Whether still, stalk or squirrel dog hunting is your preference, the beginning of squirrel season is just around the corner. Often revered as a celebrated American fall tradition, squirrel hunting provides the perfect opportunity to introduce youth or a novice to the sport of hunting. Unlike some big game hunts, the pursuit of bushytails often involves more action for energetic youth, providing a greater level of interaction with the outdoors.
Beginning August 15, 2010 and lasting through February 28, 2011, hunters can pursue both gray and fox squirrels. The maximum daily bag limit is 12 per hunter.
“Prior to the successful restoration of white-tailed deer, pursuing squirrels in the fall became a significant cultural hunting tradition in Georgia,” says John Bowers, Wildlife Resources Division’s Game Management assistant chief. “Squirrel hunting provides one of our best opportunities to introduce youth to hunting, instill in them our responsibilities to wildlife conservation and provide exposure to the outdoors. Additionally, it’s fun, inexpensive and provides constant action.”
Squirrel hunting, especially with squirrel dogs such as feists, terriers and curs, is a great way to introduce youth to hunting and the outdoors. In terms of number of hunters and harvest, squirrels are the second most pursued small game species in Georgia, behind doves.
Georgia’s wildlife management areas offer access to nearly one million acres of hunting opportunity for only $19 a year, and squirrel hunting is allowed on WMAs at specified times during the statewide squirrel season. Hunters are advised to check the hunting regulations for specific WMAs and dates.
The two species
Both the gray and fox squirrels can be found throughout Georgia. The gray squirrel, abundant in both rural and urban areas is the most common species. Though mostly associated with hardwood forests, grays also can be found in mixed pine/hardwood forests. Predominantly gray, with white under parts, gray squirrels appear more slender-bodied than fox squirrels, weighing anywhere from 12 ounces to one-and-a-half pounds.
Fox squirrels have several color phases, varying from silver-gray with a predominantly black head, to solid black, to a light buff or brown color tinged with reddish-yellow. Generally larger than grays, fox squirrels range in weight from one pound to nearly three, and are more closely associated with mature pine and mixed pine/hardwood habitats and especially in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions.
For more information on the 2010-2011 squirrel hunting season or other small game hunting seasons, visit www.gohuntgeorgia.com, contact a local Game Management office or call (770) 918-6416.
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Showing posts with label season. Show all posts
Showing posts with label season. Show all posts
Monday, August 16, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Big Season For Georgia's Smallest Turtle
Drought in the mountains the past two summers dried up much up the suitable habitat for bog turtles, but thanks to wet weather, increased trapping and improved management efforts, 2010 is looking like a record season for the smallest of Georgia’s protected turtles.
Federally threatened and listed as endangered in Georgia, bog turtles are rare in much of their native range due to loss of habitat. Researchers know of only 67 turtles in the state, 16 of which were released from a “headstart” restoration effort. With increased trapping efforts this year, 40 percent of the known bog turtles in Georgia were captured and released during the monitoring season.
Trapping allows biologists to monitor populations, find new ones and collect egg-bearing females for the headstart program.
In the past, trapping was limited to 30 traps. Efforts were ramped up in 2010 when help from a State Wildlife Grant that provided funding for more traps and supported two bog turtle interns for the summer, Bryan Hudson and Theresa Stratmann. With the additional staff, Georgia Department of Natural Resources biologist Thomas Floyd was able to set 145 traps covering 12 sites in four counties.
“DNR’s recent bog habitat restoration efforts are a double-edged sword for bog turtle conservation,” Floyd said. While habitat improvements have been accomplished over the past three years, these efforts inadvertently made it harder to capture turtles that were previously concentrated in small pockets of suitable habitat. Yet, said Floyd, “The long-term benefits of these habitat improvements are well worth this added difficulty.”
Project Orianne joined the DNR’s Nongame Conservation Section in bog turtle conservation efforts this year. With 40 traps from DNR, staff at Project Orianne, an organization furthering conservation of eastern indigo snakes, trapped in multiple sites in northeastern Georgia.
