Well, the Northern zone has closed here in Georgia but there are still some options available  to do some late season deer hunting. You can still head south hunting. The southern zone is open until January 15, and are still some options available to do some public hunting. There are some great places open to public hunting if you want to head south hunting and get in some last minute deer hunting. Looking at the regulations I see several places that are open to public hunting. I counted 28 places open to public hunting until January 15 if you want to head south hunting.

Here is the list I came up with in alphabetical order. I hope I didn’t miss any. Looks like there are some great deer hunting options still out there. Look how many acres are still open, I bet there is little pressure this time of year.

1. ALBANY NURSERY WMA (300 ac.) Deer-Archery (either sex Dec. 13 -Jan. 15: Sign-IN
2. ALEXANDER WMA (1300 ac.) Deer Archery (Either Sex): Sept 13- Jan.15: Sign-IN.
3. BULLARD CREEK WMA(13,900 ac.) Ocmulgee Tract open for Archery deer hunting only: Sept. 13-Jan.15; Sign-In.
4. CHICKASAWHATCHEE WMA (19,700ac.) Deer Archery (Either Sex) Dec.29-Jan. 15; Sign In.
5. DOERUN PITCHERPLANT BOG NATURAL AREA (600 ac.) Deer-Archery (Either Sex): Nov. 1-Jan. 15; Sign-In.
6. ELMODEL WMA (1600 ac.) Deer-Archery (Either Sex): Sept. 13-Jan.15; Sign-In.
7. FALL LINE SANDHILLS NA (876 ac.) Deer Archery (Either Sex): Sept. 13-Jan.15; Sign-In.
8. FLAT TUB WMA (3,597 ac.) Firearms (Either Sex):Dec 27-Jan. 11; Sign-In.
9. HANNAHATCHEE WMA (5,600 ac.) Firearms (Bucks Only): Dec.22-Jan. 15; Sign-In.
10. HILTONIA TRACT (500 ac.) Deer Archery (Either Sex): Sept. 13-Jan. 15; Sign-In. Primitive Weapons (Either Sex): Nov. 8-Jan. 15; Sign-In.
11. J.L. LESTER WMA (477 ac.) Deer Archery (Either Sex): Dec. 24-Jan. 7; Sign-In.
12. LAKE BURTON WMA (CHATTAHOOCHEE NF) (12,600 ac.) Deer & Bear-Archery (Either Sex & Bear): Jan. 3-10; Sign-In.
13. LAKE SEMINOLE WMA (15,680 ac.) Firearms (Bucks Only): Dec. 22-Jan. 15.
14. LAKE WALTER F. GEORGE WMA (1,800ac.) Deer Achery (Either Sex): Sept. 13-Jan. 15.
15. LITTLE SATILLA WMA (18,920 ac.) Firearms (Either Sex): Oct. 18-Jan. 15; Sign-In.
16. MAYHAW WMA (4,700 ac.) Firearms (Buck Only) Jan. 5-15; Sign-In.
17. MEAD FARM (200 ac.) Deer Archery (Either Sex): Sept. 13-Jan. 15; Sign-In.
18. MONTEZUMA BLUFFS NATURAL AREA (500 ac.)Deer Archery (Quality Buck & Antlerless): Nov. 1-Jan. 15; Sign-In.
19. OHOOPEE DUNES NATURAL AREA (2500 ac.)Deer Archery (Either Sex): Sept. 13-Jan.15; Sign-In.
20. PAULKS PASTURE WMA (16,600 ac.) Deer Achery (Either Sex): Archery Only Area (Either Sex): Sept 13-Jan. 15; Sign-In
21. PENHOLOWAY SWAMP WMA (4,269 ac.) Deer Achery (Either Sex): Dec. 8-Jan. 15; Sign-In.
22. RICHMOND HILL WMA (7,400 ac.) Archery Only Areas Either Sex): Sept. 13-Jan. 15; Sign-In.
23. SANSAVILLA WMA (16,867 ac.) Archery Only Areas (Either Sex): Sept. 13-Jan. 15; Sign-In.
24. SAPELO ISLAND WMA (9,000 ac.)Deer Archery (Either Sex): North End-Dec. 15-Jan. 15; Sign-In.
25. SILVER LAKE WMA (9,200 ac.) Firearms (Buck only): Jan. 7-15; Sign-In.
26. TOWNSEND WMA (10,876 ac.) Firearms (Either Sex): Oct. 18-Jan. 15; Sign-In.
27. TUCKAHOE WMA (15,100 ac.) Firearms (Either Sex): General Hunting Jan. 8-10; Sign-In.
28. WARWOMAN WMA (CHATTAHOOCHEE NF) (15,800 ac.) Deer & Bear-Archery (Either Sex & Bear): Jan. 9-11; Check-In.

