You asked for it.
+++UPDATED DATES+++
Pigmageddon 2017 will happen February 17-20
I'm flexible on the dates. You can arrive as early as Thursday evening, Feb 16 and leave as late as Monday, Feb 20 - whatever works for your schedule.
Hunting
Fort Stewart has over 250,000 acres open for hunting. Much of this is hardly touched by hunters. Approximately 90,000 acres is classified as wetlands. The Fish & Wildlife department also plants hundreds of acres of food plots for all types of game. You can hunt from the ground or from a tree stand. We can even organize some pig drives if desired. Once we get some bacon on the ground, we will have access to a 2-bay skinning shed with water and power. More info about hunting Fort Stewart
Campground
Tents, hammocks or RVs. There are showers, laundry, grills, and large pavilions available at Holbrook Pond Campground. If you hunt with a shotgun or bow, we can literally hunt right out of the campground. If hunting with a rifle, you can be hunting with a 3 minute drive or as much as a 45 minute drive to get to the edges of the installation. I'll be staying in my hammock. Map to the Campground.
+++UPDATE+++ I've contacted the campground and been assured we will have enough tent sites in a centrally located place. If you need a tent and camping supplies, let me know and I can help you out.
Food
I'll organize a group dinner every night. I'll plan out the meals and hire a camp cook for dinner. This will cost us a small fee, but there's nothing worse than coming back from a long day of slogging through the swamp and still having to cook dinner. You will be responsible for breakfast and lunch. There are grocery stores and restaurants within 15 minutes of camp.
+++UPDATE+++ I need a pretty solid attendance number so I can plan for the food. I really like (and so did you guys) the idea of having 1 or 2 nights dinner prepared for us (probably Friday & Saturday night). In order for me to nail downs costs for this, I need attendance numbers. From the feedback thus far, it looks like we’ll have about 10 guys for the hunt. I know this is still 6 weeks away, but please send me a PM if you are attending and include any guests. If it’s too expensive, we’ll skip it and I’ll figure something else out.
Required Gear
Knee high rubber boots (hip waders would work as well)
Thermacell - biting insects are terrible even in Winter
Hunter Orange
Saddle w/platform
Climbing aid (spurs allowed)
Kayak/Canoe - I'll have mine. I can rent 6 canoes w/trailer for $65 per day from the Army. This is a great way to hunt Fort Stewart.
Cost
GA Hunting License: $20 for a three day hunting/fishing combo. You can kill small game, pigs, and fish with this license.
Fort Stewart Permit: $15 per day
Campground: $12 per night
Food: TBD, approximately $30 per person.
+++UPDATES BELOW - JAN 04, 2017+++
HUNTER SAFETY EDUCATION CARD
This is non-negotiable. Fort Stewart (FS) requires a hard copy to be on your person at all times. You also must present the card in order to get your FS Recreation pass. If you don’t have a hard copy, you’ll need to get one from your state. A valid hunting license with your Hunter Safety Number may work, but I wouldn't risk it. Military installations aren't known for for flexible regulations. If you can’t get a new copy from your state, send me a PM. I may be able to help.
3 DAY GEORGIA HUNTING LICENSE - $20
https://www.gooutdoorsgeorgia.com/
This license includes fishing privileges. There is a LOT of good fishing in the area. You may even want to pack a small ultralight rod in your pack in case the pigs don’t seem to be moving, or you take a lunch break on the river.
FORT STEWART RECREATION PASS - $15 per day
http://www.stewart.army.mil/448/pdf/NEW MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION.pdf
You must purchase this in person. Required items are: Hunter Safety Card, Georgia Hunting License and the membership application. It will save some time if you fill the application out in advance and bring it with you.
FORT STEWART FIREARMS REGISTRATION (Free)
http://www.stewart.army.mil/463/docs/fm2027.pdf
Weapons registration must be done in person. It takes about 15 minutes and only requires the make/model/caliber/serial number of the firearm. Fill out and print the form linked above and bring it with you to the registration office. If you do not have a military ID, you will need to be escorted to the office by myself or someone with a military ID. This won’t be an issue as I’ll be available during the entire hunt to make sure you are taken care of.
Legal Weapons: Any center-fire rifle or pistol with .22-cal or larger expanding bullets, and any shotgun 20 gauge or larger loaded with slugs, or any muzzle-loading rifle (scopes allowed). Use of buckshot is prohibited.