There are three reasons for trapping bog turtles. Primarily, biologists trap in order to monitor known populations, collect data from individual animals on an annual basis and document previously uncaptured individual turtles. The second reason is to collect gravid females for the Bog Turtle Headstart program, which is why trapping is done from mid-May to mid-July. Turtles are also trapped to identify potential new populations.
One such population was discovered this year at a Union County wetland. The find demonstrates why bog turtles, which are typically elusive, often go unnoticed by landowners. The new site had all the characteristics of bog turtle habitat. But it took a month before a turtle was captured -- a lone male. Since bog turtles are not known to travel great distances and the closest population is approximately three miles away, biologists assume this turtle represents a new population for the area.
In addition, three new turtles were trapped in a Towns County site that had not been monitored since 1997 due to a lack of resources, along with three new turtles within a known population in Fannin County.
Another development this season is Georgia’s entry into a cooperative effort with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Biological Resources Division. Genetic samples taken from every bog turtle captured will be sent to the Leetown Science Center in Kearneysville, W.V. In doing so, DNR has joined all other states with known bog turtle populations in supplying genetic samples that will help biologists begin to understand the relatedness among populations of turtles across different states, as well as among and within local populations in Georgia. Information gleaned from these analyses is expected to help guide Georgia’s headstart efforts in determining an appropriate genetic source for establishing new bog turtle populations within the species’ range in the state.
Of the 21 turtles captured and released so far in 2010, three were gravid. Starting this year, the Chattahoochee Nature Center, a long-time cooperator in Georgia’s Bog Turtle Headstart program, agreed to receive gravid females during this and subsequent seasons. Gravid turtles were held in captivity until eggs were laid. Although the collection of gravid females from the wild is an important source of hatchlings, in previous years more hatchlings have been produced from captive stock than from wild-caught turtles. Beginning next year, Chattahoochee Nature Center will also be breeding some 15 captive bog turtles produced from previous years of the Bog Turtle Headstart program.
To learn more about bog turtles, watch a short video here or visit the DNR Wildlife Resources Division’s website, www.georgiawildlife.com.
Georgians can help conserve bog turtles and other rare and endangered animals not legally hunted, fished for or trapped, as well as native plants and habitats, through buying wildlife license plates featuring a bald eagle or a ruby-throated hummingbird. They can also donate to the Georgia Wildlife Conservation Fund state income tax checkoff or contribute online and by mail. These programs are vital to the Nongame Conservation Section, which receives no state general funds.
Visit www.georgiawildlife.com for more information, or call Nongame Conservation offices in Social Circle (770-761-3035), Forsyth (478-994-1438) or Brunswick (912-264-7218).
BOG TURTLES AT A GLANCE
Bog turtles are the smallest turtles in North America, averaging only 3.5 inches in length. Dark in color they are easily distinguished by a bright orange blotch on the head behind each eye. Like many turtles, they will bask in the sun when active but when it gets too hot these little guys burrow deep into the boggy soil to escape the sun’s rays. Females will lay two to five eggs and hatchlings emerge 52-60 days later, usually in mid-August.
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Federally threatened and listed as endangered in Georgia, bog turtles are rare in much of their native range due to loss of habitat. Researchers know of only 67 turtles in the state, 16 of which were released from a “headstart” restoration effort. With increased trapping efforts this year, 40 percent of the known bog turtles in Georgia were captured and released during the monitoring season.
Trapping allows biologists to monitor populations, find new ones and collect egg-bearing females for the headstart program.
In the past, trapping was limited to 30 traps. Efforts were ramped up in 2010 when help from a State Wildlife Grant that provided funding for more traps and supported two bog turtle interns for the summer, Bryan Hudson and Theresa Stratmann. With the additional staff, Georgia Department of Natural Resources biologist Thomas Floyd was able to set 145 traps covering 12 sites in four counties.
“DNR’s recent bog habitat restoration efforts are a double-edged sword for bog turtle conservation,” Floyd said. While habitat improvements have been accomplished over the past three years, these efforts inadvertently made it harder to capture turtles that were previously concentrated in small pockets of suitable habitat. Yet, said Floyd, “The long-term benefits of these habitat improvements are well worth this added difficulty.”
