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WMA, east-central Georgia
B.F. Grant WMA A Hunter's Guide
11,400 acres of wma in Putnam and Morgan counties, with 2026-27 dates, harvest numbers, licenses and a map.
Photo: KW Baker (CC BY-SA 2.0)
B.F. Grant WMA season dates, 2026-27
13 lines in this season's WRD listing apply to B.F. Grant WMA: deer, turkey, dove, waterfowl, coyote and small game. The quota lines (5) add up to 389 hunters. Also marked: 1 bonus deer line and 1 youth line.
| Game | Type | Dates | Marks | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | Sept. 12-Oct. 4, Nov. 22-Dec. 6 | — | Antler Restricted Area |
| Deer | Primitive | Dec. 17-20 | — | Antler Restricted Area |
| Deer | Firearms | Nov. 5-7, 19-21 | Quota 300 Bonus deer | Antler Restricted Area |
| Turkey | — | Apr. 3-9 | Youth | |
| Turkey | — | Apr. 10-16 | Quota 80 | |
| Turkey | — | Apr. 17-May 15 | — | |
| Dove | — | Sept. 5, 12, 19, 26, Oct. 3-11, Nov. 22-29, Dec. 19-Jan. 31 | — | |
| Waterfowl | — | Youth Only: Nov. 14 | Quota 3 Sign-in | MARSH Pond Outside of MARSH Pond: No waterfowl hunting on MARSH Ponds outside of quota hunts. Shooting hours end at noon. |
| Waterfowl | — | Youth & Adult: Nov. 28 | Quota 3 Sign-in | MARSH Pond Outside of MARSH Pond: No waterfowl hunting on MARSH Ponds outside of quota hunts. Shooting hours end at noon. |
| Waterfowl | — | Dec. 12, Jan. 16 | Quota 3 | MARSH Pond Outside of MARSH Pond: No waterfowl hunting on MARSH Ponds outside of quota hunts. Shooting hours end at noon. |
| Waterfowl | — | Waterfowl allowed during state season dates that overlap with small game dates. | — | MARSH Pond Outside of MARSH Pond: No waterfowl hunting on MARSH Ponds outside of quota hunts. Shooting hours end at noon. |
| Coyote | — | May 16-31 | — | |
| Small game | — | State Seasons | — |
Dates and symbols from the 2026-27 Georgia regulations listing, wording as printed by the source. Checked October 13, 2026.
B.F. Grant WMA by the numbers
Think of B.F. Grant WMA as a wildlife management area run by WRD spread over Putnam and Morgan counties. WRD handles it out of the Thomson office (Game Management Region 3). It is run by the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division. Its 11,400 acres put it 29th by size among 121 WMAs on our list. The nearest covered town is Godfrey, around 3 miles off in a straight line.
B.F. Grant WMA, county by county
| County | Seat of county | People | Either-sex colour | Bear zone | Alligator | Deer checked, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Putnam County | Eatonton | 23,383 | Green | None | — | 1,740 |
| Morgan County | Madison | 21,940 | Green | None | — | 1,743 |
From the source page (Georgia 2026-27 Hunting Regulations (eRegulations) area listing); counties and zones from the WRD county zone tables; county deer counts from WRD Game Check; population from the Census 2024 estimates. Checked October 13, 2026.
Deer and turkeys taken on B.F. Grant WMA
In 2025-26 the reported take on B.F. Grant WMA reached 47. The best season on the chart is 2023-24 at 51; the lowest, 23 in 2021-22. Early 2026-27 figure, still climbing: 14. The spring 2026 turkey count for B.F. Grant WMA was 15, out of 144 across the years shown. Treat them as a floor. They are Game Check entries, not adjusted totals.
Deer counts, B.F. Grant WMA
| Season | Antlered | Antlerless | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 (in progress) | 3 | 11 | 14 |
| 2025-26 | 20 | 27 | 47 |
| 2024-25 | 7 | 24 | 31 |
| 2023-24 | 19 | 32 | 51 |
| 2022-23 | 19 | 20 | 39 |
| 2021-22 | 5 | 18 | 23 |
| 2020-21 | 17 | 24 | 41 |
| 2019-20 | 7 | 27 | 34 |
| 2018-19 | 11 | 13 | 24 |
| 2017-18 | 16 | 26 | 42 |
| 2016-17 | 9 | 15 | 24 |
Spring gobblers at B.F. Grant WMA
| Year | Gobblers |
|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | 15 |
| Spring 2025 | 16 |
| Spring 2024 | 13 |
| Spring 2023 | 16 |
| Spring 2022 | 9 |
| Spring 2021 | 8 |
| Spring 2020 | 24 |
| Spring 2019 | 7 |
| Spring 2018 | 10 |
| Spring 2017 | 12 |
| Spring 2016 | 14 |
Deer from WRD deer harvest reports, turkeys from WRD turkey harvest layer, bears from the WRD north Georgia bear summary; as of 2026-10-13. Checked October 13, 2026.
