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Region 3 (Thomson) · 2026-27
Upson County Hunting
Doe days, bear and alligator zones, WMAs and other public ground, reported and adjusted deer harvest, gobbler counts and processors for Upson County in WRD Region 3.
Photo: Dsdugan (CC0 1.0)
Upson County covers 323 square miles of land and 4 of water, governed from Thomaston. The county counted 28,358 people in 2024, roughly 88 per square mile. Public hunting here runs through 3 listed areas; the biggest by acreage is Big Lazer Creek WMA. 7,723 acres of public land lie within 10 miles of the county seat, Thomaston.
Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates (population), WRD region and zones from the GA County Zones layer, public acres within 10 miles from WRD, USFS, USFWS and DoD boundaries. Checked October 13, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Upson County
What sets Upson County apart: zones and rules
Private land in Upson County follows the Green zone calendar: either-sex hunting all season, 88 firearms days counting the Oct. 3-4 antlerless-only days. Bag: 12 deer a season, up to 10 of them antlerless and 2 antlered.
Buck limit
Upson County follows the general rule: two bucks a season, one of which must have 4 points on a side or a 15-inch outside spread.
CWD testing
The four CWD Management Area counties are in south Georgia; this county is not one of them.
Hunting over bait
Upson County follows the statewide baiting law: private land yes (deer and hogs, written permission), public land never.
Bear hunting
Bears may not be hunted in this county, which lies in no bear zone.
Gator hunting
Quota alligator hunting in Zone 3 includes Upson County; the season opens at sunset in mid-August.
Zones from the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division either-sex days, bear and turkey rules and 2026-27 guide (PDF); DMU from the GA County Zones layer. Checked October 13, 2026.
What is open in Upson County this year
WRD sets most Georgia seasons statewide; the colour zone, bear zone and archery county lists are what make Upson County different.
| Species | Season | Applies | Opens | Closes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery | Private land | Sep 12, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery (Either-Sex) | Green zone | Sep 12, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms (Antlerless Only) | Green zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Primitive Weapons (Either-Sex) | Green zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 16, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Primitive weapons & youth-only firearms | Statewide | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 16, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms (Either-Sex) | Green zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Special Opportunity (youth under 16 and mobility-impaired) | Private land | Mar 20, 2027 | Mar 21, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring gobbler | Private land | Mar 27, 2027 | May 15, 2027 | |
| Feral hog | Private land | Private land | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Alligator | Quota hunt (2026 season) | Zone 3 | Aug 14, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Hunting | Statewide | Nov 14, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Ruffed grouse | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 15, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Rabbits | Hunting | Statewide | Nov 14, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Squirrels | Hunting (gray and fox squirrel) | Statewide | Aug 15, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Year-round (unprotected) | Private land | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Raccoon | Hunting | Private land | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Opossum | Hunting | Private land | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Gray and red fox | Hunting (gray and red fox) | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Hunting | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Armadillo | Year-round (unprotected) | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Groundhog | Year-round (unprotected) | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Beaver | Year-round (unprotected) | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Nutria | Year-round (unprotected) | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
From the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division 2026-27 big game seasons, either-sex days and small game seasons, checked October 13, 2026.
Upson County WMAs, federal tracts and parks
Upson County overlaps 3 records on the public land list; quota hunts on them are applied for through Go Outdoors Georgia. Upson County also sits within 35 miles of Sprewell Bluff WMA: West, Sandhills WMA: East and Joe Kurz WMA.
| Name | Category | Acres | Quota | Listed game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Lazer Creek WMA | WMA | 7,200 in all | Some | deer, turkey, coyote… |
| Sprewell Bluff WMA: East | WMA | 1,330 | — | deer, small game, waterfowl… |
| Camp Thunder VPA | VPA | 1,527 | — | deer, turkey, coyote… |
Over the county line: Sprewell Bluff WMA: West (13 miles), Sandhills WMA: East (21 miles), Joe Kurz WMA (22 miles), Sandhills WMA: West (23 miles), F.D. Roosevelt State Park (25 miles).
WRD runs at least one public dove field in Upson County this season. See the dove fields.
Public land from WRD area listings in the 2026-27 guide, the WRD WMA boundary layer, USFS, USFWS and Corps pages, checked October 13, 2026. Acres within 10 miles of the county seat are a GIS measure. All Georgia public land · Quota hunts.
Reported and adjusted deer harvest, Upson County
1,662 deer were reported in Upson County last season (2025-26), ranking it 43rd (tied) in the state. The adjusted total, 2,243, works out to 5.07 deer a square mile, 29th of 159. Ten seasons back, 2016-17, the report was 1,723 (-4% since). So far in 2026-27 (through Oct. 12), Upson County hunters have checked 249 deer.
| Harvest year | Reported | Males | Females | Adjusted total | Per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 (to Oct. 12) | 249 | 69 | 180 | 345 | 0.76 |
| 2025-26 | 1,662 | 781 | 881 | 2,243 | 5.07 |
| 2024-25 | 1,907 | 1,002 | 905 | 2,608 | 5.82 |
| 2023-24 | 1,987 | 1,014 | 973 | 2,389 | 6.07 |
| 2022-23 | 1,622 | 836 | 786 | 2,193 | 4.95 |
| 2021-22 | 1,723 | 911 | 812 | 2,319 | 5.26 |
| 2020-21 | 1,684 | 868 | 816 | 2,197 | 5.14 |
| 2019-20 | 1,678 | 886 | 792 | 2,375 | 5.12 |
| 2018-19 | 1,672 | 886 | 786 | 2,407 | 5.10 |
| 2017-18 | 1,678 | 940 | 738 | 2,361 | 5.12 |
| 2016-17 | 1,723 | 946 | 777 | 2,345 | 5.26 |
Public land deer reports
| Public area | 2025-26 | 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|
| Big Lazer Creek WMA | 51 | 25 |
| Camp Thunder VPA | 11 | 18 |
WRD DeerHarvestReports service and deer harvest dashboard (county summary; 2026-27 through Oct. 12, 2026 and provisional). Adjusted values and per-square-mile figures are WRD’s. Checked October 13, 2026.
