Early, Miller and Seminole counties Ga

Son

Gone But Not Forgotten
Been awhile since posting. Had a decent deer season, two bucks, one large mature doe and several hogs. Was tough during the drought, but hunting got much better after the rains began. Even though it put several good stand out of reach, unless one had waders. Pictured are the bucks and the largest hog. At my age, picking big bucks up offers a challenge, so i just pull em through the golf cart.
 

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Son

Gone But Not Forgotten
Pictured are a couple nice bucks i helped my hunting buddies get by letting them use my favorite spots. Dragging out a 180 hog with the golf cart, amazing where this buggy will go. Selfie is the new photo being used in my outdoors column in the Donalsonville Ga News. Been writing for the news for about 30 years now. Wish Georgia would take several weeks off the front of deer season, and tack em on the back of the season. Our rut has gotten later and later, been watching it for over 30 years. Rut was first week of Dec, now it's the last week, and runs into
Jan of the next year. I find bucks rutting about 28 days later, last couple weeks of Jan, and into the first week of Feb. It's actually too hot to enjoy bow season in Sept, plus many who would love to start the season off, is working on farms during Sept with very little time off to hunt.
 

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Son

Gone But Not Forgotten
Hunt camp garden, we enjoyed some greens. Kubota, one of the tractors i have to keep camp and food plots up. Other tractor is a Ford 2N, 1946. Hauling water to keep several mudholes wet for wildlife during the drought. We planted food plots five times last year.
 

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Son

Gone But Not Forgotten
Spring and summer food plots were sunflowers, iron/clay peas, pinkeye, purple hull peas, collards, rape etc. Deer love it, they took the plots down to nothing but stems. When they did, we replanted in cycles. Second photo, me on the 2N Ford, great little tractor, easy to work on and small enough to get into tight places.
 

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Son

Gone But Not Forgotten
We manage to assure our next season will be a good one. I've been managing a hunt club and deer since 1975, cost effective and with great success. Lot of hard work, but worth it if you're a dedicated hunter and conservationist.
 

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Wanderlust

Senior Member
Glad to see you didn't give up deer hunting too. Always enjoy your posts, especially the ones with all the amazing artifacts you have found. Found any good points lately?
 

HIGH COUNTRY

Senior Member
Great to Hear From You Son

You have to tell everyone, that I hunted you down and found you - no one on GON had any leads, just missing in action.

Seriously, all please pick up on son's comment about the need to tweak Southwest Ga's season dates, and you hopefully have seen the couple of threads on this topic.

Please email Rep Darlene Taylor, it is on her radar - will take a lot of people voicing their support and getting a legislative sponsor engaged in the effort - will still likely take time to get a major change like this approved and implemented...
 
Yes, the issue with our southwest Georgia hunting season dates have become a great concern. It is very disappointing knowing that the best week to be out in the stand is the following week after the season has ended.. we all need to come together as a community and voice our opinions to the right people. It is going to take a lot of man power to bug them enough to make some considerations but I think we can do it. I just typed a nice lengthy email to Representative Taylor and I hope you all will take the time to voice your concerns to her as well.
 

Son

Gone But Not Forgotten
haven't found a point this year, yet. Because haven't done any walking, have a sciatic nerve giving me a fit. The golden years are not so golden. You young fellers are living em now. Take my word for it.
I get around with the golf cart with a lift kit now, worked out good when the woods got flooded. Deer don't seem to mind the cart, they take a look and move on along.
 

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RABJR

Senior Member
Son- great to see you back on the forum! Give us a contact of someone that stays in touch with you so we don't have to wonder what happened when you haven't been on in a while. Nice bucks and big hog!
 

Son

Gone But Not Forgotten
Believe there are some on GON who are in contact with me, but not sure who they are. Enjoyed the deer season. Passed on about 30 or so bucks, some were two and three year olds. Best rack probably was about 17 inches wide. Hope to see him next year. Everyone was commenting on how many young bucks they were seeing. Mature bucks didn't show up much before the rains began, but began getting on camera's after the woods got wet. Some of us will be keeping pressure on the hogs in hopes of keeping the numbers down.
 

Gone Fishin

Senior Member
I was looking at some land around Damascus (Early County).

How is the deer population?

How is the deer movement: (when kids are on vacation from school)
1) T-Giving weekend
2) Christmas break (weekend before Christmas through weekend after New Years)

Other than that we would hunt one weekend early in the season. 2 kids try to get them each a doe or anything (meat & let kids pull the trigger), then wait on a decent buck.

I am afraid that the rut would not start at T-Giving & be over before the kids were out for Christmas.

Thanks for the info.
 

Son

Gone But Not Forgotten
Difficult to say about Damascus, need a hunter from that area to give you some information. Managed a property for hunting and timber for over fourteen years in the south end of Early Co. While managing a hunt club just 13 miles north near Lucille Ga. The rut was different in each place. Just a few miles can make a big difference in some area's of the state. My club is where Early and Miller meet on the SE line. 2/3rds in Miller, 1/3rd in Early. Our rut was late this year, but hunting does get exciting from Thanksgiving on through the season.
 

Son

Gone But Not Forgotten
Did some fishing in Lake Seminole today, bite was off, but did get to see the gators are out sunning.
 

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Son

Gone But Not Forgotten
Like what i've read about extending our deer season, finishing up Jan with bowhunting. don't like the part about increasing fees. Hunting, fishing licenses and boat registration. Can't speak for everyone, but my income certainly hasn't increased since the year 2000. What little SS did give, was taken back with insurance increases, cost of living etc. I may be old timey, but hate too many rules and money grabbing. Knowing that usually those who come up with such ideas, have no money problems. That's my rant for today.
 

Son

Gone But Not Forgotten
Can't remember if i posted this on GON about four years ago, if so, here it is again. This ol buck wasn't known until a camera got his photo right after a fight with three nice bucks just a short distance from one of my stands. I wasn't there at the time of course. I hunted him the rest of that season, nobody saw him, nor did we get another photo on cameras. Next year, nothing, no sightings, no photo's we just considered he had been shot off property. Third year, near end of season. I was watching a huge old six point chase a doe. This had been going on for some time, and i had passed on the six a couple times before. Just didn't want him, hoping another member would luck up and get the six. As they went off into the thick all chasing noise ceased. Few minutes went by, then i heard chasing again. Thinking it was the six chasing, didn't pick up the rifle. Out came this old buck chasing the doe, he had taken over from the old six. Shot the buck twice at about 125 yards. He disappeared from sight going NE. Hunted him for about three hours, very little to go by as there was water everywhere. Found him several hundred yards from the stand where he had come in to one of my camera's. Fell, stood back up, and fell for a final time. You can see me admiring him where he fell. Huge antlers with lots of character. This wouldn't happen again in many years.
 

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Son

Gone But Not Forgotten
First photo i got of the old buck posted previously. One eye shut from the fight he was just in. Camera said the fight was ten minutes before i arrived at the stand. We named him "Ol One Eye". but it was ok when i got him the third year.
 

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