Anyone hunting Cooper's Creek or Chestatee?

[Raylander]

I saw two small ‘deer of the year’ I’ve got a buddy in town from TX and he saw a good’urn at last light but couldn’t put a shot on him. We gonna try again in the morning

 

[Whit90]

How’s your hunt going @Professor?

 

[Professor]

How’s your hunt going @Professor?

I have not left that house yet, but I think everything is taken care of now and I am heading up in the morning. I have a stop to make on some NF land first. I want to take advantage of the snow and check an area for tracks. I will have my recurve in case some big one gets too close. After that, I think I will check out some areas in Chestatee.

 

[Whit90]

Good luck! Love reading y’all’s updates.

 

[chrislibby88]

Yeah this late in the season I’ve never really seen any “second rut” type activity. It’s always been a lone buck near food.

I always see new buck rut sign on this last late season hunt. Bucks are still looking, just not as hard as they were 30 days ago.

 

[chrislibby88]

Any updates?

 

[Professor]

Any updates?

Yes, I just finished installing a tie rod end and sway bar link in my truck. Aparently this last time up I really did a number on the suspension and steering on my passenger side. Very fortunately a gun I had listed sold this morning and I was delayed dealing with that. It was daytime when I went outside and noticed some extreme wear on the inside of my front left tire. I looked closely and noticed the wheel was actually leaning in very noticeably. On examination, I discovered that the tie rod end was bent and the sway bar link in two pieces. I hope to hunt tomorrow, but I am grateful I did not drive that truck on the interstate this morning.

 

[northgeorgiasportsman]

Yes, I just finished installing a tie rod end and sway bar link in my truck. Aparently this last time up I really did a number on the suspension and steering on my passenger side. Very fortunately a gun I had listed sold this morning and I was delayed dealing with that. It was daytime when I went outside and noticed some extreme wear on the inside of my front left tire. I looked closely and noticed the wheel was actually leaning in very noticeably. On examination, I discovered that the tie rod end was bent and the sway bar link in two pieces. I hope to hunt tomorrow, but I am grateful I did not drive that truck on the interstate this morning.

Glad you caught it before anything bad happened. You gotta slow down on the forest service roads. It ain't a rally cross!

 

[chrislibby88]

Yes, I just finished installing a tie rod end and sway bar link in my truck. Aparently this last time up I really did a number on the suspension and steering on my passenger side. Very fortunately a gun I had listed sold this morning and I was delayed dealing with that. It was daytime when I went outside and noticed some extreme wear on the inside of my front left tire. I looked closely and noticed the wheel was actually leaning in very noticeably. On examination, I discovered that the tie rod end was bent and the sway bar link in two pieces. I hope to hunt tomorrow, but I am grateful I did not drive that truck on the interstate this morning.

Dang man. You have a run of bad luck every year on this late season hunt.

 

[Professor]

Dang man. You have a run of bad luck every year on this late season hunt.

wondering if I should just take the hint

 

[ddd-shooter]

Any updates?

Saw one doe around 5pm. She was on a steady trot and by herself.
Man, I just feel for the old girl. On that mountain, I’ve seen her (or what I thought was her-same pattern, same use of the area) for four years. Only once has she had fawns during season-a set of twins. It was legal to shoot her the first two years and man I’m glad I didn’t. I’m really hoping she has successful fawns this year. There’s a big bucks in there sharing her home range so I know she’s bred.
Also really hope some kid doesnt blast her on the adult child hunt. If so, I fear there will be no more deer on that mountain once that big buck dies. @C.Killmaster please stop the either sex youth hunt. It’ll be a good conservation lesson for the kids and with 20% fawn recruitment, it’s just irresponsible.

 

[C.Killmaster]

Saw one doe around 5pm. She was on a steady trot and by herself.
Man, I just feel for the old girl. On that mountain, I’ve seen her (or what I thought was her-same pattern, same use of the area) for four years. Only once has she had fawns during season-a set of twins. It was legal to shoot her the first two years and man I’m glad I didn’t. I’m really hoping she has successful fawns this year. There’s a big bucks in there sharing her home range so I know she’s bred.
Also really hope some kid doesnt blast her on the adult child hunt. If so, I fear there will be no more deer on that mountain once that big buck dies. @C.Killmaster please stop the either sex youth hunt. It’ll be a good conservation lesson for the kids and with 20% fawn recruitment, it’s just irresponsible.