++IMPORTANT++There is a new regulation that closes approximately half (everything east of hwy 119) of the installation to rifle hunting during small game season. This isn't a huge issue, since that still leaves 100,000 acres open to rifle hunting. However, almost all of the areas close to the campground that I'm familiar with will be closed. A work-around is to use a .22 mag rifle (legal in all areas) which will take down any pig with a shot behind the ear. Again, this is not a huge deal. It just means the closest open area for a center-fire rifle will be about a 10 minute drive. ++/IMPORTANT++
NO ARCHERY
This is a gun hunt only. The reason being is archery equipment requires a qualification test. When I talked with the administrators of the archery test, they would not commit to having multiple testing times available since this is their off season. It will be easier to use a rifle or shotgun. Let’s stick to that.
HUNT PROCEDURES
It will take a couple hours to buy a FS recreation pass and register weapons before we can actually get to the hunt. During the hunt it will be required to check in/out daily via phone. It’s a simple process: call the number, enter your hunter ID, enter your hunting area. After the hunt, you’ll go through the same process to check out. If you forget to check out, your hunting privileges will be suspended for 7 days.
There are no time limits on hunting hours except for state laws. You can stay in the woods all day if you like
No baiting is allowed on Fort Stewart even though it is allowed in State Law.
When you get a pig down, FS has facilities to hang and clean the animal. If it’s a large pig (150+ lbs), I recommend taking some great pictures and leaving it in the woods. These are nasty critters and the meat is often rank. Most processors won’t touch the big ones. The little ones make great table fare. We could even do a pig roast at camp.
If you haven't already, read through the FS Hunting website and the regulations. This will answer 99% of your questions. More info about hunting Fort Stewart
TRAVEL
You should fly into the Savannah airport.
MAP
Download this map to be used on the hunt.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0jOuKSEcj4rU0g5RUFZVDRRb1k
You’ll need an app to use the map on your phone called “Avenza Maps”.
Cell service is very spotty on FS. With this map, you’ll always know where you are since it works in airplane mode.
T-SHIRTS
Several of you have reached out and asked for t-shirts. If you’d like an event shirt, enter your size in the registration sheet. If not, just leave it blank. I’ll figure a way to make the shirts affordable for everyone.
FINALLY
Please fill out the registration sheet below:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RNnawue46gvGSTg06DyGSVsKUA_387eXgyTRRNmwIfU/edit#gid=0
Questions? Post them up and I’ll try to answer.
I’m really looking forward to this!
Confirmed Attendees
@g2outdoors +1
@BCHunter +2
@EricS +1
@ImThere
@Autumnrider +1
+++UPDATED DATES+++
Pigmageddon 2017 will happen February 17-20
I'm flexible on the dates. You can arrive as early as Thursday evening, Feb 16 and leave as late as Monday, Feb 20 - whatever works for your schedule.
Hunting
Fort Stewart has over 250,000 acres open for hunting. Much of this is hardly touched by hunters. Approximately 90,000 acres is classified as wetlands. The Fish & Wildlife department also plants hundreds of acres of food plots for all types of game. You can hunt from the ground or from a tree stand. We can even organize some pig drives if desired. Once we get some bacon on the ground, we will have access to a 2-bay skinning shed with water and power. More info about hunting Fort Stewart
Campground
Tents, hammocks or RVs. There are showers, laundry, grills, and large pavilions available at Holbrook Pond Campground. If you hunt with a shotgun or bow, we can literally hunt right out of the campground. If hunting with a rifle, you can be hunting with a 3 minute drive or as much as a 45 minute drive to get to the edges of the installation. I'll be staying in my hammock. Map to the Campground.
+++UPDATE+++ I've contacted the campground and been assured we will have enough tent sites in a centrally located place. If you need a tent and camping supplies, let me know and I can help you out.
Food
I'll organize a group dinner every night. I'll plan out the meals and hire a camp cook for dinner. This will cost us a small fee, but there's nothing worse than coming back from a long day of slogging through the swamp and still having to cook dinner. You will be responsible for breakfast and lunch. There are grocery stores and restaurants within 15 minutes of camp.
+++UPDATE+++ I need a pretty solid attendance number so I can plan for the food. I really like (and so did you guys) the idea of having 1 or 2 nights dinner prepared for us (probably Friday & Saturday night). In order for me to nail downs costs for this, I need attendance numbers. From the feedback thus far, it looks like we’ll have about 10 guys for the hunt. I know this is still 6 weeks away, but please send me a PM if you are attending and include any guests. If it’s too expensive, we’ll skip it and I’ll figure something else out.
Required Gear
Knee high rubber boots (hip waders would work as well)
Thermacell - biting insects are terrible even in Winter
Hunter Orange
Saddle w/platform
Climbing aid (spurs allowed)
Kayak/Canoe - I'll have mine. I can rent 6 canoes w/trailer for $65 per day from the Army. This is a great way to hunt Fort Stewart.
