Hunting in Georgia?

I'm always amazed at those who think public land is a free-for-all. I've never seen that and I've hunted a lot of public land in OR, TN and SC. The only bad experience I've had was with younger hunters just not knowing the etiquette on a dove field. One guy sat virtually in my lap when there was lots of room elsewhere on the field. I told him he was too close and he apologized and moved. When I had my limit, I went and got him and moved him to my spot. He turned out to be a really nice guy, he just didn't know any better. The other time was guys across the field shooting over my head at birds that were out of my range. There weren't many birds flying anyway so I just got up and left.

I look for big tracts of land that are a long drive from civilization or a place where you need a canoe, etc. The harder it is for the average guy to hunt it, the less likely you'll run into anyone. Another trick is to check GA DNR's website for quota hunt information. It usually doesn't cost much, if anything, to apply for draw hunts. If you get drawn you get to hunt prime real estate with a limited number of others.

Check this link for WMA's near Ft. Gordon.
 
I hunted all over central Georgia for 20 years, in Baldwin and Hancock counties, and elsewhere.
I was fortunate enough to have private land to hunt on, every year. For five of those years I was in a club on the Oconee River, in the swamps. Hunting paradise.
Place was overrun with deer and hogs, that is why I posted the link to that club in the Savannah River swamps.
See, the river swamps in Georgia flood every couple of years, so you can't build a house down there. But deer love 'em, and hogs love 'em even more. The river swamps are overrun with turkeys, too.

Well, I was always looking for new hunting grounds, and I got the stamps and hunted WMAs and also the Federal land, Cumberland Island.
In every case I found the public land to be unvelievably crowded with rookie dumb-ass hunters.

I rode the ferry to Cumberland Island for a managed 5-day hunt, I left the place in disgust after one day. Never saw so many inept, stupid rookie hunters.
They probably would have killed me but they weren't good enough of a shot.

If you are serious about hunting in Georgia, join a club.


As to where the hunting is good in Georgia, it is good in the South!!
In the mountains, the Dahlonega area, there are nowhere near as many deer as in the central and southern areas.
Augusta is right in the center of the state, on the fall line. I lived in central Georgia near Milledgeville, also on the fall line. Only difference, for some reason, Augusta was 5 degrees hotter than Milledgeville in August.
Also, much better hog hunting in the south and central areas.
Best bet for hogs is the river swamps, which begin in central Georgia and run all the way to the coast. Deer love the river swamps too.
 
To clarify on Cumberland Island.........

The island is about 12 miles long and on average about 3 miles wide. The ferry unloads hunters on the south end at Plum Orchard. This is the camp with facilities. They also have fire pits. If you stay at this camp you may indeed have the experence SK spoke of.

On the other hand the Brickhill Camp is on the north end of the island. It is a primative camp with zero facilities. No fires allowed and you must carry all of your trash off with you. To get to it you must have a boat and carry everything you need. It's about 15 miles to the nearest ramp.

We used this camp dozens of times over the course of near on 15 years. Saw very few other hunters in the woods up there. Lots of walking involved. Often times it'd be a 45 min. or longer walk to the stand.

And if I may say this about clubs, even though I have hunted in a few, they do have problems too. Depends on the set up and the folks in them. Be VERY selective and ask a lot of questions. And not just of current members but of those that you can find who got out.

I for one do not car for hunting over bait or from fixed position stands. Depending on the club you may find that those of us who like to hunt with portables or like to move slowly through the woods are frowned upon by those with the bait and ladders. Not saying they are wrong to be anoyed just that the two types of hunting can be incompatable at times.

Pick a good club with a long history, a lot of land, written adheared to rules and it can be great. Get the wrong bunch and you may as well strugle with the public land.
 
On my unfortunate trip to Cumberland Island, I camped at the main camp, just across the island from the ferry.
This hunt was computer picked, only about 150 hunters on the entire island for the hunt. This was in the mid-1980s.
I had heard that the place was overrun with hogs and deer.

This hunt was for muzzleloaders and pistols only.
You had to ride the ferry for 45 minutes to get to the island.
I figured, as much trouble as it was to get to this hunt, it would keep the riff raff out.
As it turned out, this hunt kept the riff raff in.

