Area with most hogs in GA

Hey guys, I am from Anderson, SC and am very active on the scoutdoornews forum and have watched the gaoutdoornewsforum for years, just never became a member and posted. Always lots of good info on here. Anyways, long story short I'm about graduate college and will be looking at getting a job soon. I'm an education major and Georgia has overall better school districts, salary, retirement, etc than SC so I am looking at schools in GA. Part of the reason (and the less important, superficial reasons) why I am an education major is so I can have a lot of time off to hunt and fish and because I can live out in the most rural county I want, since every county has to have a school district so I will always have a job, no matter where I live. If you guys could live in any county in GA to hunt, (specifically hogs, but everything) where would it be? What would the general area be in Georgia? Southeast Georgia has way better schools (I've heard) than southwest Georgia, but is the hunting as good? Around the waycross/baxely/Douglas area, are there a lot of hogs? I'm up near hartwell now and they have great school district, but I have heard the hunting isn't very good. If I bought a decent amount, say 50 acres, next to a river system in southeast GA, is it pretty much guaranteed that I'll have a good bit of hogs on and around the property? I always enjoy being in God's outdoors and hunting in general, but I've always loved hog hunting specifically, especially since it's year round and I love BBQ. What counties or area of GA would you guys choose to live to hunt if you could live anywhere? Appreciate any info and help. I'm just trying to get an idea of what to expect before I start applying to school districts, especially since I've never been to south GA (I will be visiting the waycross area soon though to look at schools before I apply)

McIntosh County in general is a very good area to hog hunt. I was in a club there and it was not unusual to see 50 + pigs during the day. But the way pigs are, the next year I didn't see any sign of them on the property. The coastal counties are pretty good, and of course Fort Stewart is in the area too.

I'd check out middle ga , maybe Dooly , Pulaski , Dodge , Wilcox county's!

Jefferson County

Ride around and talk to some farmers.

A lot of them will let you hunt if not deer or small game season.

Stop by Usry's Diner in Gibson. (Glascock County)
Talk to some folks. Good people. They will get you on the right track.

Just north of Jefferson.

Most hogs I've ever seen anywhere in my life was in Wilcox County.

Not sure who told you the hunting is no good around Hartwell. I have a Jagerpro, and me and my buddies have night vision equipment and we have killed over 240 hogs in Hart and Elbert counties since October. Yes, there are areas where there aren't any, but if you look around there are plenty here.

drawedback said:

Not sure who told you the hunting is no good around Hartwell. I have a Jagerpro, and me and my buddies have night vision equipment and we have killed over 240 hogs in Hart and Elbert counties since October. Yes, there are areas where there aren't any, but if you look around there are plenty here.

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I agree, plenty of hogs to be had around lake Russell in Elbert County.

Appreciate the info guys! I will check out the counties everyone mentioned.

drawedback said:

Not sure who told you the hunting is no good around Hartwell. I have a Jagerpro, and me and my buddies have night vision equipment and we have killed over 240 hogs in Hart and Elbert counties since October. Yes, there are areas where there aren't any, but if you look around there are plenty here.

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Thats crazy, congrats on all the hogs. I should have clarified, I have heard Hart County isn't AS GOOD as a lot of other counties in GA. Hart County just seems pretty populated and like its growing fast. I have heard that there are hogs along the river though, which by your statement, obviously that must be true

Plenty of porkers everywhere but you would be hard pressed to beat the coastal counties. Kill 'em all.

follow the Ocmulgee and you probably won't go wrong
They hold the Ocmulgee Wild Hog Festival in Abbeville yearly

Jester896 said:

follow the Ocmulgee and you probably won't go wrong
They hold the Ocmulgee Wild Hog Festival in Abbeville yearly

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And that is pretty much bigtime......anything Abbeville is practically famous hog country(TV etc...)

IMHO I say find a spot in the NGA Mountains, NO DOUBT!! Everything you want and the hogs are on their way if they are not already there

Most beautiful place to be and there is plenty of ALL Game! Cept Gators...

bfriendly said:

And that is pretty much bigtime......anything Abbeville is practically famous hog country(TV etc...)

IMHO I say find a spot in the NGA Mountains, NO DOUBT!! Everything you want and the hogs are on their way if they are not already there

Most beautiful place to be and there is plenty of ALL Game! Cept Gators...

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The price of mountain acreage though.....enough to make the richest man cringe! I know folks that live on land boardering Lake Russell WMA, and they can't keep hogs off their property.

Another point to consider might be land in Stephens Co along the Tugalo River. No shortage of hogs there. Swamp land in the vicinity of Clark's Hill Lake is a great bet too! Like others have said, central Georgia property amodst ag land is a good bet.

Make sure the property you look at has a couple things. A robust water source, and thick bedding areas. Water is nearly always at the locus of hog activity wherther it be in the mtns, or coastal plains. They need places to mud, water, and they need escape and bedding cover. Places with good creek bottoms, and or muddy/swampy low lying areas are a food place to start.

If you look at a property for the purposes of hog hunting, I'd make sure the owner or realtor allows you to roam and scout for historic hog activity. Wallowing areas, bedding areas, trail, rubbed trees. Make sure they aren't getting one over on you.

bfriendly, I agree with just about your entire statement; except the last two words.
'Most beautiful place to be and there is plenty of ALL Game! Cept Gators

http://www.breakingnews365.net/597356ad53ff2/alligators-spotted-in-a-north-georgia-river.html

Really appreciate all of the great info guys. Thank you

wilcox and pulaski around the river and northwestern turner county nd south western crisp counties

georgiabound said:

bfriendly, I agree with just about your entire statement; except the last two words.
'Most beautiful place to be and there is plenty of ALL Game! Cept Gators

http://www.breakingnews365.net/597356ad53ff2/alligators-spotted-in-a-north-georgia-river.html

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You Know it Brother! Cohutta? WOW! Get a good snow, then go

from the article

They're also cautioning that more alligators could be in other areas of rivers. "It's quite possible that they're migrating further north due to climate change. Just keep an eye out for them and stay clear".



That is funny........I wonder if they migrated, I see it as a possibility. But then again, I also think Bigfoot is a very good and real "Possibility"

Anywho, there ya go man, get you some Gator nuggets too

I dont think they'd survive a winter, even a mild one up here.......... but I could be wrong that's for sure

The gator article is a bunch of bull. Who are these "scientists" saying that gators are coming to north GA due to global warming? The only migration a gator is doing to Dalton is with the help of someone. Same reason they show up in Lanier and the hooch. They can survive the winter, but they surely are not coming up here on their own.

Fort Stewart can not be beat for deer, turkey, hogs and rivers/ponds. You have 275,000 acres and the annual cost is only $60.00. You can hunt hogs year round except for turkey season. Campground on post. You are also near the coast with special hog hunts on the coastal islands.