Georgia deer hunt in sept.

[STEVE R.]

looking for someone who has hunted or hunts north georgia wma's? maybe blue ridge. We are thinking about a deer hunt in sept and looking for info on the area.

[Jerry Russell]

I live, hunt and guide for deer, bear and hogs in that area.  If I can help you with information on your hunt just give me a call.  It is a beautiful area.  Get in shape.  Some sections of Blue Ridge WMA  can be very steep.  You will love it.

[Lady Frost]

   

[Etter]

I applaud your gumption but your odds of seeing anything but bear and hogs in the NE GA wma's is pretty low. Beautiful dirt and those hills will heal the soul, but there are better places if deer are your main quarry.

I spend a few thousand hours a year in the NE ga mtns but bears are where my heart truly lies.

[Possum Head]

Has this area of Georgia always suffered from a low deer count?

[johnnyk71]

haven't ever hunted deer there, but i once shot a BIG black bear in the butt with a slingshot and a piece of ice, hahaha!

true story.

he was in the trash, and that was all i had on hand. we were renting a cabin there, and i was up on the deck above him. he roared, and tore out of there!

[Possum Head]

Only Johnny  

[RC]

I agree with Etter. I hunted Blue ridge a couple of years ago and have seen no place more beautiful. But the deer hunting there is very poor compared to farther south.

[Nantahala Nut]

If it is anything like the deer herd up here I would go somewhere flatter. I love hunting in the southern Appalachians but numbers are low and you gotta put in the time scouting to be successful. It took me an entire season last year to figure out the deer in a new game land. There is awesome squirrel hunting in these hills though!

[Sam McMichael]

Steve, when RC speaks, it is a good idea to listen. He is one of the best and most successful hunters in Georgia. Head a little further south in the state, and your chances of success will greatly increase. There is lots of public land with large deer populations. Hunter density is not so great that you can't find a remote place to hunt without too many other people around. Good luck!

[Etter]

The north ga mtns used to be covered with deer but a complete lack of early successional habitat and the extremely large bear and coyote population has taken its toll. I regularly see between 20 and 90 bears per year up there but maybe only 10 or so deer.

Due to some horrendous tornado damage in a few areas, the deer do seem to be on the rise a little and there are some giant bucks to be had way back in those hills. Ive got plenty of sheds to prove it.

[STEVE R.]

Gentleman I really do appreciate the return on this post. You have been very helpful.

[Terry Green]

Yep...what they said.

I hunt Cohutta in Sept for Bears...I see more hogs than bears, and more bears than deer while hunting.

I do see more deer DRIVING to Chohutta and in the lowlands of the WMA than in the Mountain.  If you see a buck there, there's a good chance he's a bruiser.  I remember one I saw...22 inch spread classic 10 point, with an 8 and a 6 pointer....but again, deer sightings are rare.  Lots and Lots of poaching went on in years past and decimated the population in the Mts here....I guess if happened elsewhere....but there's a reason we have such high limits here in GA....there is no shortage in deer over all...and that too is for sure.

[STEVE R.]

we do plan on getting a bear tag also.. This positive info on the bears is exciting. My bud really wants a bear more than a dear. I in it for the fun. Got a new hammock from warbonnet and cant wait to try it out. thanks again..oh yes we chase them hogs down here for past time. I got to where i can stalk up close to them.. Lots of fun..

[Etter]

I did 13 miles of climbing up there today. Bear sign galore. I saw 3 buck rubs the whole way and one pile of deer scat.

There are a pile of acorns this year. From what I have seen, whites and reds have produced heavily from 2200-3900 feet at least. Gonna make it tough to pattern them this year.

[STEVE R.]

Etter, was that in the blue ridge area?

[STEVE R.]

Terry do you hunt the Cohutta wma or the wilderness area?

[Tracker2]

Glad I saw this thread.

I recently moved to the Lawrenceville, GA area and this is my first hunting season in GA. Ill be hunting the North GA WMA's. Not sure where just yet but Ill figure something out. I have seen several bears up hiking there but no hogs. I think Ill just throw up a stand on opener and go from there and scout through the season.

Let me know what you find and maybe we can hunt together sometime!

Cheers

[Etter]

Not in blue ridge, but north ga basically has the same weather patterns which promote the same mast crops. Id be happy to provide you with tips on bears through private messages, but areas themselves are hidden like my tax returns. I work very very hard for bears. In the blue ridge area, your best bet for bears is cohutta for sure. Id look at topo maps and search for long, narrow, and flat ridges from 2600-3900 feet. Id look for ones that are a long way from the roads. My favorite bear places are usually 2-6 miles from the truck, have a thick enough understory for stalking but not too thick that you make a lot of noise while slipping. We do sit some on good trees but our main strategy is slip hunting and listening for bears up in trees. Sneak up and wait for them to climb down and shoot when they get close to the deck.

[Etter]

Oh, and I wear light hikers because of the miles we do, but there are a lot of timber rattlers and coppers in north ga so be cognizant.