Dogging Bear Quota Hunt

humdandy

Banned
This doggin bear bill will pass. It will take place during bow season.

I would suggest ALL bear bow hunters put in for this dogging-bear quota hunt!

I have a lab I'll take out with me if I get drawn!

Should be fun! I'll bring a few friends as well!
 

jbogg

Senior Member
I went to the meeting in Gainesville last night. I asked why the hunt was scheduled just two weeks into bow season. John Bowers responded that he wanted the hunt scheduled early enough so that it was a "good hunt". Also it was mentioned that an early hunt was less likely to interfere with the dog hunters ability to hunt the bear/dog hunts in other states which occur later in the fall. In a nut shell they said they were going to try it out and see how it goes. From what I could tell there was very little consideration given to how this hunt might negatively impact bow hunters.

Chattahoochee will have a total of nine hunters drawn for the quota hunt with each hunter allowed to have up to nine additional participants with no limit on the number of bears taken during the nine day hunt. If each group harvested 4 - 5 bears over the nine day period your looking at 35 - 45 bears killed. I have no idea how many bears live on the WMA, but last fall there were a total of 14 bears killed all season, both bow and gun. Also, there is no requirement that the dog hunters live in GA, so look for there to be a ton of people coming from out of state.

You do not have to be a dog hunter to sign up for this quota drawing so I will be putting my name in the hat. My 14 year old retreiver mix is deaf and almost blind but I'm hoping she might be able to smell one from the truck.
 
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Buckman18

Senior Member
Yeah the timing of that hunt is really stupid, and it screws a major client segment on those wma’s: the archery hunters.

If they just waited a couple more weeks, it could fall between the end of archery and the first rifle deer/bear hunt?

Weird...
 

lampern

Senior Member
Also, there is no requirement that the dog hunters live in GA, so look for there to be a ton of people coming from out of state.

Could be. The season will come in before the TN, SC and NC bear seasons.
 

humdandy

Banned
A classic example of a jealous hunter,he wants it all.

Are you saying I'm jealous because I want to take my dog hunting with me? Wow.

Dog hunters have the same opportunities I have during bow season....

I'm just taking advantage of all available hunting opportunities......
 

35 Whelen

Senior Member
I went to the meeting in Gainesville last night. I asked why the hunt was scheduled just two weeks into bow season. John Bowers responded that he wanted the hunt scheduled early enough so that it was a "good hunt". Also it was mentioned that an early hunt was less likely to interfere with the dog hunters ability to hunt the bear/dog hunts in other states which occur later in the fall. In a nut shell they said they were going to try it out and see how it goes. From what I could tell there was very little consideration given to how this hunt might negatively impact bow hunters.

Chattahoochee will have a total of nine hunters drawn for the quota hunt with each hunter allowed to have up to nine additional participants with no limit on the number of bears taken during the nine day hunt. If each group harvested 4 - 5 bears over the nine day period your looking at 35 - 45 bears killed. I have no idea how many bears live on the WMA, but last fall there were a total of 14 bears killed all season, both bow and gun. Also, there is no requirement that the dog hunters live in GA, so look for there to be a ton of people coming from out of state.

You do not have to be a dog hunter to sign up for this quota drawing so I will be putting my name in the hat. My 14 year old retreiver mix is deaf and almost blind but I'm hoping she might be able to smell one from the truck.

Thanks for the report on the meeting Jbogg! Any other issues discussed?
 

j_seph

Senior Member
Hopefully there will be stipulations so it works out to do what the DNR has it in place to do. One would imagine with 749,689 acres of Chattahoochee National Forest and only 52,274 acres of that being in Chattahoochee and Chestatee we could all get along.
 

jbogg

Senior Member
Thanks for the report on the meeting Jbogg! Any other issues discussed?

A couple of other things. There will be no more bear dog training on National Forest in the spring as a result of lots of complaints From the surrounding private property owners regarding packs of dogs on their land, as well as the negative impact packs of dogs have on other wildlife that time of year like newborn fawns and poults.

Also, 30 caliber air guns as well as air bows are now legal weapons for big game including turkey. These will not be allowed during archery season but will be allowed during primitive weapons and rifle hunts.
 
