Deer Hunting:
 2014 - 2015 |
 2015 - 2016 |
 2016 - 2017 |
 2017 - 2018 |
 2018 - 2019 |
 2019 - 2020 |
 2020 - 2021 |
 2021 - 2022 |
 2022 - 2023 |
2023 - 2024 |
2023-2024: My Tenth Deer Season!
YES -- up to 10 whole years now!
THIS YEAR, I GOT ONLY ONE DEER, EARLY ON.
Hunting deer in Georgia over/near bait is
now PERMITTED on Private Land in ALL Zones.
Public Land including Georgia WMAs and National Forests
still do NOT permit hunting any animals near bait.
Hunting deer in Alabama over/near bait
CONTINUES to require an addition to the hunting license.
OPENING DAY IN
GEORGIA (standard firearms, statewide):
Saturday, October 21, 2023
Sandersville, Georgia
High 76ºF / Low (going in) 49ºF with 1% rain chance
sunny with wind @ 10 mph from the West
sunrise 7:40 a.m. EDT / sunset 6:51 p.m. EDT
No deer harvested this time!
Morning Hunt
This is the first time hunting with my AR-15, chambered in .350 Legend
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| first thing I see |
ready for anything | slow morning |
panoramic shot - west to east
Evening Hunt
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| after a quick lunch | vertical view | really windy! |
Saturday, October 28, 2023
Sandersville, Georgia
[HALF DAY ONLY]
High 82ºF / Low (going in) 54ºF with 3% rain chance
sunny with wind @ 2 mph from the WSW
sunrise 7:45 a.m. EDT
Yep! I...
GOT ONE!
Georgia DNR confirmation# 102823A494
harvested 8:32 a.m. EDT, October 28, 2023
This is the first time getting a deer with my
.350 Legend-chambered AR-15
The round penetrated his upper right shoulder and
exited the lower left chest
Now I can say that I have gotten a 1-pointer.
I popped him at 8:32 a.m. and found him
75 yards to the north at 8:49 a.m.
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| 7:15
a.m. EDT - Clearing Stand |
I have to give some credit to Code Red.
I poured some of this to the left of my stand.
He came right to it!
This morning was frustrating with all the squirrels that
would jump into the tree above my stand, shaking my
tree and forcing leaves and seeds to fall all over.
When squirrels walk on the ground, they take a few steps and
then sound as if they are clumsy as they rummage through
the leaves looking for food. When my deer walked up, his
steps were deliberate and continuous.
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| Tactacam Video showing actual shot taken |
My deer jumped high and then ran to my right, in front
of my stand, apparently more scared from the rifle blast
before realizing his injury, upon which, stumbled and then
bolted northward back into the woods away from my stand
and after another 60 yards away, expired behind a pine tree.
It was difficult to see where he ran back into the woods
from the camera view, but he lost a lot of blood, which
made the tracking easier. He probably bit into a branch
as he was running, which would explain the twig
in his mouth as he lie there.
I took my deer to Garner's Grinder (deer and hog processor),
just east of Sparta, Georgia. This was the first time going there.
I found out that they have been in business for 20 years.
Saturday, November 4, 2023
Sandersville, Georgia
High 73ºF / Low (going in) 39ºF with 1% rain chance
mostly sunny with wind @ 7 mph from the North
sunrise 7:51 a.m. EDT / sunset 6:37 p.m. EDT
No deer harvested this time...
but Olivia came close!
Olivia's first time EVER going to Sandersville!
Several events had to occur to bring this to fruition:
Robert built a permanent (and only) blind on the property.
Olivia has to feel comfortable with the recoil of a larger-calibre rifle.
I put together an AR-15 rifle that would suit her for hunting.
I took a trip with Olivia to Academy to get her fitted for camo.
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| 3:48
a.m. EDT Suiting up and leaving home |
6:09
a.m. EDT "You deserve a break today" |
6:43
a.m. EDT Registered Olivia with DNR |
7:04
a.m. EDT Prepping - Walmart parking lot |
I got Olivia out of bed at 3:35 a.m. and she got dressed up.
At this point, all equipment was already loaded in the truck.
