Ossabaw Island Quota Hunt Dec 1-3

Anybody going?

Any info or tips would be appreciated.

Would like to hook up with someone.

Thanks

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We were drawn for the Dec 1-3 hunt. This is our first time on the island so we are looking for information as well. Anything about the best place to launch, coming from Brunswick, to particular tracts to hunt. I know, you don't want everyone hunting your best tract. Anyone who has hunted before and would be willing to give us the sacred information, it would be appreciated. Tips for the lay of the land, best camp sites, items to bring, is the water potable, anything would be of great help since this is our first trip to the island. Thanks.

DCarter001 said:

We were drawn for the Dec 1-3 hunt. This is our first time on the island so we are looking for information as well. Anything about the best place to launch, coming from Brunswick, to particular tracts to hunt. I know, you don't want everyone hunting your best tract. Anyone who has hunted before and would be willing to give us the sacred information, it would be appreciated. Tips for the lay of the land, best camp sites, items to bring, is the water potable, anything would be of great help since this is our first trip to the island. Thanks.

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I have 4 in my party going. We were there in 2001. It was very dry. If it has not changed, the water is good, from a well in the camp. They also have a shower house with cold water only. Do bring bug spray, or the sand fleas will eat you alive. I have a Themocell unit I will try out on this trip. don't know if it will work, but will have some Deet spray just in case. Might be different if the temp is cool. The closest public ramp is 9 miles away, and you may have to stream anchor your boat. We paid for a ride from (I think the name was) Kill Kenny Marina. It was $45 round trip, about 15 minutes ride. They got the list of names drawn and sent us information. I hope they will this time. I would pack light. The only way to move from the dock into camp is with large flatbed wagons you will have to pull by hand. These thing have four 15-16 inch car tires. All trash will have to be taken with you, if not burned in the camp fire(note cans won't burn) they have to go with you. I am a big fellow(more round than tall), stop by and say hi.

Thanks for the information. I lived in LaGrange about 10 years ago. I worked at Milliken's Live Oak plant after the rebuild from the fire.
Do we need to bring our own ice or do they have an ice machine on site? It may sound silly, but I don't want to bring a lot of ice if they have it on site. thanks.

There is one cooler for hogs and one cooler for deer, but there is no ice on the island. I would bring at least some to keep drinks and food cold. The weather in Dec. down there can range from cold to down right hot.

Danny, thanks for the additional information. We plan to arrive early the day prior to the hunt, the regs say 0900. How does the DNR handle scouting that day? Will they drop you off to scout, will be have to walk to our tracts, or is scouting not allowed prior to the first day of the hunt?

You have to walk to do any scouting. Most sign in Stand sites are too far to walk and scout. Save your energy. The walk in area is about 1 mile radius of camp. You can check that out.
Last year the rifle hunt I was on the largest deer came from the walkin area.

People with boats get there some at daybreak and start setting up camp and getting in line for the sign in. DNR doesn't open up sign in until 9 am, but there will be a line.

You can have a camp fire, I would bring some kindling and I take a small chainsaw. You can only use dead and down wood, and it gets gathered up fast close and in camp.

Bring some good food, some guys eat like kings and if all you have is beanie weenie you are going to regret it.

I always take a wheeled cart and a plastic deer sleigh (cabelas) for moving the animals back to the road. There can be some long drags. The cart sure helps in gathering firewood.

Take more Ice than you think you will need. I hate a hot coke.
I take one chest with just ice to refill the one with my food and drinks.

Take some big tarps and rope to put over your camp. It seems to always rain on me.


I sure rather take something I don't need than wish I had it when
I get there.

On Areas I will PM you.

Ossabaw Hunt

Coming from Brunswick, your best bet would be to launch at the Yellow Bluff Marina in Liberty County. Hardly anyone else will launch there and you can get the jump on the Kilkenny crowd that will not be on the water before 7:30 or 8. There is a public ramp at Sunbury, but it is not open right now due to repairs -- who nows about December. Being coastal, you know to get a chart and plan beforehand (can you say sand bar?). The DNR dock is on Newell Creek on the south end of the island, right off of the intracoastal. Favor the right hand side of Newell at the mouth and then just stay to the outside of the curves.

