2nd cohutta hunt WARNING

[Etoncathunter]

Here is the latest:

Basic Information
Current as of 11/13/2016, 8:15:45 PM
Incident Type Wildfire
Cause Lightning/natural
Date of Origin Sunday October 16th, 2016 approx. 03:15 PM
Location Wildfire in Cohutta Wilderness, 13 miles west of Blue Ridge, GA
Incident Commander Marty Bentley/Danny Bryant
Incident Description Lightning Ignited Wildfire In The Cohutta Wilderness Of The Chattahoochee National Forest.
Current Situation
Total Personnel 203
Size 19,411 Acres
Percent of Perimeter Contained 20%
Estimated Containment Date Wednesday November 30th, 2016 approx. 12:00 AM
Fuels Involved

hardwood leaf litter, pine needles, and mixed shrub understory.
Significant Events

Light and variable winds with low dispersion and clouds moderated fire behavior today. Smoke affected locations near and away from the fire area had reduced visibility. The smoke over the fire area prohibited the use of aircraft to support operations. Leaf fall continues to cause reburn along containment lines.
Outlook
Planned Actions

Continue strategic firing in as needed to secure containment lines. Continue to monitor for spot fires and mop up hot spots.
Projected Incident Activity

The fire behavior is moderate to active. Strategic firing, mop-up and monitoring will continue along the containment lines.
Remarks

Rough terrain and continued leaf fall could cause containment problems but fire fighters continue to clear the lines and monitor the fire.
Current Weather
Weather Concerns

More sunshine, slightly warmer temperatures and lower humidities in the 30 to 35 percent are anticipated on Monday. Temperatures will moderate a couple more degrees on Tuesday with slightly lower humidities and slightly stronger winds. High pressure will remain in control of the weather into Tuesday though a weak

cold front will approach and move through the area Tuesday night into early on

Wednesday.

Warmer temperatures are expected from Wednesday through Friday, with low

humidities on Thursday and Friday, coinciding with strong winds on Friday as a strong cold front approaches. A small amount of measurable precipitation could fall from Friday night into Saturday.

from http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5078/

 

[bfriendly]

Burn Baby Burn!!! I say don't even try and stop them. Let them run their full course. Can you imagine how good the deer and grouse hunting is going to be in this area within the next 3-5 years? This is a very good thing. I am sure many and most of these fires are due to human users, but I am stoked (pun intended?) about them. They bring health to the forest. I say let them rip, let them roar. They might be an inconvenience this season, but they will prove beneficial for seasons to come. That rough ridge area is going to be a killer place to hunt over the next decade!

If it started by a lightning strike, then Nature intended this area to burn anyway right? I am with you brother......let it burn. I too hope noone loses any houses and or structures. And of course I hope no one gets injured.......200 Fire fighters up there doing battle with it. I hope they all stay safe...........

 

[Etoncathunter]

Kyle I agree with you this will be a good thing in the long run. How good I don't know. Most of the info I'm seeing is it's primarily a leaves/dead fall fire. So after a couple years of quick regrowth I think it will eventually get back to normal due to the existing canopy, but it will be good while it lasts. On this one the next day or so should tell the tale on containment. The fire is nearing the major breaks (FS68/fs17 & Conasauga/Jacks rivers) and is coming up against back burnt areas. If the wind behaves and doesn't make it jump any of the lines it should just burn it's self out and burn out the few interior islands of unburnt understory over the next week. Thankfully due to this being in the wilderness area there were almost no residences inside the perimeter and as long as it stays contained all the cabins and stuff should remain safe.

 

[Always Searching]

I just got my December issue of GON, and on page 50 it states that Cohutta WMA is closed to public access. Is this correct? I know that the wilderness area is closed, but was under the assumption that aside for some closed roads and trails, the rest of the WMA was open. Anybody out there know for sure? I really wouldn't be surprised if it is closed and the last hunt was cancelled.

 

[Etoncathunter]

They are having the hunt. The entire wilderness area is closed, and the area east of fs16/old hwy 2. Most of the rest will be open. I will try and get the link and post it here in the morning.

 

[Etoncathunter]

Here is the realse about the hunt
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/5078/34689/

Hunting Information

Effective November 27th 2016

The November 30th through December 4th Firearms/Buck Only and Bear Hunt on the Cohutta Wildlife Management Area (WMA) within the Conasauga Ranger District will occur, with certain restrictions, due to the Rough Ridge Fire. The fire was detected on October 16th and has burned 27,870 acres within the Cohutta Wilderness and areas outside the wilderness in the East Cowpen/Jigger Creek and the Bee Knob area south of Jones Settlement.

