Question for anyone who fishies the Cohutta's near the Jacks River

Does anybody know if its legal to carry a pistol (with a valid carry permit of course) while hilking to and fishing the Jacks river?? Im kinda new to Georgia and I've heard that area is considered a state park or something???? I dont know???
I just like to always have my pistol on me, especially being in a remote area like that, but want to make sure its legal..

It is a wildlife management area or ( WMA ) and the only gun carrying permitted is for quota hunts, on duty law enforcement. The hunts are in Dec and Feb and fishing is seasonal. But I say if you can't see it you don't have it. I carry mine, or bring the dog. Hope this helps.

Cuhuttas

Remember it is a National Forest - so federal rules apply.

I have never needed one up there. Beautiful country.

wa

Check the regs for the WMA. I know that there are might be som quota hunts going on (I'm not that familiar with them, I only hunt turkey and duck, not applicable now!), but there is really no reason for much threat. I'd be more paranoid going in alone with the threat of a twisted ankle than an animal or human intrevention. I've packed every trail there many times and fished most of even the small streams. never had a problem. Most of the areas you should be concerned with as far as human threat is remote areas with adjacent vehicle access. Most thugs would be too lazy to pack that far in to bother anyone. During the summer you will run into a few "day packers" hiking down to JRF for a few cold ones, usually they are harmless. Quite a few hogs in the area (seen them many times) as well as bear. Just be smart and they will be no threat either. Besides.... its a real pain takin a swim and comin up with a wet weapon to deal with.

Later

You're good. So long as you have a GFL (carry permit)

From the regs:

UNLAWFUL ACTIVITIES:
• Placing bait or wildlife food.
• Hunting within a posted safety zone.
• Hunting within 50 yards of any road
opened for vehicular access.
• Shooting from a motor vehicle.
• Possessing a cocked crossbow in a motor
vehicle.
• Possessing a firearm during a closed hunting
season for an area, except on designated
shooting ranges, unless such a firearm is
unloaded and stored in a motor vehicle so
as to not be readily accessible, except that
any person possessing a license to carry a
concealed firearm that is valid in this state
pursuant to OCGA §§ 16-11-126(f) or
16-11-129 may carry such firearm subject
to the limitations of OCGA §§ 16-11-126
and 16-11-127, except where prohibited by
federal law.
• Possessing a loaded firearm (a gun is considered
loaded if a shell is in the chamber or
magazine, a percussion cap is on the nipple,
or powder is present on the frizzen pan)
in a motor vehicle, except that any person
possessing a license to carry a concealed
firearm that is valid in this state pursuant to
OCGA §§ 16-11-126(f) or 16-11-129 may
carry such firearm subject to the limitations
of OCGA §§ 16-11-126 and 16-11-127, except
where prohibited by federal law...

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That's if you stay on the WMA. Off the WMA, in national forest land, it reverts to state law, which is the same.

That's what I get anyway. Best bet is to call the ranger office and ask them. Cohutta is in the Conasauga District.

from: http://fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsint...hee-Oconee National Forest- Offices#Conasauga

Conasauga District

Photo of the Conasauga District Office

Michele Jones - District Ranger
3941 Highway 76
Chatsworth, GA 30705
Phone: 706 695-6736
Fax: 706 695-1872
Office hours: Monday - Friday
8:00-12:00 open
12:00-1:00 closed
1:00-4:30 open

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BTW, If you are planning on fishing in the near future:

If I'm not mistaken, right now, Jacks is closed, Conasauga is open for fishing year round. Again, check the regs.

Later.................................

Gatorb said:

what you wanting to shoot? lol

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I dont "want" to "have" to shoot anything, but I always have my pistol on me for my own saftey.

Sure it "should" be safe to go out into the wilderness and camp for a weekend, and thousands of people do it every year without harm, but you never know what can happen when you are way out there in the wild.

Tightliner said:

BTW, If you are planning on fishing in the near future:

If I'm not mistaken, right now, Jacks is closed, Conasauga is open for fishing year round. Again, check the regs.

Later.................................

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Yeah I think it opens back up the last saturday in March... or something like that. Im not going up there until mid April anyways..

THWACKG5 said:

I dont "want" to "have" to shoot anything, but I always have my pistol on me for my own saftey.

Sure it "should" be safe to go out into the wilderness and camp for a weekend, and thousands of people do it every year without harm, but you never know what can happen when you are way out there in the wild.