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jbogg

Senior Member
Hopefully there will be stipulations so it works out to do what the DNR has it in place to do. One would imagine with 749,689 acres of Chattahoochee National Forest and only 52,274 acres of that being in Chattahoochee and Chestatee we could all get along.

As I have tried to make clear, I am not against dog hunting or dog hunters at all, just the timing of the hunt. I have spent three years walking literally hundreds of miles on Chattahoochee and Chestatee learning the land. Stating that there are hundreds of thousands of additional National Forest acres I could go hunt is true, but investing that much time to start over and learn a new area requires a lot of work and time. Starting this year there is only one week of bow season until the gun hunters role in on the rifle hunt. That is followed immediately by a nine day bear dog hunt which will Have a huge effect on the bear population, not to mention daytime bear activity for weeks after the hunt has ended. All I have said from the beginning is that if the dog Hunt was moved back several weeks that would give bow hunters enough time in the woods to be successful as well as allowing the dog hunters to hunt early enough in the year when all the bears are still on their feet and moving. I believe that is a compromise that everyone could live with.
 

C.Killmaster

Georgia Deer Biologist
Interesting that the decision to have dog bear hunts on Chattahoochee and Chestatee WMA's seems to have already been made before the meetings and comment period is even over!

That's usually how it works, barring some unforeseen or major issue. The first round of public meetings and comment period in January is where public input helps develop the regulation proposals. Any changes at this point require, by state law, that the whole process starts over which would mean they wouldn't be ready in time to develop the regulation guide in time for hunting season. Should the Board decide not to approve the hunt, those WMAs would be closed to all hunting during that time period.

That first round of 7 public meetings and comment period is actually not required by law, it's something DNR does to encourage even more public involvement in decision-making to be more consistent with the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.
 

strothershwacker

Senior Member
After opposing the timing of the dog hunt during the comment section of the meeting, I was ignored during the open question/ comment portion at the end as I held my hand up waiting patiently as the spokesman of the dog group was allowed to go on and on and on bout how great dog hunting is as he belittled my style of hunting. I am glad that the doggers are getting an opportunity to run bear. I don't doubt that they enjoy There style of hunting as much as I do mine. I wish them all a safe, enjoyable and productive hunt. If y'all doggers get bear, post the pics and tell us the story! Good luck!
 

livinoutdoors

Goatherding Non-socialist Bohemian Luddite
I would sign up for the dog hunt, but my dogs are great pyrenese/anatolian shepard crosses. Them fools would set up a perimeter and i wouldnt see an animal for days. Good luck to all, im sorry to see bow season shortened, hopefully it will still work out for bow hunters and dog hunters. At the end of the day, country folks and hunters need to stick together, cuz everybody else hates us.
 

Panther25

Member
That's usually how it works, barring some unforeseen or major issue. The first round of public meetings and comment period in January is where public input helps develop the regulation proposals. Any changes at this point require, by state law, that the whole process starts over which would mean they wouldn't be ready in time to develop the regulation guide in time for hunting season. Should the Board decide not to approve the hunt, those WMAs would be closed to all hunting during that time period.

That first round of 7 public meetings and comment period is actually not required by law, it's something DNR does to encourage even more public involvement in decision-making to be more consistent with the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.

So does that mean 16 people can show up to a meeting, request a major change for a WMA, and it's pretty much a done deal? How does that ensure maximum public input?

There could be many more who were against the proposed change, but didn't even know it would be brought up at the initial meeting. Then when they see it in the proposed regs, it's pretty much done deal. It sounds like public input isn't worth the time once a change is in the proposed regs. That means 16 people made a major change on a WMA that more than 16 people use.
 

C.Killmaster

Georgia Deer Biologist
So does that mean 16 people can show up to a meeting, request a major change for a WMA, and it's pretty much a done deal? How does that ensure maximum public input?

There could be many more who were against the proposed change, but didn't even know it would be brought up at the initial meeting. Then when they see it in the proposed regs, it's pretty much done deal. It sounds like public input isn't worth the time once a change is in the proposed regs. That means 16 people made a major change on a WMA that more than 16 people use.

No, not really. There's been a desire from many folks for years to provide some opportunity for this, it didn't just come up this year.
 

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