NOTE: These are the 2019-2020 deer season dates. For the 2020-2021 deer season dates and either-sex dates, click here.
On May 21, the Georgia DNR Board approved the proposed regulations and season dates for Georgia's 2019-2020 deer season. The overall season structure remains the same as last season, with just the normal shift in dates so that all season openers fall on their respective Saturdays. The only big proposed changes were the addition of Bibb, Chatham, Clarke and Henry to the list of counties with an extended archery season, along with several changes to the either-sex dates for some counties. Those approved either-sex dates can be seen below.
Always remember to consult with the latest official Georgia Hunting Regulations before heading afield. Those can be found at Georgia's Wildlife Resources Division homepage.
Official Georgia Deer Season Dates
Archery, Either Sex Statewide | September 14, 2019 - January 12, 2020 |
Extended Archery, Either Sex (only for Bibb, Chatham, Clark, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry & Rockdale) | September 14, 2019 - January 31, 2020 |
Primitive Weapons | October 12, 2019 - January 12, 2020 |
Firearms* | October 19, 2019 - January 12, 2020 |
Twelve (12) per season, Statewide. No more than ten (10) may be antlerless and no more than two (2) may be antlered. One of the antlered deer must have at least 4 points, one inch or longer, on one side of the antlers.
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). In Hancock, Harris, Meriwether, Montgomery, Randolf, Talbot and Troup Counties, only antlered bucks with at least 4 points on either side are legal. In Dooly and Macon Counties, antlered bucks must have a minimum 15-inch outside spread.
Georgia 2019-2020 Either Sex Deer Season Dates
October 19, 2019 - January 12, 2020
Baker, Ben Hill, Bibb, Bleckley, Brooks, Burke, Calhoun, Candler, Chatham, Chattahoochee, Clarke, Clay, Colquitt, Columbia, Crisp, Decatur, Dodge, Dooly, Douglas, Dougherty, Early, Emanuel, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton (South of Hwy. 92), Glascock, Grady, Gwinnett, Hancock, Harris, Henry, Houston, Irwin, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Laurens, Lee, Macon, Marion, Meriwether, Miller, Mitchell, Montgomery, Muscogee, Peach, Pulaski, Quitman, Randolph, Richmond, Rockdale, Schley, Seminole, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, Telfair, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Treutlen, Troup, Turner, Twiggs, Washington, Webster, Wheeler, Wilcox, Wilkinson, and Worth. (In that portion of Forsyth lying south of GA Hwy 20, only shotguns and muzzleloaders may be used)
Oct. 21, 2019 - Jan. 12, 2020
Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Berrien, Brantley, Bryan, Bulloch, Camden, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Effingham, Evans, Glynn (except that portion lying within Jekyll Island), Jeff Davis, Lanier, Liberty, Long, Lowndes, McIntosh, Pierce, Screven, Tattnall, Toombs, Ware, and Wayne.
Nov. 2, 2019 – Jan. 12, 2020
Baldwin, Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Butts, Catoosa, Carroll, Chattooga, Cherokee, Coweta, Crawford, Dade, Elbert, Floyd, Franklin, Gordon, Green, Jackson, Jasper, Jones, Hall, Haralson, Hart, Heard, Lamar, Lincoln, Madison, McDuffie, Monroe, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Pike, Polk, Putnam, Spalding, Taliaferro, Upson, Walker, Walton, Warren, and Wilkes.
Nov. 25 – Dec. 1, 2019 and Jan. 1, 2020
Dawson, Gilmer, Habersham, Lumpkin, Murray, Pickens, Stephens, White, and Whitfield.
Nov. 30 – Dec. 1, 2019 and Jan. 1, 2020
Fannin, Rabun, Towns, and Union.
So as I read this, the region encompassing Baldwin, Banks, Barrow…Counties is either sex for alk or nearly all of modern firearms season?