Please be sure to check the regulations for yourself, before you go.

If you like deer hunting big bucks you will like this story. I was over visiting one of my favorite sites “Mike Hanback’s Big Deer” and he had an update on a potential world record deer. It is a big buck harvested in Buffalo county in Wisconsin, and it is a brute. This buck was widely known as a walking potential world record deer, after it was filmed live in the wild by a outfitter in Wisconsin. There was a lot of talk about who was going to harvest this trophy whitetail and those questions were answered when a bow hunter named Bob Decker took him on November 1, 2008.  Here is the video the outfitter filmed.

Field & Stream Buck Officially Scores 233 2/8 NT

Posted On: January 1, 2009 | By: mike hanback
From this post at JR Absher’s website:

Questions regarding whether the so-called ‘Field & Stream’ buck taken by Wisconsin bowhunter Bob Decker Nov. 1 would surpass Milo Hansen’s world record typical whitetail were answered yesterday, when the deer was officially scored by Pope & Young Club measurers, who declared the rack non-typical. Nonetheless, at 233 2/8 NT, it bested the current Wisconsin bow record. “I didn’t get the world record, but I got the most popular buck this year,” Decker told the Eau Clair Leader-Telegram. 

When I first saw the video and then the buck photos last fall, I said this giant would not top the Hanson buck, but who gives a damn? The monster is anbody’s dream buck, way to go Bob!

source: Mike Hanback’s Big Deer

This may not be a world record deer but what a beautiful buck. If you like deer hunting you have to appreciate this deer hunters accomplishment. We all dream about harvesting a trophy buck like this one some day. Can you imagine sitting in the deer stand and seeing a big brute like this one coming to within bow range? I think I would be shaking so bad. I harvested a 125 class ten pointer bow hunting in Illinois this year and he had me all shook up, but I was able to compose myself and make the shot. But if something like this one walked out I don’t know. I keep telling myself I could do it!

Happy New Years everyone from DeerHuntingBigBucks. It was a wonderful year for us in many different ways, and it was tough in some ways as well. The economy made it very challenging, and we had to hunker down and go into survival mode to withstand the many challenges we faced. I am very blessed to have such a wonderful family and just being there and being able to see my two boys growing everyday makes the tough times not so tough. As long as I have my family and our health everything else will be fine.

We had a great 2008 deer hunting. And we had a great time getting after those big bucks. We hope all of you have a wonderful 2009.

We are already excited about deer hunting big bucks in 2009. We are planning on filming a lot of great deer hunting footage to share with you. As a matter of fact we are planning on filming our first hunt of 2009 bow hunting in Illinois, trying to get some late season action on film. The season is open until January 15 and we may get after some trophy whitetails bow hunting in Illinois one more time before the season closes. And I am pumped about it! Even though I only have a doe tag, I’m pumped about getting behind the camera in Illinois. There are some trophy whitetails in the area we will be filming and a once in a lifetime monster could walk by any time. I can’t wait! Somebody once told me if you ever go bow hunting in Illinois it gets in your blood, and now I know why they told me that. It is so true. I was fortunate enough to harvest  a big brute in Illinois with my bow in 2008, and now I have got the fever bad for it! I am already looking forward to next season and being able to go back to Illinois.

