Redlands WMA 93 doe days!

I do not understand why the DNR refuses to manage the Redlands WMA. It has once again it has 93 either sex days on its 37k acres. If compared to Cedar Creek 's 37k acres the doe days have been reduced to 45 days. Cedar Creek manages its deer population with check in hunts and an on site game biologist during those hunts. This is a great WMA due to these efforts and the game biologist should be commended for a good job recognizing the ebb and flow of deer management on a highly used WMA. This is not the case in Redland's which has not had a check in hunt in a decade. Even the Oconee National forest with its 115k acres reduced its does days to 54 and the Chattahoochee National forest's 750k acres is down to 45. If you ask the DNR they say it can handle the doe days, but if you hunt the WMA you can see pretty quick there few deer on the entire property. Redlands has been been grossly mismanaged for years. In my humble opinion the U.S. Forest service needs to take Redland's back and manage it like they do in the rest of the national forests in this state.::ke:
 

plumber_1969

Senior Member
Please be happy with what you have in Georgia. We in the sorry state of Florida (public land hunting), have little if any doe days. But our politician run F.W.C., couldn't tell the difference between a doe and a donut. So, go on a hunt here, see a pile of does (could do that at a zoo) but very few if any legal bucks. Oh let us not comment on the Military bases, where once you have the deer figured out (2nd week of the season), they close to bases to maneuvers (reservist). So please enjoy that you have decent hunting regulations and not absurd ones like your neighbors to the south. I could also go on about the one redfish rule.....
 

Allen Waters

Senior Member
I can remember being at Redlands years ago when they had what they called a bonus hunt. They would tag your deer at the check station and did not go to your yearly total? They had UGA students there checking weight and age of deer. I clearly remember on one of the hunts OVER 500 deer being checked in for 3 days!!
 

dmclain1

Senior Member
Amen to the Florida post, I have hunted in Georgia with my family since I was young, I'm 24 now and started hunting in Florida 2 yrs ago when I can't make it to Georgia mostly during bow season, and where I hunt is not uncommon to see 20-30 deer in a sit 90% does and small bucks and guess what no doe days at all in Ocala... Last time I went scouting I lost count at 30 deer at about 7 pm in a field 100 yrds from my stand.... One or two shooter bucks out of all and I would rather kill a doe for meat than a young buck any day.
 

mstew

Senior Member
in my opinion, redlands is not managed for anything more than motorcycles. i grew up hunting on the penfield side dating back 20 yrs ago when there were plenty enough deer and good sized deer as well. now, no one wants to hunt that side anymore because of the motorcycles and 4-wheelers that run daily from 10am-3pm. they keep the deer run off.
 

C.Killmaster

Georgia Deer Biologist
Two things, Redlands is not a contiguous tract of land like Cedar Creek. When the pressure is on, the deer retreat to private land. Second: Collectively, Georgia WMAs must provide a wide range of hunting opportunities to suit the wide preferences of WMA hunters. Some are managed for quality bucks, some for best opportunity to kill a deer of any size, and some for maximum hunting opportunity for those that may have only a few days to hunt throughout the season. Redlands was chosen for maximum hunting opportunity because it can handle it while some other WMAs can't. More hunting opportunity will mean fewer deer, but you can hunt at your leisure. If that is not your preference, there are dozens of other WMAs to choose from.
 

tournament fisher

Senior Member
one thing for sure--- cedar creek is managed 100% correct. if you dont believe it go to the check station on the first buck hunt and look at the grown uns coming in to be checked out. its crazy to the amount of huge bucks. i love cedar creek. killmaster is correct on what is happening at redlands and the wmas in general.
 
I used to work on the Oconee National Forest back in the 80's and early 90's. In the late 80's, DNR wanted to place all of the Oconee N.F. north of I-20 into a WMA. Our District Ranger was opposed to the Idea because he did'nt want to limit hunting Opportunities for all hunters with "scheduled" hunts. He later agreed to making the area to a WMA only if DNR kept Redlands open with the state season remaining the same. I know the either sex days have changed a lot since then.
 