Project Orianne joined the DNR’s Nongame Conservation Section in bog turtle conservation efforts this year. With 40 traps from DNR, staff at Project Orianne, an organization furthering conservation of eastern indigo snakes, trapped in multiple sites in northeastern Georgia.
There are three reasons for trapping bog turtles. Primarily, biologists trap in order to monitor known populations, collect data from individual animals on an annual basis and document previously uncaptured individual turtles. The second reason is to collect gravid females for the Bog Turtle Headstart program, which is why trapping is done from mid-May to mid-July. Turtles are also trapped to identify potential new populations.
One such population was discovered this year at a Union County wetland. The find demonstrates why bog turtles, which are typically elusive, often go unnoticed by landowners. The new site had all the characteristics of bog turtle habitat. But it took a month before a turtle was captured -- a lone male. Since bog turtles are not known to travel great distances and the closest population is approximately three miles away, biologists assume this turtle represents a new population for the area.
In addition, three new turtles were trapped in a Towns County site that had not been monitored since 1997 due to a lack of resources, along with three new turtles within a known population in Fannin County.
Another development this season is Georgia’s entry into a cooperative effort with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Biological Resources Division. Genetic samples taken from every bog turtle captured will be sent to the Leetown Science Center in Kearneysville, W.V. In doing so, DNR has joined all other states with known bog turtle populations in supplying genetic samples that will help biologists begin to understand the relatedness among populations of turtles across different states, as well as among and within local populations in Georgia. Information gleaned from these analyses is expected to help guide Georgia’s headstart efforts in determining an appropriate genetic source for establishing new bog turtle populations within the species’ range in the state.
Of the 21 turtles captured and released so far in 2010, three were gravid. Starting this year, the Chattahoochee Nature Center, a long-time cooperator in Georgia’s Bog Turtle Headstart program, agreed to receive gravid females during this and subsequent seasons. Gravid turtles were held in captivity until eggs were laid. Although the collection of gravid females from the wild is an important source of hatchlings, in previous years more hatchlings have been produced from captive stock than from wild-caught turtles. Beginning next year, Chattahoochee Nature Center will also be breeding some 15 captive bog turtles produced from previous years of the Bog Turtle Headstart program.
To learn more about bog turtles, watch a short video here or visit the DNR Wildlife Resources Division’s website, www.georgiawildlife.com.
Georgians can help conserve bog turtles and other rare and endangered animals not legally hunted, fished for or trapped, as well as native plants and habitats, through buying wildlife license plates featuring a bald eagle or a ruby-throated hummingbird. They can also donate to the Georgia Wildlife Conservation Fund state income tax checkoff or contribute online and by mail. These programs are vital to the Nongame Conservation Section, which receives no state general funds.
Visit www.georgiawildlife.com for more information, or call Nongame Conservation offices in Social Circle (770-761-3035), Forsyth (478-994-1438) or Brunswick (912-264-7218).
BOG TURTLES AT A GLANCE
Bog turtles are the smallest turtles in North America, averaging only 3.5 inches in length. Dark in color they are easily distinguished by a bright orange blotch on the head behind each eye. Like many turtles, they will bask in the sun when active but when it gets too hot these little guys burrow deep into the boggy soil to escape the sun’s rays. Females will lay two to five eggs and hatchlings emerge 52-60 days later, usually in mid-August.
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Friday, July 23, 2010
Alligator Quota Hunt Application Window Closes July 31st
The window of opportunity is closing for those interested in the 2010 alligator hunting season. If you want a chance to hunt, you need to be sure to get your online quota application in before midnight July 31. The 2010 alligator hunting season runs Sept. 4-Oct. 3 and 850 applicants will be selected to participate.
Applicants should check their application status through their account after the deadline. Selected hunters will receive a temporary harvest tag and information packet by mail in early August. Additionally, hunters have the opportunity to attend a voluntary training session during which wildlife experts provide information on safety, capture and handling techniques, processing and more.
