Dec 1

Today is the opening day of Georgias trapping season!! Of course I can’t set until after deer season unless I can get a little time between hunts, but I hope to see some pics from Swamp and a few other GA residents! Good luck gentlemen!

I've got 2 pay jobs to do this month near home....both are predator jobs. All my other jobs are after deer season ends and are up state.

I'm gonna try and put off the December jobs until mid month. I'm still trying to fill my 2nd Ga buck tag with another good buck. Matter of fact...I'm up a tree now...all day sit down in Thomas County. Have seen 1 young doe all day....it's 1:20 pm now....

Southern trappers are #1. Always have been......

Swamp, I’ve got one other buck that would be a trophy, but we’re hoping he makes it this season. Waiting on another to get back on a daytime pattern. It’s nothing special antler wise but he’s old as dirt and needs killing. Going to go on a doe slaughter with the bow around Christmas break. May get to set a few traps during that time down one entrance road. That road produces every single year…coyotes, bobcats, and an occasional fox. May just gang set one intersection and stick some cameras on it to see. The manger has a camera there for trespassers and has already seen a cat or two and a coyote. It’s through small planted pines with the back side of the pond on one side and quail cover on the opposite side.

Hey Swamp, explain whats goin on with this mow pattern, Leon CO., FL, (not too far from you ? )
Looks very wide spread .... I don't get it.
Thanks

I broke out the 7mm08 for this hunt but I'm about to do what you're gonna do.....I'm gonna try and take 3 or 4 does with my bow over next couple weeks.

even up your way, just west of Metcalf.
?
Thanks

Quail hunting operation. Mowed strips thru low cover for access by hunters and pointing dogs. Also provides wild Quail with mix of cover and openings

DANG ! Must be big business down there !
That's a LOT of acreage !
Thanks

Crowfoot,
This area around SW Ga and into North Florida is quail country. Big money landowners mange intensively for wild quail. Some of these plantations have been in same families for more than a century. It's truly a unique and stunningly beautiful part of the South.

The intensity is obvious ! A lot of work / time / $ to maintain the terrain/habitat like that.
I'd love to see it someday !
Thank you.

Sorry to bug you in a tree, now ... shoot something

No problem. Im bored...been in climber all day....waiting for dark.

The beauty here is breathtaking!

I work 2500 acres of quail and high fence deer. That looks like that ! I love hearing quail

That looks like release style blocking. Our blocking leaves way more cover.

Now imagine 2-track roads throughout covered in pine straw or leaves and in some places gravel…and imagine trying to find predator tracks. Or even in areas like Swamp posted with deer trails every 50yds, lol.

Really want to see what’s cool. Is come down in Jan, then the end of March or beginning of April, then August for the last trip.

You’ll see nothing but a brown landscape like Swamps picture, then sections of burned areas solid black, then lush thick green, then the cycle starts all over again.

I'll bet the bird folks really appreciate you trappers.
What about the pointers ? Do you trap and hunt different seasons ? Different areas/sections ?
Pretty place, for sure.
Thanks

Bobwhites?

Yes Bobwhite quail.
Release bird plantations can start Oct 1 - March 31.

Wild bird plantations abide by the Ga season dates which is generally about the second weekend of Nov until Feb 28th.

Release bird plantations hunt every single day just about, lol. Sounds like a dove shoot going on before lunch and after.

With wild bird plantations it depends. Where I help out its leased hunts by reference only. Hunters may come in for a Frid afternoon and all day Saturday and half a day Sunday hunt. Very few come during the week. It can cost at minimum $3500 a day (morning and afternoon) early season and up to $5000 a day later in the season. Overnight stays and home cooked meals are extra. The use of horses is extra, but everyone wants to hunt off horseback. Limit per group is 10 birds a day.

Where my son works it’s owner only hunting, although he does lease it out to a few folks for $40K a week. Sounds expensive until these guys show up with $50k and higher shotguns. My son has met a lot of politicians, heads of state, and even a few Prime Ministers.

Trapping starts as soon as quail season ends and last until I decide to pull. Every wild bird plantation has nuisance permits. Sometimes I’ll get lucky if we have about 10 days between hunts and I’ll put a few sets in during the actual “winter months.”

After quail season is burn season so I’m dealing with that, then if it’s dry, any timber thinning or cutting that’s needed is done. I mark traps for burn season and pull in areas when the logging crew shows up. It’s a year long process keeping that habitat up for wild birds and the plantation I help out at only has a manager and his wife. They have another guy that helps besides me and we’re paid hourly…and NO it’s not much, lol. BUT, the perks make up for that. Deer and turkey hunting. Dove and duck hunting. And free rein of 2500ac anytime I just need to go relax or do some walking.

Swamp, you ever get anything? I went out and sat on a pond dam that overlooks our dove field and saw about 40 or so. Saw several bucks running does around and fighting. I need to get a spotting scope…just trying to pick a candidate to keep track of for next year or the year after, lol.

WOW ... I had no idea .....Thanks for the info.

We used to have wild bobwhites, very few now. No cover and abundance of predators is my guess.

Any recommendations on a place down there to pay a guide and go on a wild quail hunt? Like to do it over dogs and watch them work.

John

No...saw 1 young doe. Stayed up all day..11.5 hrs in a Summitt...in a creek bottom on a trail intersection/creek crossing with big buck sign.....oh well...


....can't pick the right spot on the right day every time. Only had 1 day to hunt there. Now back to Turner County for a few days...in search of that last mature buck...

Yesterday about 1400 hrs...about burnt myself out on that all day sit...

Deer patterns are whacked right now. Some bucks we’re targeting are showing up about 1100 or so and that’s it for the day. The main issue now is where my son works is their deer are on lock down with does. Our first rut is over and the bucks have almost disappeared or just laying up waiting for that second rut. Then again, I haven’t been out too much. Neither my son or I have been back to his area all year other than to hunt his Tower Stand once. May head back there with a climber and my bow and just sit and watch.

Here at home (Echols County) the peak breeding was mid thru later October. That's why I went west.....trying to get back in a little pre-rut action.

Now, it's post- rut from here to the end...

Think the moon and does got them a little out of sorts. We’re really not getting any nighttime pics either.

That's interesting. I'm seeing the EXACT same thing here in Echols County and we are almost 2 months post rut. My only 2 mature bucks have basically disappeared. No night or day pics. And they haven't been killed...

We have some cameras over feed and they aren’t even being hit. Feed being, peanuts, corn, and acorns; although the acorns are about gone now.

I think some of this slow feeding of late has a little to do with these warmer temps from this very mild weather. Supposed to be 83° here in a few.