The author used his crossbow to down this north Georgia wild boar. Photo by Wm. Hovey Smith.

"Mostly uphill" is an expression that accurately describes the steep slopes of the 15,800-acre Warwoman Wildlife Management Area. This area has a good hog population that may be successfully hunted during both small- and big-game seasons. According to wildlife technician Craig Nelson, whose responsibilities include habitat improvements for the WMA, recent growth in hog numbers is in part a result of the development of over 1,100 acres of food plots and controlled-burning programs.

Although local hunters enjoy hunting and eating the area's wild hogs, professional game managers can do without them. These feeding machines root up food plots almost immediately after germination, Nelson said, which deprives deer, bears, turkeys, grouse and small game of important food resources.

"With last year's drought, our food plots have been under stress, and hog damage done to those that were successful becomes even more serious as the quantity of natural foods was also reduced," he explained. "We need to shoot more hogs. Currently hunters take 30 to 40 hogs a year from the WMA."

PHYSICAL FEATURES
This rugged WMA near the town of Clayton in Rabun County is best reached from Warwoman Road, which runs in the valley of the creek of the same name. Improved dirt roads accessing the WMA typically start in the valleys of the larger tributaries, such as Finney Creek, where the check station will be found, and run to the ridge noses. A few of these roads intersect a less well-maintained road that traverses the northeastern ridges. A road-improvement program has been under way for the past five years. During dry weather I've driven the WMA roads with a two-wheel-drive pickup, but Nelson warned that four-wheel-drive is necessary when snow starts to accumulate.

Some roads are closed during hunting seasons, so getting access to many of the food plots requires walking a mile or more up steep grades. Cross-country traverses, while not impossible, are difficult because of the severe slopes and dense mountain laurel, although controlled burning has opened up some areas. At this WMA, it's always good practice to hunt uphill. Even so, some steep uphill drags may be necessary if an animal is shot on a slope and winds up in a creek bottom.

THE ANIMALS
Female hogs have gestation periods of three months, three weeks and three days, which allows the sows to produce three litters a year that may contain 8 to 12 piglets each. With few natural predators, hogs may overrun an area if left unchecked. Hogs eat nearly anything, including fruits, nuts, the eggs of ground-nesting birds, reptiles, carrion, insects, and most species of young plants. Because they are so food-driven, the best way to hunt them in general is to find the best available food sources and look for recent droppings and evidence of rooting.

The author used his crossbow to down this north Georgia wild boar. Photo by Wm. Hovey Smith.