Georgia’s Deer Firearms Season Opens Oct. 18: State Biologists Predict Bumper Crop of Mature Bucks

One of Georgia’s most anticipated outdoor traditions is almost here. The state’s official deer hunting firearms season is set to open this Saturday, October 18, marking the start of a highly anticipated period that will continue into January 2026.

According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD), initial forecasts suggest a robust and healthy deer population, exciting the hundreds of thousands of hunters who participate annually.

“Opening day of the firearms deer season is like a holiday that hundreds of thousands of deer hunters look forward to each year,” said Charlie Killmaster, state deer biologist for the Wildlife Resources Division. “Georgia deer hunting has never been better—there are more mature bucks in the deer harvest now than ever before.”

The previous 2024-25 season saw impressive results, with more than 200,000 hunters harvesting around 220,000 deer statewide. Regulated hunting plays a vital role in ensuring a healthy population balance while providing a sustainable supply of local meat for families across the state.

Critical Need-to-Know for Hunters

To ensure a safe and legal season, hunters must review specific regulations regarding licenses, harvest limits, and reporting requirements. For most hunters, the season will conclude on January 11.

Licenses and Reporting: All Georgia deer hunters are required to possess a hunting license, a big game license, and a current deer harvest record. These items can be purchased online at GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com, by calling 1-800-366-2661, or through authorized license agents.

Crucially, all harvested deer must be reported through Georgia Game Check within 24 hours of harvest. Reporting can be accomplished via the Outdoors GA app, GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com, or by phone at 1-800-366-2661.

Harvest Limits and Legal Firearms: State law allows hunters to harvest up to 10 antlerless deer. Hunters are limited to two antlered deer, with at least one of those antlered deer required to have a minimum of four points (one inch or longer on one side) or a minimum 15-inch outside antler spread.

Legal firearms for the season include centerfire weapons only, .22-caliber or larger, utilizing expanding bullets. All weapons lawful for use during the preceding archery and primitive weapons seasons are also permitted.

Public Hunting Opportunities: Hunters seeking public access should explore Georgia Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), which offer nearly one million acres of public hunting availability. Specific WMA dates and regulations are detailed in the current hunting guidebook available online.

Hunters for the Hungry Program Expanding

This year, the WRD and the Georgia Wildlife Federation (GWF) are expanding the popular Hunters for the Hungry Program®. This initiative helps address agricultural damage caused by the deer population while providing much-needed quality protein to Georgia families in need.

Hunters interested in donating their deer, or processors interested in joining the program, can find information and a list of participating processors by visiting GWF.org/ghfth/.

CWD Alert: Testing Highly Encouraged in Three Counties

Following the first detection of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Georgia earlier this year, wildlife officials are urging hunters to take precautionary testing steps in certain regions.

“I highly encourage you to visit georgiawildlife.com/cwd to learn more,” Killmaster stated. “We encourage CWD testing for deer harvested in Berrien, Lanier, and Lowndes Counties to help manage CWD.”

Hunters harvesting deer in these three priority counties can leave their deer heads for testing at participating processors, taxidermists, or freezer sites. While testing deer from all other counties is not deemed necessary at this time, it remains available to all hunters statewide.

For comprehensive information on deer hunting, including regulations, maps, and CWD testing details, hunters are directed to GeorgiaWildlife.com/deer-info.