On the first night, before the hunt began, a guy came over to our camp.
He saw my hand made Tennesseee Mountain Rifle and complimented it.
He said, he figured I must be pretty knowledgable about muzzleloaders.
He said, he had just bought his CVA Hawken at Kmart three days ago, and hadn't had a chance to fire it yet. He wanted me to take him out in the woods and show him how to make his rifle work.

I was appalled. I declined to help. I wanted no part of this guy's introduction into muzzleloading.

On the first morning, I heard a lot of firing. I was surprised I didn't see anything.
I got back to camp about 10am.
One of the guys said to another guy, he had heard him shoot 9 times, Where was the venison?
This guy said, "I shot at 9 of 'em, but I must have missed, they all ran off."
He didn't even try to track any of the game.

I was about to vomit.
I asked the Federal Ranger, When was the next ferry?
He said it was at noon.
I was on that ferry, got the hell off of Cumberland Island, and never looked back.
Bear in mind, I was booked for a 5 day hunt, I had taken time off of work, I had a giant cooler full of ice. No doubt I could have gotten some deer and hogs.
I left because I was disgusted by the incompetent, stupid rookie hunters there on the public game lands in Georgia.

I can tell you more horror stories about public land hunting in Georgia. If you want to hunt public lands in Georgia, God Bless You.
 
I don't doubt that some folks have had bad experiences on public land in Georgia, and other places as well. We are very lucky in this state to have as much public hunting and fishing opportunity as we do; it being public you do run into the occasional yahoo. I don't shoot on our (very nice, by the way) public ranges on weekends because of this.

I've been lucky enough to have belonged to clubs, had a couple of buddies with huge farms that only let me hunt their land, and I've hunted public land. Each has it's own positives and negatives. Clubs are great, but I've seen many petty arguments over stand placement, guests, people who just come to party, etc. A buddy with a farm is great, but kind of hard to come by these days. The WMA land here in GA offers me a huge amount of land to fish, hunt, and camp on without paying dues or having to put friends in an awkward position.

I find you get what you look for, most times. Hunting public land is not the same experience as being in a club or hunting someone's farm by a long shot. If you are going to get mad because someone else is in the woods with you, then no, public land probably isn't for you. I don't hunt the same on public land as I do private land. I use a flashlight going in and out, even if I don't need it, just to identify myself as a human. I try to hunt mid-day or afternoon, though I prefer to hunt in the morning, because there is less pressure and I can see if someone else is hunting the area I wish to hunt. I don't get angry if someone else's truck is parked where I wanted to hunt, I just go somewhere else. I don't hunt opening weekend. It's all about expectations, I didn't fire a shot this year and could not care less. I had a wonderful time in the woods without having to drive for hours and pay club dues.

A somewhat related story: I'm from western North Carolina, and my grandfather taught me to trout fish before I can even remember. I learned many things about fishing, but what really stuck with me was the etiquette. He taught me that if you see a vehicle parked on the road, you give them five or six holes before you stop, you just don't pull in behind them and jump in beside them. If it's a small stream, you just go somewhere else. If I'm wading and come up on another fisherman, I get out and give them a hole or two before I get back in the river. That's the old ways, I guess, I don't see many people doing that anymore. I still do, and if someone jumps in the river beside me, I don't let it ruin my day. I'm way past counting fish to have a successful trip.

Give the public land a shot, it's a wonderful resource here in Georgia. If you find it's not what you want, then at least you have formed your own opinion.
 
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In reading your defense of public land hunting, it has occurred to me that things have improved since I last hunted public lands.
My short Cumberland Island hunt was in 1990, and I have not hunted public lands since.
In the intervening years, there has been a big decrease in the number of hunters.
I believe that in Georgia there are 15 percent fewer hunters than 19 years ago.

This alone would make a big improvement in public land hunting.

Also, you figure that most of the guys who have dropped out of hunting are flakes and wannabees.

So you cut way back on the number of hunters on public land, and cut way back on flakes and wannabees, it may be that public land hunting is a lot better today than back when I was doing it.
 