We left the house at 3:57 and were on I-20 west bound at 4:20 a.m.
We got to McDonald's at 5:56 a.m.; Olivia tries her first Egg McMuffin!
I realized a little late, that Olivia had no registration with Georgia DNR.
Then, I created a profile for her on the GoOutdoors Georgia app.
This delayed us from getting to the land by about 15 minutes.
MORNING HUNT
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| 7:20 a.m. EDT About to walk to hunting blind |
7:35 a.m. EDT Still kind of dark; blue light |
7:35 a.m. EDT Creepy green light |
7:42 a.m. EDT Olivia is focused! |
We began hunting for deer at 7:35 a.m.
The blind was a little crowded for both me and Olivia and our gear.
It was dark at first, but got very light as the sun came up.
Olivia wasted no time; she was ready to get her first deer!
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| 7:47 a.m. EDT Don't look too serious, now! |
8:20 a.m. EDT Much lighter outside |
9:42 a.m. EDT The sun got real bright |
11:31 a.m. EDT Let's go have some lunch! |
Olivia was the first to spot any deer, and saw a running doe at 8:36 a.m.
It was about 60 yards out and was blurred against the woods backdrop.
We both got chilled and Olivia said her hands were really cold.
By about 10 o'clock, the outdoors temperature was more comfortable.
We took a break at 11:30, then I put corn out around the north side.
After checking the trail cameras, we left the property to go to lunch.
AFTERNOON HUNT
We resumed the hunt at 3:05 p.m.
panoramic view out north window
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| 3:05
p.m. EDT The hunt resumes |
3:08
p.m. EDT Getting back to business |
3:17
p.m. EDT My solution for the blinding sun |
3:19
p.m. EDT Orange glow within |
After what seemed like forever, a doe
came from our right at about 5 p.m.
Olivia spotted a tail flickering out the right window!
It slowly meandered to the area where I put out corn
and took its time crunching away.
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| 5:20 p.m. EDT Saturday, November 4, 2023 Olivia trying to get the shot I kept saying "you got her..." - but not quite! |
5:21
p.m. EDT Saturday, November 4, 2023 The Aftermath of Olivia's first attempt Olivia is still unaccustomed to a rifle blast. |
Olivia moved in position and got up her nerve to
take the shot, but we think she flinched
when she pulled the trigger at 5:20 p.m.
The deer jumped up as the bullet hit the ground
behind her and she high-tailed it to the right.
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I found a red leaf and thought it was blood.
We found no blood.
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| 3:47
p.m. EDT Wind is calm; no activity yet |
6:24
p.m. EDT Olivia hopes another deer comes |
7:13
p.m. EDT View from bottom of steps |
7:15
p.m. EDT Near trail cam, one last snapshot |
We left the property at about 7:20 p.m. and headed back through Sparta.
Then, we ate dinner at Chick-Fil-A near Lake Oconee.
Olivia had her obligatory chicken nuggets and even tried
the Oreo shake for the first time and LOVED it!
Finally, we were home by 11 p.m.
Saturday, November 11, 2023
Sandersville, Georgia
High 50ºF / Low (going in) 49ºF with 99% rain chance
cloudy with wind @ 9 mph from the NE
sunrise 6:57 a.m. EST / sunset 5:32 p.m. EST
[HALF DAY ONLY]
No deer harvested this time
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| 7:27
a.m. |
7:29
a.m. |
7:50
a.m. |
12:13
p.m. |
This was the rainiest day I have ever hunted.
Olivia loves the rain, so that was good for her.
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| 9:55 a.m. |
12:02 p.m. | 12:30 p.m. | 12:34 p.m. |
RAIN VIDEOS
Olivia's will was strong, but nothing showed this day!
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| 3:54 p.m. EST Garner's Grinder |
My Yeti, filled with: cubed steak & backstraps |
My Igloo, filled with: bacon burger & sausage |
4:35 p.m. EST Going home! I-20, westbound |
At least we were able to go get my venison from Garner's Grinder.
