Adventure Day at Unicoi State Park
By Ken Riddleberger Northeast GA Game Management Supervisor

Looking for a fun-filled day of outdoor activities for the whole family? We have just the ticket and it's free! The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is hosting Outdoor Adventure Day on September 22nd at Unicoi State Park in celebration of National Hunting and Fishing Day. The event is made possible by a grant from the Weatherby Foundation International and volunteers from various conservation groups.

The event will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine, in the large field along Smith Creek downstream from Unicoi Lake Dam. Activities geared for kids and adults of all ages include canoeing, trout fishing, fly tying and casting, airgun shooting, archery and skeet shooting. There will be live wildlife shows and hunting dog demonstrations with pointers and retrievers.

Smith Creek will be stocked with trout during the day and will be open to fishing. September 22nd is a free-fishing day, so Georgia residents can fish without a license. Bring your fishing poles and some bait or lures. Crickets and worms are good choices for live bait. If you don't have a pole, but want to try trout fishing, don't worry. Loaner poles, tackle, bait, and even some streamside helpers will be available. Just drop by the fishing tent to get set up.

Did you ever wish you could try fly fishing, but never had the time? Now's your chance! Experts in fly-fishing from Trout Unlimited and the Georgia Women Flyfishers will be on hand to provide instructions on fly-casting using their equipment. You can also try your hand

at fly tying and, with help from North Georgia Trout Online members, go home with a "woolly bugger" you created.

Tired of fishing? Let's try some shooting sports. You can start on the archery range. Volunteers with the Traditional Bowhunters of Georgia will coach you shooting bows at a variety of 3-D targets. Adjacent to the archery range, members of White County 4-H will teach basic shooting skills using airguns. You'll be hitting bull'seyes before you leave.

Next, graduate up to skeet shooting. A skeet range will be in action all day. DNR and US Forest Service instructors will be with you to guarantee you break some skeet. Shotguns, ammo and everything else you need are provided.

Need a break? Check out the live animals. Live animal shows will be ongoing throughout the day. See a variety of live reptiles and live hawks used in the sport of falconry. Talk with experts from Smithgall Woods and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

On the domestic side, DNR Law Enforcement Rangers will have Tracker and Hunter, two members of the DNR K-9 Unit, demonstrating their crime fighting techniques. In addition, there will be demonstrations with hunting dogs.

If you prefer a relaxing time on the lake, take the free shuttle van to Unicoi Lake. Instructors will teach you how to paddle a canoe and you can take a canoe trip around the lake on your own.

Although the activities are outdoors, you don't have to "rough it." Restroom facilities will be available and a vendor will have hamburgers, hotdogs, chips and soft drinks on-site for you to purchase. Should you want to take a break from walking, hop on the hay wagon which will be running all day in a continuous loop to get you from one location to the next. If that's not enough, there will be a free raffle for some neat hunting and fishing prizes.

Take GA Hwy 75 North through Helen, then turn right on GA Hwy 356 in Robertstown. Go over the Unicoi Lake Dam and past the entrance to Unicoi Lodge for two-tenths of a mile. Turn right at the brown sign for the trout stream and tennis courts and you are there! A state park pass ($3) is required for each vehicle. Make plans now to come celebrate National Hunting and Fishing Day with Georgia's Conservation Community. For information about other National Hunting and Fishing Day events, visit the Wildlife Resources Division website at www.georgiawild life.com or call 770-535-5498.