Georgia Public Land Hunting

[spencer12]

I've hunted Georgia's public lands a time or two. I've also had success on more than one occasion. However, these hunts were all quota hunts which required a draw. Due to this pressure was usually low due to the lower number of hunters.

This year I plan to hunt a WMA near me. What tips and advice can you give that will help increase success rates. I know it will be a learning experience, however I like the idea of the challenge.

What has helped you become successful on public lands in Ga? What do you look for, which areas do you prefer, and what tactics do you employ?

 

[Milkman]

Search and find posts by member “Public Land Prowler”. Whatever advice you can gather from him is what you need.
He isn’t as active now as in past years.

 

[Rabun]

I always recommend to find an isolated area, get out there very early so you have been settled at least 30 mins before first light. Stay on stand all day. People push deer all day long.

 

[Joe Brandon]

Be ready to just enjoy nature

 

[Wanderlust]

Best advice I can give is go a lot.

 

[35 Whelen]

Get away from roads, trails, creeks, power lines, or anything that makes foot travel easy. Pack in enough supplies to be comfortable and able to hunt all day. I hunt on the ground with a portable folding chair so I can move easily if needed.

 

[Worlldbeater]

Scout several places to hunt. You will need more than one or two places because others may beat you to your 1st or 2nd choice. Ask the local WMA ranger some good places. Get close to a farm field like corn, peanuts or soybeans if possible.
And as Joe said," be ready to enjoy nature" because hunting is a lot more than harvesting game.

 

[Jeff Raines]

On the wma's with 4 day hunts,the weekdays are the ones to hunt.Weekends get too crowded

 

[antharper]

Good advice so far I also agree with worlldbeater about finding multiple spots , I have a lot of public land near my home that I hunt often , and over the years I have about 10 or more areas that I’d hunt anytime, if the wind is not rt or another Hunter is there I just move on to the next spot , good luck , very rewarding experience hunting public land !

 

[Long Cut]

I try scouting anywhere from 3-10 times per 1 hunt, year round.

If you’re just after brown it can be relatively easy, if you’re chasing horns be prepared to put it all on the line.

Be respectful of others, be prepared to earn it and don’t take anything for granted.

 

[spencer12]

I like the idea of the challenge. I went today to just drive around and look. It's the first time I've ever been. I marked 3 "areas" that I want to scout on foot next weekend. I did see two deer about 200 yds from the check in station.

I believe I'm going to start by breaking this land down into 4-5 sections, then break down each section into seperate areas. I think that will help with the process of elimination.

This may be a dumb question, but what are the laws regarding "scouting" I.e. Walking around the woods during open small game seasons? Do you have to sign in for a scouting trip?

 

[cself]

Different WMA's have different sign in requirements. Get regs and when you think you have them figured out for your specific wma read over them again. Wardens don't care about ignorance. Other than that don't hunt opening weekends without some patience and a positive attitude. Good luck!!! Hope to see some pictures later.

 

[cself]

One more bit of info you can usually hog hunt with archery and small game weapons during the small game seasons on most WMA's, adds a little fun to scouting.

 

[jakebuddy]

Look into the wmas that have check in hunts these can be great and you get free tags, like others say find some out of the way spots stay away from food plots and power lines gas lines seem to only attract idiots.

 

[BASS1FUN]

I like the idea of the challenge. I went today to just drive around and look. It's the first time I've ever been. I marked 3 "areas" that I want to scout on foot next weekend. I did see two deer about 200 yds from the check in station.

I believe I'm going to start by breaking this land down into 4-5 sections, then break down each section into seperate areas. I think that will help with the process of elimination.

This may be a dumb question, but what are the laws regarding "scouting" I.e. Walking around the woods during open small game seasons? Do you have to sign in for a scouting trip?

I called DNR a couple of years ago about having to sign in if you were only scouting and they said you did because they wanted to know who was on the property

 

[delacroix]

Try to find places that have zero sign of people. Look closely for reflective tacks. You want areas that look awful for hunting if you want to be alone.

Have at least half a dozen spots to park. Expect that there will be someone there before you. If someone is there first, go to the next spot. If you're walking a long way in, don't be surprised if someone else walked a long way in from another direction.

If this is national forest land, look for signs that someone may have camped at your parking spot. Odds are good they'll camp there again in a play to block access to the entire area. They may have done so for generations.

 

[QuackHead90]

I have been hunting wmas for the past 16 years. We hunt 6 wmas every year mostly on check in hunts but I do bow hunt early on a couple of them. I have been very fortunate to kill some dandy bucks but I don’t just hunt horns. We try to get away from people by walking closed roads but very often I have killed deer closer to the truck than others. I look for acorns that the deer are eating in and around thickets and also trails in thickets. Don’t be afraid to hunt wmas because of the amount of people. Last year alone my dad and I killed 10 deer on 4 wmas.

 

[joepuppy]

I've hunted all the middle GA area WMA's. Had some success, and some misery. I started bow hunting to get an advantage. Most all WMA's have a long archery season, and limited rifle hunts. I use this to my advantage. But aside from that, learn to hike and pack it in, and you will leave a lot of yahoos hunting near the roads and power lines. People hate to walk, and that should be a motivator. My WMA has 8,400 acres. People generally hunt 2,500 of that.

 

[spencer12]

I called DNR a couple of years ago about having to sign in if you were only scouting and they said you did because they wanted to know who was on the property

That makes sense, I signed in today even though I never got out of the truck and wasn't hunting.

 

[Long Cut]

Something else I’ll add is the general mindset on public seems to be “if I don’t shoot it someone else will”...

We’ve got to be mindful hunters and Conservationists. The Biologists & Wardens can only do so much and it’s up to us, as Hunters, to preserve our natural resources.

I’m not telling you what to or not to shoot... I’m just saying don’t let the possibility of another law abiding hunter shooting a deer you saw as an obligation to shoot Every.Deer.You.See.