Big Frog and Cohutta

[Chickencoop96]

I would expect the hunting here is pretty comparable to that of South Cherokee as far as number of animals and tougher terrain. Since i'll be living a little closer to those areas i figure at some point i might do a little hunting down there. What say TNdeer? anyone hunt these areas? if so, what do y'all think of it?

 

[timberjack86]

I hunt both pretty regularly. You will see bears. Except when your hunting them in cohutta. Big frog area is bear reserve. Ive seen a few deer in both areas but I'd recommend somewhere else in the national forest. Plenty of HOGS!

 

[CATCHDAWG]

What area are you moving to? That might be beneficial. Big Frog is still South Cherokee, tons of bears and hogs. Deer can be difficult but they are there. I'll agree with what Timberjack said.

 

[Rancocas]

I'm another who roams the Big Frog area quite a bit. Cohutta not so much.
Nothing constructive that I can add to what has already been said.
I'll be up there tomorrow, turkey hunting.

Let me relate an experience I had in the Cohutta some years back.
If anyone remembers; there was a guy who killed several hikers along the AT and other trails with a hatchet. I can't remember his name.
Anyway, I was hiking in the Cohutta and met a small man along a trail. I noticed he had a hatchet in his hand, but was not carrying any other gear. I had my dog with me (a big dog) plus I openly had a .45 holstered on my hip. As this guy and I approached each other, he stepped off the trail and went around me by several yards. I said something like "good morning", or some such. He only grunted. I continued down the trail another 5 or 6 yards then turned to look back at him. He was standing in the trail looking at me, and had his hatchet half raised up. However, when I looked at him, he quickly turned and went on down the trail.
Several weeks later that AT hatchet murderer was caught there in Georgia. I saw his picture in the newspaper. Yes - it was the same guy that I had encountered.

Just be careful out there!

 

[DoubleRidge]

I'm another who roams the Big Frog area quite a bit. Cohutta not so much.
Nothing constructive that I can add to what has already been said.
I'll be up there tomorrow, turkey hunting.

Let me relate an experience I had in the Cohutta some years back.
If anyone remembers; there was a guy who killed several hikers along the AT and other trails with a hatchet. I can't remember his name.
Anyway, I was hiking in the Cohutta and met a small man along a trail. I noticed he had a hatchet in his hand, but was not carrying any other gear. I had my dog with me (a big dog) plus I openly had a .45 holstered on my hip. As this guy and I approached each other, he stepped off the trail and went around me by several yards. I said something like "good morning", or some such. He only grunted. I continued down the trail another 5 or 6 yards then turned to look back at him. He was standing in the trail looking at me, and had his hatchet half raised up. However, when I looked at him, he quickly turned and went on down the trail.
Several weeks later that AT hatchet murderer was caught there in Georgia. I saw his picture in the newspaper. Yes - it was the same guy that I had encountered.

Just be careful out there!

Wow!.... freaking spooky!

 

[Pilchard]

I'm another who roams the Big Frog area quite a bit. Cohutta not so much.
Nothing constructive that I can add to what has already been said.
I'll be up there tomorrow, turkey hunting.

Let me relate an experience I had in the Cohutta some years back.
If anyone remembers; there was a guy who killed several hikers along the AT and other trails with a hatchet. I can't remember his name.
Anyway, I was hiking in the Cohutta and met a small man along a trail. I noticed he had a hatchet in his hand, but was not carrying any other gear. I had my dog with me (a big dog) plus I openly had a .45 holstered on my hip. As this guy and I approached each other, he stepped off the trail and went around me by several yards. I said something like "good morning", or some such. He only grunted. I continued down the trail another 5 or 6 yards then turned to look back at him. He was standing in the trail looking at me, and had his hatchet half raised up. However, when I looked at him, he quickly turned and went on down the trail.
Several weeks later that AT hatchet murderer was caught there in Georgia. I saw his picture in the newspaper. Yes - it was the same guy that I had encountered.

Just be careful out there!

Holy crap! Gave me goose bumps reading this.

 

[timberjack86]

I'm another who roams the Big Frog area quite a bit. Cohutta not so much.
Nothing constructive that I can add to what has already been said.
I'll be up there tomorrow, turkey hunting.

Let me relate an experience I had in the Cohutta some years back.
If anyone remembers; there was a guy who killed several hikers along the AT and other trails with a hatchet. I can't remember his name.
Anyway, I was hiking in the Cohutta and met a small man along a trail. I noticed he had a hatchet in his hand, but was not carrying any other gear. I had my dog with me (a big dog) plus I openly had a .45 holstered on my hip. As this guy and I approached each other, he stepped off the trail and went around me by several yards. I said something like "good morning", or some such. He only grunted. I continued down the trail another 5 or 6 yards then turned to look back at him. He was standing in the trail looking at me, and had his hatchet half raised up. However, when I looked at him, he quickly turned and went on down the trail.
Several weeks later that AT hatchet murderer was caught there in Georgia. I saw his picture in the newspaper. Yes - it was the same guy that I had encountered.