35 Whelen

Senior Member
The first two weeks of firearms season used to be buck only at Redlands.
 

shakey gizzard

Senior Member
I do not understand why the DNR refuses to manage the Redlands WMA. It has once again it has 93 either sex days on its 37k acres. If compared to Cedar Creek 's 37k acres the doe days have been reduced to 45 days. Cedar Creek manages its deer population with check in hunts and an on site game biologist during those hunts. This is a great WMA due to these efforts and the game biologist should be commended for a good job recognizing the ebb and flow of deer management on a highly used WMA. This is not the case in Redland's which has not had a check in hunt in a decade. Even the Oconee National forest with its 115k acres reduced its does days to 54 and the Chattahoochee National forest's 750k acres is down to 45. If you ask the DNR they say it can handle the doe days, but if you hunt the WMA you can see pretty quick there few deer on the entire property. Redlands has been been grossly mismanaged for years. In my humble opinion the U.S. Forest service needs to take Redland's back and manage it like they do in the rest of the national forests in this state.::ke:

Must be gett'n ready to build a really big Walmart there.:pop:::gone:
 
I'm sorry but 93 either sex days equates to a free fire zone with if its brown its down philosophy. That is not game management, and the excuse of giving hunter access or opportunity is ridiculous. There are plenty of WMA-s in this state as well as Federal land to hunt, none of which are managed as poorly as Redlands. No check in hunts and no game biologists reviewing the data, year after year, give me a break there is absolutely no legitimate game management in Redlands, sorry it ain't there. Having a doe day for the entire deer season results in eventually killing the very does that support the herd after the deer season. They need to give it back the U.S. Forest service or have a more realistic management policy.
 

C.Killmaster

Georgia Deer Biologist
I'm sorry but 93 either sex days equates to a free fire zone with if its brown its down philosophy. That is not game management, and the excuse of giving hunter access or opportunity is ridiculous. There are plenty of WMA-s in this state as well as Federal land to hunt, none of which are managed as poorly as Redlands. No check in hunts and no game biologists reviewing the data, year after year, give me a break there is absolutely no legitimate game management in Redlands, sorry it ain't there. Having a doe day for the entire deer season results in eventually killing the very does that support the herd after the deer season. They need to give it back the U.S. Forest service or have a more realistic management policy.

I didn't say that you had to agree or like it, I just told you why it was that way.
 

thaney10

Senior Member
If you look at Allatoona AMA and it's schedule, it's wide open the entire season like Redlands. Allatoona has some of the worst success rates in the state now that the dnr has stopped managing the WMA properly. When it was somewhat managed, there were good deer numbers. Not anymore.... Makes you wonder why they don't shorten the hunting seasons on these wmas.
 
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I'm sorry but 93 either sex days equates to a free fire zone with if its brown its down philosophy. That is not game management, and the excuse of giving hunter access or opportunity is ridiculous. There are plenty of WMA-s in this state as well as Federal land to hunt, none of which are managed as poorly as Redlands. No check in hunts and no game biologists reviewing the data, year after year, give me a break there is absolutely no legitimate game management in Redlands, sorry it ain't there. Having a doe day for the entire deer season results in eventually killing the very does that support the herd after the deer season. They need to give it back the U.S. Forest service or have a more realistic management policy.

Those 93 days include archery and primitive weapons seasons. If you are going to include archery, there are about as many doe days in the Chattahoochee National Forest, as you can hunt either sex with a bow the entire gun season.

Redlands does not have doe days the entire season. It has significantly fewer doe days than the surrounding privately owned land.
 
Well that's precisely why I think it should go back to the forest service. There is no game mangement on the Redlands WMA. And for anyone who hunts out there, ya'll know exactly what I'm talking about, very weak deer populations. Mr. Killmaster you are right I don't like it, its not management, its an excuse. If you haven't been out there lateley it also changed, many of the surrounding properties are now occupied by homes and not so many clubs. The management should change as well....
 

Throwback

Chief Big Taw
Does anyone else notice the irony of a person with a screen name of "MEAT HUNTER" complaining about too many doe days?

T
 
Hey the issue is an over hunted WMA that I hunt that has been neglected and un managed for years with DNR personnel on this blog telling me that its to too bad. Stick to the issue friend
 

Benjie Boswell

Senior Member
Redlands is way to scattered to ever have much in the way of managed hunts. I'm sure it will probably go back to being handled by the USFS soon, as Carl will be retiring in a year. Living in the middle of it, I will hate to see him leave. I remember before it was placed in a WMA, it was like the old west. Carl really cleaned it up.
 

Milkman

Deer Farmer Moderator
Staff member
take 10 deep breaths ................ now type ;)
 
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