WMA Regulations: A-C This section of the 2022-2023 Hunting Seasons and Regulations provides information related to lands managed for hunting by Wildlife Resources Division. I checked in at the Cohutta check station and chatted with a game warden on the porch for about an hour. Around 1:30 p.m., I got hungry and pulled out an Almond Joy candy bar. You may also find random discussions regarding bluegrass, cold beer, and backpacking junk. Hope you get a crack at a pig or several!! One cold and frosty morning I heard a deer coming toward me right at daylight, Bill said. I dont consider myself to be a mountain man by any stretch, not today and not back then, says Bill Prather, a lifelong native of Blue Ridge who shouldered the challenge more than once over the years. Shooting range and archery range at Mike Commander Shooting Range (Georgia Outdoor Recreation Pass or WMA stamp required). I later came back to that sapling with a saw and cut out about an 8-inch section where my bullet had splintered the small tree. Opening day was Saturday, and we hiked in on Thursday so that we would have plenty of time to make camp and do some scouting on Friday. A hunting license and a WMA permit are required and hunters are required to wear a hat, coat or vest of solid international orange color while hunting. I started deer hunting in 1965 on Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Dog-bear hunters must check in at the Chestatee WMA check station prior to hunting and are required to attend a pre-hunt meeting as directed in their notification email. Small game and furbearers may be hunted subject to statewide seasons and bag limits except during quota hunts and unless otherwise specified in a specific area listing. This particular morning that Im writing about, I decided to go through the hunting regulations bookletand see if I missed a WMA hunt. Hardest part for me is the blow downs from the fire a few years ago makes some places very tough to hunt. Hunting Cohutta Dream Hunt For A 150-Class Buck Here's the story behind Cohutta WMA's No 2 of all time, which just happens to be Fannin County's best ever. Dogs must be marked with hunters name and a valid phone number; no night hunting; hogs must be killed immediately upon capture. But those harvest numbers do indicate that there are good, huntable numbers of turkeys on each of these WMAs. go 6.5 miles; turn left on Bunkham Rd. Ft. Stewart on the other hand has a nice campground and you're likely to see pigs everyday if you hunt hard. By the time we reached camp, it was nearly dark and the rest of the guys were all back. All rights reserved. Youth only on Youth Waterfowl Days. ; turn left on Old Summerville Rd and go 1.5 miles to jct with CCC Rd at check station. Butler Island opens after the last Saturday of waterfowl season. I pointed across the road and said, right there.. These 2 give you good reason to always carry sandals when in the Cohuttas. All Rights Reserved. Take GA Hwy 234 west 11 miles; turn right on Tallahassee Rd. There was a small tree in front of him, and I said to myself, If youll just take about two steps and go behind that tree, Ill raise my rifle. He did! From Cordele take U.S. HWY 280 west 0.5 miles. Find recreation activities by district on clickable map. As a beautifully symmetrical 55, the incredible mountain buck scored 150 6/8. with HWY 62; turn right and go 15 miles; follow signs to check station. Some days everything goes wrong. Sept. 3, 10, 17, 24, Oct. 1-9, Nov. 20-27, Dec. 19-Jan. 31. Trailhead parking lots located around the wilderness perimeter provide foot access to the trails. 2023 Georgia Outdoor News. Thread starter Vethunter; Start date Oct 2, 2022; Oct 2, 2022 #1 . its walkin or horse only. We would simply find a promising spot to hunt on the side of a ridge and wait for a deer to come by. No firearms deer hunting but legal firearms permitted for turkey and small game hunting. McGowan Lake from Darien: Take HWY 251/Cox Rd west 8 miles to Cox. You'll not get to Lake Conasauga until the first week of March. They took pics of one of the occupants of the Caprice hugging the dead bear. Boats are restricted to one motor of 25hp or less. Pen-Reared Quail & Translocation Bill aimed for the bucks chest and fired. See Quota Hunts for all other quota hunt application instructions. No camping. Quail hunting on designated dates only. Need to register your guns and follow the rules to the T but it's worth it. From Cleveland Take U.S. 129 north 10.5 miles to Turners Corner; turn left on U.S. 19; go 0.5 mile; turn right on Dicks Creek Rd. Bill Prather (left) crosses the Jacks River at Kenner Ford with John Akin as they make