Just be careful out there!

Good thing you was carrying!!! Incredible and spooky story!!

 

[Carlos]

I'm another who roams the Big Frog area quite a bit. Cohutta not so much.
Nothing constructive that I can add to what has already been said.
I'll be up there tomorrow, turkey hunting.

Let me relate an experience I had in the Cohutta some years back.
If anyone remembers; there was a guy who killed several hikers along the AT and other trails with a hatchet. I can't remember his name.
Anyway, I was hiking in the Cohutta and met a small man along a trail. I noticed he had a hatchet in his hand, but was not carrying any other gear. I had my dog with me (a big dog) plus I openly had a .45 holstered on my hip. As this guy and I approached each other, he stepped off the trail and went around me by several yards. I said something like "good morning", or some such. He only grunted. I continued down the trail another 5 or 6 yards then turned to look back at him. He was standing in the trail looking at me, and had his hatchet half raised up. However, when I looked at him, he quickly turned and went on down the trail.
Several weeks later that AT hatchet murderer was caught there in Georgia. I saw his picture in the newspaper. Yes - it was the same guy that I had encountered.

Just be careful out there!

That was a close call!
Even though you were carrying, if he was able to get that close to you, there may not have been much of a chance for you to draw, if he'd have sprung a surprise attack.
You're lucky!

 

[Rancocas]

Here he is. Gary Michael Hilton. Look him up and read the story.
I think he sensed that I was alert, armed, and also had my 80 pound dog with me. He was thinking about it, but when I turned to face him, he decided to not try it.

To continue the story; on down the trail I came to a creek crossing. The water was running too high to safely cross, so I turned and retraced my steps back up the trail. I did not see the man again, but in the area where I had met him my dog alerted to something up on the ridge. She growled and barked and stared up that way. However, we went on and returned to my truck.

 

[Chickencoop96]

Just be careful out there!

That's a wild story! good thing you had the dog and pistol with you. that's why i carry everywhere i go. never know what you'll run into. thanks for sharing!

 

[sgtwebb1]

That was a close call!
Even though you were carrying, if he was able to get that close to you, there may not have been much of a chance for you to draw, if he'd have sprung a surprise attack.
You're lucky!

I'm sure the dog being there helped you also.
If that weirdo had been standing that close to me with that hatchet raised when I turned around I'd have at least cleared leather on him.

I used to be a pretty hardcore backpacker in my younger days, and have met some pretty shady characters on trails all over.
Trail violence is far more of a thing than people know.
I ALWAYS carried, even back then, even in places it wasn't "legal".
Screw that, better judged by 12 than carried by 6.

 

[Lost Lake]

I wonder how many times several of us on here have had similar encounters with crazies like that, and didn't even realize it. Glad you were armed and alert.

 

[JJBraves]

There was one day in Cherokee that two old strange looking men tried to grab me and diddle me. Thankfully I had a knife on my hip and they backed off. No telling what they would have to a young/innocent and highly attractive high school me if I didn't have a weapon on me. I've seen deliverance a few too many times.....

 

[utvolsfan77]

Back in the 1970s I had a friend in high school that played on the football team with me. Immediately after graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army as a medic and eventually became a registered nurse. Anyway, on his first tour of duty in Baumholder, West Germany, he was a squad leader in a medical platoon. He kept talking about a weird guy he had in his squad, kind of a quiet guy that usually kept to himself but always acted a bit strange. About 10 years later was when the truth about him finally came out. ALL OF YOU have heard about this guy. Anyone want to take a guess who he was? None other than Jeffrey Dahmer. Man, I sure am glad I went to the infantry!!!

 

[Chickencoop96]

Back in the 1970s I had a friend in high school that played on the football team with me. Well, immediately after graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army as a medic and eventually became a registered nurse. Anyway, on his first tour of duty in Baumholder, West Germany, he was a squad leader in a medical platoon. He kept talking about a weird guy he had in his squad, kind of a quiet guy that usually kept to himself but always acted a bit strange. About 10 years later was when the truth about him finally came out. ALL OF YOU have heard about this guy. Anyone want to take a guess who he was? None other than Jeffrey Dahmer. Man, I sure am glad I went to the infan

We had some weirdos in the infantry too, they just aint hit fame yet LOL!!