Cohutta WMA Archery 2020

[MTwomey]

Anybody seeing anything up on Cohutta this year so far? Murphy visited our home in a big way in the form of a sick baby, followed by us coming down with the same stuff pretty much blocking off the first two weeks of bow season for me. I finally got out on Monday(9/21) around 11 and staid till dusk. Did some shorter jaunts on a couple different ridges then Covered about 4 miles in a loop. I was hanging around 2600-3400 elevation all day. Found one batch of scatt next to a rubbed up tree that looked to be at least 4-6 days old. Seeing lots of fresh Red Oak acorns on the ground, all the whites I found on my walk were barren. Still a beautiful day out in the woods. I believe it was 55-60 degrees with a gentle breeze and blue skies all day. Crisp fall air up in these mountains can't be beat.

I'm brand new to bears and I'm wondering what some of the experienced guys on here are thinking is going on. I talked to a couple of parties that had been out there all week and they all said they hadn't seen any yet. From what I've been told this area is usually at least ripe with bear sitings, even if they don't necessarily translate to shot opportunities often. From what I've learned on here I'm inclined to think it has a lot to do with the heavy red oak crop combined with the lack of whites. Or could it be that the bears are still down low and will be coming up on to the mountain in the coming weeks? Of course it could also be that I'm just not a stealthy as I would like to think I am and they're all just 100yds out ahead of me staying out of site as I move. I'd love to get a discussion going and hopefully get some tips on finding success on this particular WMA with the bow. Thanks!

 

[blood on the ground]

Miss that place

 

[chrislibby88]

I’m certainly not an experienced bear hunter but from what I have gathered it is just a tough year man. From what I’ve picked up on the chestatee hunt almost every red and chestnut is raining and there is plenty of soft mass too so they aren’t having to move around to find food, the bears can live in a thicket, literally sleeping under the tree they are feeding on. I found a few whites they have been climbing, but it seems like it only takes them one or two climbs to get the few healthy acorns they produced then they leave. I saw one small bear during my 4 days, and it was just a random encounter crossing a saddle.

 

[MTwomey]

That's kinda what I was thinking when I was up there this week. I guess ill just stick with the slip hunting plan and with enough persistence and ground covered maybe we'll end up on top of one. I read some of the thread about the dog hunts, I dont believe they have one on Cohutta, do they?

 

[chrislibby88]

That's kinda what I was thinking when I was up there this week. I guess ill just stick with the slip hunting plan and with enough persistence and ground covered maybe we'll end up on top of one. I read some of the thread about the dog hunts, I dont believe they have one on Cohutta, do they?

Nope, the dog hunt is on Chestatee and Chattahoochee only. The one bear I ran into I was still hunting down a ridge with a steady side wind.

 

[MTwomey]

New Stratagy. Forget the wilderness. Im gonna set up a blind on the top of Champy's Chicken and hunt on MLK!