Bears still on the move

Killer Kyle · Dec 13, 2017

Don't write 'em off just yet fellas. Bears are still on their feet. I cut a fresh set of tracks in the snow today on Swallow Creek while scouting, a friend of mine found tracks in the snow in Towns County, and I think TreeCutter came across several different tracks today while scouting in the NF. It ain't over till the season is over! Good luck y'all!

twincedargap · Dec 13, 2017

Saturday am is gonna be a bit nipply but I’m in. Hoping they’re hungry after such a cold week.

Buck Roar · Dec 13, 2017

Checked cam up on Swallows yesterday and got this small thing. He moved my cam right after that and didn't get any more pics. Also got on a good set of tracks up there.

Killer Kyle · Dec 13, 2017

They have been on the move despite the recent cold temps. Sat will be chilly, but barely more than the last few days. One thing I can say after scouting today is this...
I found lots of deer, hog, and some bear sign. I was looking for buck sign in my honey hole, but only found a little. The deer haven't been feeding in the spot I scouted today, but they have been feeding there this time of year in the last three years. That is a red oak spot where the deer just kill the acorns there in December. I have hunted it two of the last three years, and saw mature bucks there both of those years. Shot at one the first year and nicked him with a bad free handed shot. But in the snow today....zero feeding sign to be found anywhere. The hogs have been rooting through the snow and eating though. It makes me think the deer are eating something else more available and not wanting to dig through the snow for the acorns. Anyone else have any input about this? I checked three different food plots today, and none of them were planted. Only mowed grass and weeds. Not a single one of them had deer, hog, or bear feeding sign in them, only deer and yote tracks cutting across them.

jbogg · Dec 13, 2017

I will be hunting from noon until dark on Friday or Saturday on NF. All of my spots are up high and mostly northern facing. Is there still a fair amount of snow up high on the Northern slopes? Temps have been low all week so I’m guessing there may be some left on the ground.

Buck Roar · Dec 13, 2017

jbogg said:
I will be hunting from noon until dark on Friday or Saturday on NF. All of my spots are up high and mostly northern facing. Is there still a fair amount of snow up high on the Northern slopes? Temps have been low all week so I’m guessing there may be some left on the ground.

Yes. I was at 3400 Ft yesterday and was still 6 or 7 inches

Killer Kyle · Dec 14, 2017

Where I was, not a single inch of snow has melted. Every bit of it was still there. Solid blanket of snow.

jbogg · Dec 14, 2017

Killer Kyle said:
Where I was, not a single inch of snow has melted. Every bit of it was still there. Solid blanket of snow.

That was slow going in that deep snow last Sunday. Might have to hunt some lower elevations on Chestatee instead. I know Tom A. Is going, and pretty sure treecutter never misses that hunt. Anyone else going?

tree cutter 08 · Dec 14, 2017

Sitting here right now! Cut 7 different bear tracks yesterday. Go high if you want a bear

j_seph · Dec 14, 2017

Not bear but hogs are too, buddy of mine cut down this past weekend with 7 shots killing 4 hogs in one hunt.

Killer Kyle · Dec 14, 2017

You're right Jseph. I was up high on swallow creek. I'm not sure if I cut tracks from three or five or six different bears. Checked one food plot that was slap covered in bear tracks.
On the way out this afternoon, I spotted a group of big hogs about 300' drop down off the ridge in a deep cove. I just thought "there ain't no way I'm going down there for a hog!!"

twincedargap · Dec 18, 2017

Hunted multiple sites this weekend. Definitely noticed that bear tracks were "lower" than where I'd been thinking they were active. It was great to be able to see their routes, as well as deer and hogs (w/ch I was surprised by them being so high). I didn't hunt much as I was scouting most of the time, building the knowlege bank, hoping to parlay that into success later this year or next. I have a new reason to head to the mountains the next snow event, where I plan to combine some hog hunting w/scouting.

On a side note & thread killer, anyone know whats up w/the 348 Memorial Parkway over Hogpen being closed still? Its closed at 75 on the S end, and then maybe a mile or so above Helton Creek Road (Hatchet) on the N side. Roads over Neels, Jacks, & Unicoi were open, and not that many trees were down.

Also, one my way home about 1:30 saw a nice buck running across a field off 348, then I hit a medium sized buck about 2 miles from Turner's Crossing. The Ranch Hand bumper was covered in hair, but otherwise unscathed. The buck got up & ran, couldn't find him. So guess the bucks were moving mid-day yesterday.