OPENING
DAY IN ALABAMA(stalk hunting, firearms, statewide):
Saturday and Sunday,
November 18-19, 2023
Roanoke, Alabama
Tim is back after a two-year hiatus!
| Saturday (Day 1): High 70ºF / Low (going in) 56ºF with 8% rain chance mostly sunny with wind @ 9 mph from the NNW sunrise 6:14 a.m. CST / sunset 4:37 p.m. CST |
Sunday morning
(Day 2): High 67ºF / Low (going in) 40ºF with 4% rain chance mostly sunny with wind @ 4 mph from the ESE sunrise 6:15 a.m. CST / sunset 4:37 p.m. CST |
No deer harvested this time
Actually, I left for home on Saturday night.
Tim stayed until early afternoon on Sunday.
I was hoping one of us would get something
to show for, on Opening Day. Oh, well...
Neither one of us saw anything, but I heard deer
come around 8:32 a.m. on Saturday.
MORNING HUNT
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| My new tree stand skirt deployed; I was exposed for years. |
Testing my new BogPod TreePod: It saves my arms and back! |
Experiencing the leaves fall! Southern Oak leaves are LARGE. |
More photos coming soon!
AFTERNOON HUNT
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| About to take our
places |
Sun was strong! |
View at early evening |
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| One hour before
close of hunt. I have on my game face! |
What creature is this? Tim is helping me with the cameras |
Hunting Camp Dinner: my Tater Mater Pork Stew |
Timing can sometimes mean everything!
Why is it that the deer show AFTER we are gone?
Black Friday and Saturday,
November 24-25, 2023
Roanoke, Alabama
| Friday (Day 1): High 61ºF / Low (going in) 42ºF with 5% rain chance partly cloudy with wind @ 5 mph from the WNW sunrise 6:20 a.m. CST / sunset 4:35 p.m. CST |
Saturday
morning (Day 2): High 62ºF / Low (going in) 38ºF with 7% rain chance mosty cloudy with wind @ 6 mph from the East sunrise 6:21 a.m. CST |
No deer harvested this time
Tim and I tried yet again;
the deer on the trail cams came out at night only
and just for days at a time.
Actually, I didn't get the early start I wanted.
The job sometimes wears me out, so the sleeping in,
packing and drive to Alabama got me there right before noon.
I didn't even bother dressing into full camo this day.
This time, I was armed with my .350 Legend Ruger.
While waiting for Tim to arrive, I did manage to
pop a squirrel (eating my corn) at 85 yards.
That evening, Tim and I split up to cover more area.
The sun was bright, just like last week before sunset.
The full moon looked awesome after sunset!
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| 6:54 a.m. CST | 7:16 a.m. CST | 7:18 a.m. CST | 12:01 p.m. CST | 12:04 p.m. CST | 3:20 p.m. CST |
On Saturday, Tim hunts in the blind, while I use
the 2-man stand (pine grove) in the morning and
the 1-1/2-man stand (turkey trail) in the mid-afternoon.
Nothing showed that weekend, at least until we left.
We knocked off early to eat leftover Thanksgiving food.
Closing the window on this hunting event!
I only needed time to clean up after dinner,
get the film out of the trail cameras, and then
put up some outdoor Christmas decorations.
What a view after sunset!
Saturday and Sunday morning,
December 2-3, 2023
Roanoke, Alabama
- CANCELLED -
I will take a rest after going 6 weekends straight.
Olivia and I may come back to Alabama around Christmas.
Tim does a solo hunt in Roanoke, Alabama on December 18 & 19.
He sees nothing, except possibly a fawn as he goes to the blind
on the first morning.
Wednesday through Saturday,
December 28-30, 2023
Roanoke, Alabama
Olivia and I hunted in Alabama.
This is her first real* hunt, out-of-state!
[*Meaning she used an actual deer rifle in Alabama]
| Thursday (Day 1): High 50ºF / Low (going in) 34ºF with 5% rain chance mostly sunny with wind @ 7 mph from the WNW sunrise 6:43 a.m. CST sunset 4:42 p.m. CST |
Friday (Day 2): High 45ºF / Low (going in) 30ºF with 7% rain chance cloudy with wind @ 10 mph from the West sunrise 6:44 a.m. CST / sunset 4:42 p.m. CST |
| Saturday
(Day 3): High 46ºF / Low (going in) 31ºF with 7% rain chance mostly cloudy with wind @ 7 mph from the WNW sunrise 6:44 a.m. CST/ sunset 4:43 p.m. CST |
No deer harvested this time
Yet, Olivia came close, once again!
