Mountain hunting

[TonyP62]

I have hunted the mountains for over 40 years mostly White,Lumpkin,Union county. Never realy killed a lot of deer but saw a few every year and could usually find good sign. To me and im sure there will be differing opinions the deer population is at a very low and disturbing number. My brother and I went to a spot we have hunted for several years yesterday to hunt and retrieve a camera. No pics on camera no sign and we walked a lot looking. Im talking National Forest land here. Anyone else notice this or is it just me? Im sure folks will comment on here about the number of deer they see in these areas and thats good for them but for me its not like it used to be.

 

[ddd-shooter]

No one will say we have plenty of deer in the high mountain areas. No one.

Some of those counties have small pockets of highly dense deer populations around the settlement. Though still not as many as we used to.

We need better habitat

 

[TonyP62]

I agree plenty of deer around the settled areas just ride about dark and check out the fields around the settled areas. Glad you see what i see we mostly hunt in Union county.

 

[tree cutter 08]

Been talked about alot on here for 10 years now. It's pretty sad

 

[Nicodemus]

No matter whether it`s mountains, swamps, or piedmont, if it`s public, keep your mouth shut. Unless you just love company.

 

[chrislibby88]

I’ve got some spots on north GA WMAs where the land is slightly more managed where I can see a few deer over a few sits but yes, deer numbers are pretty low. The WMAs hold a few more than the surrounding national forests with the aid of food plots if they have the money to plant them, and some are able to do some timber work and burns.

Anyone can go look at the GON published WMA results. All of the north GA properties stay in the low single digit success rates. Pretty much the worst hunting in the state statistic wise. Unbeatable scenery though.

 

[TonyP62]

I’ve got some spots on north GA WMAs where the land is slightly more managed where I can see a few deer over a few sits but yes, deer numbers are pretty low. The WMAs hold a few more than the surrounding national forests with the aid of food plots if they have the money to plant them, and some are able to do some timber work and burns.

Anyone can go look at the GON published WMA results. All of the north GA properties stay in the low single digit success rates. Pretty much the worst hunting in the state statistic wise. Unbeatable scenery though.

The scenery is great no doubt but the hunting sucks. But i still love the peace and quiet and watching the sunrise.

 

[kayaksteve]

It could be so much better. But one consolation is it keeps most people from wanting to hit the mountains. It’s just not worth it to the average hunter but if there were deer running everywhere we would sure enough be swamped with people.

 

[furtaker]

Social media has ruined many good things.

 

[Unicoidawg]

Social media has ruined many good things.

Social media is not what has ruined deer hunting in the mountains. Lack of actual game management, lack of habitat management, not enough predator control and dependence upon mast crops for food is.

 

[furtaker]

Social media is not what has ruined deer hunting in the mountains. Lack of actual game management, lack of habitat management, not enough predator control and dependence upon mast crops for food is.

I'm sure those are major factors but social media hasn't helped either. There have been many threads on here about it.

 

[Long Cut]

On the bright side, if you own or can manage some land in that region.. you’d have the best habitat and deer hunting around.

It doesn’t take much to make things happen.

 

[bfriendly]

Isn’t this why there is a buck only rule east of 75? i think thats what I read, but haven’t gon north enough to be 100% sure. Tonyp I don’t think it’s you imagination…..it’s for real

 

[chrislibby88]

Isn’t this why there is a buck only rule east of 75? i think thats what I read, but haven’t gon north enough to be 100% sure. Tonyp I don’t think it’s you imagination…..it’s for real

Yea. Deer populations are too low to sustain doe harvest.

 

[chrislibby88]

Social media has ruined many good things.

Social does blow up some areas temporarily but that isn’t the issue. The main problem is habitat. The National Forest is under federal control, and they don’t do timber work. No logging, no thinning, no controlled burns. The DNR throws up a forestry management proposal almost every regulation cycle but environmental idiots always apply enough pressure to neuter those plans. There is no early successional forest habitat.

 

[TonyP62]

Isn’t this why there is a buck only rule east of 75? i think thats what I read, but haven’t gon north enough to be 100% sure. Tonyp I don’t think it’s you imagination…..it’s for real

Nope its not my imagination i see it every year in lack of deer sign. Walked about 5 miles Saturday and found 1 rubbed tree and nothing else.

 

[TonyP62]

Social does blow up some areas temporarily but that isn’t the issue. The main problem is habitat. The National Forest is under federal control, and they don’t do timber work. No logging, no thinning, no controlled burns. The DNR throws up a forestry management proposal almost every regulation cycle but environmental idiots always apply enough pressure to neuter those plans. There is no early successional forest habitat.

You are correct the Feds could care less about hunters.

 

[35 Whelen]

Drive through Big Canoe around sundown and you'll see where all the mountain deer are.

 

[Long Cut]

Social does blow up some areas temporarily but that isn’t the issue. The main problem is habitat. The National Forest is under federal control, and they don’t do timber work. No logging, no thinning, no controlled burns. The DNR throws up a forestry management proposal almost every regulation cycle but environmental idiots always apply enough pressure to neuter those plans. There is no early successional forest habitat.

Be a shame if someone went in and hack & squirted some of those choked out trees.. providing much needed sunlight to the forest floor.

I find it comical the Feds & “Environmentalists” are all about saving the World… until it’s time to do something.

 

[tree cutter 08]

Isn’t this why there is a buck only rule east of 75? i think thats what I read, but haven’t gon north enough to be 100% sure. Tonyp I don’t think it’s you imagination…..it’s for real

Yes but dnr decided to give the private land more doe days. We needed that about as much as we need Joe Biden as president. Last year with zero acorns alot of the deer came down off the big mountains to adjacent private. It appeared there was a ton of deer. Fast forward to this year thankfully we have a great acorn crop high to low so they are spread out and folks will complain again and say there are no deer. Hopefully the good acorn crop will keep the deer off the private lands and not to many does will be taken.