Once again, Happy New Year everybody and we wish you all the best in 2009.

Well tomorrow good Lord willing, I will be doing some last minute deer hunting. It will be my last attempt of the year at harvesting one of those big whitetail bucks. I have had a great season getting after those trophy deer. I sure hate it when the season comes to an end, but I have had another fun year chasing deer and was able to see quite a few whitetail bucks. I saw a lot of deer this year while deer hunting and made plenty of great memories in the field. It is always fun to look back on those memories and recall all of the big whitetail bucks we encountered in the past. Even though some of those memories are of the one’s that got away.

Any time I encounter a big trophy it is something I remember weather or not I was able to harvest him. I think I can remember every single encounter I have had with a big brute. It is just hard to forget something like that. That’s what makes deer hunting so special is all of the great memories we make getting after those willy creatures. Do you remember most of your encounters with the big boys? They are hard to forget aren’t they? Did you have a good season this year? For me being able to harvest a big boy is just the icing on the cake to having a great season. Even if I didn’t get a big boy it was still a great season being in the great outdoors smelling the fresh air, watching the sunrise, and spending good quality time with family and friends. That is why I think it is important to get those young children involved in the great outdoors, and pass along the great American heritage. I think it is important to teach them about preserving wildlife and its habitat, so future generations will be able to enjoy the great outdoors for years to come just as we have.

When I first started deer hunting back in 1980 the way we would take pictures of our harvest was with a Polaroid camera. You would take the picture and then the pull it out of the camera and fan it in the air and watch it develop right before your eyes. Some of my favorite memories of deer hunting were captured on film by way of Polaroid pictures of deer. The way we take pictures of deer these days is much easier than back in the day. We used to have to get the film developed. So you would have to wait until you finished the roll of film and then take it to Eckerds and wait to have it developed, you could pay extra and get it developed that day. Today we just store our pictures of deer right on our computer. It makes things so much easier.

I have a photo album of all of my past memories deer hunting. It is fun to pull it out and recall some of the whitetail deer that I harvested in the past. It always brings back so many fun times in the great outdoors. I have always saved my photos of past hunts and am sure glad that I did. I have some great ones.

I wanted to show you some of my favorite photos of the 2008 deer season, it has been a great season so far for me. I made a lot of memories that I will cherish forever.

I was able to harvest a trophy buck bow-hunting in Illinois.

These are just a few of my favorites from 2008. I am already excited about next season. We are planning on filming some great hunts over at FoggyBottomOutdoors and are already pumped about it. If you get a chance please visit our new site at www.FoggyBottomOutdoors.com.

Some people just don’t like deer hunting. It doesn’t matter to them that many hunters donate venison that helps to feed the hungry. They find any excuse to give deer hunting a bad image. It does not matter to them that the money hunters give helps to preserve wildlife habitat, and with out that money the land would be bought and developed, meaning less and less places for wildlife to live. None of that matters to them. 

Hunters bag deer for the hungry

“Deer hunting” brings to mind a number of images, such as a father and son spending a day together in the crisp air of late autumn.

One image that doesn’t come to mind is that of homeless people at a soup kitchen, at least not until the charity Hunt to Feed got its start three years ago.

As its name suggest, the Oxford-based charity donates venison to the hungry by way of the Connecticut Food Bank, according to its president, Joe Tucker, also of Oxford.

“Each deer produces 40 to 50 pounds of deer meat,” he said. The first year we donated 700 pounds of venison. Last year it was 1,250 pounds. And this year, we’re on track to go over a ton.”

He said that the program allows hunters in the state, including bow hunters, to donate the deer that they harvest to CFB, free of charge. “We raised funds through our banquet, which is used to pay the butcher — all the hunters have to do is to drop off the deer at one of our two certified butchers.”

Tucker, 48, who also owns and operates a deer pest management company, White Tailed Solutions, said that the meat is ground up by the butcher and used just like ground beef.

