. I had the feeling he is down to earth and would be up forca chat.

 Seems he knew how to get it done in the south, and if I remember correctly hunted almost exclusively WMA land. I think like others he did well on persimmon trees.

I know you're like me and cant seem to get into hunting mode when its 85 degrees out. But the deer are from the south and 85 doesn't bother them like it would us lol.

Again wish you all the best. When you figure it out, I'm inviting myself down for a hunt.

[ron w]

RC is a long way south of me, total different landscape. Where I am able to get to quickly is a lot like the Adirondacks! Only a lot warmer.

[rastaman]

Hi Ron!  Back in the day when I was in college in Athens a buddy of mine and I hunted the Oconee National Forest.  This is the time of year we would be out roving with our bows and a topo map.  Sometimes we would have to relocate due to hunting pressure, but then we would find the nastiest hidy holes the deer would migrate to.  It was fun and we ended up being successful after the first year and figuring things out. 
Back to Terry's post above regarding Berry college....my hunting buddy was from Rome and that is where I had a lot of success because there are lots and lots of deer up there.  It would be worth a 2 or 3 day camp out!  Good luck to you sir!

[Sam McMichael]

Hi, Ron, it's been a long time since I hunted public land, but down here there is a lot of National Forest land and management areas in Middle Georgia. The trick is to find a good place that is not inundated with hunters. Part of your scouting needs to be finding some back roads into areas that that are not heavily hunted. One thing that allows you to get away from the crowd is to find a fire lane and walk a goodly distance from the road. This is easy walking and navigation is not a problem, yet, it allows you to get away from the madding crowd. Find a few groves of oaks or other mast trees that are near a bedding area and keep a check on them. Also, most of the "city dwellers" don't care for the thick bottoms, but deer love them. Since you hunt from the ground, this could be just the ticket for you. Remember, this is the sunny South, so make sure you have and use quality snake boots. GPS is also good to have. Remember to always spray your clothes with Permethrin, because ticks are a severe problem pretty much all year. Good luck.

[ron w]

Thanks Sam, I have been looking down your way some. Bad part is it’s about a 2 hour drive.