I would like to take an extended Fall 7-14 day canoe trip/hunt, however Georgia doesn't really offer many options.
I will either do this solo or with another person and two canoes. The game is secondary to the trip.
Thanks for any ideas.
Ray
Ray, in Ga. you can put in at Beaverdam WMA and float toward the coast. You will pass several WMA's on the river. Good deer and hog hunting at most of them. The coast has several WMA's that offer a chance to get in deep by using a canoe. Skeeters be tough that time of year though about anywhere around the rivers and swamps.
Look up RC (Robert Carter) on this forum. He can teach a thing or two about both: boats and bowhunting.
Here's a thread he started a few days ago: RCCanoe thread (http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=070857;p=1)
Didn't Pat McManis write a book on that subject?
We are blessed to have so many river systems to choose from in our state,,Go slow have fun and pick a river you think you can shoot to eather side of the bank. Kevin and I didn't see any deer but at one point we heard the sound of some game moving away from the bank just out of sight and it sound a bit bigger than a squirell and there were a few of them moving. It was a lot of fun,,We had a base camp,, Cannoed from that to a point''IE, bridge''then exited the river where Kevins truck was. Worked out pretty good except when Kevin relized he left his truck keys back at camp in my truck,,LOL,, it was a good little hike back to camp for the keys,,JB
(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c175/whitbuffalo/my%20favorites/Leota08-812.jpg)
Uh Deliverance! How about the Chattoga?? It is surronded by a wilderness area isn't it? Seriously I am just kidding unless you have Class 3 experience. But that would be a cool trip until the hillbillies showed up. :)
How about the Ocmulgee? It's a great canoeing stream from Jackson Lake down, at least the first 15 miles or so- that's all I've been on- but it's dam free for the rest of the way. There's class 3 rapids in the first stretch below the lake to the next bridge, and a class five in the second stretch that'll get you if you're not careful. Haven't floated it past there, but the fishing is great, and the river goes through or past lots of National forest and WMA's. The upper stretches flow pretty well, but I'd guess there would be plenty of paddling lower down.
I lived in GA when my kids were small, and we had many happy days on the stretch below the lake, fishing, swimming, and picnicking on all-day floats, with just enough mild rapids to make it exciting.
There is an old mill dam on the Ocmulgee at Juliette that you will have to portage around and also a tough set of shoals right below that. Then you would have to go thru Macon. It would be best to go below Macon to the boat landing at Bullard which is just up river from two WMA's. Either river would work as they run together in Lumber City then head for the coast. The best hunting for hogs will be on the lower end of both rivers and all the way to the coast after they run together and form the Altamaha. Should be a blast for sure.
Thanks for all of the in put.
SWP I fish the Chatooga quiet often, it is a pretty decent trout stream as it come out of NC. So far I've avoided the Hillbilly bunch. But that is one of the reasons I have a carry permit.
Don, seems we are just the opposite. I grew up in MS and now live in GA. We used to float the Strong River from Pinola down to the Pearl and then the Pearl until we made it home to Monticello.
Jeff, thanks I'll start planning one down on the coast.
Ray
Man, this is somthing I've alway's wanted to do. I have seen so many trad video's and pics with canoe's it makes me want to climb in one every time. Good luck and have an awesome time when or wherever you canoe to!! :thumbsup: Jason
Covey,
It is a lot of fun. I was able to do it a few times a year growing up in South Mississippi. Here in North Georgia we have great hunting but not a lot of opportunites to do extended trips.
Looks like I will plan a trip along the Altamaha later in the year.
I have a canoe and also a jon boat rigged for small streams. I would love to try a trip on the right stream. I love to fish so much too that I might spend more time fishing than hunting.
Any suggestions for streams in Mississippi or Alabama?
John,
I always enjoyed the Strong River, it is a small stream with an easy pace, fishing is good (Rebel Minnows were always deadly) with lots of sandbars for camping. It starts in the Bienville National Forrest in Scott County and flows into the Pearl River not to far from D'Lo and Georgetown.
We would normally pull out there. However, we lived in Monticello, so sometimes we would float down the Pearl and pull out at home. The Pearl is a much larger river and can be a little tricky in spots.
The disclaimer to this is I have not been on the Strong River in SEVERAL years. At that time land owners didn't mind us passing though or camping on sandbars on their property. Unfortunately time have changed, so it may not be the same.
Ray
Here's a few Canoe pics.......... (http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k209/rickybob_2006/CIMG3276.jpg) (http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k209/rickybob_2006/CIMG2371.jpg) (http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k209/rickybob_2006/CIMG2355.jpg) (http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k209/rickybob_2006/CIMG0508.jpg)
Skyler,
Nice Pigs!
Yep, I need a canoe.
:thumbsup:
Ray, I'm up in the north end of MS, and our rivers up here were all raped by the Corps of Engineers to drain the bottoms for farming. The only bright spot is in a WMA on the Tallahatchie, where they have restored the original stream channel. I bought a one-man kayak this winter, and I plan to do some exploring of the area. It's also the closest place I know where hogs are found.
I envy y'all in GA with the abundance of good floating rivers. Our local rivers here are so shallow from dredging that a canoe scrapes bottom. Before the Corps, steamships came way up the same rivers in winter. That's progress!
Don,
I haven't been on the Tallahatchie since I was in Boy Scouts.
Here in North GA there are several desputes and a few lawsuits going on concerning river access, so its pretty hard to find 2-3 day stretches of water.
Looks like I'm going to plan a float on the Altamaha and take advantage of all of the WMA's along the way.
PM sent. The lower Ocmulgee is very promising.RC