Georgia Deer Season 2026–27: Dates, Doe Days & Bag Limits
As Georgia’s 2026–27 deer season gears up to open, hunters can expect plenty of great hunting opportunities across the fall and winter months. Archery season opens Saturday, September 12, followed by a youth-and-primitive-weapons window October 10–16, leading into the main firearms season from October 17 through January 10 — extended to January 15 in select southwest counties.
For the second year in a row, Georgia will have a special antlerless only firearms deer season for most counties in the state, which falls on the weekend of October 3-4.
Statewide bag limits remain generous at 12 deer per hunter (no more than 10 antlerless and two antlered. One of the two antlered deer must meet the four-point or 15-inch spread requirement; certain counties have stricter rules for every antlered buck.)
Always remember to consult with the latest official Georgia Hunting Regulations before heading afield. Those can be found at on the Georgia’s DNR Wildlife Resources Division website.
Statewide Season Dates (Private Land)
| Season | Dates |
|---|---|
| Archery* | Sept. 12 – Oct. 9, 2026 |
| Extended Archery (only for Baker, Barrow, Bibb, Calhoun, Chatham, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Columbia, Decatur, DeKalb, Douglas, Early, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Grady, Gwinnett, Hall, Henry, Miller, Mitchell, Muscogee, Paulding, Richmond, Rockdale, Seminole, and Thomas counties) | Day following the close of county firearms season – Jan. 31 |
| Antlerless Only Firearms (select counties) | Oct. 3-4, 2026 |
| Primitive Weapons & Youth Only Firearms | Oct. 10 – Oct. 16, 2026 |
| Statewide Firearms** | Oct. 17, 2026 – Jan. 10, 2027 |
| Extended Firearms Baker, Calhoun, Decatur, Early, Grady, Miller, Mitchell, Thomas, and Seminole counties. | Oct. 17, 2026 – Jan. 15, 2027 |
The bag limit for Georgia deer is 12 per season, Statewide. No more than 10 may be antlerless and no more than two may be antlered. One of the antlered deer must have at least 4 points, one inch or longer, on one side of the antlers OR a minimum of 15 inches outside antler spread.
* Buck only for the first two weeks in Baker, Calhoun, Decatur, Early, Grady, Miller, Mitchell, Thomas, and Seminole counties.
**Firearms deer hunting is not allowed in Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton (north of GA Hwy. 92), and the portion of Glynn County lying within Jekyll Island. In the portion of Forsyth County south of Ga Hwy. 20, only archery, shotguns, and muzzleloaders may be used (no other firearms allowed).
2026-2027 Georgia Either-Sex Days (Doe Days)
Three years ago, the Georgia DNR implemented significant changes to Georgia’s doe days, expanding the opportunity to take does across much of the state. And there were no significant changes for 2026-2027.
Of the counties that allow firearms deer hunting, all but 13 now allow doe harvest every day of the firearms deer season.
Here’s a breakdown of the counties that still have limited doe days:
November 28-29, 2026 and January 1, 2027
Towns and Rabun counties
November 6-12, 2026 and January 1, 2027
Fannin and Union counties
November 6-12; November 20-26; and December 28, 2026 – January 10, 2027
Dawson, Gilmer, Habersham, Lumpkin, Murray, Pickens, Stephens, White, and Whitfield.
Buck Only Dates for Southwest Georgia
Beginning in 2023, archery deer hunters can only harvest antlered bucks for the first two weeks of the season (Sept. 12-27) in Baker, Calhoun, Decatur, Early, Grady, Miller, Mitchell, Thomas, and Seminole Counties. That’s due to the area’s late rut, which results in fawns being dropped later in the summer. The buck-only dates reduce the chance of hunters killing does that are still weaning their fawns.
“Because of late breeding there were also some concerns that some fawns may not be fully weaned at the start of archery season,” said Georgia Deer Biologist, Charlie Killmaster. “So we proposed making the first couples of weeks buck only to address this issue.”
Deer Carcass Disposal Rules
Transporting and discarding deer carcass parts on the landscape could spread CWD to new areas of Georgia. Proper deer carcass disposal is now required across Georgia for anyone transporting or disposing of carcasses or parts, including hunters and taxidermists. Proper disposal methods for carcasses or unused parts include:
- Leave them on the property where the deer was killed
- Use a commercial deer processor; they are required to properly dispose of unused carcass parts
- Permitted solid waste landfill (as you would for household garbage)
- Deep burial, incineration, or any other approved method in the Dead Animal Disposal Act (O.C.G.A. § 4-5-1 to 4-5-11)
Plan Your Georgia Deer Hunt
Georgia continues to offer one of the longest and most generous deer seasons in the South, but county-specific doe days, extended seasons and local weapons restrictions make it important to check the details before every hunt. Bookmark this page, as we’ll update it whenever Georgia DNR announces changes to the season dates or regulations.
For more help planning your season, visit our Georgia deer hunting page for rut dates, public-land resources, deer processor directories, tracking dogs, drone recovery services and the latest Georgia deer hunting news.