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When I go Im not worried about critters anyway.......just other people.

Branchminnow said:

When I go Im not worried about critters anyway.......just other people.

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Thats really my main concern, Ive spent thousands of hours in the woods through the years. Im not worried about critters but very aware and alert.

It's all the freakin crazies out there that Im more worried about, there are some messed up people out there.

You never know when you'll run into one, and out in the middle of Cohutta's with out a pistol isnt a good place to have it happen!!!

I myself totally agree.Never leave home with out it.My main worry is agressive dogs because I have run into a few on my fishing adventures.And I mainly try to fish wma because it is legal to carry because of the recently passed gun law house bill 89.

It was many years back, that I went with a small group of friends to camp on Jacks and on the second afternoon, a group of 4 bear hunters came thru heading down river and let me tell you that these fellows were rough lookin and seemed to be sizing us up. Among our group were
2 females who these guys were giving the eye, snickerin and makin lewd comments, so I reached in my tent and got my AR-7 and propped it next to me, as my friend did also with his.Not much fire power compared to what they carried but they moseyed on down the trail nontheless.
To this day I believe that we were saved some grief by having the guns even if they were 22's. (Mine did have a 50 rd. bananna clip).
Another time I was fishin the same place with my cousin and had seperated to fish when I heard someone coming that was cussin and mumblin as he came down the trail.
As he approached and saw me he started cussin louder and started to come down the bank to towards me.
I eased back my jacket, showin my pistol and he immediately veered away from me and went down the trail still cussin and mumblin to himself. I went back to camp, checked to see if everything was O.K. which it was and found my cousin who had not seen anything.
Needless to say ,I slept with one eye open that night.
I always carry a snake charmer when river fishing.
It might be some archaic law but I thought it was O.K. to have a firearm while fishin.

Gatorb said:

what you wanting to shoot? lol

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Gary Hilton quite possibly......

You never know who or what you will run across in the woods...

Mr. Hilton needed someone with a good firearm to talk with him - he is and a low life for killing Meredith Emerson..

Get yourself a GFL and you should be good hunting or fishing on a wma. You hope to never have to use it but it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. I picked up a guy that was walking in a pouring down rain once on Chattahoochee wma. He said his truck broke down and he was a good 10 miles from town. He got in the truck and a few miles down the road he started acting kinda weird. I produced a ruger 9mm out from under my shirt and we had a little come to jesus meeting in the cab of my truck. He was a perfect gentlemen all the way to town where I dropped him off. Without the gun I have no idea what his plans were. No good deed goes unpunished I suppose.

There seems to be a little bit of moral questioning on why u would need to carry in the Cohuttas' . Well I will be honest, you're no safer in the woods than you are in the streets of Toombstone this day and age. Especially in the chatsworth area. 10,000 registered firearm owners and I would be willing to be there's. A few with no sense of morality. So I carry my XD .40 everytime I go. I don't care what the regs say, I know what a threatening man looks and acts like as a( peace officer) and I don't look or ac like one. So YOU need to make the decision as to what you want to do. The chances of you running into trouble are about as good as you getting patted down by an LE officer. And if you have it on your ankle or lumbar correctly, it won't matter. Plus you really should get a GFL so that at least an officer will know you can pass a background check without question. It is not a question if it's right or wrong now but when you do run into trouble. And by doing the right things ( GFL, conceal your weapon, and have manners ) then stating your case to an officer is much more diplomatic than breaking and bending rules. You are much better off doing it this way.

TopWater94 said:

There seems to be a little bit of moral questioning on why u would need to carry in the Cohuttas' . Well I will be honest, you're no safer in the woods than you are in the streets of Toombstone this day and age. Especially in the chatsworth area. 10,000 registered firearm owners and I would be willing to be there's. A few with no sense of morality. So I carry my XD .40 everytime I go. I don't care what the regs say, I know what a threatening man looks and acts like as a( peace officer) and I don't look or ac like one. So YOU need to make the decision as to what you want to do. The chances of you running into trouble are about as good as you getting patted down by an LE officer. And if you have it on your ankle or lumbar correctly, it won't matter. Plus you really should get a GFL so that at least an officer will know you can pass a background check without question. It is not a question if it's right or wrong now but when you do run into trouble. And by doing the right things ( GFL, conceal your weapon, and have manners ) then stating your case to an officer is much more diplomatic than breaking and bending rules. You are much better off doing it this way.

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I completely agree, that is pretty much my exact thought on it..