Kilkenny is the closest place to launch, but they charge more to launch a hunter's boat because they want you to use their shuttle service. For the shuttle, you have to wait forever unless you get there at 3-4 am to stand in line or put out chairs to hold a place the night before. Your only othere option in Bryan County would be to launch at the public ramp at Ft McAllister and come down the Ogeechee or to launch at Demerie's Creek at the end of Hwy 144 and learn a lot of new water (and sand bars) on your way.

People show up early and stake out a place in line for the hunt areas. Success on the areas changes from year to year, but there are a few that are consistently productive. You are better off showing up early without a set in stone place to hunt and asking the DNR guys for advice. By then they will have been through a few hunts and know what is producing.

Take bug spray. Take lots of ice, your only way to get it is from Kilkenny -- about 15 minutes away by boat. Take a compass, it all looks the same once you turn around.

Wow, thanks for all the information guys. I have been hoping to hear some of the details you guys are giving me. Ice, tarps, firewood, are all things I had been wondering about. Looking at the tide charts, I think our trips in and out are going to be on favorable tides. The high tide will make it easier to offload the boat on the island. TR; thanks for the numbers. Mac; I'll give you a call soon. What's the best times for you? I don't want to wake up any little ones or interupt supper. Thanks again for all the information. Anything else you guys can think of which you don't mind sharing in the public forum, I know myself and others would appreciate.

I am a school teacher and usually home by 4 and up to 10:00.
The phone doesn't bother the little one .
Thursday I want be home to about 7.
This weekend I am going to a youth hunt at Blanton Creek.

Speaking of Kilkenney Marina, has any one recieved a letter from them this year? I wonder if the still send the out? If not could I get a phone number for them?

I got a letter from them on the youth hunt.

Kilkenny Marina 912-727-2215

SlipperyHill Mo said:

Kilkenny Marina 912-727-2215

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Thanks! I recieved the letter yesterday.

Hey guys,
I went to Yellow Bluff this past Sunday to check out the ride over. Rayburn, don't know if I spell that right, at Yellow Bluff is a great guy. Anyone who wants some personal service with good old coastal Georgia style should give those guys a chance. Do it quick as with everything else charming about the south, Yellow Bluff is about to modernize. Taxed out of profitability, Rayburn had to sale to developers. Goodbye to another old style fish camp. As for my trip over to the island, it went well. St. Catherine's Sound is a fairly large body of water. My chart only had depth soundings and fishing locations marked, so comparing actual location to channel markers was out of the question. Fortunately, I entered the river near a marker and exited into Newell Creek near a marker. If you're wondering, a compass is useless when trying to remember which is the right creek. By the way, the only wrong turn I made was on the highway getting to Yellow Bluff. Feeling rather full of myself for descent navigating, I went on up to Bass Pro and spent some hard earned money. I am looking forward to the fellowship, and I expect to hunt some too. Hope to see you all there.

Hey guys,
I put the boat in this weekend and busted the steering. Now I've got the center out and need to get a new steering assembly. Working six days a week it will be tough, but I'll have it back in before the hunt. Anyone have any updates about recent success on the island?

Success on the two Ossabaw hunts so far has not been great, so there should be plenty of deer still on the ground for the upcoming hunts.

On the archery hunt, 71 hunters killed 6 deer and 8 hogs. That is probably the worst success rate ever. The mosquitos had everyone up in a tree hovering over their themacell and there was a full moon that cut down on deer movement during the day. There were hunters that left after the first morning's hunt due to the hordes of mosquitos. Only two hunters hunted on the Saturday evening hunt. The bugs were just unbearable and the animals were not moving.

The P/W hunt had 80 hunters that took 38 deer and 20 hogs. Still low by Ossabaw standards, but it was hot for the whole hunt. There is more water on the island than you can imagine and most of it is in the ponds that had been dry and grown up in vegetation. It has been warm enough that the deer are using this flooded cover and the hunters can't get near them without hip boots at least. A lot of the animals that were brought in were wet -- you can figure the rest out.

Is everyone getting psyched for this hunt?

I am ready to get down there and see this island. Hope it gets cold though, I hear the skeeters are horrible now from all that tropical storm rain. I plan on doing some fishing one of the days during the midday break, so If anyone wants to go give me a shout. Just my father in-law and me. I will have a 23' c.c. bay boat.

Starting sorting through my stuff, I made a list of items to take, it got long fast. Leaving next week for the youth hunt.

Reports don't sound good and the weather will not get cold enough between now and then to kill off any skeeters.