Blue Ridge WMA

[ddd-shooter]

Hi, yes, I'll be in decent shape for the hunt - I have no issues killing a bear if its a life & death situation (May try bear hunting next year). I've learned a little bit from the lodges but mostly that there are no guarantees and to be prepared to sit in nature for many hours but, not much in the way of hunting strategy besides being aware of the wind direction. I'm hunting the same lodge in early November this year and am going to ask them to let me dress my own deer.

My concern in going solo is mostly around not knowing the land (I'm working on maps and charting a hiking path on my gps watch now) and not having enough experience in field dressing a deer

Go read the bear forum.

Then do it again.

 

[transfixer]

i hunted Blue Ridge many, many years ago, on the south end, I know its smaller now than it used to be , so the areas I hunted might not still be in the WMA ? Get a map and study it, I'm not sure if the online map apps will work up there ? not sure about cell service ? and if at all possible go scout , a lot !

 

[DasHaas]

ok, I think about as squared away as I’ll ever be. I’ve done quite a bit of research, cyber scouting, routes planned on garmin watch with backup paper map & compass.

The plan is to scout as much as possible on Friday and hunt Sat - Monday.

Now to get back into hunting shape

 

[whitetailfreak]

On public land have a back-up spot and a back- up for your back-up.

 

[DasHaas]

my hope is to scout as much as possible and mark several spots. Main concern is bumping too many deer or coming across other hunters that are set (dont want to ruin anyone's hunt)

 

[whitetailfreak]

my hope is to scout as much as possible and mark several spots. Main concern is bumping too many deer or coming across other hunters that are set (dont want to ruin anyone's hunt)

Just don't park beside or near another truck and you'll be fine. Try to scout prior to the hunt if you can.

 

[brian lancaster]

You ain’t gonna have to worry bout field dressing skills. Ain’t two deer per square mile up there

 

[transfixer]

Either get to your chosen spot a good hour or more before daylight, or have plenty of backups, walk a good half mile or more from the roads and you'll likely never see anyone

 

[DasHaas]

Either get to your chosen spot a good hour or more before daylight, or have plenty of backups, walk a good half mile or more from the roads and you'll likely never see anyone

I’m looking to hike in 1-2 miles

 

[Big7]

I don't know how much you've been off-trail in the mountains, but I know that the biggest adjustment for me, having spent most of my outdoors time on the coastal plain, was the topography... The topography dictates a lot of how the game will travel, and there are topographical features that you simply cannot traverse... Learning to see both of those things on a topographical map will help your planning a lot.

Always have a topo map and I like to print a satellite pic of the area. Mountain hunting is tough. I was just up there Saturday thinking of ways to cover territory in the NF's.

I STRONGLY suggest you learn how to compass your way in and out of a certain area on a map.

You can get lost BAD and in a HURRY messing around in the mountains if you don't know how to navigate without GPS because you ain't going to have it in a LOT of places.

 

[tree cutter 08]

Gps is nice but it will give you a false sense of direction and security. Learn to travel without it. Don't worry about getting lost. Our mountains aint big enough to get lost, just turned around for a few hours.

 

[basshappy]

I agree on printed maps and compass knowledge. GPS is a bonus. But when the device fails for any reason that printed (lamintaed) map and compass (provided it has been used and knows how to be used) will be third to oxygen and water.

 

[northgeorgiasportsman]

And go ahead and prepare yourself mentally. Get into the mindset that the measure of success doesn't depend on killing a deer. Blue Ridge WMA is ranked 89th out of 99 with a 6.4% hunter success rate.

 

[chrislibby88]

I’m looking to hike in 1-2 miles

I wouldn’t set a “number” plan some 2-5 mile loops (depending on how the ridges lay out) and go explore. Might find a honey hole 250 yards off the road, or it may be a mile back, or you may walk 5 miles one day and not find any hot spots, you might have to do this a few days in a row before you get into the kinda sign you want to hunt. Let the sign show you where to hunt. Just be willing to walk, and walk, and maybe even abandon an area and walk somewhere new.

