Chattahoochee WMA

Unicoidawg said:

All right guys cool off. I know Kyle and can promise you he meant no harm he's just passionate about what he loves. And even though you may not think it we would be better off if we had a 100 more just like him. Our local DNR that run these Mtn WMA's are dedicated hard working guys that have been working their tails off to clean up storm damage. I know this because I know them personally and consider all of them friends. I thank you boys for cleaning up things when your up here hunting, we need more to do this. We are all here because we like to hunt and enjoy the outdoors. No let's drop the arguing and go on with it. Now ya'll go kill some more pigs and bears those things are ruining the deer hunting.

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^^This. Killer Kyle isn't trying to start trouble. He is a great hunter and a great guy.

Clearing downed trees in Chattahoochee NF

Okay guys, time to turn this chicken scratch thread into a chicken salad thread, something useful.

I did not know the rules and regs for taking a saw into a National Forest and clearing roads. I wish I had taken the time to find out earlier. I just assumed that shy of permits and permissions one couldn’t just start clearing downed trees in a NF.

Following is the public information that I was able to acquire at lunch today. Please do your own research and don’t just take my word for it; I have been known to make mistakes, once or twice.

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I started with the DNR office in Gainesville and was referred to the local USFS office. Everybody I spoke with was great and very helpful as is always the case.

U.S. Forestry Service guidelines lines regarding clearing down trees:

1. If you come upon a tree across the road and want/need to cut it, you can do so as long as you don’t remove the wood from the forest. We do ask that if individuals cut trees from the road that they cut from ditch to ditch and clear the entire road.
2. If you want to remove the wood, a firewood permit is available for $20.00 from one of our district offices. This allows for the cutting of ONLY trees that are already down. You can remove 4 cords of wood per permit.
3. If you encounter a tree blocking a road and do not wish to cut it, please call the nearest district office and report it. We will send a saw team out as time/resources permit.

USFS District Offices:

Blue Ridge Ranger District
Blairsville, GA
Phone: 706 745-6928

Chattooga River Ranger District
Lakemont, GA
Phone: 706 754-6221

Conasauga Ranger District
Chatsworth, GA
Phone: 706 695-6736

Oconee Ranger District
Eatonton, GA
Phone: 706 485-3180

Yep you are perfectly fine to cut trees out of the road as per the regs above. Like previously stated alot of deep n.f. hunters keep a small saw in the truck. Ya never know what might be on the road on the way in or out!

My hunting experience up there is zero. (hope to change that next week) But I've fished up there a lot and the DNR has always been more than good to me. Helped me get out of a ditch I slid into and told me several good brookie stream locations over the years. The ones Ive met at least were cool guys.

Finally got a second to get on here and reply. Sorry for the late response. You are right about me Keith. I will indeed go full bore on someone I don't know when they make a sideways comment about my DNR, and especially the Chattahoochee WMA staff. I've got a big mouth and a loose cannon. I generally try to be very helpful, open, and honest with the people on this forum. I typically offer genuine advice gained from personal experience,and I make a point to befriend as many folks from here as I can. I hunt with and plan with many individuals here. Most here can attest that I am a pretty agreeable guy. Got voted the "Friendliest guy in the senior class" as a superlative many, many moons ago when I was in high school. I like people. I like all of the friends I have made here, and I'd go beyond that and say that I love and respect them. Most people here have been teachers to me. I try to help people out, constantly, in earnest. But I'll sling hot lead when I see fit. See, I have a trainload of friends and associates working for DNR here in the mountains of Region 2. You can rest assured that ain't one of them a slouch. I only know good, driven, hard working DNR employees up here. We have the best staff on Chattahoochee I could wish for. Two of my personal friends spent a week and a half cutting and opening the roads you enjoyed this weekend. So when someone takes a sideways jab at DNR, they're taking a jab at my personal friends. And that....I take personally. I'm sorry if you guys got shotty DNR employees in the flatlands, but our crew here is jam up. I have respect for them, and they deserve it.
I say all that to say this. I'll apologize if I was too quick to draw the sword. I never intend to hurt feelings, but if feelings get hurt, well...I plainly just can't help that. Can't dictate how others respond to criticism. I like seeing men of action. Slow to complain, and quick to help. Since you have helped clean the WMA, you're good in my book. You guys mentioned that I act like I "own" the WMA. Well quite frankly, I do. I'm there an average of something like 5-7 days per week. It IS MY WMA. I pay the taxes for it. And it IS YOUR WMA because you do too. It belongs to me, to you, and to the rest of the public. It is not only ours to enjoy, but to take care of and maintain like any other object or property we own.
I apologize for hurting feelings. But apologize for sticking up for my dudes in olive pants? Well I simply just don't, can't, and won't.
Thank you for cleaning up my WMA, your WMA, and for providing valuable resources, contacts, and information as a result of this thread. And get up here and kill some more pigs. Nothing finer than wild pig pulled pork!

