Mountain hunting

[ddd-shooter]

Yes but dnr decided to give the private land more doe days. We needed that about as much as we need Joe Biden as president. Last year with zero acorns alot of the deer came down off the big mountains to adjacent private. It appeared there was a ton of deer. Fast forward to this year thankfully we have a great acorn crop high to low so they are spread out and folks will complain again and say there are no deer. Hopefully the good acorn crop will keep the deer off the private lands and not to many does will be taken.

Preach!

 

[chrislibby88]

Be a shame if someone went in and hack & squirted some of those choked out trees.. providing much needed sunlight to the forest floor.

I find it comical the Feds & “Environmentalists” are all about saving the World… until it’s time to do something.

Best thing that could happen is a cigarette lands on the side of the road and a good hot fire rips up and over a few mountains, as long as there aren’t any houses in the path.

 

[WOODIE13]

Be a shame if someone went in and hack & squirted some of those choked out trees.. providing much needed sunlight to the forest floor.

I find it comical the Feds & “Environmentalists” are all about saving the World… until it’s time to do something.

The NPS here...preservationists v. conservationalists, they do absolutely nothing, just let it be.

Then here comes the fires from last week, should be a win for wildlife.

Only 66% contained as of today after the rain we had this weekend, just too much fuel on the ground

New River Gorge fire encompassing nearly 2,000 acres 66% contained, park officials say

According to a news release from the National Park Service, the Steep Valley fire at New River Gorge increased to 1,904 acres overnight Thursday into Friday.

wchstv.com

 

[GSPEED]

I have hunted the mountains for over 40 years mostly White,Lumpkin,Union county. Never realy killed a lot of deer but saw a few every year and could usually find good sign. To me and im sure there will be differing opinions the deer population is at a very low and disturbing number. My brother and I went to a spot we have hunted for several years yesterday to hunt and retrieve a camera. No pics on camera no sign and we walked a lot looking. Im talking National Forest land here. Anyone else notice this or is it just me? Im sure folks will comment on here about the number of deer they see in these areas and thats good for them but for me its not like it used to be.

I’m 60 years old now and last season was the first time since I was a kid that I didn’t hunt National Forest. Still go and scout places that we hunted years ago but there’s not enough to put the time into hunting it. Not sure if I buy into the habitat theory completely as that would mean that we had good habitat 25-30 years ago. I’m sure not doing clear cuts didn’t help but that shouldn’t have made the population plummet like it has. I know I’m beating a dead horse here but this all about regulations.

 

[TonyP62]

I’m 60 years old now and last season was the first time since I was a kid that I didn’t hunt National Forest. Still go and scout places that we hunted years ago but there’s not enough to put the time into hunting it. Not sure if I buy into the habitat theory completely as that would mean that we had good habitat 25-30 years ago. I’m sure not doing clear cuts didn’t help but that shouldn’t have made the population plummet like it has. I know I’m beating a dead horse here but this all about regulations.

Im 61 and feel the same way. Glad its not just me.

 

[ddd-shooter]

I’m 60 years old now and last season was the first time since I was a kid that I didn’t hunt National Forest. Still go and scout places that we hunted years ago but there’s not enough to put the time into hunting it. Not sure if I buy into the habitat theory completely as that would mean that we had good habitat 25-30 years ago. I’m sure not doing clear cuts didn’t help but that shouldn’t have made the population plummet like it has. I know I’m beating a dead horse here but this all about regulations.

Im 61 and feel the same way. Glad its not just me.

Also the coyote boom.
Also the black bear boom.
Also extended doe days.

Better habitat would help with all of those

 

[TonyP62]

Also the coyote boom.
Also the black bear boom.
Also extended doe days.

Better habitat would help with all of those

Yep all the above plus the wild hog situation.

 

[tree cutter 08]

Speaking of the pigs, anybody found any this fall? Only had a couple on camera and found the least amount I can ever remember. They seem to have disappeared last winter. Figured maybe they migrated out. Usually these oak flats and ridges are covered with pigs on the good acorn years.

