Good whitetail WMA's in Georgia

[Skelly56]

Hello,

Since it appears to be an impossible task to find a hunting lease in Georgia. I am looking to bowhunt public land on one of the Georgia WMA's. Do you guys have any suggestions as to which ones are the best? I would be traveling from Jacksonville, FL.

Willing to hunt an area with lower population of deer in order the see a better class of buck.

 

[OffTheBeatnPath]

https://georgiawildlife.com/locations/hunting

Should get a good idea what's closest to you, acreage, and dates you'd be able to hunt

 

[humblehunter22]

Id suggest focusing on any and all south to mid Ga wmas. Deer numbers appear to be better than what we have up above Atl & depending on how much effort you put into it it is not uncommon to cross paths with a quality buck. I dont know enough myself to go throwing out any specifics as I live above ATL & mainly hunt the Northern based wmas. But have heard plenty of good you just have to pick several wmas that look appealing to you & pull up the topos to see if it is worth your time or browse until something stands out to go check out. Plenty of harvest data to get a reasonable idea on.

 

[antharper]

Id suggest focusing on any and all south to mid Ga wmas. Deer numbers appear to be better than what we have up above Atl & depending on how much effort you put into it it is not uncommon to cross paths with a quality buck. I dont know enough myself to go throwing out any specifics as I live above ATL & mainly hunt the Northern based wmas. But have heard plenty of good you just have to pick several wmas that look appealing to you & pull up the topos to see if it is worth your time or browse until something stands out to go check out. Plenty of harvest data to get a reasonable idea on.

Great advice ! I’d look at Dilane, Horse creek, Ocmulgee , Beaver Dam , Chickasaw , good luck

 

[gambo38]

Ive hunted Di lane many times. There are really big deer there. U just have to pick an area and put boots on the ground. Theres also a VPA up the road from there dont know the name but it might be worth looking at

 

[humblehunter22]

Lol Gambo38 thats just about any piece of ground really especially public land. Them public land deer wont just walk out & smile for the camera while you're in the stand. ?

 

[kingfish]

Might want to consider Ft. Stewart too. Lots of rules and people but there are quality bucks taken off it every year.

 

[Jim Boyd]

I am several decades removed from GA public, but I would draw a triangle from Macon south and start in that area if a big buck was the goal.

If deer in general are the goal, the sky is the limit. Throw a dart.

I doubt much has changed but the barrier islands were absolutely The Bomb.

Fort Stewart is very good but the better bucks (generally) coming from the western end of the fort. Way back when, A7 and F16 were very good.

If I could only hunt one period in GA it would be the week before Thanksgiving on the east side of the state and the week after on the west side.


Not sure I agree with the assessment of impossible to find leases though, I see them on GON all the time.

@Mexican Squealer has some great opportunities in the Low Country right now (or had) and that is not far from JAX at all.

I am close to him and we are simply covered in deer.


You have TONS of opportunities coming out of JAX.

Good luck!!!!!

 

[1md2b]

I had good luck at Grand Bay WMA when I lived in Valdosta.

 

[Jim Boyd]

I had good luck at Grand Bay WMA when I lived in Valdosta.

Great pursuit of deer and career.

 

[Long Cut]

Better off going further North and West if a “big buck” is what you’re after.

Most Georgia WMA’s are good for 110-130” deer, occasionally you’ll run into a 140-160” class animal but they’re significantly harder to find.

How much time do you have to scout? How much time do you have to hunt?
I could put you on a phenomenal WMA but if you don’t scout it once, can’t read deer sign or anticipate hunter pressure.... you’re better off going on a paid hunt.

My honest .02

 

[Gl4di4torRr]

All good advice here. I think it takes time to figure out deer on a wma. Stick with it for a couple of years and you'll start to figure out the deer movement.

 

[Buckman18]

If you want to be a man, go shoot a mature buck on Cohutta, Swallow Creek, or Warwoman. That’s where the men are men and the bucks are too.

Guaranteed to have to earn one the old fashioned way, and also guaranteed to personally value it more than anywhere else in GA if you can push yourself enough to stay persistent enough to eventually connect.

 

[across the river]

Hello,

Since it appears to be an impossible task to find a hunting lease in Georgia. I am looking to bowhunt public land on one of the Georgia WMA's. Do you guys have any suggestions as to which ones are the best? I would be traveling from Jacksonville, FL.