Day 0
Arrival in Roanoke involved unpacking and setting up
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| leaving
Gwinnett; southbound on I-85 |
placing
belated Christmas decorations |
view
of hunting cabin at night |
Day 1
MORNING
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| Christmas
tree selfie |
Foggy morning mist | Olivia's first real hunt in Alabama |
Day 2
Day 3
- more coming soon -
Tuesday, January 2, 2024
Sandersville, Georgia
possible hunt with Olivia
High 54ºF / Low (going in) 33ºF with 6% rain chance
partly sunny with wind @ 5 mph from the NW
sunrise 7:34 a.m. EST / sunset 5:35 p.m. EST
- CANCELLED -
We moved Olivia's dental appointment to Tuesday.
The idea was to not rush back from Alabama;
also we will have more down time before school starts back.
Sunday, January 14, 2024
Sandersville, Georgia
High 59ºF / Low (going in) 29ºF with 5% rain chance
sunny with wind @ 8 mph from the WSW
sunrise 7:34 a.m. EST / sunset 5:46 p.m. EST
No deer harvested this time
THIS IS IT FOR THIS SEASON IN GEORGIA
SEVERAL FACTORS HAD WEIGHED IN,
PREVENTING US FROM GOING TO ALABAMA.
Tim had hunted there this weekend, but got nothing.
Robert let us use the blind in Sandersville, so
Olivia and I needed to take advantage of this.
Incidentally, Robert got a doe on Saturday and saw more!
Sunday is the last day of the Georgia deer hunting season.
Olivia was very intent on getting her first deer!
MORNING HUNT
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AFTERNOON HUNT
MORE PHOTOS COMING SOON!
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
February 7, 8, 9, & 10, 2024
Roanoke, Alabama
| Wednesday evening
(Day 1): High 61ºF / with 5% rain chance partly cloudy with wind 7 mph from the ESE sunset 5:19 p.m. CST |
Thursday (Day
2): High 61ºF / Low (going in) 34ºF with 4% rain mostly cloudy with wind 6 mph from the SSE sunrise 6:32 a.m. CST / sunset 5:20 p.m. CST |
| Friday (Day 3): High 68ºF / Low (going in) 45ºF with 8% rain overcast with wind 7 mph from the south sunrise 6:31 a.m. CST / sunset 5:20 p.m. CST |
Saturday morning
(Day 4): High 65ºF / Low (going in) 53ºF with 59% rain overcast with wind 7 mph from the SSW sunrise 6:30 a.m. CST |
Day 1
This whole event almost didn't happen!
When I turned on the water main, half the house nearly flooded.
Nonetheless, I proceeded with an evening hunt, come what may.
Tim made the effort to drive directly here after work to fix some pipes.
He was able to get hot water only, which was better than no water!
Evening Hunt
Day 2
Tim missed the whole day to hunt, but fixed the remaining pipes.
Now it was possible to take a full shower.
Morning Hunt
Evening Hunt
Coming Soon!
Day 3
Evening Hunt Only
Tim and I took it easy in the morning and slept in.
Next was breakfast and we surveyed the other land across US 431.
The evening hunt began at 3:30 p.m. CST.
Tim took the permanent blind and I took the Turkey Trail stand.
Day 4
Morning Hunt Only
More Coming Soon!
ALABAMA and GEORGIA specifics
| Randolph County, AL | Washington County, GA | ||||||
 Zone A private land either sex ENTIRE season |
 Alabama DCNR regulations.PDF |
 Green Zone private land either sex ENTIRE season |
 Georgia DNR regulations.PDF |
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| Stalk / Firearms: November 18 - February 10 |
(29.2 MB: file is Very LARGE!) | Firearms: October 21 - January 14 |
(16.9 MB: file is LARGE!) |
http://inner-redneck.com/