Oh my gosh people, get a life. I too, get upset pretty regularly with DNR. Yes, they do a lot, but I could on for a lot longer about what they fail to do.
Now on to the main subject. Awesome pig. Getting lucky is much better than not. I've had luck like that as well before. My son and I went to oaky woods a couple years ago. We walked 50 yards, loaded our guns, took 3 steps, and killed a nice sow. We got lucky. (Now, that was after putting in 10 miles in the river swamps).
Just because someone killed something not far from the road doesn't mean their not a deep hunter.
Walking 20 miles into the woods to hunt is a matter of choice anyways.

skoaleric said:

Oh my gosh people, get a life. I too, get upset pretty regularly with DNR. Yes, they do a lot, but I could on for a lot longer about what they fail to do.
Now on to the main subject. Awesome pig. Getting lucky is much better than not. I've had luck like that as well before. My son and I went to oaky woods a couple years ago. We walked 50 yards, loaded our guns, took 3 steps, and killed a nice sow. We got lucky. (Now, that was after putting in 10 miles in the river swamps).
Just because someone killed something not far from the road doesn't mean their not a deep hunter.
Walking 20 miles into the woods to hunt is a matter of choice anyways.

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Dont know if its luck or not, maybe its ALL Luck........they are either there or not. Seems like most times I get a pig, its Quick or early and makes for a short day in the woods.
I always call it luck(defined as opportunity meets preparedness). I figure if I keep going, at some point in time, I will run into them. I have done that many times and simply got busted by not being ready............I am sure many times I have been so close, but never saw a thing. I have smelled them so bad I felt like I was standing on one............but never saw or heard a thing

IMHO, it's luck when you see them. Even if you have patterned them and KNOW what you think they have to do, they still have to do it and can always take a different route...........thats lucky

"All right guys cool off. I know Kyle and can promise you he meant no harm he's just passionate about what he loves. And even though you may not think it we would be better off if we had a 100 more just like him. Our local DNR that run these Mtn WMA's are dedicated hard working guys that have been working their tails off to clean up storm damage. I know this because I know them personally and consider all of them friends. I thank you boys for cleaning up things when your up here hunting, we need more to do this. We are all here because we like to hunt and enjoy the outdoors. Now let's drop the arguing and go on with it. Now ya'll go kill some more pigs and bears those things are ruining the deer hunting."


Well...I just read this thread and hate to see the bickering. I get on this forum to get relief from all the negative in life and this past month and especially this past Sunday has provided plenty of negative. I like to think that everyone on here would help anyone on here if they needed and asked for help. It's what we do as sportsmen...it's what we do as Americans.

Looking forward to the cleanup day in March KillerKyle....pulled back kept me from it last year. I've met several on this forum and Hope to meet many more of you guy's in the future.

Congrats on the pig Hunterjoe....that should eat just fine!

skoaleric said:

Oh my gosh people, get a life. I too, get upset pretty regularly with DNR. Yes, they do a lot, but I could on for a lot longer about what they fail to do.
Now on to the main subject. Awesome pig. Getting lucky is much better than not. I've had luck like that as well before. My son and I went to oaky woods a couple years ago. We walked 50 yards, loaded our guns, took 3 steps, and killed a nice sow. We got lucky. (Now, that was after putting in 10 miles in the river swamps).
Just because someone killed something not far from the road doesn't mean their not a deep hunter.
Walking 20 miles into the woods to hunt is a matter of choice anyways.

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What do you not like about the DNR?? How have they wronged you??

Mexican Squealer said:

What do you not like about the DNR?? How have they wronged you??

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Please take a minute and read the post before yours !

HunterJoe24 said:

Well, that place is loaded with hogs. They've really exploded in population the past 2-3 years. After missing a 300lb+ boar on Saturday I made up for it yesterday afternoon.

Me and my dad were doing the Chattahoochee early gun hunt which we've been doing every year since they started doing it. We were riding towards a campsite planning on hunting the ridges on the backside of it hoping to catch a bear trying to slip in and steal some food. We got to 100 yds of the end of the road and it was blocked by a tree. The road had been cleared other than 100yds from the end. You could see where the DNR ha cut a bunch of branches around the downed tree, but didn't actually cut the two main sections. That's our DNR for you. The two of us could have done it in 10 minutes or less. Well after backing up a mountain for about a half mile where one wrong move and we were over the edge. thank goodness for Tacomas and 4wd. We were taking the long trip around the mountain roads to go to the spot where I had missed the big boar as a back up plan. We came around a corner and saw about a dozen hogs feeding in a food plot right of the road and they saw us but weren't spooked too badly. So we drove past the food plot a ways, cut the truck off, and waited about 5 minutes. We snuck the 150 yds insanely slowly and quietly around the backside of the food plot. We weren't planning on them already being there and when we heard them rooting and grunting it took us by surprise. I then snuck up the food plot and was caught off guard when three sows were less than 10 yards away feeding. I then got way down and waited for the boar to come into view. He was feeling a little frisky. And when he did I stood up to shoot. They saw me and started to trot off and i put the crosshairs on his shoulder and pulled the trigger. Nothing, I mistakenly had the safety in the half safe position I like to call it. Its a Ruger. By now they were in a full sprint. So I put the crosshairs on her head thinking it would hit farther back and blew her head to pieces. I cycled and shot just in front of the boar as he was running into some insanely thick brush. It all happened in about 5 seconds. The picture shows what a .35 Whelen will do to a hog head at 15 yds. She was about 150 lbs. i thought she was small at first because the boar made dwarfed all of them.

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Let me say this very carefully so not to get someone ruffled ........ Good job on that Kill Joe! ....... I think i'm safe? ...

rospaw said:

Let me say this very carefully so not to get someone ruffled ........ Good job on that Kill Joe! ....... I think i'm safe? ...

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Thank you. Good luck to all of ya'll this season

antharper said:

Please take a minute and read the post before yours !

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I did???? Can't make the connection.

hunt hard. pray harder. eat good.