Willing to hunt an area with lower population of deer in order the see a better class of buck.

What does “better class of buck” mean? To one guy a 100” buck is big, to another 150+ is a “better class” of buck. If that is you ultimate goal, a “better class of buck”, the your personal definition should be the main driver of where you go. I assure you there are a lot more options and a higher success rate for the one guy’s definition than there are the other guy’s.

 

[Dub]

I suppose you could join a hunting forum based in the state and try scouting out good hunting spots online.

 

[antharper]

I suppose you could join a hunting forum based in the state and try scouting out good hunting spots online.

That’s what I do ! Works to

 

[Blackston]

If you want to be a man, go shoot a mature buck on Cohutta, Swallow Creek, or Warwoman. That’s where the men are men and the bucks are too.

Guaranteed to have to earn one the old fashioned way, and also guaranteed to personally value it more than anywhere else in GA if you can push yourself enough to stay persistent enough to eventually connect.

All hail to the deer and deer hunters from above the gnat Line !!!…. Maybe I’ll get to visit some real deer woods one day !!

 

[humblehunter22]

All hail to the deer and deer hunters from above the gnat Line !!!…. Maybe I’ll get to visit some real deer woods one day !!

Lol to each their own, but last time I checked regardless of where the deer is killed every kill is 1 that is earned. Because as it stands to this very day I have yet to encounter the 1st deer that walk right up to me in the stand laid down broadside and just told me to flat out shoot where x marks the spot. Nor have I have encountered 1 that just straight up walked over to my truck unlatched the tailgate, loaded its own self & expired in the back of the truck for me. so regardless of what region of the state you are in I would assume in some measure or some fashion every deer that is killed is earned 1 way or another. To be really technical about it we could go as far to argue in good fun of course that the "ant hills" we have in this state dont amount to a hill of beans to the "mountains" out West in the "big country". To each their own, I live up in the north Ga region & joined a lease down in south Ga & will say them endless cypress swamp bottoms ain't no joke either. You get turned around down yonder way & you ain't prepared you in for a rough time seriously. I learned to keep 3 methods of self navigation on my behind at all times whenever I try to spice things up & go wade off into the muck.

 

[gma1320]

Lol to each their own, but last time I checked regardless of where the deer is killed every kill is 1 that is earned. Because as it stands to this very day I have yet to encounter the 1st deer that walk right up to me in the stand laid down broadside and just told me to flat out shoot where x marks the spot. Nor have I have encountered 1 that just straight up walked over to my truck unlatched the tailgate, loaded its own self & expired in the back of the truck for me. so regardless of what region of the state you are in I would assume in some measure or some fashion every deer that is killed is earned 1 way or another. To be really technical about it we could go as far to argue in good fun of course that the "ant hills" we have in this state dont amount to a hill of beans to the "mountains" out West in the "big country". To each their own, I live up in the north Ga region & joined a lease down in south Ga & will say them endless cypress swamp bottoms ain't no joke either. You get turned around down yonder way & you ain't prepared you in for a rough time seriously. I learned to keep 3 methods of self navigation on my behind at all times whenever I try to spice things up & go wade off into the muck.

Ain't that the truth, 2 things that can get you turned around quick is swamp or endless planted pines on flat ground.

 

[Blackston]

Lol to each their own, but last time I checked regardless of where the deer is killed every kill is 1 that is earned. Because as it stands to this very day I have yet to encounter the 1st deer that walk right up to me in the stand laid down broadside and just told me to flat out shoot where x marks the spot. Nor have I have encountered 1 that just straight up walked over to my truck unlatched the tailgate, loaded its own self & expired in the back of the truck for me. so regardless of what region of the state you are in I would assume in some measure or some fashion every deer that is killed is earned 1 way or another. To be really technical about it we could go as far to argue in good fun of course that the "ant hills" we have in this state dont amount to a hill of beans to the "mountains" out West in the "big country". To each their own, I live up in the north Ga region & joined a lease down in south Ga & will say them endless cypress swamp bottoms ain't no joke either. You get turned around down yonder way & you ain't prepared you in for a rough time seriously. I learned to keep 3 methods of self navigation on my behind at all times whenever I try to spice things up & go wade off into the muck.

?