Cohutta Update/Activity

Has anyone had much luck this season in Cohutta? Saw a large bear there earlier at the beginning of season, but didn't get a shot and headed back next week for a second effort at a bear.
 

strothershwacker

Senior Member
There tearing up some hickory trees around 1800' I've been bowhunting it pretty hard with no touchdown yet. Reckon there will be a big crowd this week?
 

danielchang

New Member
I'm up there 3 or 4 days per week. Plenty of bears, please come kill a few. With few White Oaks dropping, they're in the Red's right now.
I want to apologize in advance if i come across as a d*ck but my buddy and i have been out there and hiked probably a total of 20 miles in 2 days with zero luck and we are pretty frustrated.
Are you in a tree stand, ground blind or what? We've found tons of spots with loads of acorns all over but no bears.
Any tips would greatly be appreciated...i dont know what exactly we are doing wrong but we would definitely bag our yearly limit if we saw anything come within shooting range.
 

whitetailfreak

Senior Member
I want to apologize in advance if i come across as a d*ck but my buddy and i have been out there and hiked probably a total of 20 miles in 2 days with zero luck and we are pretty frustrated.
Are you in a tree stand, ground blind or what? We've found tons of spots with loads of acorns all over but no bears.
Any tips would greatly be appreciated...i dont know what exactly we are doing wrong but we would definitely bag our yearly limit if we saw anything come within shooting range.

It doesn't sound like you're doing anything wrong. You're walking and looking, that's all you can do. I've got 15-20 spots that I check every year, most with White and or Red Oaks near and at varying elevations. Out of all those spots, I'll end up with 3 or 4 high confidence stands. I walk these areas and scout till I find sign worthy of sitting on. No, I don't lug a stand through the mountains, I use a Millennium tree seat. It's light and packable. I've also got 30 years experience huntin Cohutta and there's no substitute for time and experience up there. Don't think you have to hunt inside the wilderness area, imo there's more game outside. Start by riding the rds looking for slides coming off banks. It's hard to spend a day riding the fs rds this time of year and not see a bear if you take your time and look. Right now, the bears I'm seeing are in lower elevations feeding mostly on Red Oaks, as it's a poor year for White Oaks in the mountains. Keep plugging away bud and good luck.
 

Mountainbuck

Senior Member
Best knowledge of the WMA you will find
It doesn't sound like you're doing anything wrong. You're walking and looking, that's all you can do. I've got 15-20 spots that I check every year, most with White and or Red Oaks near and at varying elevations. Out of all those spots, I'll end up with 3 or 4 high confidence stands. I walk these areas and scout till I find sign worthy of sitting on. No, I don't lug a stand through the mountains, I use a Millennium tree seat. It's light and packable. I've also got 30 years experience huntin Cohutta and there's no substitute for time and experience up there. Don't think you have to hunt inside the wilderness area, imo there's more game outside. Start by riding the rds looking for slides coming off banks. It's hard to spend a day riding the fs rds this time of year and not see a bear if you take your time and look. Right now, the bears I'm seeing are in lower elevations feeding mostly on Red Oaks, as it's a poor year for White Oaks in the mountains. Keep plugging away bud and good luck.
 

strothershwacker

Senior Member
I want to apologize in advance if i come across as a d*ck but my buddy and i have been out there and hiked probably a total of 20 miles in 2 days with zero luck and we are pretty frustrated.
Are you in a tree stand, ground blind or what? We've found tons of spots with loads of acorns all over but no bears.
Any tips would greatly be appreciated...i dont know what exactly we are doing wrong but we would definitely bag our yearly limit if we saw anything come within shooting range.
I've been after em real hard at Cohutta myself. I learn something new every time I go. I've kilt plenty of public land deer with a bow including a real good 8 this year. BUT the bear are kickin my backside. I've found sign everywhere that's just a few days old. At 1st the sign was on muscedines & black gum, then hickory nuts, and now acorns. I keep coming up a day late. Had one close encounter with one digging something in a creekbed but he gave me the slip. Did I mention the heat! It's been ruff. But I'm lovin every minute of it. Just stay after it man and know your not alone.
 

Buckman18

Senior Member
Would Cohutta benefit from an early bear/hog only gun hunt like chestatee has? I’m just asking, I’ve never hunted those particular mountains.
 

whitetailfreak

Senior Member
Would Cohutta benefit from an early bear/hog only gun hunt like chestatee has? I’m just asking, I’ve never hunted those particular mountains.

I've been saying for years we need an early bear/hog hunt. Our bear numbers are through the roof.
 

Joe Brandon

Senior Member
I want to apologize in advance if i come across as a d*ck but my buddy and i have been out there and hiked probably a total of 20 miles in 2 days with zero luck and we are pretty frustrated.
Are you in a tree stand, ground blind or what? We've found tons of spots with loads of acorns all over but no bears.
Any tips would greatly be appreciated...i dont know what exactly we are doing wrong but we would definitely bag our yearly limit if we saw anything come within shooting range.
This may not turn out to be your experience and I sure hope it is not but it took me 2 misses and 6 years to harvest my first bear. They are a different creature than the whitetail deer. Just keep at it and continue to do what your doing, ie reading and asking questions. Pick these guys brains, they will help you.
 

danielchang

New Member
Do you guys think that since the new law passed this year to bait on private land statewide is making it so difficult to spot bears this year at Cohutta?
The 515 lb bear shot about a month ago was on private land and i spoke to the DNR office, and they said they've been harvesting a good number of bears on private land and they cant give me a solid number how many were taken on public.
 
Top