Basically. In those counties, it will be buck only for the first 12 days, then either-sex the remainder of the season, providing the proposed dates are approved.
Unless hunting with archery equipment I believe?
Yep. Good point Jake. You can shoot a doe any day of the season if hunting with archery equipment.
I have does fawning in late October. Bucks were still chasing in mid March this year. This will kill me on my early season doe management.
Very true. Doe Days should also end Dec 1st. I have seen to many does in Dec with 1 or 2 baby’s very well developed. That’s 3 deer you just killed for the next year’s hunt.
That might be their plan. Shoot one doe, but remove three deer from the population.
Y’all realize that whether you shoot the doe in September or January, the end result is the same. You’ve removed that doe PLUS any fawns she would have had.
You are so right Brian. Doe’s live on average 6 to 14 years. They have 1 to3 fawns a year. Let’s say a doe lives 10 years and has on average 2 fawns a year that is 20 fawns in just one doe’s life time. You do the math.
Is the primitive weapons season either sex or buck only?
It’s either sex.
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I wish they would quit choosing when someone like me who hunts in Gilmer county can shoot a Doe with a rifle. Lets be honest all hunters are working contributing parts of a community. And I cant take an entire week off work around Thanksgiving. And to only allow me 8 days to shoot a Doe is RIDICULOUS. If you are worried about the numbers in the population then limit the amount we can harvest. Instead of limiting what days I can exercise my rights.
I agree
The extended Archery season should be for everybody not just a few counties. Why is it only for those few countries?Every county should be able to archery hunt til Jan 31st.
[…] are just over a month away from the opening day of Georgia’s deer season. Can you believe it? I hope you’ve been scouting and shooting your bow […]
I have been thinking about this whole deer hunting situation, seem to me a little common sense is needed. First of all the season should not open until the first weekend in November and run until January 31st. When the season opens it should be state wide and open for everyone rifles, shotguns, bow and arrow, primitive weapons, pistols and any legal device. If you are going to allow baiting it also should be state wide. With bait and the advance in bow and arrow tech. knowledge they shoot almost as well as any other weapon. The bow and arrow and the primitive weapon hunters should not be allow a head start. Hell with bait you could use a fly swatter. Leave the deer limits the same if you want to, but when the season opens it should be either sex the entire season. Now the reporting system sucks, go back to the paper tag system. Most of the people making these decisions for you probably never heard of it, so ask a old-timer. Then if you want to put it in a computer get the info from the butcher. Now with that said you go back to buying your license from your mom and pop bait store or any retailer willing to sell them. The computer system sucks and most people don’t have time to fool with it because is probably broke. Just think about all the money the state would save not having to fool with all the extra computers and people who can’t figure out the system anyway.
I only eat 2 deer a year so I only kill 2. I shoot 1 buck if he is big enough then 1 doe. Last year I saw large bucks but no good shots. I harvested 1 doe and would have harvested another but no good shots. I say let’s go back to the old days but doe days all season. 1 buck 2 does. 3 tags.
Does Georgia still allow youth, under the age of 16 to hunt with a centerfire rifle during the week of muzzle loader season?
Yes they do.
Can youth hunt either sex during primitive weapons season with a rifle in Georgia?
Yes, primitive weapons is either sex other than in the Chattahoochee National Forest east of I-75.
Can archery still be used in county not listed in extended archery ?
It’s confusing trying to figure out when doe days are. Make it simple so we can all figure it out. Thanks
It’s confusing trying to figure out when doe days are. Make it simple so we can all figure it out. Thanks I have problems trying to figure it out
[…] DNR recently announced the dates for Georgia’s 2019-2020 deer season. For firearms hunters, those dates are October 19, 2019 to January 12, 2020 (see restrictions […]
There is a lot of confusion about the season in Gilmer County.
. Most of the guys think that the whole Oct 19 thru is the rifle season… instead of the Nov 25-Dec &Jan 1. This County will lose a lot of deer if it’s not out!