The mtn man · Dec 18, 2017

twincedargap said:
Hunted multiple sites this weekend. Definitely noticed that bear tracks were "lower" than where I'd been thinking they were active. It was great to be able to see their routes, as well as deer and hogs (w/ch I was surprised by them being so high). I didn't hunt much as I was scouting most of the time, building the knowlege bank, hoping to parlay that into success later this year or next. I have a new reason to head to the mountains the next snow event, where I plan to combine some hog hunting w/scouting.

On a side note & thread killer, anyone know whats up w/the 348 Memorial Parkway over Hogpen being closed still? Its closed at 75 on the S end, and then maybe a mile or so above Helton Creek Road (Hatchet) on the N side. Roads over Neels, Jacks, & Unicoi were open, and not that many trees were down.

Also, one my way home about 1:30 saw a nice buck running across a field off 348, then I hit a medium sized buck about 2 miles from Turner's Crossing. The Ranch Hand bumper was covered in hair, but otherwise unscathed. The buck got up & ran, couldn't find him. So guess the bucks were moving mid-day yesterday.

They always close Richard Russel when it snows. A couple times I have met the dnr, at the gate on dukes creek side, they opened the gate for me when I told them I was hog hunting, exact words were, kill them all and stomp the eggs.

twincedargap · Dec 19, 2017

The mtn man said:
when I told them I was hog hunting, exact words were, kill them all and stomp the eggs.

If you find hog eggs :crazy:

, pls take a picture before stomping them!

Killer Kyle · Dec 19, 2017

twincedargap said:
Hunted multiple sites this weekend. Definitely noticed that bear tracks were "lower" than where I'd been thinking they were active. It was great to be able to see their routes, as well as deer and hogs (w/ch I was surprised by them being so high). I didn't hunt much as I was scouting most of the time, building the knowlege bank, hoping to parlay that into success later this year or next. I have a new reason to head to the mountains the next snow event, where I plan to combine some hog hunting w/scouting.

On a side note & thread killer, anyone know whats up w/the 348 Memorial Parkway over Hogpen being closed still? Its closed at 75 on the S end, and then maybe a mile or so above Helton Creek Road (Hatchet) on the N side. Roads over Neels, Jacks, & Unicoi were open, and not that many trees were down.

Also, one my way home about 1:30 saw a nice buck running across a field off 348, then I hit a medium sized buck about 2 miles from Turner's Crossing. The Ranch Hand bumper was covered in hair, but otherwise unscathed. The buck got up & ran, couldn't find him. So guess the bucks were moving mid-day yesterday.

348 will often stay closed much longer than other roads after snow and ice. It stays icy up there. It's a pretty drive when they open it back up though because water drips off the rocks up around Hogpen Gap, and refreezes which forms icesicles. All the rock faces will be covered it the icesicles and it is absolutely beautiful!
Hogs definitely are still fairly high. I observed them around 3,000' two days in a row when hunting Swallow Creek a few days ago. They are straight up slamming the red oaks right now and will continue to do so. In the last two hunts, I've found three different hog bedding areas in the red oaks, and they are feeding there right now. One I found yesterday literally smelled like a pasture. It was nothing but hog droppings everywhere, and that's all you could smell. Hunt the red oaks until spring. Mark my word!

The mtn man · Dec 20, 2017

twincedargap said:
If you find hog eggs , pls take a picture before stomping them!

Was just passing the that along, ever talk to any older mtn. Folks? If you have I'm sure you've heard that type of satire, I'll be sure and take a picture of hog eggs when I see them, :biggrin3:

twincedargap · Dec 21, 2017

The mtn man said:
Was just passing the that along, ever talk to any older mtn. Folks? If you have I'm sure you've heard that type of satire, I'll be sure and take a picture of hog eggs when I see them,

Sorry, couldn't resist. Yes, what they were saying was funny.

The mtn man · Dec 21, 2017

twincedargap said:
Sorry, couldn't resist. Yes, what they were saying was funny.

Haha, I guess they meant to kill anything hog... I really wish they would allow centerfire rifles for hunting hogs on nf land up until turkey season, that be great.

tree cutter 08 · Dec 21, 2017

The mtn man said:
Haha, I guess they meant to kill anything hog... I really wish they would allow centerfire rifles for hunting hogs on nf land up until turkey season, that be great.

The way I read it is you can use centerfire till Feb 28th. Centerfire is allowed for fox and bobcat now. Tote a mouth call with you.

jbogg · Dec 21, 2017

tree cutter 08 said:
The way I read it is you can use centerfire till Feb 28th. Centerfire is allowed for fox and bobcat now. Tote a mouth call with you.

I can’t keep up with all these regs. Private Land, WMA’s, National Forest outside of WMAs... Toted my muzzle loader all last winter hunting hogs, but looks like I can hunt hogs with my deer rifle until Feb 28th since it is a centerfire legal for fox and bobcat. Am I understanding this correctly?

Bears still on the move

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