I've been keeping a close eye on that hunt since we shut down either-sex days for everything else. Our staff up there felt like like it would kill the hunt to make it buck only, which it probably will. They killed 4 does last year and 2 this year, so luckily it hasn't been that many. I will discuss it with them and we will reevaluate that hunt as we had intended last regulation cycle (2-year cycles).

 

[northgeorgiasportsman]

I've been keeping a close eye on that hunt since we shut down either-sex days for everything else. Our staff up there felt like like it would kill the hunt to make it buck only, which it probably will. They killed 4 does last year and 2 this year, so luckily it hasn't been that many. I will discuss it with them and we will reevaluate that hunt as we had intended last regulation cycle (2-year cycles).

Hard for folks to kill many does when they just aren't there to kill.

I've known it for years, but this season has really highlighted the difference between mountain deer populations and the deer that live in the settlements. Driving down the roads looking in fields, you see plenty of deer most evenings. But get up in the mountains, away from feeders and gardens and edge habitat, and it's a virtual wasteland.

 

[ddd-shooter]

I've been keeping a close eye on that hunt since we shut down either-sex days for everything else. Our staff up there felt like like it would kill the hunt to make it buck only, which it probably will. They killed 4 does last year and 2 this year, so luckily it hasn't been that many. I will discuss it with them and we will reevaluate that hunt as we had intended last regulation cycle (2-year cycles).

Been taking kids on that hunt for 15 years nearly. I think 06 was the first time I did?
Knowing what it used to be and what it was last time I was there in ‘19, trust me, it’s dead. Hopefully the free gifts keep them coming anyway.
Thanks for your consideration. 6 does may not sound like much, but its HUGE with our recruitment numbers.

 

[C.Killmaster]

Been taking kids on that hunt for 15 years nearly. I think 06 was the first time I did?
Knowing what it used to be and what it was last time I was there in ‘19, trust me, it’s dead. Hopefully the free gifts keep them coming anyway.
Thanks for your consideration. 6 does may not sound like much, but its HUGE with our recruitment numbers.

I don't disagree. We didn't have accurate recruitment figures 2 years ago and I already had an uphill battle cutting out all other opportunities.

 

[tree cutter 08]

Ain't missed anything. No shots in 2 days. 7 sets of yote tracks, 5 sets of cat tracks and 3 sets of deer tracks. Didn't realize there was that many cats roaming around but the snow don't lie.

 

[gobbleinwoods]

Habitat needs improvement.

 

[splatek]

Ain't missed anything. No shots in 2 days. 7 sets of yote tracks, 5 sets of cat tracks and 3 sets of deer tracks. Didn't realize there was that many cats roaming around but the snow don't lie.

Wow.
And by cats I reckon you mean bobcats? I was going back through some trail cam footage with my 10 year old, because he likes to look at things like that and I try to use it as a teaching moment. He asked me how many different bears we had on cam or were they all the same bear traveling through this one saddle. This particular cam sat from March to Aug. Had 1000's of pictures and almost every 5th one was a bobcat or a coyote. Sure there were bears there and there were a few deer, but he said to me "too bad you aint hunting bobcats, they're everywhere!" I was also surprised as the first time I went through the pics my eyes were only looking for bears.

 

[Raylander]

MTN kicked my tail, it was cold. I saw 3 deer in 2 days- no good ones. My buddy saw one good one on Sat at dark but couldn’t get a shot. LOTS of coyotes. I heard them do ‘roll call’ and cut loose both nights. Kinda eerie when you here that many sound off and your a good piece from the truck. Back to work for me..

 

[tree cutter 08]

Wow.
And by cats I reckon you mean bobcats? I was going back through some trail cam footage with my 10 year old, because he likes to look at things like that and I try to use it as a teaching moment. He asked me how many different bears we had on cam or were they all the same bear traveling through this one saddle. This particular cam sat from March to Aug. Had 1000's of pictures and almost every 5th one was a bobcat or a coyote. Sure there were bears there and there were a few deer, but he said to me "too bad you aint hunting bobcats, they're everywhere!" I was also surprised as the first time I went through the pics my eyes were only looking for bears.

Yeah bobcats. All small though no big tracks. I cut several trails that was full of yote tracks so I just counted those as 1 set. Not sure if same one yote was running or multiple yotes. Lot of my camera pics show them running in pairs or 4 at a time.