Chattahoochee/Chestatee WMA Rifle hunt

Timberman

Senior Member
Hot and tons of blowdown

Says it all. Checked out a new area on Chestatee. The blowdown in places is crazy. Did find decent sign in 2 gaps no bears or hogs but did see a doe.

Moving on we're hitting the Parent/Child hunt next weekend on Coopers Creek. Good luck to all!

On a side note I did manage to monkey my young buck on a 1000'+ vertical elevation climb...:flag:
 

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The mtn man

Senior Member
He looks wore slap out!!
 

Gerrik

Senior Member
Found what was left of mine, thanks to Joe Brandon. Longer post in the 2017 Kill Thread.
 

TXstuckinGA

Member
In an attempt to get a good copy of a Chattahoochee WMA Map I contacted the DNR office. When I was talking with a lady named Katey, she informed me that during "Check-in" hunts any bear killed must be brought to the Ranger Station, not field dressed, to be weighed and tagged. I told her that I took a photo of the Bear Hunting Guidelines three weeks ago that are posted on the WMA Ranger Station at Chattahoochee, when I was camping in the area, and the posted guidelines stated that bears and deer should be field dressed. She once again and said during Check-in hunts and only check-in hunts the bears must be brought out whole and checked. Do any of you guys have any experience of killing a bear during a check-in rifle hunt on the WMA and checking the kill at the Ranger Station?
 

Timberman

Senior Member
The rifle hunt was a sign in hunt and at least at Chestatee there wasn't anybody manning the Check station.

I don't know about check in hunts but my son and I are going on one Friday. If we kill a bear in where we're going I'm bringing it out in pieces. I haven't found anything in the regs that says it has to be whole.
 

twincedargap

Senior Member
I killed one on that hunt. No one was manning the Chestatee check station. I phoned in the bear. The ranger told me to leave skull and hide with processor and he would be by in a day or two and tag the bear. You can decide what is best for you in terms of dragging the getting one out whether it be whole or field dressed or even quartered up. You just have to have the skull and hide intact. Report within the window and they will come to you to inspect it.
 

TXstuckinGA

Member
She did tell me that for normal sign in hunts that a hunter would contact DNR and set up tagging as you mentioned. However, she said that check in hunts were different because the check stations at manned and have different reqs. Just wasn’t sure and wanted to hear about all of your experiences.
 

Tio Hey Seuss

Senior Member
She is mistaken. The only reason to not field dress one would be if you thought you had one for the record books and want an official weight. All that is necessary per the regs is the hide with skull still attached.
I might be hesitant to field dress one if it was real close to the minimum weight just in case removing the guts put you under 75 lbs though. I could definitely see some wardens citing you for an underweight field dressed carcass even if it obviously would have been legal before removing the organs.
 

Dana Young

Senior Member
She is mistaken. The only reason to not field dress one would be if you thought you had one for the record books and want an official weight. All that is necessary per the regs is the hide with skull still attached.
I might be hesitant to field dress one if it was real close to the minimum weight just in case removing the guts put you under 75 lbs though. I could definitely see some wardens citing you for an underweight field dressed carcass even if it obviously would have been legal before removing the organs.

This
 

bowbuck

Senior Member
I give our DNR guys a little more credit. I believe the science is out there for the average percentage of weight loss for a bear field dressed. If you took a 72 pound field dressed carcass for check in I don't think you would have any issues. You take a 42 pound dressed bear and you probably have had a rough day.
 

Christian hughey

Senior Member
Give me a shout if you want to team up. I'll be there also, trying to get my 10 year old her first bear. Been close the past 2 yr, she can handle her rifle better now so keeping fingers crossed!!!
Hello reading different post on here and It seems that you somewhat know where the bears hide I've been hunting the wma for a few years just one weekend a year and I have seen 1 just looking for a friend to team up and get a few down that knows the area I will be up opening weekend let me know if you guys have room for one or two more in camp I've got a ton of good deer stories not too many bear yet my numbers 7708565068 let's talk more I wanna get a nice bear just don't really know where to start. Game in that area seems scarce in general
 

Buckman18

Senior Member
Hello reading different post on here and It seems that you somewhat know where the bears hide I've been hunting the wma for a few years just one weekend a year and I have seen 1 just looking for a friend to team up and get a few down that knows the area I will be up opening weekend let me know if you guys have room for one or two more in camp I've got a ton of good deer stories not too many bear yet my numbers 7708565068 let's talk more I wanna get a nice bear just don't really know where to start. Game in that area seems scarce in general

I appreciate you thinking of me to help. However, with the kids, work, and prior commitments I’ve made to help friends get a bear, and the hunts I get to go just for my own pure enjoyment, my bow season will be stretched pretty thin. That said, there’s several generations worth of knowledge and experience in this forum. More intel here to learn how to hunt GA bears than anywhere else I’ve ever seen. Feel free to PM me places and sign you’ve found and I’ll help however I can. Be careful as my words may jinx you, and you may find doing the opposite of what I suggest will find you more successful!

Probably the best two hints I feel comfortable telling on the WWW is Swallow Creek and Chestatee WMA’s. I would argue those are the best two bear kept secrets today. They barely get hunted...

Ok one more secret... when you kill your first bear, Killer Kyle will make a good dragging partner.
 
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Killer Kyle

Senior Member
I appreciate you thinking of me to help. However, with the kids, work, and prior commitments I’ve made to help friends get a bear, and the hunts I get to go just for my own pure enjoyment, my bow season will be stretched pretty thin. That said, there’s several generations worth of knowledge and experience in this forum. More intel here to learn how to hunt GA bears than anywhere else I’ve ever seen. Feel free to PM me places and sign you’ve found and I’ll help however I can. Be careful as my words may jinx you, and you may find doing the opposite of what I suggest will find you more successful!

Probably the best two hints I feel comfortable telling on the WWW is Swallow Creek and Chestatee WMA’s. I would argue those are the best two bear kept secrets today. They barely get hunted...

Ok one more secret... when you kill your first bear, Killer Kyle will make a good dragging partner.
I help friends drag for $80.00 and $120.00 for people I don't know. Its amazing how few requests you get once you start charging!
 

Christian hughey

Senior Member
I help friends drag for $80.00 and $120.00 for people I don't know. Its amazing how few requests you get once you start charging!
I appreciate any help I can get out here guys your always welcome at my camp appreciate the advice and I will or only be up by myself this year so I might take you up on that
 

chrislibby88

Senior Member
I appreciate any help I can get out here guys your always welcome at my camp appreciate the advice and I will or only be up by myself this year so I might take you up on that
I’m gonna be at Chestatee with a few friends camping (probably at Dockery Lake) during the mid Dec hunt. Pretty sure you wanna target bears as early in the season as possible, but if you wanna throw a tent up you’ll be welcome to join us. The mid December hunt is the best time for deer up there. We saw a decent bit of bear sign last year and ran into another’s hunter that caught a fleeting glimpse of a bear in a ridge.
 

Christian hughey

Senior Member
Thanks I really appreciate it and I'm up for a drag well not a drag I have a cart so just sayin you need help I'm in
 
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gobbleinwoods

Keeper of the Magic Word
Thanks I really appreciate it and I'm up for a drag well not a drag I have a cart so just sayin you need help I'm in

Helped a friend once with a small bear on a cart. It still was a lot of effort getting the cart over logs, uneven ground, and just keeping the bear from rolling off the cart.
 

Christian hughey

Senior Member
Oh I know I've brought some nice deer out and multiple stacked up at once it's a task no matter what. We love it anyways and ratchet straps work nicely to keep em secure
 
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