Clipper
Senior Member
Annual Cohutta Bear/Hog Hunt
A long time hunting buddy of mine and I go to Cohutta during bow season each year, camp by a beautiful creek, enjoy the outdoors, and call ourselves hunting. I got back on Friday and figured I ought to post a report.
Tuesday afternoon I walked a creek bottom that always has hog sign – no hogs that day but plenty of sign, as usual. Wednesday morning I hiked 50 minutes in to a creek bottom I found last year and labeled “Hog Heaven” on my GPS because it had a 6” deep hog trail beside it. Plenty of sign but saw nothing. On the way out I ran into 3 Forest Service employees who were surveying the forest to see how it was recovering from last year’s fire. They mentioned they had seen 3 deer that morning. Wednesday afternoon I walked in to another creek and followed it out to the road. Covered up in hog sign but no hogs. I did find this picturesque waterfall way back off the road. It is higher than it looks in the picture and I liked to have never climbed up the mountain to get around it.
Thursday morning I was worn out from walking the day before and decided to hunt a saddle about 300 yards off the road. I got my seat leveled beside a small bush, put some more brush around me for a little cover and settled in. As I am too prone to do, I dozed off about nine or so. I woke to the sound of heavy footfalls in the leaves expecting a bear to walk out. Instead a doe ran by me without stopping. Immediately thereafter, this forkhorn buck follows her and stops quartering away at about 7 yards. I pick a spot at the last rib, halfway up his body, draw, and release, still only half awake. To my amazement, my arrow porpoises and arches over his back. It acted just like it had hit a limb and glanced upwards. He took off and I was left wondering what happened. Did he squat, did I just shoot high, or did I get a bad release. The place I found my arrow indicated I had shot over him. There wasn’t a limb within ten feet. I have tried to make that happen now that I am home and have been unable to duplicate the severe porpoising that I saw my arrow experience. Makes me wonder if that buck had a quardian angel (lol)!
Thursday afternoon I walked another creek bottom that was full of hog sign. I might also add that I saw bear scat, fresh and old, just about everywhere I hunted. Friday morning I went back to the saddle and sat in a different spot due to the wind and managed to stay awake this time. I spotted 3 does coming towards me across the logging road I walked in on. One of them made me out as there was very little cover there and began the head bobbing, foot stomping routine. She messed with me for several minutes before turning around and leaving. She may have seen me move my head slightly just before I saw her. About five minutes later a doe crosses the road below where they were the first time but out of bow range. She then walks toward me and looks straight at me again – it was the same doe come back for another look! I managed to draw when she passed behind a tree but could never get a shot situation that I was comfortable with. I let her leave without releasing an arrow. She did get my heart rate up which was worth it all. My buddy had a deer blow at him that morning as well. Counting the forest service guys, that is nine deer sightings in that area in 3 days which is real good for Cohutta. I think the young tender growth that sprouted after the fire has attracted deer from unburned areas of the WMA. I also saw hog rooting and wallows in every creek bottom that was flat enough to have moist soft earth.
All in all, a very rewarding trip except for the bad miss. I now have to rebuild my confidence in my shooting ability. I guess I will have to hunt that saddle next year – from a climber!
A long time hunting buddy of mine and I go to Cohutta during bow season each year, camp by a beautiful creek, enjoy the outdoors, and call ourselves hunting. I got back on Friday and figured I ought to post a report.
Tuesday afternoon I walked a creek bottom that always has hog sign – no hogs that day but plenty of sign, as usual. Wednesday morning I hiked 50 minutes in to a creek bottom I found last year and labeled “Hog Heaven” on my GPS because it had a 6” deep hog trail beside it. Plenty of sign but saw nothing. On the way out I ran into 3 Forest Service employees who were surveying the forest to see how it was recovering from last year’s fire. They mentioned they had seen 3 deer that morning. Wednesday afternoon I walked in to another creek and followed it out to the road. Covered up in hog sign but no hogs. I did find this picturesque waterfall way back off the road. It is higher than it looks in the picture and I liked to have never climbed up the mountain to get around it.
Thursday morning I was worn out from walking the day before and decided to hunt a saddle about 300 yards off the road. I got my seat leveled beside a small bush, put some more brush around me for a little cover and settled in. As I am too prone to do, I dozed off about nine or so. I woke to the sound of heavy footfalls in the leaves expecting a bear to walk out. Instead a doe ran by me without stopping. Immediately thereafter, this forkhorn buck follows her and stops quartering away at about 7 yards. I pick a spot at the last rib, halfway up his body, draw, and release, still only half awake. To my amazement, my arrow porpoises and arches over his back. It acted just like it had hit a limb and glanced upwards. He took off and I was left wondering what happened. Did he squat, did I just shoot high, or did I get a bad release. The place I found my arrow indicated I had shot over him. There wasn’t a limb within ten feet. I have tried to make that happen now that I am home and have been unable to duplicate the severe porpoising that I saw my arrow experience. Makes me wonder if that buck had a quardian angel (lol)!
Thursday afternoon I walked another creek bottom that was full of hog sign. I might also add that I saw bear scat, fresh and old, just about everywhere I hunted. Friday morning I went back to the saddle and sat in a different spot due to the wind and managed to stay awake this time. I spotted 3 does coming towards me across the logging road I walked in on. One of them made me out as there was very little cover there and began the head bobbing, foot stomping routine. She messed with me for several minutes before turning around and leaving. She may have seen me move my head slightly just before I saw her. About five minutes later a doe crosses the road below where they were the first time but out of bow range. She then walks toward me and looks straight at me again – it was the same doe come back for another look! I managed to draw when she passed behind a tree but could never get a shot situation that I was comfortable with. I let her leave without releasing an arrow. She did get my heart rate up which was worth it all. My buddy had a deer blow at him that morning as well. Counting the forest service guys, that is nine deer sightings in that area in 3 days which is real good for Cohutta. I think the young tender growth that sprouted after the fire has attracted deer from unburned areas of the WMA. I also saw hog rooting and wallows in every creek bottom that was flat enough to have moist soft earth.
All in all, a very rewarding trip except for the bad miss. I now have to rebuild my confidence in my shooting ability. I guess I will have to hunt that saddle next year – from a climber!