In Georgia, alligators typically live south of the fall line (which roughly traverses the cities of Columbus, Macon and Augusta), occupying a variety of natural wetland habitats including marshes, swamps, rivers, farm ponds and lakes. Male alligators can reach 16 feet in length, while female alligators rarely surpass 10 feet. Large alligators could weigh more than 800 pounds. Opportunistic carnivores, they eat small mammals, aquatic insects, crayfish, frogs, fish, turtles, water birds and more.
For more information on the 2010 alligator hunting season, visit www.gohuntgeorgia.com , contact a WRD Game Management Office or call (770) 760-3045.
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Applicants should check their application status through their account after the deadline. Selected hunters will receive a temporary harvest tag and information packet by mail in early August. Additionally, hunters have the opportunity to attend a voluntary training session during which wildlife experts provide information on safety, capture and handling techniques, processing and more.
In Georgia, alligators typically live south of the fall line (which roughly traverses the cities of Columbus, Macon and Augusta), occupying a variety of natural wetland habitats including marshes, swamps, rivers, farm ponds and lakes. Male alligators can reach 16 feet in length, while female alligators rarely surpass 10 feet. Large alligators could weigh more than 800 pounds. Opportunistic carnivores, they eat small mammals, aquatic insects, crayfish, frogs, fish, turtles, water birds and more.
For more information on the 2010 alligator hunting season, visit www.gohuntgeorgia.com , contact a WRD Game Management Office or call (770) 760-3045.
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Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Fall Alligator Hunting Season Set; Permit Opportunities Increase to 850
For each of the past eight years, the number of applicants wishing to participate in an alligator quota hunt continues to grow. In 2009, almost 6,000 hunters submitted applications. Beginning this year, 850 applicants will be selected to participate – an increase of 150 permits – in the 2010 alligator hunting season which runs Sept. 4-Oct. 3.
“The alligator is a renewable natural resource that scientific data indicates can sustain a regulated harvest on an annual basis,” says WRD Assistant Chief of Game Management John Bowers. “This population stability creates additional flexibility in the areas that can be hunted and the number of animals available for harvest. This has allowed our agency to periodically increase the number of permits available while continuing to ensure the long-term conservation of the alligator population.”
Interested hunters must complete and submit a quota hunt application online at www.gohuntgeorgia.com before midnight July 31 (the application period opens June 1, 2010). Hunters receive their selection status by e-mail and those selected get a temporary harvest tag and information packet by mail in early August.
All hunters have the opportunity to attend a voluntary training session. During these sessions, wildlife experts provide information on safety, capture and handling techniques, processing and more.
Alligators General
In Georgia, alligators typically live south of the fall line (which roughly traverses the cities of Columbus, Macon and Augusta), occupying a variety of natural wetland habitats including marshes, swamps, rivers, farm ponds and lakes. Male alligators can reach 16 feet in length, while female alligators rarely surpass 10 feet. Large alligators could weigh more than 800 pounds. Opportunistic carnivores, they eat small mammals, aquatic insects, crayfish, frogs, fish, turtles, water birds and more.
For more information on the 2010 alligator hunting season, visit www.gohuntgeorgia.com , contact a WRD Game Management Office or call (770) 760-3045.
-----
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“The alligator is a renewable natural resource that scientific data indicates can sustain a regulated harvest on an annual basis,” says WRD Assistant Chief of Game Management John Bowers. “This population stability creates additional flexibility in the areas that can be hunted and the number of animals available for harvest. This has allowed our agency to periodically increase the number of permits available while continuing to ensure the long-term conservation of the alligator population.”
Interested hunters must complete and submit a quota hunt application online at www.gohuntgeorgia.com before midnight July 31 (the application period opens June 1, 2010). Hunters receive their selection status by e-mail and those selected get a temporary harvest tag and information packet by mail in early August.
All hunters have the opportunity to attend a voluntary training session. During these sessions, wildlife experts provide information on safety, capture and handling techniques, processing and more.
Alligators General
In Georgia, alligators typically live south of the fall line (which roughly traverses the cities of Columbus, Macon and Augusta), occupying a variety of natural wetland habitats including marshes, swamps, rivers, farm ponds and lakes. Male alligators can reach 16 feet in length, while female alligators rarely surpass 10 feet. Large alligators could weigh more than 800 pounds. Opportunistic carnivores, they eat small mammals, aquatic insects, crayfish, frogs, fish, turtles, water birds and more.
