Who all is planning to hunt Cohutta?

[Professor]

I will be there. I have some hope that we will see a lot of bears. They should all be active with the abundance of acorns and warm weather. (keep in mind I have still to kill my first bear, so I really have no idea what I am talking about). The colder weather should get the deer moving. Looks like we might have some snow.

 

[chrislibby88]

Good luck. Never hunted Cohutta, but I will be on Chestatee in a week and a half.

 

[Professor]

Good luck. Never hunted Cohutta, but I will be on Chestatee in a week and a half.

You do well there. Learning a new WMA is a real investment in time, energy, and money, but someday you should come on over and walk around. It is a pretty cool place. I still have not seen the eastern area and am just now getting to explore the wilderness area.

 

[chrislibby88]

You do well there. Learning a new WMA is a real investment in time, energy, and money, but someday you should come on over and walk around. It is a pretty cool place. I still have not seen the eastern area and am just now getting to explore the wilderness area.

Oh I’ve been wanting to hunt Cohutta, but like you said, I’ve got a few ridges on Chestatee pegged down pretty well, and I always try to learn a little bit of new ground every time I’m out. Oh and my family owns a camper in Blairsville, so that free lodging is hard to pass up.

 

[Professor]

Oh I’ve been wanting to hunt Cohutta, but like you said, I’ve got a few ridges on Chestatee pegged down pretty well, and I always try to learn a little bit of new ground every time I’m out. Oh and my family owns a camper in Blairsville, so that free lodging is hard to pass up.

Especially as cold as it looks like it is going to be. Wish I still had a camper. It can get cold in a tent.

 

[chrislibby88]

Especially as cold as it looks like it is going to be. Wish I still had a camper. It can get cold in a tent.

First year my brother and I hunted Chastatee was bitter cold, we camped at Dockery Lake. There was a few inches of snow on the north faces, and the shaded WMA roadbeds were frozen solid. Sleeping wasn’t that bad, but getting out of the tent and getting dressed and breakfast going was miserable. I kinda like the suck, but that camper has hot water, and I really appreciate a shower every night to help with scent control.

 

[Professor]

First year my brother and I hunted Chastatee was bitter cold, we camped at Dockery Lake. There was a few inches of snow on the north faces, and the shaded WMA roadbeds were frozen solid. Sleeping wasn’t that bad, but getting out of the tent and getting dressed and breakfast going was miserable. I kinda like the suck, but that camper has hot water, and I really appreciate a shower every night to help with scent control.

I like a shower to relax my muscles. I find I can go three days roughing it, but after that I need a shower, a bed, and a day off.

 

[chrislibby88]

I like a shower to relax my muscles. I find I can go three days roughing it, but after that I need a shower, a bed, and a day off.

Oh for sure man. It’s amazing how much a hot shower can change your life on a hard hunt. I tried taking a sun shower that first year, it’s a plastic bag that is supposed to heat up in sunlight, but it was too cold, and not enough sun to get it warm enough to use.

 

[Professor]

Oh for sure man. It’s amazing how much a hot shower can change your life on a hard hunt. I tried taking a sun shower that first year, it’s a plastic bag that is supposed to heat up in sunlight, but it was too cold, and not enough sun to get it warm enough to use.

Sometimes it is better to stay dry.

 

[MTwomey]

I was out there last night. Found a lot of frosted over scatt on the edges of the food plots, nothing fresh enough to chase. Didn't see anything moving in the evening. I did however drive up on a breeding pair of humans making carnal use of the over look deck. They were shooters, probably 250-300 each, definitely been hitting the bait pile. By far the most "action" I've seen on that mountain so far.

I'll for sure be up there in the coming weeks. Might camp a couple nights during the rifle hunt. I'd like to go a little deeper into the wilderness during rifle. I figure it might yield more opportunity, and all the rifles around the perimeter make me a little nervous. Ive just known of too many guys with a tendency for shooting at sounds.

 

[MTwomey]

Also, I listened to a great podcast while I was up there that is super relevant to this conversation. Bear Hunting Magazine Podcast had the state Large Carnivore biologist from Arkansas on. He talked in depth about late season bear activity, specifically the different environmental conditions that trigger hibernation behaviors and how those behaviors very. I would say it definitely supported what @Professor is saying about increased activity on the last remaining acorns.

 

[EyesUp83]

My crew will be hunting the eastern side of the wilderness. All 3 of us are still looking to tag our first bear, 2 of 3 the first hog, 1 of 3 the first deer (shoot we'd be happy if he just got a shot at something, lol)... We can't wait to get up there and get moving.

The gameplan is going to be finding reds dropping near laurel then slow down to look for fresh scat, then stop when I find both. Hope I get to stop moving at some point over the weekend, LOL.

 

[Professor]

My crew will be hunting the eastern side of the wilderness. All 3 of us are still looking to tag our first bear, 2 of 3 the first hog, 1 of 3 the first deer (shoot we'd be happy if he just got a shot at something, lol)... We can't wait to get up there and get moving.

The gameplan is going to be finding reds dropping near laurel then slow down to look for fresh scat, then stop when I find both. Hope I get to stop moving at some point over the weekend, LOL.

Good luck. The hogs are like ghosts up there from my experience. They move around so much it is hard to pin them down. The deer should be rutting, so there is always a good chance that a buck will stumble by. Your strategy is sound, except that they may be moving out of the thick stuff if their red oak acorn supply has been reduced enough.

 

[Joe Brandon]

Guys don't overlook the food plots during this hunt. It sounds like yall are finding acorns still, Lord only knows how since the were scarce even in early Oct when I was last there. In Cherokee CTY they are all but gone. Food plots are a great late season option. One year counted 3 in 1 1/2 hours on a food plot in the hooch during the dec hunt.

 

[Professor]

Guys don't overlook the food plots during this hunt. It sounds like yall are finding acorns still, Lord only knows how since the were scarce even in early Oct when I was last there. In Cherokee CTY they are all but gone. Food plots are a great late season option. One year counted 3 in 1 1/2 hours on a food plot in the hooch during the dec hunt.

This is true. Last December most of the big bucks were taken the first morning on food plots. However, I can not imagine they ate all the red oak acorns on the ground. There were millions and millions.

 

[Rulo]

Chestatee=Slim Pickings.......Good luck fellas.

 

[EyesUp83]

Good luck. The hogs are like ghosts up there from my experience. They move around so much it is hard to pin them down. The deer should be rutting, so there is always a good chance that a buck will stumble by. Your strategy is sound, except that they may be moving out of the thick stuff if their red oak acorn supply has been reduced enough.

Thanks. I am hoping we at least get to take a shot or two. Personally I'm only out for bear or a chance encounter with a big mountain buck.
I do hope that this big cold front doesn't drive them into the den before we get there. Considering how warm its been up this point that would be unfortunate.
Good luck to you I hope you score your first bear!!

 

[Joe Brandon]

Yall layer up, then layer up some more. Its gonna be some kind of cold.

 

[WoodlandScout82]

I'll be up there all 4 days. I still haven't gotten Anything this year (not for the lack of trying) hopefully the cold weather will get the animals moving. I'm honestly glad that there's rain in the forecast.

 

[Buckman18]

One of these days, I'm going to invite myself to hunt with Whitetailfreak and finally experience Cohutta. But I'll be on the Dawson Forest hunt this year. Good luck, Fellers!