Statewide Deer Firearms Season Opens Sat. Oct. 18

This is a press release from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Georgia’s most anticipated tradition for hunters across the state is almost here!

Deer hunting firearms season opens Sat. Oct 18 and continues into January 2026, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD).

“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.”

During the 2024-25 firearms deer season, over 200,000 hunters harvested around 220,000 deer in the state. Regulated deer hunting ensures that Georgia’s deer population continues to be healthy and strong and is an excellent way to fill your freezer (or help those in need) with a sustainable, healthy local meat.

Georgia Hunters for the Hungry ExpansionTo reduce agricultural damage and help Georgia families in need of quality protein, WRD and the Georgia Wildlife Federation are expanding the Hunters for the Hungry Program®. To locate a processor in your area or to become a Hunters for the Hungry® deer processor, visit GWF.org/ghfth/.

Public Hunting OpportunitiesGeorgia Wildlife Management Areas (GeorgiaWildlife.com/allwmas) offer public access to nearly one million acres of hunting opportunity. Hunters should check the current hunting regulations for specific WMA dates and info (GeorgiaWildlife.com/hunting/hunter-resources).

Hunting Need-to-Know:

“Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was first detected in Georgia earlier this year, I highly encourage you to visit georgiawildlife.com/cwd to learn more.” says Killmaster. “We encourage CWD testing for deer harvested in Berrien, Lanier, and Lowndes Counties to help manage CWD, hunters can leave their deer head at a participating processor, taxidermist, or freezer site. Testing deer from all other counties isn’t necessary but is available to all hunters statewide. CWD information, testing locations, test results, and more can be found at georgiawildlife.com/cwd.”

For more on deer hunting, including finding a meat processor, reviewing regulations, and maps (either sex day or the rut map), visit GeorgiaWildlife.com/deer-info.

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