For more information on the 2010 alligator hunting season, visit www.gohuntgeorgia.com , contact a WRD Game Management Office or call (770) 760-3045.
-----
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Monday, November 2, 2009
Season of Suppers Strives to Double Pet Food, Monetary Donations in 2009
Editor's Note: Fabulous! Just fabulous!
/PRNewswire/ -- The Banfield Charitable Trust, in partnership with Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) and Banfield, The Pet Hospital®, is helping feed hungry Pets this holiday season with its annual Season of Suppers campaign, a national Pet food drive, which runs Sunday, Nov. 1 through Thursday, Dec. 31. The Season of Suppers campaign, now in its fourth year, aims to feed Pets of homebound seniors who receive meals from Meals On Wheels.
The Banfield Charitable Trust is hoping to double monetary donations in 2009 to fund, or start, new Pet feeding programs through We All Love Our Pets (WALOP) grants. During the 2008 campaign, the Trust raised $42,000 in monetary donations, which funded more than 50 WALOP grants. Meals On Wheels programs throughout the country can apply for these grants to initiate or sustain Pet-food distribution programs locally.
"Season of Suppers touches many people's hearts, and it is a joyful time for everyone involved," said Dianne McGill, executive director and chief executive officer of the Banfield Charitable Trust. "When we first started this campaign, we never imagined how quickly it would grow. The support from volunteers and MOWAA program directors has exceeded every goal we envisioned for the program's growth. We are humbled by the generosity donors have shown with their support, especially given our difficult economic times. We hope to meet the increased need with even greater participation this year."
In addition to the money for WALOP grants, the campaign also collected thousands of pounds of Pet food that local Meals On Wheels programs distribute. Banfield alone collected 13,000 pounds in 2008 at its main campus in Portland, Ore. Across the country, more than 750 Banfield hospitals act as food collection donation sites.
"MOWAA's mission is to eradicate senior hunger by 2020. That is our focus, and we do it one day at a time, one nutritious meal at a time and one senior at a time," said Enid A. Borden, president and chief executive officer of Meals On Wheels Association of America. "One thing we have seen firsthand is how important Pets are to these homebound seniors. In many cases, their Pets are their only family. It goes without saying that keeping Pets as nutritionally healthy as their owners is critically important. In more cases than we can count, the Season of Suppers campaign has made that possible - and a home is a much brighter place when the whole family gets the nutrition they need."
There are three ways to help make the 2009 Season of Suppers campaign even more successful:
1. Purchase Pet food and place it in the Season of Suppers donation bin in
any Banfield Pet hospital. The BCT suggests items that are easy to
transport, such as small bags and cans.
2. Donate money at Banfield Pet hospitals. During November and December,
Banfield Pet hospitals are collecting Pet food and monetary donations
in more than 750 hospitals nationwide. To find your nearest Banfield
location, visit www.Banfield.net
3. Contribute online at www.BCTSOS.org by clicking the "donate now"
button. Your donation of $30 will help Meals On Wheels programs feed
one Pet for an entire month.
-----
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/PRNewswire/ -- The Banfield Charitable Trust, in partnership with Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) and Banfield, The Pet Hospital®, is helping feed hungry Pets this holiday season with its annual Season of Suppers campaign, a national Pet food drive, which runs Sunday, Nov. 1 through Thursday, Dec. 31. The Season of Suppers campaign, now in its fourth year, aims to feed Pets of homebound seniors who receive meals from Meals On Wheels.
The Banfield Charitable Trust is hoping to double monetary donations in 2009 to fund, or start, new Pet feeding programs through We All Love Our Pets (WALOP) grants. During the 2008 campaign, the Trust raised $42,000 in monetary donations, which funded more than 50 WALOP grants. Meals On Wheels programs throughout the country can apply for these grants to initiate or sustain Pet-food distribution programs locally.
