Trad Gang

I went to my club in Oglethorpe Co. GA this past weekend to mow, plow and plant before the season opener on Sept 8. We found pretty good bit of persimmons and grapes and found where squirrels were cutting white oak acorns. Was happy to see at least some mast crops doing good.
  The soil was like powder for 8" to 10" down. The weather was hot(95+) and humid. When I left the club about 2:30pm there wasn't a cloud in the sky. By the time I hit the GA/SC border at Lake Hartwell the skies were blackening and in a few minutes all heck broke loose. By the time I got back home, we had about 1.25" in our rain gauge and the rain bands were heading east.
 If our timeing was correct, by opening morning the soy beans and iron clay peas should be up and half eaten   :D   .     Pat

Those white oak acorns are deer magnets. Mostly reds up here and the locations of whites are closely guarded secrets. lol

David, the problem is there was a late freeze about Easter time that effected the whole S.E. US. I was afraid there wouldn't be any mast, hard or soft, at all. All of the apples in NC and the peaches in SC were ruined. Trees were killed because the sap had risen before the hard freeze. You can still see the limb tips where they got burned.       Pat

Thats a shame. Though it does help finding hot areas, if mast is limited.

The white oaks on our property aren't producing this year.  Shame since I have shot a deer every year heading to or from the giant white oaks for the past several years.  The late freeze really burned the mast trees around here.  The red oaks are producing a very limited amount so I guess I'll be hunting them this year.

We haven't had any mast on the red oaks around here in at least two years. I'm hoping that black cherries might provide a backup. The black cherry trees are spread(I find) by the deer eating the cherries and then pooping out the seeds. So, maybe the black cherry trees themselves are a good indicator of deer patterns. This is prolly not any new info to a lot of you, but it is to an ol boy from north TX.

oaks are poor this year Pat with the late frost

Here in weatern Va. I am seeing some acorns in both white and red oaks, most of the nuts are only in very tops of the trees though. Last year we had a huge crop. Squirrels were cutting the whiteoaks the other day. I have'nt found one hickory tree with nuts yet.

The water oaks at the club had acorns but because of the drought, they were only the size of a BB.
 We have had good acorn crops the last few yours but that can make the hunting very difficult as well. The deer don't have to go far from their beds to feed. I would rather have a sporatic mast crop and find the right area to hunt where there are acorns falling.
  I think that if this heat continues it won't matter if there are acorns, or any mast for that matter, because the deer will wait til the cool of the nights to feed. Plus, by the time you get to your stand you are sweating like a pulpwood cutter.    Pat

Pat.......your making me miss my old club in Oglethorpe Co. We were down 77 between Stephens and Maxeys.

We are on the other side of Stevens from where you are off of Bull Bray Rd. I guess we were neighbors. Did you know Emmit Cabiness? His property surounds us. Who owned the property you were on?    Pat

Pat........A man named Charlie Hubbard owned the land where the camp sat, as well as some surrounding land. Most was paper co. land with a couple of private owners who's names I can't recall. Yes, I remember Cabiness, although I never knew him personally. He bought most of Hubbard's property in the mid 90's, including the camp area.
For many years, it was a great club. Alot of land, great campsite with skinning sheds, coolers, the whole bit. Then, like alot of other clubs, we'd lose a chunk, go a couple years, lose another, until it was a fraction of what it once was. The final blow came when we lost the campsite and a couple of crucial tracts.
But, during "the good old days" it was something else. I had alot of good times there and really miss it.

The black oak in my front yard is dropping like crazy right now.I'll bet we haven't hasd 2" of rain all summer and the temps have been well, we just set a record for number of 90+ days in one summer.  

Fortunately most of our land belongs to the mothers of 3 of our members. We(about 9 of us) have been hunting this property for about 20 years. We do lease about 85ac of our 250ac from an elderly black woman so I guess that could change at any time. The first deer of the season always goes to the processor in her name and she really appreciates it. Got to keep her happy.
Mickey, I have red and white oaks in my yard that have a few acorns but not many out in the woods. Chestnut oaks are dropping but nothing eats them. I did notice that the beech trees are covered with nuts though.   Pat

Beech nuts are another great draw. Good place to find black bears also up here.

Pat, I live just north of Oglethorpe in Elbert County. Only thing I saw a couple of weeks ago when I hung my stand was muscudines (sp?). They'll most likely be gone by opening day. I know the area you hunt well. I was a deputy sheriff down there for a few years in the mid 90s. More deer than you can shake a stick at.

On my little spot in Hancock Co. (East Central GA), found the usual crab apples lacking fruit.  But did find a couple that had good numbers of crab apples.  Set up trail camera and brushy ground blinds near them.
Also found a spot that is LOADED with muscadines.
Set up a trail camera on it.  Also cleared away underbrush from it and made a ground blind with it.
Did not get to study the acorns, but expect them to be thin.
Dan

Bowana, Did you know Stacy(I think that was her name) the deputy sheriff that shot her boy friend, put him in a water trough, filled it with concrete and tried to dump him in a lake? I guess she didn't realize how much a water trough filled with cement and a person would weigh. She was a heck of a turkey hunter!
 If you ever try to drive around at night you know how many deer there are around that area. In the woods you even can't buy a deer sometime .    Pat

hit or miss this year some trees are loaded and others are bare..YEEEEEHAWWWWW...just the way I like it...gut

we have some white&red oaks holding, nothing like last year.
makes for great hunting if you can locate the trees with nuts opening day.

Pat, Yeah I know her. It's Tracy. Ol mean girl. She started at the sheriff's office about the same time I left from there. That wasn't the first time she acted ugly. She has a history.

LOL Dayum a trough full of dead weight AND concrete? Was she planning on using a backhoe or something to lift it ha ha ha ha

I have to ask: what's a "deer"?  It was unnerving being out on opening weekend this season-no life to speak of at all!  a couple of squirrels, some birds, lots of acorns underneath the oaks, but no water and no game trails at all.  No droppings, no tracks except our own and those of ATV's.  It was like life simply ceased in this area.  Wardens said only one tag was validated all weekend!  No venison this year!

I have been to the three wma`s near my house the past few weeks and was tickled. At horsecreek the swamp chestnuts , white oaks and water oaks are loaded. the swamp chestnuts look better than I`ve seen in years. Big hammock and Bullard Creek were the same with the exception of the White oaks .I found persimmons on all and look forward to a good season.During my scouting trips I`ve had hogs three times in shooting range. they better not do that after the 8th.RC

Mickey, I believe she dragged it off the back of her truck and used spray paint to camo it...where it laid. See, we deal with dangerous game in GA too.
Jeff, I'll wave at ya when I drive through Elberton  on my way to the club next Friday about noon.   Pat

Great story Pat but I want to hear ALL of it now! Got your e-mail, sounds great....now about this lady deputy......Don

She is in prison. Now you know the rest of the story! I only met her a few times at Granny's Kitchen where we used to eat lunch after the morning hunt. She is a tough little cookie! Hope that helps her where she is now.
 Don, The stave should be there in 3 to 4 days.  Pat

Pat.......Are you familiar with the little store off 77 that was called "Ed's Place"? Seems like new owners changed the name and I can't recall it. Just wondering if its still open....

It might be called Shoutes(sp). They are still there and make a mean breakfast biscuit...plus they are the closest place for ice. Pat