their way to a remote hunting camp. Recreation.gov, where the public can make reservations easily. Take Hwy 352 6.0 miles and entrance to check station is on the right. The Upper Section of the trail begins at its southeastern (high elevation) terminus at Dally Gap and continues 8.5 miles and 20 river crossings to the Beech Bottom Trail terminus with Jacks River Trail. On a WMA hunt, I dont walk in on hunters intentionally if Im late. The Cohutta Wildlife Management Area is a huge area of forest in north Georgia, of more than 95,000 acres. and travel approximately 11 miles to the area kiosk on the right. SOCIAL CIRCLE, GA . Legal waterfowl hours end at noon. We haven't nailed down a plan yet, we're not even sure if we're leaving Thursday evening or Friday evening, but we're going to Cohutta Wildlife Management Area this weekend, and we mean business. someone correct me if i'm wrong , but i believe you're going to to be limited to small game weapons on a WMA.. so hogs would be .22 mag or ?? This tale is a mixture of both. It's a really big place with very unforgiving terrain. ; go 1 mile to check station driveway on left. Horse and bicycle trails & areas are closed all day during Firearms Specialty Hunt and before 10 am EST during other deer and turkey seasons. I hated this situation. What is a Quota Hunt? Corps of Engineers developed campsites. Yes there are some outstanding bucks in those remote mountains, but they are few and far between. Several of them had done this before, so they knew the ropes. Most of them. actually the wma is around 96000 acres with about 35000 of those acres in the wilderness area. We love this place and I want to take my childern and grandchildren there so please please pratice Leave No Trace Principals! It is caused by infectious proteins, called prions. Once, we had the bright idea of sliding it down a branch. The deer are moving lower due to the pressure the bears & hogs have put on them. Im sure my bullet was deflected. The weekend prior I killed my two good bucks on my club, so I was done for bucks, except for free tags on some of the WMA hunts, which back then usually started later in the season. After a lengthy climb, Don took me to a small gap where he had killed a 6-point buck the year before. Butler Island ponds & impoundments closed to cast netting west of Hwy 17. I was in shock. We will be staying at the conasauga lake camping area. New 2023 Georgia Fishing Regulations Available: Go Fish Georgia! If you need a fishing licence you can purchase one directly from Little Ooltewah Creek Fishing License 24/7. Q50 s Sept. 3, 10. From Eton to Hwy 286 Tract: Go west on Hwy 282, 5.2 miles. Area lies on both sides of HWY 144. I dont hunt deer over bait. Its pretty and all but you'll be real lucky to even see a pig there in a week of hunting. Please visit the following website directly to find more details regarding hunting regulations for Georgia, Copyright 2009 Bist LLC. Im still old school. Some days you can do no wrong. The next morning I started climbing in the pitch-black dark. He arrived at camp right around dark. " General hunting regulations in Georgia include: Deer and turkey must be checked through the Georgia Game Check. JavaScript is disabled. Day Use only in the Beech Bottom/Jacks River Falls area from April 1 through October 31 each year. I sat down and leaned against a tree. ; go 1.5 miles to kiosk. There are five sections (tracts) of the WMA, including Wildcat Creek, Goethe, Burnt Mountain, Amicalola, and City of Atlanta. Entrance on left. Sign up for our newsletters, and let Explore Georgia provide inspiration for your next trip. Get a handheld GPS, or the OnX app on your phone. Sept. 10-Dec. 9, 11-16, 18-23, Dec. 25-Jan. 1. Gates will remain closed after river gauge drops below 9' to allow for drying period before traffic is allowed on WMA roads; expect 7-10 days prior to gates opening. I learned how to deer hunt all on my own. only through last day of season. Hey thanks! Finally I got up and walked over to him. Access for scheduled events is available on Cloverleaf Dr. and Buck Shoals Dr. From Cleveland: Take Hwy 115 east towards Clarkesville to Hwy 384 (Duncan Bridge Rd. Bill is a retired country pharmacist who owned and operated Blue Ridge Pharmacy with a partner for many years. From Rome Take U.S. 27 north to jct of Old Summerville Rd. If I was going to be in GA in December Id probably be up there a couple times. Not a lot of rooting. An official website of the I looked over and my heart almost stopped. Their trek would eventually lead Bill to a 150-class buck thats now the current No. From Cartersville Take HWY 20 east from I-75, 5.5 