The Rough Ridge Fire is still not fully contained and firefighters will continue to work in the area. The potential for the fire to reburn through previously burned area is possible. There will be emergency vehicle traffic on all Forest Service roads around the Rough Ridge Fire. Please reduce your speed on these roads and adhere to all road closures and do not block gates or park vehicles in areas where the fire has burned.

The following areas and roads will be closed during November 30th through December 4th for the hunt:

See map for details

· Cohutta Wilderness south of Jacks River

· WMA lands east of Forest Service Road 16 and east of the Conasauga River to the Cohutta Wilderness boundary

· WMA lands north of Forest Service Road 64 to Buddy Cove Gap and generally west of the Pinhoti Trail to Forest Service Road 126

· WMA lands north of Forest Service Road 126 and generally west of the Benton MacKaye Trail to the Wilderness boundary

· Forest Service Road 51 (East Cowpen/Jigger Creek)

· Forest Sevice Road 126 (Elliot Road/West Fork Jacks River)

· Forest Service Road 18 between Emery Creek Trailhead Parking Lot and Shanty Creek is closed to motorized vehicles because of a landslide

· Forest Service Road 630D (Rocky Flats) is closed to motorized vehicles because of a sinkhole

The following roads will be open during November 30th through December 4th for the hunt:

· Forest Service Road 64 from Watson Gap to Jacks River Fields Campground and FSR 64 from Potato Patch to Three Forks Parking Lot

· Forest Service Road 16, 17, 17B, 22, 49, 68, and 630

The following seasonally-gated roads will be open during November 30th through December 4th for the hunt:

· Forest Service Road 151 (Mooneyham)

· Forest Service Road 17A (Pleasant Gap)

· Forest Service Road 630C (Lackey Knob)
· Forest Service Road 304 (Barnes Creek)

and the map.
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/photos/GACH...-Ridge/picts/2016_11_26-11.14.14.393-CST.jpeg

 

[Beaudeane]

I checked myself & my daughter & my dad in this evening about 5:00 on the Cisco side. We made 117 total hunters checked in per the board at check station. Nothing had been checked out so far at that time. Rain probably had a lot to do with that today. I will be up there tomorrow morning watching part of gods great creation. This will be my girls first hunt ever. Shes 13 & just finished her hunters safety course 2 nites ago. Taking her after school Friday & back for the weekend.

 

[Beaudeane]

Scouted a lot today. Gps said 6.38 miles walked. Caught glimpse of one pig but it disappeared b4 I could get the crosshairs on it. Found a few rubs, no scrapes & very little rooting by pigs. More guys camping up there than I thought there would be with the cool nites & no fires allowed. Was 41 degrees when I started off the mountain at 6:40.

 

[tonyrittenhouse]

Is the check station open on the Holly Creek side ?

 

[Beaudeane]

Not sure. I checked in on Cisco side. May be able to go to that one off 52 but the map shows the road closed going up holly creek side. Or it looks like that to me anyway

 

[deerpoacher1970]

Is the check station open on the Holly Creek side ?

It is open but you will have to go in from HWY 52.

 

[Joe Brandon]

Anyone got any cool Cohutta pics and harvest stories today?

 

[Beaudeane]

Not yet. Did see a baby pig on the way in running up the road. It dove off the strait downhill side & disappeared a little ways b4 hickey gap. Never saw a big pig behind or in front if it. I haven't been to the check station since Wednesday pm. Didn't hear any shots this evening. Good luck to everybody headed up there in the morning.

 

[Beaudeane]

Got there at 5:50 this morning. Was cold. Saw nothing but squirrels. Found a few more rubs & a bed on way back to trk. We headed home at 1m. Heard 6 or 7 shots total since day lite. Was fun but my daughter has an archery tournament at 4 today so she's in the shower & we gettin ready to head to it for this evening. Can't wait to take her somewhere with a little higher deer population & less hills. Her first real hunt was cohutta & she still wants to go back so it worked out well. Good luck again to the rest of u guys going back this evening & tomorrow

 

[Wetumpka]

I guess that i lucked out when I got my two bear up there a couple of months ago. It was EXTREMELY dry though, so dry that it was like walking on kinlin. Tons of acorns though.

 

[deerpoacher1970]

I found tons of fresh bear sign Friday.

 

[twincedargap]

I found tons of fresh bear sign Friday.

What kind of sign?

 

[deerpoacher1970]

What kind of sign?

BEAR sign you trying to be funny.

 

[twincedargap]

BEAR sign you trying to be funny.

Not trying to be funny. Just wondering if you were finding tons of scat, leaf raking, tree climbing??? I'm not seeing much despite lots of miles. With all the leaves scat seems hard to find. Just wondering what your seeing. I'm a newbie so maybe I'm overlooking something and hoping to learn from your observations.

 

[deerpoacher1970]

Yeah lots of scat,and they had the ground wore slick and tracks and feeding sign everywhere .