How to Find Land to Hunt For Georgia Deer Season 2024

With mountains to the north and coastal plains to the east containing vast forests and agricultural zones, all wrapped up in 104 wildlife management areas, knowing where to hunt deer in Georgia can be a tough decision. 

In this guide, we're making it easier to find the spots to tag out by helping you locate the best hunting area for a successful Georgia deer season 2024, sharing some tools and strategies to help you narrow your search and bag out on one of the biggest bag limits in the country. 

Public vs. Private Land Hunting

Georgia offers diverse hunting opportunities across both public and private land hunting options.

Determining which option is best for bringing home the deer you're after this season will require an analysis of your budgeting, hunting experience, capabilities, and any withstanding or ability to build a relationship with a private landowner.

Let's look at the two options below. 

Public Land Hunting

Public hunting refers to hunting any federal, state, or local land managed by a wildlife authority and designated as a park, forest, grassland, or management area that offers hunting opportunities within these designated areas. 

These lands include Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), zones managed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and National Forests. Although these areas may receive higher hunting pressure than private options, the draw of a DIY hunt and the feeling of accomplishment you get after a successful hunt make public hunting a popular option in Georgia. 

Private Land Hunting  

Private land hunting allows more privacy, selectivity, and, often, the opportunity to hunt bigger bucks.

Hunting privately requires permission from a private landowner, often as a legal, binding agreement with specific regulations and a clearly outlined timeframe for using the property.

Some private landowners will offer hunting leases. Leases are a great option if you're looking for trophy potential and higher numbers to avoid the hunting pressure of the popular WMAs. You can find lease opportunities on online forums, hunting websites, and the Georgia Wildlife webpage, which has tons of great information on the different hunting opportunities. 

All About Georgia Wildlife Management Areas

WMAs offer hunters the opportunity to explore the incredibly biodiverse Georgian landscapes, chasing deer doing what they do best.

While some of the best hunting happens in the upper coastal plains and Piedmont areas, there are great opportunities all over these carefully managed zones, from the coastal marshes and swamps to the mountains of the north. 

Dawson Forest 

When selecting a WMA, look for diverse zones with mixed environments, such as the Dawson Forest, which comprises 25,000 acres of foothills, valleys, mountains, and gorges. In recent years, some impressive bucks with stunning conditioning have been taken in this WMA. 

Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge

This upland forest consists of 35,000 acres of rolling terrain of mixed pine and hardwood. This terrain makes it prime deer country and one of the strongest public deer hunting opportunities the state has to offer. 

Cooper Creek WMA 

At the base of the Appalachians, you'll uncover 30,000 acres of beautiful mountain scenery within the Chattahoochee National Forest to hunt. Nice river runs and hiking trails help you push deeper and chase those harder-to-reach deer. 

Blanton Creek WMA 

For one of the more scenic hunts Georgia offers, the Blanton Creek WMA extends over 4,800 acres following the Chattahoochee River. Acorn trees in this area provide prime deer habitat. 

While the requirements for each WMA may vary, a WMA permit, some refuge-specific permits, and lottery drawings in selected areas such as Piedmont will generally be required. 

What About National Forests?

Spanning 26 counties and covering 867,000 acres, the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest offers some of the strongest forest hunting opportunities in the north of Georgia and the entire state. The forest's mix of hardwoods, pine stands, and food plots provides excellent habitat for deer, and the mix of mountains, hills, and water-based hunting means opportunities for a diverse range of hunters and hunting strategies. 

Entry for a hunt will depend on the WMA within the forest. However, numerous access points exist. Just ensure you're hunting within the specified WMA, as rules may change once you've left these zones. 

Go Where Other Hunters Aren't

My number one tip for public land hunting is finding locations where other hunters will not be (easier said than done). This process begins with e-scouting and looking for habitats that provide cover and terrain features that may serve as deer passageways or access points.

If you're starting in prominent locations near food sources incredibly close to entry points, such as main roads or parks, there's a much higher chance you'll encounter fellow hunters. 

Wherever possible, spend time in your chosen location to scout, look for deer signs, establish trail cams, and consider potential stand locations. 

Finding Private Land and Clubs

If public hunting land is proving to be a challenge for tagging out, you may want to consider private land hunting to overcome issues arising from high hunting pressure.

This generally takes the form of two strategies.

• The first is hunting through an all-inclusive camp-style hunt that will put you onto deer. 

• The second is to explore land available for hunting by speaking directly with private landowners and organizing a hunt. 

That's why I recommend using the HuntWise private landowner feature to access details of private landowners in Georgia.

Accessing private land is often a numbers game, and resilience and persistence pay off in the long run. A lot can be said for an honest, respectful, and open solicitation to use private land — or starting a relationship with someone in your area (first) and then growing that into a request to hunt their land.

Avoid a Cold Call

Even though the HuntWise app provides publicly available contact information (including phone numbers) for landowners, a cold call can be intrusive and shut down your request before you make it.

Try a different approach and prioritize people vs. a hasty ask to hunt someone's land.

Send a letter or simply knock on the landowner's door and share your hunting philosophy and view on conservation and hunting. Starting with a conversation gives you the opportunity to look for commonalities (it can help to know hunters who have previously hunted the land) that you may share with the landowner.

Always offer something in return, whether this is game meat, the offer to do some chores around the property, or something else. 

Look for Local Clubs

Hunting clubs are an invaluable source of insights, experience, and community support. These clubs typically pool resources from all members, which helps spread the cost of leases, land management, and maintenance, providing members access to well-managed land with less pressure.

Search online, dive into forums, and search social media pages to find the right club. Don't be afraid to reach out to the Georgia DNR to ask about the reputation of various hunting clubs, and head to the club in person to speak to active members.

Pre-Season Preparation for Any Land You Plan to Hunt

No matter where you plan to hunt, start by leveraging mapping tools, specifically unique features such as HuntWise's LiDAR capabilities, to uncover elevation changes and locate prime ridgelines and valleys that other mapping features may overlook.

The topographic overlays will also help paint a picture of deer movements and provide insights into how they may use the land to shift between feeding, drinking, and bedding stages. 

These minor points of difference will allow you to open up more hunting opportunities away from high-pressure zones. Once established, set markers and head out on foot to observe deer trails, scrapes, and markings that will confirm deer presence. 

Check the Regulations

Always check the latest season regulations and location-specific rules before heading out, as these are subject to change. 

Trespassing is a serious crime, so leverage the HuntWise app to stay on top of all public hunting zones and property boundaries. Remember always to have written permission if hunting on private land and have it on you. 

Uncover Prime Hunting Land for Georgia Deer Season 2024 With HuntWise

The rugged beauty of Georgia's mountains and forests, substantial deer population, and hunting tradition make Georgia deer season 2024 a go-to location for locals and out-of-staters.

To make sure you tag out, download the HuntWise app to discover prime hunting locations overlooked by other hunters or access private landowner details to organize a hunt on your own private slice of paradise. 

Download the app to start your free trial before the season begins!