“Venison is a good source of lean protein,” said Nancy L. Carrington, CFB executive director. “It’s generally the more expensive portion of the meal that our member programs are looking for. The Hunt To Feed program has been good for us.”

CFB donates food to food banks, soup kitchens and the like in Fairfield, Litchfield, Windham and New Haven counties. Most of it winds up in Bridgeport, New Haven and Waterbury.Another benefit of the program is the thinning of the deer population, Tucker said. “In Fairfield County and along the shore, the state Department of Environmental Protection allows you to essentially hunt as many deer as you want,” he said, noting that deer — thanks to traffic accidents — is the most dangerous wild animal in North America.

He added that humans have unwittingly created ideal habitats of deer over the years. These include golf courses and wooded “open spaces” that boarder residential yards. Deer like wooded areas that receive some sun, and the plants that grow there.

“The Connecticut Food Bank requires that the deer is processed by a state-licensed butcher,” Tucker said. He said that after the deer is shot, the animal should be field-dressed immediately and transported to the butcher within one or two hours.

The two butchers participating in the program are the Large Game Company, Oxford, 888-3860, and Latella & Sons, West Haven, 932-3619. Hunters should make arrangements with them ahead of time, Tucker said.

But not everyone is happy with the arrangement between the CFB and Hunt to Feed.

“I think that this gesture is meant to build the image of the weapons enthusiasts,” said Priscilla Feral, president of the Darien-based Friends of Animals. “I see it differently. They’re not hunting to feed families. They’re out for trophies. The problem of hungry people is solved with jobs, not deer flesh.”

By JOHN BURGESON
Staff writer CONNECTICUTPOST 

For more information, check www.hunttofeed.com.

We would like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas! I hope you all have a very happy and safe holiday. We will be Spending time with our family here in Georgia. And I can’t wait to see our two boys Noah 3, and Sawyer 1, on Christmas morning. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family, and just seeing those boys on Christmas morning will make for a very merry Christmas for me. They have both been sick this week. But seem to be getting getting better just in time for Santa Clause. It is always nice to spend time with family and friends during the holidays, and maybe gain a few pounds eating some delicious food. My mom and my grandmother and my aunts can really cook some out of this world food and I can’t wait. We hope you all have a very merry Christmas.

I haven’t been able to go deer hunting the last few days since my two boys have been sick, but I plan on going a few more days before the season closes. I don’t know what I’ll do with myself when the season closes and I can’t go deer hunting. I guess once the season closes is a great time to start preparing for next season. It is a great time to get out scouting for the big bucks. Looking for bedding areas and old rubs and scrapes. Scouting for big bucks is great once the season is over, there is not as much green browse and leaves so the woods don’t seem so thick. The rubs and scrapes are still fairly fresh so you can spot them easier. And you don’t have to worry about bumping your buck out of an area. Any way I started this post to wish everyone a merry Christmas and look at me I end up talking about looking forward to deer hunting big bucks next year. I am already pumped thinking about next season. I plan on doing a lot more bow hunting and filming hunts next year. We are excited about our new adventure over at FoggybottomOutdoors.com. We are in the process of assembling our Pro-staff and getting our equipment ready, and the logo is being designed as we speak. We plan on bringing you some great hunting footage in the future. Please stop by and visit FoggyBottomOutdoors.com when you get a chance.

Check out this truck load of big bucks. My good friend Brad sent me these pictures taken down south hunting trophy bucks.  It looks like they had a great season down south hunting. This picture shows that this club has been doing some good quality deer management. It looks like the trophy bucks were on the move, looking for love in all the wrong places.These trophy bucks  were all taken within a three day period during the rut, at their club in Monroe county in Georgia of some

It just shows that the best time to harvest big bucks is when they are in full rut and chasing does. It is a very exciting time to be in the woods, when the big bucks are on the move looking for does in estrous. The whitetail bucks respond to calling and scents more during the rut as well. It looks like there was some great rutting action down south hunting this year. In order to achieve good quality deer management, it is imperative to get the buck to doe ratio to at least 1:3 buck to 1:2, or 1:1 is best.