B.F. Grant WMA described
Nothing here is our wording: it is the manager's own description.
Agency description
B.F. Grant Wildlife Management Area is located near Eatonton with the majority of the property lying in Putnam County, and a small portion in Morgan County. This 11,40-acre property is owned by the University of Georgia, and has hunting opportunities for deer, turkey, small game, dove, and waterfowl. It is managed as a quality deer area and thus antlered deer that are harvested must have at least 4 points (1-inch or longer) on either antler or a minimum 15-inch outside antler spread are legal.
The property was originally the Central Georgia Experiment Station, and started as a WMA under that name in 1965. The WMA was changed to B.F. Grant in 1973, named after Bishop Franklin Grant. Grant was a Professor of Forestry at the University of Georgia from 1929 to 1965. He was inducted into the Georgia Foresters Hall of Fame in 1969. B.F. Grant is synonymous with quality deer and in November of 1974 Thomas Cooper harvested the largest buck ever on Georgia public land, a 215 7/8" non-typical Boone & Crockett.
This deer was also the largest killed in North America that year. The property is home to a 45-acre waterfowl M.A.R.S.H. (Matching Aid to Restore State’s Habitats) project that was constructed in 1991. The project is a cooperative effort between DNR, Ducks Unlimited, and University of Georgia. The project consists of an open water pond, a green tree reservoir, and a moist soil impoundment. The B.F. Grant M.A.R.S.H. pond acts as a wintering refuge for waterfowl, and thus is not open for duck hunting.
What WRD planted for doves at B.F. Grant WMA
| Dove field | Region | Acres | Crops | Forecast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B.F. Grant WMA | 3 | 26 | Browntop millet, wheat | Good |
Text and lists from the source page, Georgia regulations, WRD GIS, WRD GIS; retrieved 2026-10-13, checked October 13, 2026.
B.F. Grant WMA licenses and access
Ground rules, then the paperwork.
B.F. Grant WMA ground rules
Anyone 16 or older needs a Georgia hunting or fishing license, or a Lands Pass, just to enter. Online sign-in is mandatory for deer, bear and turkey; it opens the day ahead. A few dates are quota only, so apply ahead. Bonus-hunt deer are checked at the station on the day of harvest. It is an antler-restricted area: a buck needs 4 points of an inch or more on one side, or a 15-inch outside spread.
- No hunting on or access through pastures
B.F. Grant WMA license checklist
Big game hunters add the Big Game License to a hunting license, or buy the Sportsman's, and always carry the free Harvest Record.
Three statewide rules for B.F. Grant WMA
Orange or blaze pink, 500 square inches above the waist, during primitive weapons and firearms deer and bear hunts. Hunting over bait is unlawful on every state or federal property, this one included. Every deer, turkey and bear goes into Game Check within 24 hours.
B.F. Grant WMA quota draws
Permits are non-transferable, and each unsuccessful year adds one priority point.
Driving to B.F. Grant WMA
From Eatonton: Take HWY 16 west 0.7 miles, turn right on HWY 441 Bypass, go 1.5 miles to Godfrey Rd at the flashing traffic light, turn left and go 6 miles to check-In station.
Hunting B.F. Grant WMA by species
Species with a season or a mention here: whitetails, gobblers, doves, ducks and geese, coyotes and squirrels and rabbits.
White-tailed deer
Listing starts with archery, Sept. 12-Oct. 4, Nov. 22-Dec. 6.
Mourning dove
Listing starts with Sept. 5, 12, 19, 26, Oct. 3-11, Nov. 22-29, Dec. 19-Jan. 31.
Species from the area record; bag limits from the WRD bag limit table. Checked October 13, 2026.