Upson County gobblers and other big game
Spring 2026 brought 60 reported gobblers in Upson County (0.18 per square mile). Spring 2027 opens Mar. 27 on private land (Apr. 3 on WMAs and the national forest) and closes May 15. The WMAs here added 8 from Big Lazer Creek WMA in spring 2026.
| Spring | ’21 | ’22 | ’23 | ’24 | ’25 | ’26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game Check gobblers | 79 | 68 | 72 | 60 | 54 | 60 |
Alligators by year
Zone 3 alligator harvest in 2024: 16.
| Year | Alligators | Avg (in) |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 16 | 93.9 |
| 2023 | 17 | 105.1 |
| 2021 | 16 | 88 |
Turkey: WRD Turkey Harvest service (Game Check, not adjusted). Alligators: WRD alligator reports. Checked October 13, 2026.
Upson County hunting services
Order of each group: Upson County listings, then neighbours by distance.
Deer processors
1 here take part in Hunters for the Hungry, run by WRD and the Georgia Wildlife Federation.
Mounts and taxidermy
Guided hunts
Outfitters and license agents
Region and warden offices
Processors: Georgia Hunters for the Hungry, WRD CWD drop-off sites and directory listings; shops from the Go Outdoors Georgia license agent locator and directories; guides from Discover Georgia Outdoors; offices from WRD, DNR Law Enforcement and USFS. Checked October 13, 2026; call ahead. All Georgia hunting services.
Hunting hours near Upson County
Hunting opens 30 minutes before sunup statewide. Most game runs to 30 minutes after sundown, while migratory birds close at sunset.
Worked out for Upson County in Eastern time from the rule in the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division guide (hunting hours). Hogs, coyotes, raccoons and some furbearers may be hunted at night on private land; check the guide. Shooting hours for every county.
From Upson County towns to the counties that touch it
Pick a base town in Upson County; its page lists the public land within reach and the daily legal hours.
- Thomastoncounty seat · 9,850 people in 2024 · 7,723 public acres close by (10 mi)
- Lincoln Park10,361 public acres close by (10 mi)
- Sunset Village16,690 public acres close by (10 mi)
Next door to Upson County are 7 Georgia counties.
Towns: Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
Can you burn in Upson County?
- When a permit is needed: Year-round.
- Georgia EPD Summer Burn Ban counties (May 1 to Sep 30): Upson County is on this list.
- Burn bans come from: (1) The State Forester/GFC Director may order outdoor burning banned in one or more counties when drought or other conditions make burning unusually hazardous (O.C.G.A.
- Campfires while hunting: Georgia DNR WMAs: Rule 391-4-2-.60(8) allows camping and other recreational use year-round unless indicated or posted otherwise at the check station or site.
Upson County ranges and matches
Nothing is listed in Upson County itself, so here are the closest three with straight-line miles.
Facilities: 100-yard Range
Lines for archery and 3D archery
Nearest WRD-listed range: Big Lazer Creek Shooting Range in Talbot County, about 10 miles from the county center. Details
Ranges from the WRD range list and directory listings, checked October 13, 2026.
Upson County queries from hunters
What alligator zone is Upson County in?
Zone 3.
What deer processors are closest to Upson County?
Circle E Ranch, Chapmans Johnny Deer Processing & Fishing Guide Service and Flint River Deer Processing, by straight-line distance.
Is every firearms day either sex in Upson County?
Yes, in the Green zone, from Oct. 17 to Jan. 10.
How many deer per square mile are harvested in Upson County?
5.07 in 2025-26, by WRD’s adjusted estimate (29th statewide).
Is Upson County good turkey country?
It ranked 89th (tied) of 159 for reported gobblers in 2026 (60).
Where is the closest bear hunting to Upson County?
In a bear zone county; see the bear zone map.
Where should a public-land hunter start in Upson County?
With Big Lazer Creek WMA, Sprewell Bluff WMA: East and Camp Thunder VPA, sorted WMAs first.
Can I bait a WMA in Upson County?
No. Baiting is illegal on all state and federally managed land.
Do I need a Harvest Record to hunt deer in Upson County?
Yes. Every deer hunter, any age, needs the free Harvest Record.
Answers drawn from the 2026-27 Georgia hunting guide, big game seasons, harvest reporting rules, WRD Game Check data and the sources cited above. Checked October 13, 2026.
Road check for Upson County
WRD can change dates and limits between seasons. The printed guide is the legal reference.
Sources: WRD 2026-27 hunting guide (PDF), big game seasons, Georgia Wildlife Resources Division, Census and the agencies linked in each section. Checked October 13, 2026.
Other photos on this page: LittleT889 (CC BY-SA 4.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); Dsdugan (CC0 1.0); USFWS/Southeast (Public domain); peterichman (CC BY-SA 2.0); AcrylicArtist (CC BY 2.0); grendelkhan (CC BY-SA 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Nicholas A. Tonelli (CC0 1.0).