 

[TonyP62]

Speaking of the pigs, anybody found any this fall? Only had a couple on camera and found the least amount I can ever remember. They seem to have disappeared last winter. Figured maybe they migrated out. Usually these oak flats and ridges are covered with pigs on the good acorn years.

No sign this year where we hunt. Past 2 years lots of sign even heard them grunting and squealing a few times but this year nothing.

 

[jbogg]

Speaking of the pigs, anybody found any this fall? Only had a couple on camera and found the least amount I can ever remember. They seem to have disappeared last winter. Figured maybe they migrated out. Usually these oak flats and ridges are covered with pigs on the good acorn years.

During the first two weeks of bow season I got into two different sounders on NF about 10 miles apart.

 

[cliffdweller]

We had a horrible round of black tongue in Fannin years ago during a really dry stretch (about 5 yrs straight). It dessimated the herd for quite a while. They are back but it took years of rain. I could count the gunshots on 2 hands for a few seasons. Glad to see the herd recovering...finally. There are so many factors at play, it's hard to pick one as the most important. It's all of the above. Seems like 1993 through 1996 was a tough stretch to kick things off with the blizzard and then hurricane Opal. Terrible times for the woodland creatures. I worked for the Forest Service in Blue Ridge, it's hard to overstate the importance of diverse habitat.

 

[HD28]

If I never saw or heard of a wild hog again, would be just fine!

 

[blackbear]

It's not just North Georgia.

 

[Glynr]

Mountains is where DNR could and should do a better job. Period end of story. People need to demand better there is no excuse

 

[splatek]

No expert here. This exact conversation has been on here since I was a member, about 4,maybe 5 years.
The way I read the history is
-bad management (too many doe days for too long, like almost too hard to come back from)
- habitat is crap (i've talked to @C.Killmaster about this several times
- and in recent years folks on here,social etc blasting the mountains and what seems like a recent boom in "adventure" hunting.
Personally, I don't know anything else:started hunting about 4-5 years ago and stayed in the mountains.

And I've had no pig sign or pigs. But others on my lease say they've heard them

 

[Rebel 3]

It is a shame tree huggers that lean strongly towards one particular political party get more consideration with the federal government than conservationists. There needs to be logging in the mountains. Many of the wmas are owned by the federal government which caves to tree hugging bunny lovers. These are the same people that don't want any plant or animal harmed. They are too stupid too realize that is exactly what they are doing. There should be areas where old grove trees are left and trees are cut in others creating a different succession in habitat.

 

[TonyP62]

It is a shame tree huggers that lean strongly towards one particular political party get more consideration with the federal government than conservationists. There needs to be logging in the mountains. Many of the wmas are owned by the federal government which caves to tree hugging bunny lovers. These are the same people that don't want any plant or animal harmed. They are too stupid too realize that is exactly what they are doing. There should be areas where old grove trees are left and trees are cut in others creating a different succession in habitat.

You are 100% correct. Back in the clear cut days there were a lot more deer.

 

[chrislibby88]

Mountains is where DNR could and should do a better job. Period end of story. People need to demand better there is no excuse

A lot of the land is locked inside national forest, falling under federal management and federal rules. They manage as well as they can afford in the WMAs, but they can’t do anything on National Forest, at least that’s my understanding. Any time a habitat management proposal pops up tree huggers block it.

 

[chrislibby88]

It is a shame tree huggers that lean strongly towards one particular political party get more consideration with the federal government than conservationists. There needs to be logging in the mountains. Many of the wmas are owned by the federal government which caves to tree hugging bunny lovers. These are the same people that don't want any plant or animal harmed. They are too stupid too realize that is exactly what they are doing. There should be areas where old grove trees are left and trees are cut in others creating a different succession in habitat.

They don’t cater more strongly to the tree huggers. The tree huggers just yell louder, and show up/write in on open comment periods to a much greater degree than hunters. WE need to do better. Every DNR employee I’ve spoken with in the mountains wishes they could be turned loose to better manage the land.

 

[Glynr]

Honestly I am not a mountain hunter and y'all have to be some tuff guys. I do know that there are tons of beautiful forest that should be covered up with deer. If way south Ga and Alabama sand fields and junk trees can have lots of deer. No excuse.