Hunting in Central GA

[Jonboy140]

Hi guys. My 11yr old son and I are learning to hunt deer together this season. We hunted squirrels half a season last year and have been hunting them prior to deer firearms season this year. His grandpa has a little bit of property that we hunt on in Crawford county, but isn't much acreage or a prime spot by any means. While we are thankful to have a spot to hunt, I am looking for other spots and possibly a club that we could join. Anybody have any recommendations or clubs that need a couple of newbies? We are willing to pull our weight and we are itching to learn all we can from more experienced hunters. Thanks in advance.

 

[Allsmiles]

You would be surprised what lives on small properties that no one hunts! Make sure to use a lot of scent killer (including bottom of shoes) and hunt the wind. Bucks are starting to chase does right now and chances are you should see something if you sit long enough. A doe can call and a grunt tube will often get a buck to come into where you are. Just remember to shoot them in the shoulder/arm pit and have fun. A bad day of hunting is better than a good day of video games. One other thing, go to google maps and enter the land's address. Go to aerial view and see what is hidden around the property and you should have be able to locate several good spots. PM me if you need more info on how to do this.

 

[batoncolle]

Definitely check out GON for local hunting club advertisements. It might be tough this time of year, but you might be able to find one.

And Allsmiles is right about small properties. I hunt a small property, and I have a ton of does in the area and some very large bucks (although we are now 1 large buck shy after the other evening ). Definitely scout your property and look for game trails, scrapes, and natural choke points. If you can get out a trail camera or two, it will make it much easier to find out where/when the deer are traveling. I will also do some asking around to see if there are any club openings in the area.

 

[rtross]

Watch some of the hunting TV shows. Some are very instructional (such as O'Neil).
You are fortunate that you live in central Ga, where deer are plenty. S Ga is even better!
But here's the best part: By teaching (and learning from him as well) your son, you'll be giving him memories that far supercede anything he'll learn about hunting. You sound like a great and very engaged father.

 

[Toddmann]

http://forum.gon.com/forumdisplay.php?f=100

 

[Jonboy140]

Thanks for the input fellas. It seems that by not learning from my Dad(he wasn't a hunter), I'm at a disadvantage. But, I'm appreciative of the info y'all are giving me. It truly is my favorite thing to do. Unfortunately, I will be hunting alone this weekend. My son is on restriction. I will try to incorporate the advice and I will NOT give up.

 

[Allsmiles]

Helpful hints on property lay outs. Look at aerial map of property and look for any difference in color. The pines will be green and hardwoods most likely will be gray. You will want to hunt on the hardwood side if you can. If there are fields, set up just inside of the trees and wind in your face/side. Next, pull up a topo map and look for high and low areas. Bucks will most likely be cruising the higher areas in the morning as the ground warms up, scent (yours included) will rise up the hills. They can check a lot of area quick that way for a hot doe. Lastly, look at the topo map and think how you would walk the areas. Deer are a lot like a middle aged man and will take the easy route when possible. If you can find a couple of funnels (look for V shapes) on the map, and there are hardwoods, hunt there with the sun to your back. Just remember, the bucks will be wherever the does are and they only have one thing on their mind.

 

[Allsmiles]

BTW, how big is your hunting area? I'm only hunting on 64 acres. However, it does have 3/4 miles of lakefront, county park for one side, and big field for the other side. Houses and main road for the last side. We've gotten 2 10's, 5 8's, and about 5 smaller bucks out of the area over the years. We also taken quite a few does along the way. Small parcels in the right place are a lot better an 10,000 acres that you know nothing about. At least, you should have some idea of where to hunt since you have been shooting squirrels. Hint, deer eat the same things as squirrels this time of the year so you already have a good starting place.