The statewide archery deer hunting season begins Saturday, Sept. 9, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD).
Last year, 83,000 archery hunters harvested over 45,000 deer. Statewide, hunters can use archery equipment throughout the entire 2023-2024 deer season.
“Georgia’s archery season is always the first crack at bagging a deer for hunters,” said state deer biologist Charlie Killmaster. “Hunters that are willing to tolerate the heat of the early archery season are often rewarded by detecting consistent deer movement patterns and easy to target food sources like persmimmons and early dropping oaks.”
Public Hunting Opportunities
Georgia has more than 100 wildlife management areas offering public hunting opportunities, including specialty hunts for youth, ladies, seniors, and disability and returning veterans license holders (GeorgiaWildlife.com/locations/hunting). Additional hunting opportunities can be found on Voluntary Public Access, or VPA, properties. These properties are available thanks to a USDA grant that allows for the arrangement of temporary agreements with private landowners for public hunting opportunities (GeorgiaWildlife.com/VPA-HIP).
Hunting Need-to-Know:
- Dates/Harvest Limit: State law allows hunters to harvest up to 10 antlerless deer, and no more than two antlered deer (with one of the two antlered deer having a minimum of four points, one inch or longer, on one side of the antlers or a minimum 15-inch outside antler spread). For most hunters in the state, the deer season ends on Jan. 14. For counties with extended firearms or archery season, review the Georgia Hunting Regulations 2023-24 guidebook at eregulations.com/georgia/hunting/. Additionally, deer of either sex may be taken with archery equipment at any time on private land during the primitive weapons and firearms deer season.
- Licenses: Georgia deer hunters must have a hunting license, a big game license and a current deer harvest record. Licenses can be purchased online at GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com, by phone at 1-800-366-2661, or at a license agent (list of agents available online).
- Report Harvest: All harvested deer must be reported through Georgia Game Check within 24 hours. Deer can be reported on the Outdoors GA app (which works regardless of cell service), at GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com, or by calling 1-800-366-2661.
“Hunters, you can help protect the Georgia deer herd from Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a fatal disease affecting deer. This disease has not been detected in our state and you can be instrumental in keeping it out,” says Killmaster. “Do not bring live deer, whole carcasses or heads into Georgia, know what parts you can bring back from an out-of-state hunt, and report deer with any disease symptoms. You can find more info at GeorgiaWildlife.com/cwd.”
For more on deer hunting, including finding a game processor, viewing regulations, maps (either sex day or the rut map), visit GeorgiaWildlife.com/deer-info.
