Explore Hunting in Georgia

A living outdoor tradition

Georgia hunting lives in the early-morning quiet before daylight, in the sound of dogs working a field edge, in the stories told around camp after a long sit, and in the care hunters take for the land, the wildlife, and the next generation coming along behind them.

Nearly 630,000 hunters take to Georgia's fields, forests, swamps, river bottoms, farms, plantations, and public lands each year, spending more than 9.9 million days in the field. Some are lifelong Georgians hunting the same county their family has known for generations. Others travel here for deer season, turkey season, waterfowl hunts, quail plantations, wild hog opportunities, or a chance to experience the variety of habitat that makes Georgia one of the South's great hunting states.

From mountains to marshes

That variety is one of Georgia's strengths. In the North Georgia mountains, hunters find steep ridges, hardwood drains, black bear country, mountain WMAs, and traditional public-land deer and turkey hunting.

Across Middle Georgia, pine woods, oak bottoms, river corridors, farms, and managed timberland support strong deer, turkey, dove, hog, small game, and predator hunting. In South Georgia, longleaf pine, wiregrass, agricultural fields, cypress swamps, coastal marsh, and plantation country create some of the most recognizable hunting landscapes in the Southeast.

Private land, leases, clubs, and plantations

Family farms, hunting clubs, timber leases, plantations, outfitters, and private landowners provide a major share of Georgia's hunting opportunity. Large forestland companies such as Weyerhaeuser and other timberland managers make thousands of acres available through recreational and hunting leases.

Many Georgia hunters belong to clubs where members work year-round on food plots, roads, stands, habitat, camp life, and responsible harvest goals. For out-of-state hunters, private leases, guided hunts, plantations, and outfitters can provide a more structured way to experience Georgia hunting.

WMAs and public hunting areas

Public land still matters deeply, and it gives hunters a way to explore Georgia beyond their home county or private lease. Georgia's Wildlife Management Areas, Public Fishing Areas with hunting access, national forest lands, Corps of Engineers properties, state-owned tracts, and other public-access lands open the door to mountain ridges, river swamps, coastal islands, dove fields, waterfowl impoundments, managed hunts, youth hunts, quota hunts, and walk-in adventure.

These public lands are the focus of the GeorgiaOutdoors hunting directory below.

Georgia DNR Hunting Resources

Official hunting resources, regulations, season information, species pages, hunter education, and public-land planning links.

Go Outdoors Georgia

Purchase licenses and permits, manage your account, apply for quota hunts, obtain HIP permits, and report harvest.

Explore the GeorgiaOutdoors Hunting Map

Use our map to browse public hunting areas by region, species opportunities, camping access, quota hunts, youth hunts, and other planning features.

Georgia Quota Hunts

Official information about managed quota hunts and the application process.