"Season of Suppers touches many people's hearts, and it is a joyful time for everyone involved," said Dianne McGill, executive director and chief executive officer of the Banfield Charitable Trust. "When we first started this campaign, we never imagined how quickly it would grow. The support from volunteers and MOWAA program directors has exceeded every goal we envisioned for the program's growth. We are humbled by the generosity donors have shown with their support, especially given our difficult economic times. We hope to meet the increased need with even greater participation this year."
In addition to the money for WALOP grants, the campaign also collected thousands of pounds of Pet food that local Meals On Wheels programs distribute. Banfield alone collected 13,000 pounds in 2008 at its main campus in Portland, Ore. Across the country, more than 750 Banfield hospitals act as food collection donation sites.
"MOWAA's mission is to eradicate senior hunger by 2020. That is our focus, and we do it one day at a time, one nutritious meal at a time and one senior at a time," said Enid A. Borden, president and chief executive officer of Meals On Wheels Association of America. "One thing we have seen firsthand is how important Pets are to these homebound seniors. In many cases, their Pets are their only family. It goes without saying that keeping Pets as nutritionally healthy as their owners is critically important. In more cases than we can count, the Season of Suppers campaign has made that possible - and a home is a much brighter place when the whole family gets the nutrition they need."
There are three ways to help make the 2009 Season of Suppers campaign even more successful:
1. Purchase Pet food and place it in the Season of Suppers donation bin in
any Banfield Pet hospital. The BCT suggests items that are easy to
transport, such as small bags and cans.
2. Donate money at Banfield Pet hospitals. During November and December,
Banfield Pet hospitals are collecting Pet food and monetary donations
in more than 750 hospitals nationwide. To find your nearest Banfield
location, visit www.Banfield.net
3. Contribute online at www.BCTSOS.org by clicking the "donate now"
button. Your donation of $30 will help Meals On Wheels programs feed
one Pet for an entire month.
-----
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Thursday, October 29, 2009
Delayed Harvest Trout Streams Open Nov. 1
North Georgia offers few better ways to observe fall foliage beauty than a trip to a trout-filled delayed harvest mountain stream. With more than 4,000 miles of trout streams and three species of trout, there are fishing and simultaneous leaf-viewing opportunities closer than you think. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division highlights the five delayed harvest streams available to anglers beginning Nov. 1.
“Georgia trout streams are designated as seasonal, year-round or delayed harvest, and different streams offer varying populations of rainbow, brown and brook trout,” says the division’s Trout Stocking Coordinator Perry Thompson. “The delayed harvest streams have special regulations from November 1 – May 14. Since these delayed harvest streams are regularly stocked and the trout are caught and released, catch rates remain high, making them a great destination for new and seasoned anglers alike.”
The five trout streams managed under delayed harvest regulations are the Toccoa River located on U.S. Forest Service land upstream of Lake Blue Ridge in Fannin County (from 0.4 miles above Shallowford Bridge to 450 feet above the Sandy Bottom Canoe Access), Amicalola Creek on the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area (from Steele Bridge Road downstream to Georgia Hwy. 53), Smith Creek at Unicoi State Park, the Chattahoochee River in Atlanta (Sope Creek, downstream of Johnson Ferry Road, downstream to the Hwy 41 bridge) and a portion of the Chattooga River (from Ga. Hwy. 28 upstream to the mouth of Reed Creek) on U.S. Forest Service land bordering South Carolina.
“Remember, these streams are catch and release only during the delayed harvest season and also are restricted to artificial lures with one single hook from Nov. 1 – May 14,” Thompson adds. “When May 15 rolls around, harvest is allowed under the general regulations pertaining to designated trout water.”
In addition to the excellent fall fishing opportunities delayed harvest streams provide, there also are ample year-round trout fishing opportunities in a number of Georgia streams. These designated year-round streams are open to fishing throughout the year.
Blue Ridge Tailwater: This tailwater is actually a stretch of the Toccoa River located downstream of Blue Ridge Lake in Fannin County and in many trout fishing circles is considered both blue-ribbon trout fishing and Georgia’s best kept secret. Anglers will find good numbers of both rainbow and brown trout, with an occasional trophy-sized fish caught. Most anglers prefer to float from shoal to shoal and then get out and wade to fish. Ultralight spinning gear and small spinners, such as rooster tails and panther martins, are best bets. Anglers should keep safety in mind – high water and strong currents can occur when the dam’s turbines are on. Keep a close eye on the water level and return to boats immediately if it starts to rise.
