Cohutta Wilderness, GA

[Cng]

Eastern hunter here. Getting interested in backpack hunting, and a buddy and I are planning a hunt in the Cohutta Wilderness of Georgia this fall as kind of a Western hunt trainer. Everything I’m reading online says it’s really rugged.

I’ve got a lot of backpacking experience, and we’ve both bear hunted the Blue Ridge WMA and the Chattahoochee National Forest. I’ve also run around in the Smokies and NC mountains quite a bit.

Any advice or suggestions on Cohutta? Is it really that much more rugged than the rest of the Southern Appalachian Mountains? How does the terrain compare to, say, a Colorado elk hunt (altitude excluded, of course)?

Thanks for any advice you’re willing to offer.

 

[juan trueno]

The TVD around winding stair gap etc (blue ridge wma) is at least as rough as cohutta but more roads. You might look at the CNF outside of the wma’s for additional season flexibility. I grew up between cohutta and blue ridge WMAs in the edge of the Rich mountain wilderness. Feel free to PM I haven’t been in the cohutta in years but I hit rich mountain and the TVD every year. I find the steep thick parts of north Georgia to be about like north Idaho About as steep and thick as anything. Anywhere. You can climb for miles- but you’ll be breathing better the whole way

 

[Firehole Hunter]

I plan on doing a fishing trip there this summer for training for the fall elk hunt in Colorado. Did once 25 to 30 years ago. Lots of water crossings. Wouldn't think that hunting for Whitetail would be all that good up there. But it should be very challenging from an exercise standpoint. It is the NGa mts. ya-know.

 

[SWOHTR]

Why not go this summer on a backpack trip and do the western hunt this year?

 

[Thunder head]

I agree with Juan. It steep up and down and the laurel thickets can be hell. But if your used to backpacking in the smokies you will be fine. Packing a Buck, pig or bear out would be good practice too.

Will you see a lot of deer? No
Is there a chance you will kill big mature buck? Yes
Ive seen some really nice deer come out of there over the years.

 

[Cng]

Thanks for all of your replies so far. @juan trueno Can I ask a stupid question? What is the TVD you referred to?

I killed a big bear in Blue Ridge WMA, just west of Winding Stair Gap, but I haven’t heard of the TVD.

I’d love to PM you with some questions once I narrow our location down if that’s OK.

 

[juan trueno]

Tennessee Valley Divide. It’s what you are on top of there at winding stair. I can remember the forest service road number that runs along the top.

like I say grew up right around there so I prefer it to cohutta. North Ga is a better bear destination than deer destination. For sure. I think they check more bears out of cohuttta annually now than deer and that was the 1st place I saw wild hogs when I was a kid. The CNF around gilmer, fannin and lumpkin has seen more logging and it’s got more inholding along river valleys that provide key deer habitat compared to cohutta.

Tornadoes and windstorms accompanying hurrcinanes and tropical storms have left lots of the forest and wilderness almost impassible with deadfall and the brush growing up through it. You do not have to get very remote- it is all very steep and very thick very unkempt from Chatsworth over to rAbun county. The trees growing over everything are extremely concealing and deceiving.

 

[Cng]

Ah, gotcha.

The bear and hogs are why we were aiming for Cohutta. We’ve both got pretty good deer hunting in KY, and we’ve both killed GA bears, so we were hoping to kill a hog with the off chance of taking a deer or bear to boot.

Honestly, the deadfall gives me more pause than anything. I’ve mucked around in the Clifty Wilderness here in KY quite a bit and it can be hard to take 3 steps without climbing over another dead tree. I can hack it, but it makes still hunting near impossible.

Is the deadfall in Cohutta any worse than off trail in the Blue Ridge or CNF? As you said, a lot of bears are being tagged in Cohutta, so it sounds like it’s possible to hunt somehow.

 

[Rubbin_Is_Racin]

One thing I would recommend after hunting that area is snake gaiters. Archery bear season is the time when they are out so I'd just keep that in mind. The locals told me to wear snake gaiters and they were right. I almost stepped on a rattler with a head the size of my fist, he wasn't aggressive at all and he never rattled. Cool looking snake but the rest of that trip I watched my step everytime.

 

[Thunder head]

Well if your more interested in hogs your in luck.
For the last couple of years. Everywhere I go on Chatt. Natl. forest has more hog sign than deer. They feed in the creek bottoms and sleep in the laurel thickets.

Keep in mind hogs will just pick up and move to another area no problem. So you need to hunt fresh sign.

 

[Carr5vols]

i hunt in cohutta often it is no worse than the other northern ga wma's i have hunted, it is just more remote. based on where i hunt in colorado there is no comparision colorado is twice as steep. I like the rice camp, to jacks river, up to the falls then back around hickory ridge, then down east cow pen, about 11 miles in total. good mix of elevation gain and loss, note once you leave jacks river and head up hickory ridge and down cowpen, water is limited...

 

[Cng]

They feed in the creek bottoms and sleep in the laurel thickets.

I like the rice camp, to jacks river, up to the falls then back around hickory ridge, then down east cow pen, about 11 miles in total. good mix of elevation gain and loss, note once you leave jacks river and head up hickory ridge and down cowpen, water is limited...

Great tips! Thanks fellas.

One thing I would recommend after hunting that area is snake gaiters.

@Carr5vols Do you have any thoughts on this? Do you wear them?

Thanks all.

 

[Carr5vols]

I dont wear them... but I am the son of a logger and am very comfortable around snakes.

 

[Rubbin_Is_Racin]

I would say if your on trails I wouldn't worry about them but I was bush whacking and couldn't really see where I was stepping.

 

[Cng]

I plan on using the trails to get in the general vicinity and then bushwhacking.

I don’t have anything against snake gaiters, but I’ve spent plenty of time in places where folks swore they were necessary and I’ve still never seen or heard a rattler in the wild, so I guess I’m just a little jaded. At this point I’m really hoping to see one sometime! You know, at a safe enough distance.

I’ve come across plenty of cottonmouths but never had a close call. But I get it. It only takes once to learn your lesson.

 

[Thunder head]

Your mileage may vary.

Everyone says my local WMA is covered up with snakes.
Ive run hundreds of miles on the gravel roads. Pack trained up and down the mountain many more. Spent tons of time Rock climbing, Turkey and Deer hunting over much of it. Ive seen exactly one copper head.

My friends say I don't see them because I'm not looking. Maybe.

 

[Carr5vols]

You will probably see a bear in cohutta before you will a snake.

 

[Cng]

I plan on doing a fishing trip there this summer for training for the fall elk hunt in Colorado. Did once 25 to 30 years ago. Lots of water crossings. Wouldn't think that hunting for Whitetail would be all that good up there. But it should be very challenging from an exercise standpoint. It is the NGa mts. ya-know.

Just checking back in to see if you made it to Cohutta? How was the fishing? Any intel?

 

[Graymumpower]

Will tack onto others - comparable to the smokies.

 

[Austink47]

That is an amazing place. I live out west now and am trying to make a bear hunt back there happen. I think if you can successfully hunt there you will be mentally prepared to hunt most stuff out west.