B.F. Grant WMA on the map, with its neighbours
Map of B.F. Grant WMA (orange) and the public ground within 30 miles. Their published acreage adds up to 259,214.
| Public ground | Type | Acres | Distance | Which way | Deer 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oconee Ranger District (Oconee National Forest) | Ranger district | 116,724 | 3 mi | south | 385 |
| Little River WMA | WMA | 1,475 | 7 mi | south | 14 |
| Cedar Creek WMA | WMA | 41,000 | 15 mi | south | 93 |
| Clybel WMA | WMA | 6,700 | 15 mi | west | 40 |
| Hard Labor Creek State Park | State park | 5,804 | 18 mi | northwest | — |
| Gaither WMA | WMA | 2,129 | 19 mi | west | 25 |
| Walton WMA | WMA | 200 | 19 mi | northwest | 1 |
| Oconee WMA | WMA | 7,930 | 20 mi | east | 153 |
| Redlands WMA | WMA | 37,500 | 21 mi | northeast | 425 |
| Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge | Wildlife refuge | 35,000 | 25 mi | southwest | 8 |
| Hitchiti Experimental Forest | Experimental forest | 4,591 | 27 mi | southwest | — |
| Rum Creek WMA: Berry Creek Area | WMA | 161 | 30 mi | southwest | 5 |
Points from WRD, USFS, USFWS, NPS, DoD and Recreation.gov layers (WRD WMA Boundary GIS (polygon centroid)). Distances are straight-line. Statewide public land map.
Practice before hunting B.F. Grant WMA
Cedar Creek Shooting Range in Putnam County is the nearest range on the WRD list, 15 miles out. Nearby private ranges are shown too.
Facilities: 100-yard Range
Lines for sporting clays, 5-stand, rifle, handgun, smallbore, muzzleloader and archery
From the WRD range list and the GA DNR range layer, checked October 13, 2026.
Help close to B.F. Grant WMA: shops and offices
Closest towns first; businesses by county and distance.
| Town | County | Distance | Population | Public ground (10 mi) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Godfrey | Morgan | 3 mi | — | 30,096 |
| Shady Dale | Jasper | 7 mi | 296 | 35,292 |
| Eatonton | Putnam | 8 mi | 6,641 | 47,004 |
| Madison | Morgan | 11 mi | 5,131 | 11,361 |
Read the county pages: Putnam County, Morgan County.
Shops and processors by B.F. Grant WMA
WRD and ranger offices near B.F. Grant WMA
Towns and populations from the Census 2024 estimates; public acres within 10 miles from WRD, USFS, USFWS and DoD layers; businesses from WRD lists, store locators and listings; offices from WRD, DNR Law Enforcement and USFS pages. Checked October 13, 2026. Call ahead.
Gear picked for B.F. Grant WMA
Picked around the hunting done here; prices change daily.
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Hunting hours near B.F. Grant WMA
In Georgia, legal hunting hours run from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. Doves, ducks and other migratory birds stop at sunset.
Worked out for B.F. Grant WMA 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.
B.F. Grant WMA, asked and answered
What county is B.F. Grant WMA in?
Godfrey is closest (3 miles); the ground is in Putnam and Morgan counties.
What does B.F. Grant WMA measure in acres?
11,400 acres, per Georgia 2026-27 Hunting Regulations (eRegulations) area listing.
Where do I sign in to hunt B.F. Grant WMA?
For bear, deer and turkey, yes, online, starting a day ahead.
Can I walk onto B.F. Grant WMA without a license?
Anyone 16 or older needs a Georgia hunting or fishing license, or a Lands Pass ($30.00 resident, $60.00 nonresident).
Can I turkey hunt B.F. Grant WMA in April?
Gobblers: Apr. 3-9. Public-land limit: one gobbler per area.
When is the first deer hunt at B.F. Grant WMA?
Deer begin with Sept. 12-Oct. 4, Nov. 22-Dec. 6 (archery). More lines sit in the season table.
How do quota hunts work at B.F. Grant WMA?
Yes, 5 of them, by application.
What can be hunted at B.F. Grant WMA?
6 groups: whitetails, gobblers, doves, ducks and geese, coyotes and squirrels and rabbits.
How did B.F. Grant WMA do in 2025-26?
Reported deer, 2025-26: 47.
Is there a campground on B.F. Grant WMA?
Yes, in the designated camping areas.
What is the orange rule at B.F. Grant WMA?
Yes, 500 square inches of orange or pink during gun and muzzleloader big game dates.
Which areas are close to B.F. Grant WMA?
The closest on our list are Oconee Ranger District (Oconee National Forest) (3 miles), Little River WMA (7 miles) and Cedar Creek WMA (15 miles).
B.F. Grant WMA: confirm before you go
Public land rules change more often than the printed guide. Recheck B.F. Grant WMA with the manager before you go.
Sources for this page: WRD: bf grant wma · Georgia regulations: wma regulations a c · WRD GIS · WRD GIS · WRD: dove; regulations from the 2026-27 Georgia hunting regulations. Checked October 13, 2026.
Other photos on this page: USFWS Mountain Prairie (CC BY 2.0); Department of the Interior. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. National Conservation Training Center. 10/1997-8888 (Public domain).