Noontootla Creek Watershed: This watershed offers some high quality year-round fishing for wild brown and rainbow trout, with many of its tributaries offering a chance at a wild brook trout (a real plus since most other brook trout waters are closed to fishing after Oct. 31). Both Noontootla and its tributaries are managed under an artificial lure only regulation and have a 16” minimum size limit in order to “recycle” the 8”-12” trout that make up most of the population.
Dukes Creek: This stream, located on the Smithgall Woods-Dukes Creek Conservation Area offers year-round trout fishing by reservation (706-878-3087). All fish caught here must be released immediately and anglers must only use artificial lures with barbless hooks. The stream offers a great chance at a trout over 20 inches, so bring your camera for a quick shot before release. Best time to fish is after a rain discolors the water.
Chattahoochee River: For good trout fishing close to metro-Atlanta, the Chattahoochee River downstream of Buford Dam offers family-friendly and close-to-home, year-round fishing for stocked rainbow and brown trout and wild brown trout. Despite the recent rains, fishing in the Chattahoochee River will continue to be good and Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area parks offer good bank, wading and boating opportunities. Be aware that some National Park Service parks downstream of Morgan Falls Dam are closed due to recent flooding. Contact CRNRA (678-538-1200) to learn about park closures. The river will be stocked through the fall months to keep angler catches high. Year-round harvest is legal from Buford Dam to Sope Creek. Best fishing is at low flow when the river is clear to slightly stained.
Some additional notable year-round trout streams include the Conasauga River, Tallulah River and the Chattooga River.
To download free Georgia trout stream maps and other trout fishing tips, or for additional trout fishing information, visit www.gofishgeorgia.com . Anglers must possess a current Georgia fishing license and a trout license to fish in designated trout waters.
Take Me Fishing! ™ A recent national survey indicated that 87 percent of Americans believe fishing and boating have a positive effect on family relationships. So take your family fishing and you will always have something in common.
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“Georgia trout streams are designated as seasonal, year-round or delayed harvest, and different streams offer varying populations of rainbow, brown and brook trout,” says the division’s Trout Stocking Coordinator Perry Thompson. “The delayed harvest streams have special regulations from November 1 – May 14. Since these delayed harvest streams are regularly stocked and the trout are caught and released, catch rates remain high, making them a great destination for new and seasoned anglers alike.”
The five trout streams managed under delayed harvest regulations are the Toccoa River located on U.S. Forest Service land upstream of Lake Blue Ridge in Fannin County (from 0.4 miles above Shallowford Bridge to 450 feet above the Sandy Bottom Canoe Access), Amicalola Creek on the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area (from Steele Bridge Road downstream to Georgia Hwy. 53), Smith Creek at Unicoi State Park, the Chattahoochee River in Atlanta (Sope Creek, downstream of Johnson Ferry Road, downstream to the Hwy 41 bridge) and a portion of the Chattooga River (from Ga. Hwy. 28 upstream to the mouth of Reed Creek) on U.S. Forest Service land bordering South Carolina.
“Remember, these streams are catch and release only during the delayed harvest season and also are restricted to artificial lures with one single hook from Nov. 1 – May 14,” Thompson adds. “When May 15 rolls around, harvest is allowed under the general regulations pertaining to designated trout water.”
In addition to the excellent fall fishing opportunities delayed harvest streams provide, there also are ample year-round trout fishing opportunities in a number of Georgia streams. These designated year-round streams are open to fishing throughout the year.
Blue Ridge Tailwater: This tailwater is actually a stretch of the Toccoa River located downstream of Blue Ridge Lake in Fannin County and in many trout fishing circles is considered both blue-ribbon trout fishing and Georgia’s best kept secret. Anglers will find good numbers of both rainbow and brown trout, with an occasional trophy-sized fish caught. Most anglers prefer to float from shoal to shoal and then get out and wade to fish. Ultralight spinning gear and small spinners, such as rooster tails and panther martins, are best bets. Anglers should keep safety in mind – high water and strong currents can occur when the dam’s turbines are on. Keep a close eye on the water level and return to boats immediately if it starts to rise.
