SC bear hunters?

[Old-Cat]

If so, they've sure kept it quiet to thus point, but the regs publication most folks see doesn't come out til August.

It’s current per this officer. I’m not so sure it’s commonly enforced. How often are they roaming around the top of hillside and the bottom of hollows?

 

[Old-Cat]

This is what he just sent me. Abandoned equipment is how it’s treated. Specific exemptions are made for deer stands for the season, but they don’t have specific exemptions.

 

[fwafwow]

View attachment 727190
This is what he just sent me. Abandoned equipment is how it’s treated.

Hmmm - not sure if leaving for a day is abandoning it?

 

[Old-Cat]

Hmmm - not sure if leaving for a day is abandoning it?

Idk.

All I can tell you is on the mountains behind my house they’re coming down.

And when I see them in other spots I’m gonna tell him where they are. They were everywhere this year, from the horse pasture to Oconee County and in the National Forest, they legit covered the mountains.

Public land is a strange dilemma. Why do you get to place your camera on a ridge top or a saddle, and I don’t? We both pay taxes don’t we? Can you just go place cameras all over and it’s first come first serve, you get control of the mountain for the rest of your days?

I’m glad DNR doesn’t allow it. What a cluster it would be!! I don’t think it was much of an issue prior to the Cellular cameras. Batteries ran out cards got full etc., cell cameras change everything. It effectively allows a person to lockdown any mountain they want.

 

[KenLee]

View attachment 727190
This is what he just sent me. Abandoned equipment is how it’s treated. Specific exemptions are made for deer stands for the season, but they don’t have specific exemptions.

If cell cameras are illegal, it hasn't been enforced. I know folks running a dozen each.
I haven't had enough time the last 2 seasons to hunt enough on private I have, so haven't touched GMA lately.

 

[KenLee]

It’s current per this officer. I’m not so sure it’s commonly enforced. How often are they roaming around the top of hillside and the bottom of hollows?

Probably close to never unless they have suspicion of wrongdoing

 

[Old-Cat]

If cell cameras are illegal, it hasn't been enforced. I know folks running a dozen each.
I haven't had enough time the last 2 seasons to hunt enough on private I have, so haven't touched GMA lately.

I don’t know. Like I said, I suspect it has to do with just going out and finding them. I would think most DNR officers would consider that a waste of time.

Now, if they have a friend that’s puts in 70 plus miles during bear season alone, and he runs into a ton of them, that’s a different ballgame;” point the way” , yes sir.

 

[Old-Cat]

Probably close to never unless they have suspicion of wrongdoing

The miles I put in during bear season, late deer and turkey are freakish. I lost count of how many cameras I found this year; I’ve never seen anything like it. I marked every one of those babies on OnX btw. Like I said, suspect it has to do with the cell camera set up now. People don’t have to work like they once did, trudge up one time and eat Cheetos on your couch for the rest of the year..

 

[FLS]

I’d like to see them go away completely on public. You can’t have them out at all on the NWRs.

 

[Old-Cat]

Tiss the season, well close to it. Sadly, I’m gonna have to live vicariously through y'all this year. I may get a change to hunt the single Saturday this year, that’s if I’m lucky; work is gonna be crazy right as season is opening.

I’m pretty disappointed. I don’t think I’ve missed a season in tens or more years. It’s not a complete loss however, the plan is to hunt GA at a minimum and possibly NC in Dec.

I suspect I’ll wantonly post in this thread anyway

Best of luck!

 

[wyldman]

I'll have to miss the GA season this year due to a new one on the way and getting prepared for that.

 

[Old-Cat]

I'll have to miss the GA season this year due to a new one on the way and getting prepared for that.

That’s a pretty strong reason, congrats!!!

 

[stumpknocker]

Anybody get out after SC mountain bear this year? Curious what others experiences were.

Helene was absolutely devastating. Usually I look for claw-marked oak stands, but many areas are completely wiped out and all the mast is on the ground. My theory is the bears are gorging themselves on the fallen mast and moving less than usual.

I sat all day Saturday and went on walk-abouts Tuesday and Wednesday. Had two solid bears on camera but was just one step behind. I did see a very nice buck on Saturday. Just amazed by the devastation in our mountains.

 

[Swamp Fox]

I'll have to miss the GA season this year due to a new one on the way and getting prepared for that.

I'm sorry, but that's no excuse. : )

 

[Old-Cat]

Nobody got one this year?

I heard about a couple 400 plus bear dropped by dog party’s but that’s about it.

 

[willtim]

I got out, very close to GA. it was blow down after blow down. Could not see sign because the forest floor was covered in twigs and leaves.

 

[MallardSX2]

Teen's Bear One Of Georgia's Heaviest Ever - Georgia Outdoor News

On Oct. 22, Grayson Collins, of Blairsville, managed to take down the bear of a lifetime. The behemoth weighed 620 pounds on certified scales. Grayson was

gon.com

 

[Old-Cat]

The season is just right around the corner suckas, less than six weeks out Whooooo.

I may be able to get out a couple of days this year because of the expanded season. Double whooo.

 

[Old-Cat]

welp, it appears DNR is interpreting the new party-less dog season as just that, dog hunters only! I have spoken w several officers, including the guy over game zone one, they have all said you must have a dog while you’re hunting now. I guess my bear season is over before it started.

There’s no logic to what they’ve done. So you extend dog season by an extra week because there are nuisance bears and then you preclude a whole class of hunters from going out at the same time; it seems self-defeating?


I had banked on getting out, maybe next weekend, and hiking into a spot for a couple days, but …… I went out two half days and found zero sign. The proliferation of acorns and the blow downs have made it difficult to say the least. I think, however, if a person could find a pocket they would have a good chance, it would just take effort to find it.


This has been the worst couple of years related to my schedule and bear season. I haven’t had a full day in the bear-woods for two seasons now. Blahhhh

I’m not gonna completely give up, however. I’ll call the biologist first thing Monday, and ask for clarification. They are the ones who set the seasons. It’s possible the whole crew in game zone one is misinterpreting the new “rules”. Yes, it’s a Hail Mary but I ain’t stopping till’ I have no where else to go. Haha

Shoot, as I’m typing this, I may call my local rep, he the highest ranking member of SC’s legislature. 2x haha

 

[mgmicky]

Oh man, that’s terrible. I hope you get some clarification about the dog only hunting. Last week was our 2nd weekend of guys running dogs, so hopefully the woods will be a little calmer now that we have a break from them.