Best WMA?

[robert carter]

I know this has been beat to death....If you were headed to the Mountains for Bear and few people where would you go. Camping for 8 days during Archery season. Also what week of Archery season do you think is best.
I have driven around Blue Ridge and Coopers. Beautiful places but I saw army trucks all over blue Ridge and Coopers seemed crowded. Any suggestions?

 

[Buckman18]

Blue Ridge and Coopers would both be solid picks, as would Chestatee, Chattahoochee, Rich Mtn, Cohutta, Warwoman, Swallow Creek, and also the
former Lake Burton and Coleman River WMA’s. Some parts of Dawson Forest has good bear hunting.

Which one is the best depends on which one you’re standing on at the moment, and whether or not you’ve done your scouting. If you scout any of those mentioned you’ll find bears. If you just show up to hunt, not so much. For which time of archery season, yes. Hunting pressure on all during archery season is fairly light, except Dawson Forest and Chattahoochee. Good luck!

 

[tree cutter 08]

Exactly what buckman said. I prefer a few spots of nf land that usually don't see a sole all season.

 

[robert carter]

Thanks Guys. I hope to narrow my choice by June. Im gonna camp Lord Willing on it and do some walking. I have been a day or two at the time up there and have a good feel for what to look for. Hope you guys will drop by in September. Ill show you around a longbow!RC

 

[tree cutter 08]

Time will tell about our acorns crop but if they don't get bit this weekend they got a good chance if weather patterns hold next few weeks. I got a feeling they gonna be good up high this year.

 

[Killinstuff]

Robert you could kill a bear in a Wal-Mart parking lot if you put your mind to it and had the time.

 

[Timberman]

I spend a good bit of time on Blue Ridge and Coopers Creek wma. They have bears for sure but I’ve seen way more bear sign on Chestatee than either of them. Cohutta is loaded and I suspect Rich Mountain has plenty too.

 

[strothershwacker]

Slip round with the wind in yer face & an arrow nocked till ye find something worth sitn on. Any of these mtns east of i-75 have good bear numbers.

 

[greg_n_clayton]

Don't know about WMAs, but your public lands here are endless !! They are everywhere !! I will give ya hint though !! The city of Sky Valley area has such a population of bears, they are in the process of putting ordinances in place for how they store trash and months of the year they put out bird feeders . Last year, they were breaking in folk's homes ! One instance, folks thought their dog was eating something in the kitchen. Turned out to be 200lb bear, setting in their kitchen floor, eatting tater chips !

 

[greg_n_clayton]

I got a question for you good folks. Anybody know where somebody could find the number of bear havested this past season vs the year before since baiting for deer became legal ?

 

[Buckman18]

Don't know about WMAs, but your public lands here are endless !! They are everywhere !! I will give ya hint though !! The city of Sky Valley area has such a population of bears, they are in the process of putting ordinances in place for how they store trash and months of the year they put out bird feeders . Last year, they were breaking in folk's homes ! One instance, folks thought their dog was eating something in the kitchen. Turned out to be 200lb bear, setting in their kitchen floor, eatting tater chips !

We might should lay off of the bears in that area and let them do their thing?

 

[greg_n_clayton]

We might should lay off of the bears in that area and let them do their thing?

LOL.....that is a thought !! Not mention the pigs that like hanging out on their golf course up there !!

 

[greg_n_clayton]

We might should lay off of the bears in that area and let them do their thing?

I like yor way of thanking !!

 

[strothershwacker]

I got a question for you good folks. Anybody know where somebody could find the number of bear havested this past season vs the year before since baiting for deer became legal ?

That's area 51 classified information stuff right there now.

 

[Joe Brandon]

That's area 51 classified information stuff right there now.

hahaha! No joke! It sure seems like it!

 

[tree cutter 08]

Good than chance won't ever see it. I've sent back over the years searching and have only found it posted for the public to view a handful of times. One year it looked like it was the 100th copy from a copy machine. Could barely make out the numbers. Not sure what the deal is with the bear harvest. Game check is almost real time results except for some of the wmas. They have yet to be updated for the public to see when I last checked