Noontootla Creek Watershed: This watershed offers some high quality year-round fishing for wild brown and rainbow trout, with many of its tributaries offering a chance at a wild brook trout (a real plus since most other brook trout waters are closed to fishing after Oct. 31). Both Noontootla and its tributaries are managed under an artificial lure only regulation and have a 16” minimum size limit in order to “recycle” the 8”-12” trout that make up most of the population.
Dukes Creek: This stream, located on the Smithgall Woods-Dukes Creek Conservation Area offers year-round trout fishing by reservation (706-878-3087). All fish caught here must be released immediately and anglers must only use artificial lures with barbless hooks. The stream offers a great chance at a trout over 20 inches, so bring your camera for a quick shot before release. Best time to fish is after a rain discolors the water.
Chattahoochee River: For good trout fishing close to metro-Atlanta, the Chattahoochee River downstream of Buford Dam offers family-friendly and close-to-home, year-round fishing for stocked rainbow and brown trout and wild brown trout. Despite the recent rains, fishing in the Chattahoochee River will continue to be good and Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area parks offer good bank, wading and boating opportunities. Be aware that some National Park Service parks downstream of Morgan Falls Dam are closed due to recent flooding. Contact CRNRA (678-538-1200) to learn about park closures. The river will be stocked through the fall months to keep angler catches high. Year-round harvest is legal from Buford Dam to Sope Creek. Best fishing is at low flow when the river is clear to slightly stained.
Some additional notable year-round trout streams include the Conasauga River, Tallulah River and the Chattooga River.
To download free Georgia trout stream maps and other trout fishing tips, or for additional trout fishing information, visit www.gofishgeorgia.com . Anglers must possess a current Georgia fishing license and a trout license to fish in designated trout waters.
Take Me Fishing! ™ A recent national survey indicated that 87 percent of Americans believe fishing and boating have a positive effect on family relationships. So take your family fishing and you will always have something in common.
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Arts Across Georgia
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Another First for the Season on Tybee
Tybee records first turtle nest of season
by Mary Landers
by Mary Landers
After dark on Saturday, a loggerhead sea turtle crawled out of the surf, dug her nest, and laid 140 eggs right next to a bright red Coke can on Tybee Island's Eighth Street beach. It was the first sea turtle nest recorded on the island this season. Volunteer Danny Carpenter found the nest while patrolling the beach Sunday morning.....http://savannahnow.com/node/732161
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Thursday, May 7, 2009
Georgia Has First Sea Turtle Nest of the Season
AAA Note: The official start of the sea turtle nesting season is barely a week old. The first nest was just spotted on Sea Island. Hopes are high for another record season.
First turtle nest of season recorded
Mary Landers
Georgia's sea turtle nesting season began Monday with the discovery of the first nest of the year on Sea Island.
The nest was that of a leatherback turtle, which is larger than the more common loggerhead sea turtle.....http://savannahnow.com/node/718941
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First turtle nest of season recorded
Mary Landers
Georgia's sea turtle nesting season began Monday with the discovery of the first nest of the year on Sea Island.
The nest was that of a leatherback turtle, which is larger than the more common loggerhead sea turtle.....http://savannahnow.com/node/718941
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Saturday, April 25, 2009
Another Great Year for Loggerheads Waiting?
Sea turtles' nesting season nears
State biologists worry about effects of dredging on the loggerheads
By Teresa Stepzinski
A mass of hard-shelled mothers to be are waiting off the Georgia coast.
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State biologists worry about effects of dredging on the loggerheads
By Teresa Stepzinski
A mass of hard-shelled mothers to be are waiting off the Georgia coast.
Loggerhead sea turtles - many believed to be nesting females - have been sighted offshore, prompting cautious optimism among state wildlife biologists that it could be another good year for the protected species.
"We expect them to move in and start nesting beginning next week. We're kind of expecting it will be.....http://www.jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2009-04-25/story/sea_turtles_nesting_season_nears-----
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