An official website of the State of Georgia.
Early Firearms Deer Season (Private Lands Opportunity):
October 4-5 provides a unique early season firearms opportunity for hunters in most Georgia counties to take only antlerless deer. Occurring during archery season, this early opportunity will only be available on private lands in select counties. Please note that all hunters on private land, including archery, will be required to wear blaze orange or fluorescent pink (500+ square inches above the waist) on Oct. 4-5. If you can take advantage of this early opportunity, we encourage you to consider donating those deer to the Georgia Hunters for the Hungry® program to benefit families in need (not a requirement to participate). Processors accepting deer for Georgia Hunters for the Hungry® can be found at the Georgia Wildlife Federation.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) has confirmed that a hunter-harvested deer sampled for routine surveillance in Lanier County has tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). This is the first case of CWD detected in Georgia.
The DNR CWD Response Plan is currently in effect and a CWD Management Area is established. The CWD Management Area includes the county where the positive sample was found and any county that touches a 5-mile radius around the location of the positive sample. The current CWD Management Area includes Lanier and Berrien counties.
DNR is working with landowners, managers and hunters in the immediate area (one mile radius around the positive location) to determine the geographic extent and prevalence rate in that Management Area (i.e., how far it has spread and what percent of deer have CWD).
Hunter Resources
Management
- New! Georgia Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP)
- Current Deer Management Plan, 2015–2024
- Deer Management Plan 2005–2014
- Urban Deer Management Plan 2005–2014
- Controlling Deer Damage
- DNR Deer Restocking 1928–1974
Research & Disease Information
- Opinions and Attitudes of Georgia Residents, Hunters and Landowners toward Deer Management in Georgia
- Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Deer