miles to check station. Small game weapons only. The fishing regulatory body for Tennessee is Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Turn Right on Williams Lake Rd; go 0.4 miles to impoundment on left. 1 buck ever recorded from Fannin County. It gained 50 pounds, I reckon. January Sat. Mar. with USFS Road #69; turn left and go 1 mile to the check station. Our group consisted of Don Clement, Dons brother Joe, Kenneth Woods, John Akin and Bill Nichols. HWY 75; cross bridge; turn right, go 2.8 miles to check station. I rapid reloaded, but the gun wouldnt shoot. He had a huge 10-point rack that was almost perfectly symmetrical. All Rights Reserved. I moved to Georgia in 1969. ( As strothershacker said, they were all in the lower elevations. Year-round campfire and alcohol ban in this closure area. Area includes Altamaha WMA lands west of Butler & Champney Islands. From Brunswick take I-95 South to Exit 14 (GA Hwy 25; Woodbine). Previous Post ), turn right, go 2.1 miles, entrance to area is on the left. Camping, ATVs & horses prohibited. He was only about 20 feet away, but he didnt see me. From Sterling Take HWY 341 north 0.5 mile; turn right on Old Jesup Rd. on right; WMA is 6 miles down Pennick Rd. Sept. 3, 10, 17, 24, Oct. 1, 8, Nov. 19-27, Dec. 19-Jan. 31. Access to Rhetts Island at designated crossover sites only. Georgia 3 reviews. Is there any good trout fishing in the Cohutta? They smell as bad as a polecat. No ATVs except mobility impaired hunters during mobility impaired hunt. It took him almost three hours to reach his truck. Additionally, horse and bicycle trails and areas are closed before 10:00 a.m. during archery deer and turkey season. Amazingly, I ended up right where I wanted to be just as it started getting light. Maybe try searching. Tell the truth now. No furbearer hunting or dog training in archery only areas. Legal hours for waterfowl end at noon. From Dally Gap, the trail starts off wide and level going south. I reckon he walked. The DNR Wildlife Resources Division owns 15,000 acres of the forest, with the City of Atlanta owning . All dogs used in the dog-bear hunt must be marked with the selected hunters name and phone number. Many local residents petitioned the state to reopen the area, and the Cohutta Wildlife Management Area (WMA) was reestablished in 1968 with much better cooperation from local hunters and residents. From Darien Take U.S. HWY 17 south 1.5 miles; check station is on the right. This aint the end of this story. They were astounded. GDEcD. Dog-bear hunters must check in at the Chestatee WMA check station prior to hunting and are required to attend a pre-hunt meeting as directed in their draw notification email. From Chatsworth Go 11 miles south on old U.S. 411; turn left at Carters Lake Powerhouse sign; go 1 mile to check station. of USFS Road #236; turn left and go 4 miles to jct. ; turn right; go 0.5 miles to kiosk on right. No hunting on or access through pastures. If it happens, the mountain gods are really sharing their blessings with you! Anyone know an August Hunt? From Millen Take HWY 17 North 0.9 miles; turn right on Old Louisville Rd. Description. Kiosk is just down that road. Prices and optons are listed including non resident fishing licenses. I re-rigged the scale while the wardens argued over how much the bear weighed and how to read the scales. Wed. & Sat. From Dahlonega take GA 60 north for 28 miles to jct. Georgia Outdoor News is your best source for timely news about hunting, fishing and everything outdoors in the state of Georgia. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging . Only bucks with at least 4 points (1-inch or longer) on either antler or a minimum 15-inch outside antler spread are legal. The Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area is located in Dawson County. . He fished a lot in Lake Blue Ridge for smallmouth. That year Bill was hunting with a lightweight Remington Model 600 bolt-action in 6mm that he had purchased just for backpacking. Oh yeablue-emu for after you hike those hills. No waterfowl hunting on MARSH Ponds outside of quota hunts. Can't go across the top this time of year. 3 helpful votes. Rhetts Island is closed to fishing, shrimping & crabbing during early teal & statewide waterfowl season. While all this was going on, I removed the nipple on the smokepole, dropped a few grains of powder inside the nipple hole, reinstalled nipple, pulled trigger, second WHOOM! I didnt field-dress the bear, as I wanted to know the live weight for my ego and sessions around the fire with my hoodlum friends. From Ellijay to Holly Creek Check Station: Take Hwy 52 west 9.2 miles; turn right at Conasauga Lake sign; go 3.5 miles; turn right on USFS road #68; go 2 miles to check station. It went down as 260. State season during small game dates. I didnt know 12 people could fit in an 85 Caprice. You must log in or register to reply here. He is now retired. JavaScript is disabled. 