I would like to introduce you to a couple of our Pro-staff over at FoggyBottomOutdoors.

We are proud to have Brad join our Pro-staff. He has years of experience in the great outdoors and knows how to get after those whitetail bucks.

Also on our Pro-staff is Jay. Jay is has harvested some very nice whitetails and loves to bow hunt, and we are sure glad to have him on board. He is guaranteed to keep everyone laughing. This picture shows Jay practicing a little quality deer management.

We will be introducing the FoggyBottomOutdoors Pro-staff with more in-depth bios in the near future.We are all excited about our new adventure at FoggyBottomOutdoors, please go over and check it out if you get a chance. We hope to be you source for some great action packed hunting and fishing footage and informative stories, videos, pictures and links to some helpful hunting and fishing sites with tips on the great outdoors.

I received an e-mail of this video the other day and though I don’t have any details on where this video was taken or who took it, it is a cool video and I thought I would share it with you. If any one has the details on this video let me know. This is a family oriented site and user discretion is advised with this video, it shows deer mating and I don’t want to offend anyone. Kids get your parents permission before viewing this video.

I am currently searching for all the help I can find to help me figure out the best last minute strategies hunting for deer. Or should I just admit that my last minutehunting for deer don’t seem to be working? Not just hunting for deer, but a trophy whitetail on our property that is on one of our trail cameras quite often, we have a couple of big bucks on camera, but the biggest one is a brute. But guess what? He comes at night. If I could harvest him he would score bigger (by far) than any buck that I have ever harvested in my 28 years of hunting. And I am loosing sleep at night trying to figure out where this big boy is hanging out during the daylight hours. He is very smart and very nocturnal. strategies

So I have been doing some studying and I have decided to find the thickest area on our property. I am studying aerial photos and topo maps. Whitetails like to bed just over the edge of a ridge where they can look downwind for some distance and smell any danger approaching them from behind. I am trying to imagine that I am one of those big bucks and start thinking like him. The thing is once you find the thickest stuff now you look at it in relation to the food source he is using. The whitetail rut is all but over, and food and water are his number one priority now. By studying the trails leading to and from the bedding area, if most of the tracks on a trail are going to the bedding area I will hunt that in the morning, and if they are leading away from the bedding area I will hunt that trail in the evening. I will try to get as close to the bedding area in the thickest stuff possible. The big bucks love the thick stuff when the pressure is on and it’s late in the season. Now I have to admit that I don’t enjoy hunting where there is a limited sight distance, but by doing so this time of year I will definitely increase my odds of harvesting a mature trophy whitetail.

There are 13 days left in our season here in Georgia, time is definitely of the essence, but I haven’t given up just yet.

Hey everyone! I wanted to let you know about an exciting new adventure of ours. We are proud to announce the grand opening of our new site FoggyBottomOutdoors. It is going to be a site for everyone who loves the great outdoors. We hope you will go over and check it out and let us know what you think. We hope it will be a great source for your outdoor information, tips, videos, pictures, supplies, stories and much more. We are very excited about our new adventure at FoggyBottomOutdoors.We think you will find FoggyBottomOutdoors helpful whether  you like deer hunting, fishing, camping, or if you like hiking outdoors or just to grill outdoors. So if you like the great outdoors please check out our new and exciting adventure, we sure would appreciate it.

Well I just returned from a couple of days of deer hunting. The weather was unseasonably warm and although I didn’t see many deer it was a great couple of days being able to hunt with my dad and our good friend Randy. I don’t get the chance to spend the night at deer camp very often, so when I do it is relaxing and fun. My dad harvested a couple of does Monday evening. We have decided to take out quite a few does due to high number of does in our herd on our property.  I think it will defintely help the buck to doe ratio. The whitetails are really coming to the food plots now and I am still holding out hope of getting a shot at a nice buck even though it is going to be tough. I plan on going back deer hunting as soon as the weather cools off a bit.