Cost
GA Hunting License: $20 for a three day hunting/fishing combo. You can kill small game, pigs, and fish with this license.
Fort Stewart Permit: $15 per day
Campground: $12 per night
Food: TBD, approximately $30 per person.
+++UPDATES BELOW - JAN 04, 2017+++
HUNTER SAFETY EDUCATION CARD
This is non-negotiable. Fort Stewart (FS) requires a hard copy to be on your person at all times. You also must present the card in order to get your FS Recreation pass. If you don’t have a hard copy, you’ll need to get one from your state. A valid hunting license with your Hunter Safety Number may work, but I wouldn't risk it. Military installations aren't known for for flexible regulations. If you can’t get a new copy from your state, send me a PM. I may be able to help.
3 DAY GEORGIA HUNTING LICENSE - $20
https://www.gooutdoorsgeorgia.com/
This license includes fishing privileges. There is a LOT of good fishing in the area. You may even want to pack a small ultralight rod in your pack in case the pigs don’t seem to be moving, or you take a lunch break on the river.
FORT STEWART RECREATION PASS - $15 per day
http://www.stewart.army.mil/448/pdf/NEW MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION.pdf
You must purchase this in person. Required items are: Hunter Safety Card, Georgia Hunting License and the membership application. It will save some time if you fill the application out in advance and bring it with you.
FORT STEWART FIREARMS REGISTRATION (Free)
http://www.stewart.army.mil/463/docs/fm2027.pdf
Weapons registration must be done in person. It takes about 15 minutes and only requires the make/model/caliber/serial number of the firearm. Fill out and print the form linked above and bring it with you to the registration office. If you do not have a military ID, you will need to be escorted to the office by myself or someone with a military ID. This won’t be an issue as I’ll be available during the entire hunt to make sure you are taken care of.
Legal Weapons: Any center-fire rifle or pistol with .22-cal or larger expanding bullets, and any shotgun 20 gauge or larger loaded with slugs, or any muzzle-loading rifle (scopes allowed). Use of buckshot is prohibited.
++IMPORTANT++There is a new regulation that closes approximately half (everything east of hwy 119) of the installation to rifle hunting during small game season. This isn't a huge issue, since that still leaves 100,000 acres open to rifle hunting. However, almost all of the areas close to the campground that I'm familiar with will be closed. A work-around is to use a .22 mag rifle (legal in all areas) which will take down any pig with a shot behind the ear. Again, this is not a huge deal. It just means the closest open area for a center-fire rifle will be about a 10 minute drive. ++/IMPORTANT++
NO ARCHERY
This is a gun hunt only. The reason being is archery equipment requires a qualification test. When I talked with the administrators of the archery test, they would not commit to having multiple testing times available since this is their off season. It will be easier to use a rifle or shotgun. Let’s stick to that.
HUNT PROCEDURES
It will take a couple hours to buy a FS recreation pass and register weapons before we can actually get to the hunt. During the hunt it will be required to check in/out daily via phone. It’s a simple process: call the number, enter your hunter ID, enter your hunting area. After the hunt, you’ll go through the same process to check out. If you forget to check out, your hunting privileges will be suspended for 7 days.
There are no time limits on hunting hours except for state laws. You can stay in the woods all day if you like
No baiting is allowed on Fort Stewart even though it is allowed in State Law.
When you get a pig down, FS has facilities to hang and clean the animal. If it’s a large pig (150+ lbs), I recommend taking some great pictures and leaving it in the woods. These are nasty critters and the meat is often rank. Most processors won’t touch the big ones. The little ones make great table fare. We could even do a pig roast at camp.
If you haven't already, read through the FS Hunting website and the regulations. This will answer 99% of your questions. More info about hunting Fort Stewart
TRAVEL
You should fly into the Savannah airport.
MAP
Download this map to be used on the hunt.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0jOuKSEcj4rU0g5RUFZVDRRb1k
You’ll need an app to use the map on your phone called “Avenza Maps”.
Cell service is very spotty on FS. With this map, you’ll always know where you are since it works in airplane mode.
T-SHIRTS
Several of you have reached out and asked for t-shirts. If you’d like an event shirt, enter your size in the registration sheet. If not, just leave it blank. I’ll figure a way to make the shirts affordable for everyone.
FINALLY
Please fill out the registration sheet below:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RNnawue46gvGSTg06DyGSVsKUA_387eXgyTRRNmwIfU/edit#gid=0
Questions? Post them up and I’ll try to answer.
I’m really looking forward to this!
Confirmed Attendees
@g2outdoors +1
@BCHunter +2
@EricS +1
@ImThere
@Autumnrider +1
Last edited:
Hope it all comes together and you guys can slay some pigs!
lol