Anytime I hunt a brand new place I plan on the first year being a scouting trip. If I’m on a 4 day hunt I plan to scout the first 3 days. Hopefully along the way I find something to hunt, but some years and some properties I just wind up scouting the whole time, but when I come back the next year I’ve usually got it figured out.

 

[DasHaas]

Always have a topo map and I like to print a satellite pic of the area. Mountain hunting is tough. I was just up there Saturday thinking of ways to cover territory in the NF's.

I STRONGLY suggest you learn how to compass your way in and out of a certain area on a map.

You can get lost BAD and in a HURRY messing around in the mountains if you don't know how to navigate without GPS because you ain't going to have it in a LOT of places.

Thanks for the input - getting home safely is my top priority. I have been doing quite a bit of research and do plan on having backups (topo and satellite map) in the event my GPS does not work.

I'm an Army vet so I have some land nav skills and am comfortable with a compass which I will certainly bring with me.

The route I'm planning I think will be physically challenging but also safe. Should I get turned around in the mountains, I can hike 1-2 miles in any direction (N.S.E.W) and run into a trail or road.

I'm definitely not taking the scouting trip likely and am taking all possible precautions with redundancies.

 

[DasHaas]

And go ahead and prepare yourself mentally. Get into the mindset that the measure of success doesn't depend on killing a deer. Blue Ridge WMA is ranked 89th out of 99 with a 6.4% hunter success rate.

I'm totally prepared to go home empty handed. The primary goal of this tripe is to scout and learn the land for the following year(s). Worse case I can shoot a deer on my cabin... There tons of doe and the occasional buck (see attached pic of young buck from the last rut)

 

[DasHaas]

I wouldn’t set a “number” plan some 2-5 mile loops (depending on how the ridges lay out) and go explore. Might find a honey hole 250 yards off the road, or it may be a mile back, or you may walk 5 miles one day and not find any hot spots, you might have to do this a few days in a row before you get into the kinda sign you want to hunt. Let the sign show you where to hunt. Just be willing to walk, and walk, and maybe even abandon an area and walk somewhere new.

Anytime I hunt a brand new place I plan on the first year being a scouting trip. If I’m on a 4 day hunt I plan to scout the first 3 days. Hopefully along the way I find something to hunt, but some years and some properties I just wind up scouting the whole time, but when I come back the next year I’ve usually got it figured out.

I have a nice 7 mile loop planned which covers quite a bit of area. Will plan some frequent stops to observe and listen. Depending on how strong my GPS signal is I may venture off a bit but not too much. I'm 100% ok with this being just a scouting trip, The WMA isn't too far from my cabin so I don't have a great deal of money put into this trip so no pressure to harvest a deer at the WMA

 

[Dan DeBord]

U S Forest service quad maps and a compass are hard to beat in the mts . I always got them at the Forest Service office south of Blairsville on 515. Good for locating gaps ridges water and roads etc. You can probably get these maps online also.

 

[AliBubba]

I was on Coopers Creek WMA past weekend weed-waking the Duncan Ridge Trail. If the Blue Ridge WMA is anything like the DRT, the weeds, briers, and brush were over my head. You could clearly see deer and bear trails feeding on the abundant blackberries. Like many have noted, it's a great time to scout out hunt areas.

 

[cowhornedspike]

Always have a topo map and I like to print a satellite pic of the area. Mountain hunting is tough. I was just up there Saturday thinking of ways to cover territory in the NF's.

I STRONGLY suggest you learn how to compass your way in and out of a certain area on a map.

You can get lost BAD and in a HURRY messing around in the mountains if you don't know how to navigate without GPS because you ain't going to have it in a LOT of places.

Get a real GPS and you will have it all of the time...not just a phone gps.