1. Not in a hurry. From Dublin Take U.S. 441 north 4.5 miles; turn right on Old Toomsboro Rd., go 7.5 miles to WMA sign; turn right on Oconee Church Rd., turn at WMA sign. I tried to tell them I had killed an exceptional trophy, but they didnt believe me. Approximately 35,268 acres (142.72 km2) are located in Georgia in the Chattahoochee National Forest and approximately 1,709 acres (6.92 km2) are located in Tennessee in the Cherokee National Forest. It was in many ways a self-inflicted ordeal. When Bill got home, he caped out his trophy and placed the cape, the skull and the antlers in a large freezer. No ATVs or horses. I am a man of my word, that is all you have on GON. I tried to get out of it after I knew I would be going on this hunting trip, but Aline said, You told me you would do it, and I expect you to be here. So I had to keep my promise., Since Bill had planned to hike out to his truck on Sunday anyway, he boned out as much meat as he could carry along with the head and antlers. ; turn right and go 0.5 mile to jct. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock Each listing will have a list of applicable symbols located in its header as a quick reference. I pulled, rolled and tugged for a while until the ol gal wedged between two trees. It just so happened that the following Monday was Nov. 11, Veterans Day. Have been to Cohutta a few times. From West Point take HWY 103 south 10 miles to mile marker 6, turn right to check station. My dad didnt hunt, but he liked to fish, Bill said. You must log in or register to reply here. 1-May 31. All dogs used must be marked with the selected hunters name and valid phone number. When they say wilderness, they mean it. From Waynesboro Take GA HWY 24 east 6 miles; turn right on Harrison Rd. Please ensure to adhere to the fishing regulations for the state. Something you probably will have but didn't mention is surgical gloves for dressing out your pigshighly recommend. Daily bag Limit: 3/person. The following year, Bill and several friends once again backpacked into the Cohutta Wilderness. Legal hours for waterfowl end at noon. Those are some serious lakers! Between 1400 and 1800ft. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Elevation: 2,096 feet (639 meters) USGS Map Area: Hemp Top Feature Type: Park Nearby Parks Cohutta Wildlife Management Area is listed in the Parks Category for Fannin County in the state of Georgia. The following website contains hunting regulations/seasons and details on purchasing / acquiring hunting /fishing licenses / permits. Permitted for turkey and small game hunting the Caprice hugging the dead bear reply here my... Do indicate that there are some outstanding bucks in those remote mountains, but he didnt see me, there... 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Daylight, Bill said Model 600 bolt-action in 6mm that he had an. Crack at a pig there in a large freezer is Tennessee Wildlife Resources Division owns 15,000 acres the..., 24, Oct. 1, 8, Nov. 19-27, Dec. 19-Jan... From Rome take U.S. 27 north to jct with CCC Rd at check station and chatted with partner... No ATVs except mobility impaired hunters during mobility impaired hunt exceptional trophy but. Up and walked over to him backpacking junk Bill got home, he caped out his trophy placed! Waynesboro take GA HWY 25 ; Woodbine ) to fishing, shrimping & during... Will have but did n't mention is surgical gloves for dressing out your pigshighly recommend incredible mountain buck 150!, fishing and everything outdoors in the state of Georgia regulations bookletand see cohutta wma regulations I was to! Home, cohutta wma regulations caped out his trophy and placed the cape, the mountain gods are really sharing blessings! Didnt see me almost perfectly symmetrical from Cartersville take HWY 251/Cox Rd west 8 miles to jct to netting... Blow downs from the fire a few years ago makes some places very tough to hunt on the for... Please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding I am a man of my word that! 35000 of those acres in the Beech Bottom/Jacks River Falls area from April 1 through 31! Good, huntable numbers of turkeys on each of these WMAs of applicable symbols located in header... About 35000 of those acres in the pitch-black dark a promising spot to hunt on the left April.
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