Key points to public land hunting success is to head in several hours before most union paid coffee makers are required to go to work, Use a ground concealment between a morning mast crop feed spot and the heaviest cover tracks lead into... You will likely avoid most of the slob, lazy hunters as well as be in prime location to intercept the deer that are slinking away from the gunfire... A key plus to this, I have found, is that the deer will have the "awares" behind them leaving their "12" more vulnerable. When I call "MATT" to stop them I usually get both front legs jolted forward making me positively sure they had ZERO clue a threat forward was worth worrying about....
Brent
 
Gonna make you squeal like a pig...

Looked thru the WMR website and it looks like there are quite a few decent spots to hit not too far from where we're going to be living. Out here in California, I would have to drive a long way out to find public land that allows rifles, lead ammo, and has the type of game I'm looking for. GA doesn't seem to have any of that legal red tape to deal with. Can't wait for deer season to open up.

Side note: Maybe someone should start a thread on the Tactics and Training forum for SD against backwoods "Deliverance" type scenarios. Could save your 6 someday.
 
Seriously, you are in the right part of the state, at the right time of year.
Augusta is right in the middle of the state, great hunting there.
Hunting in the north Georgia mountains is nowhere near as good.
Lots of great hunting land near Augusta.

Buy a smoker and get ready to put a wild hog ham on. Use mesquite wood, it is the best meat I ever ate.

The ideal is the 150 pound female hog, although the 150 pound male is pretty good.
Leave the 400 pound male hog alone, the meat is not good.
Put a modern rifle slug one inch behind the shoulder of a wild hog, he won't give you any trouble.

Good luck, let us know how you do.
 
Bringing home the bacon, and the hams, and the sausage...

Will do. Prolly post pictures of the results. I'd still want to get a 300+ pig mostly to take out a big pest, get some tusks, etc. Even if the meat was bad compared to smaller hogs I'd give it a try just to say I did.
 
I was born in the TN hills and I currently live in SC about 45 minutes from the river where they filmed much of Deliverance. I hunt, hike and fish often, usually by myself. I've never had an incident that I felt could have turned ugly, except in Memphis.

I have friends and family ranging from redneck to poor white trash to college professors. I've lived in Oregon and Hawaii and I've traveled everywhere in between. I've lived in big cities, on farms, military base and in tiny villages and I've found a way to fit-in everywhere.

No matter where you are from or where you live, there are a few general rules that will help you get along with the locals. Please don't take offense, I really am trying to be helpful.

1. You aren't from here. Don't forget it and don't pretend that you are. Be polite and respectful of the customs and people who live here. The majority of southerners arrived here after the war of Yankee aggression but we are still fiercely proud of our heritage.

2. You don't know every damn thing. Don't come down here telling us how stupid we are or how much better it is where you're from. If you don't have anything nice to say...

3. Be open-minded. Fried okra and green tomatoes may sound strange but they're really good if cooked by someone's grandma.

4. When in Rome... hunting with dogs or over bait may not seem sporting but there are other reasons for it. In some cases it's just tradition. In others, it's done to try to increase the total harvest since deer are over-abundant in many parts of the south.

5. Try to make friends with some locals. Your stay will be a lot more fun if somebody can show you all the back roads, dive bars and greasy spoon restaurants. They can also put you onto the best hunting and fishing and they usually aren't stingy with the best spots.

6. Say "yes, ma'am" and "yes, sir", especially among older folks. It sets them at ease and tells them that you're from a good family. Doors will open and opportunities will come more easily.

Just don't insult my dog, my wife or my truck and we'll get along fine.
 
I'd still want to get a 300+ pig mostly to take out a big pest, get some tusks, etc. Even if the meat was bad compared to smaller hogs I'd give it a try just to say I did

Macho man, huh?
You don't care if the meat is good to eat, as long as you kill a big animal.
You need to grow up.
Sorry I gave you any helpful advice.
 
Okay... while not a personal capacaity record as I never seen a 300+ hog... I know plenty of folks who have run these thru the butcher pen as "sausage only" and never could you tell it was from a real good hog.... Kill 'em all and let the butcher sort them out!
Brent
 
simonkenton quote:
Macho man, huh?
You don't care if the meat is good to eat, as long as you kill a big animal.
You need to grow up.
Sorry I gave you any helpful advice.

