Posts by John Trussell
Middle Georgia Bear Hunt Yields Three Bears
It was a great day to bear hunt with fairly good weather and mid temperatures, but the bears didn’t seem to be moving At the end of the day on Dec. 16, 2023, only two bears were brought into the Oaky Woods WMA check station for the middle Georgia bear hunt that covers private lands…
Read More170+ Buck Ends Amazing Season For Young Lady
Patience and hard work are the keys to success, and Morgan Rae Walker, of Dodge County, just showed her resolve and determination when she finally scored on a huge, 12-point Dodge County buck that green scored 173 inches. Oh, did I mention that Morgan Rae is only 12 years old! Morgan Rae is blessed to…
Read MoreHound Hunts For WMA Bobcats & Foxes
Joe Hester says it’s all about hearing the dogs singing and enjoying God’s great outdoors. Joe and his son Haddon or a few close friends will often turn his large pack of tracking dogs loose on the foxes and bobcats on WMAs of middle Georgia just to see the dogs run for hours. They are…
Read More4,700-Acre Solar Farm Next To Oaky Woods WMA In Study Phase
When the state purchased 10,015 acres of Oaky Woods WMA back in 2010 for $28.5 million taxpayer dollars, a big victory had been achieved for middle Georgia sportsmen and wildlife—including the central Georgia bear population. However, a crisis is lurking over the horizon as the same landowners, Southern Timber Consultants LLC in Perry, who sold…
Read More195-Inch Bleckley County Bow Buck Caps Stellar Season
Dayton Cannon, of Cochran, has had an exceptional year in 2023, killing two record-class bucks with a bow, a 140-inch typical and a 195-inch non-typical. Both bucks were killed in Bleckley County. On Oct. 12, he was in a stand in a hardwood bottom when a huge 9-pointer came easing down the trail at 5:30…
Read More2023-24 Georgia Duck Forecast
Editor’s Note: After this article was published in the October 2023 print edition of GON, WRD announced that all Butler Island waterfowl hunting would be closed for the 2023-24 due to recent storm damage. See WRD Release. I knew the ducks were roosting in the back of a local farm pond because I saw them…
Read MoreDNR-GOWA Big Deer Contest Winners
Georgia DNR, in conjunction with the Georgia Outdoor Writers Association and sponsors The Southern Company and Glock, have announced the winners of the 2022 Georgia Big Deer Contest. The competition is the oldest continuous white-tailed deer contest in the state, with the first awards handed out in 1967. The contest is managed by retired WRD…
Read MoreFlint River Shoal Bass
Looking at the bubbling water racing across the rocky shoals, sprinkled with colorful spider lilies cramped within the crevasses, it’s hard to believe you’re in middle Georgia. While drifting down the Piedmont section of the Flint River in a raft, the rolling hills and rocky cliffs stretch upward to the sky, interspersed with many flat…
Read MoreThe Nuts & Bolts Of Hartwell Summer Linesides
Stripers and hybrids can seem like aquatic nomads in a vast ocean of water, says Capt. Cefus McRae, an expert fishing guide who operates on Lakes Hartwell, Lanier and Clark Hill. Cefus is also the producer and on-screen personality for the “Nuts & Bolts Of Fishing” TV show that airs on FOX Sports South and CarbonTV.…
Read MoreFlat Creek PFA Ready For Summer Anglers
Flat Creek PFA continues to be one of the more popular PFAs in Georgia. According to Brandon Baker, WRD fisheries biologist in the Fort Valley office, Flat Creek is ranked fourth in PFA usage, behind Rocky Mountain, Marben and Paradise PFAs. Its popularity could be due to its location close to I-75 in Perry and…
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