Whoa:eek: That's not the way I was going with that at all. My point is that IF I did take a large boar, I would try to eat it no matter what. I won't kill anything that I don't plan on eating. That's not my ethics, not how I was raised. I try a lot of different foods/activities just to say I tried it once. It's another way of saying "I'll try anything once" or "I won't knock it until I try it". Additionally, I see wild boars as an invasive species that does a lot of damage and harms the native plants and animals. Why not take out one of the larger ones since at that size they have so few natural predators? It would be doing a service to the local environment. If I take out one of the big ones and it isn't as good eating as one of the smaller ones, I've heard that they can be made into pretty decent sausage. If the sausage is horrible, I would have learned my lesson from experience and not based on what other people say.

As far as the advice about how to act in the south from other well-meaning posters, thank you very much, but I'll be ok:). I was stationed in Augusta for 5 1/2 years before spending this year back in California. I love the south, the people, the food, etc. I am a sucker for shrimp and grits, greens, deep fried turkey, muscadine wine, and fried green tomatoes. HUGE fan of Stone Mountain, Rock City around Christmas, the historic Savannah district, mom and pop restaurants on state roads (beats Cracker Barrel every time), and Woodford Reserve bourbon. Not to list for the sake of showing southern credentials (it is making me hungry though), but just to show I'm not a complete greenhorn yankee who's too good to see all the good there is out there to experience. With the exception of a few bad apples, folks in Augusta have been consistently warm, respectful and ready to give a helping hand. We have quite a few local friends and one of them has offered to take me out hunting with him. It should be a great time.

I'm very appreciative of all the hunting, shooting and cooking tips so far (will definitely go the mesquite route), but please don't pre-judge me as some California know-it-all trophy crazy kid looking to kill something to make up for some deficiency. I'm here to meet and learn from people with a common interest in hunting and shooting, not to start a flame-war or ruffle feathers. With that said, forgive me if any feelings were hurt or pride injured by anything I said earlier and let's raise a toast to southern hospitality.:D

Probably set a TFL record for hitting "preview post", before sending this one out to make sure that it would be read with the right tone and intentions. Check 300 times, post once:rolleyes: So here goes...
 
Never hunted much in the southern part of the state, but if you can get north of Atlanta there is a lot more public land in the mountains. The deer are not as big, but hunting in the mountains is just plain more fun to me. Being able to pack into a place 15 miles from the road and never see another hunter is the way I prefer to hunt. Sitting in a treestand on a postage stamp sized piece of property waiting for something to walk buy may be more efficient, but I just do not get any enjoyment from it.

Check out the North GA WMA's and the National Forest land. Most hunters are too lazy to go more than 50 yards from where their 4 wheelers carry them. Find a spot more than 1/4 mile from the road and you will never see other hunters.
 
LockedCJ7, man I wish I had said that. I think Deliverance did more injustice to the South and "Hill People" in particular than anything else. Just my .02 from a Ga. boy of over 60 years.

Clint
 
I hunted around Washington, GA. in the early 90's with pretty good luck but never took any big bucks. I was on a club that I think had too many members because it seemed everytime I turned around someone was getting in the way. Finally had to hunt those corners or pockets where no else would hunt. As far as the local people they were always real nice and most were easy to get along with. I am certain that most of those flat landers wondered where this slow talkin mountain man was from. I was raised up in a rough area thats had a reputation since the civil war and it still has its quirks about it. Generally I can get along with about anyone unless they think they are better than me. One last thing I have to say is:

A COUNTRY BOY CAN SURVIVE.........:)
 
Currently live in Middle Georgia (Southern Zone), lots of good hunting around here. The advise to check out GON (Georgia outdoor network) is good. Also something to think about, Georgians can be very proud folks, with that said they take pride in the service men in Georgia. Get to know some of the local landowners and they may let the solider hunt on their land for free. It would not hurt to volunteer to help them with food plot and such. I am a Cop here and I get invites all the time to come hunt land. (A lot of farmers want the hogs shot of their crops). Good luck and stay safe.;)
 
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