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WMA · Region 5
Big Lazer Creek WMA A Hunter's Guide
A hunter's summary of Big Lazer Creek WMA in Talbot and Upson counties: listing dates, harvest, rules and local services.
Photo: Ken Lund (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Big Lazer Creek WMA: every dated hunt
Across 11 rows, the 2026-27 listing sets dates for deer, turkey, coyote, dove, waterfowl and small game. Quota draws cover 1 line and 50 slots in total. Watch for 1 bonus deer line, 1 youth line and 1 specialty hunt.
| Species | Weapon or type | 2026-27 dates | Tags | Area notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | Sept. 12-Oct. 4, Oct. 25-Nov. 8 | — | Antler Restricted Area |
| Deer | Firearms | Oct. 10-11. | Youth | Antler Restricted Area |
| Deer | Firearms | Oct. 22-24 | — | Antler Restricted Area |
| Deer | Firearms | Nov. 12-14 | Bonus deer | Antler Restricted Area |
| Deer | Firearms | Nov. 20-22 | Specialty | Antler Restricted Area |
| Turkey | — | Apr. 3-9, Apr. 10-16 | Quota 50 | |
| Turkey | — | Apr. 17-May 15 | — | |
| Coyote | — | May 16-31 | — | |
| Dove | — | Sept. 5, 12, Sept. 19-Oct. 11, Nov. 22-29, Dec. 19-Jan. 31 | — | |
| Waterfowl | Big Lazer Creek PFA | Wednesdays, Saturdays during State Seasons | — | Legal hours end at noon. |
| Small game | — | State Seasons | — |
Dates and symbols from the 2026-27 Georgia regulations listing, wording as printed by the source. Checked October 13, 2026.
Big Lazer Creek WMA by the numbers
Talbot and Upson counties hold Big Lazer Creek WMA, a wildlife management area run by WRD. For WRD purposes it belongs to Region 5, the Albany region. It is run by the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division. The 7,200-acre figure makes it 50th largest of 121 WMAs. Base town: Lincoln Park, about 7 miles away to the southwest.
Where Big Lazer Creek WMA sits by county
| County | Seat | 2024 residents | Deer colour zone | Bear zone | Gator zone | Deer reported 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talbot County | Talbotton | 5,755 | Green | None | Zone 1 | 1,914 |
| Upson County | Thomaston | 28,358 | Green | None | Zone 3 | 1,662 |
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.
Big Lazer Creek WMA: reported deer and gobblers
Last full season (2025-26) the reported count stood at 51, with 32 bucks. Reported totals peaked at 51 in 2025-26 and bottomed at 15 in 2022-23. Partial count for the current season: 4. Game Check lists 8 gobblers for spring 2026 (120 since records began here). These are deer and turkeys hunters reported through Game Check, not WRD estimates, and bonus deer checked at the station are not included.
Season-by-season deer, Big Lazer Creek WMA
| Season | Males | Females | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 (in progress) | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 2025-26 | 32 | 19 | 51 |
| 2024-25 | 13 | 12 | 25 |
| 2023-24 | 7 | 12 | 19 |
| 2022-23 | 4 | 11 | 15 |
| 2021-22 | 8 | 9 | 17 |
| 2020-21 | 12 | 11 | 23 |
| 2019-20 | 6 | 21 | 27 |
| 2018-19 | 9 | 7 | 16 |
| 2017-18 | 10 | 8 | 18 |
| 2016-17 | 6 | 15 | 21 |
Gobblers by spring, Big Lazer Creek WMA
| Spring | Gobblers |
|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | 8 |
| Spring 2025 | 5 |
| Spring 2024 | 10 |
| Spring 2023 | 14 |
| Spring 2022 | 2 |
| Spring 2021 | 11 |
| Spring 2020 | 16 |
| Spring 2019 | 13 |
| Spring 2018 | 19 |
| Spring 2017 | 13 |
| Spring 2016 | 9 |
Deer from WRD deer harvest reports, turkeys from WRD turkey harvest layer; as of 2026-10-13. Checked October 13, 2026.
What Big Lazer Creek WMA is like
The manager describes the place; related areas follow.
What WRD says about Big Lazer Creek WMA
Big Lazer Creek Wildlife Management Area is located in Talbot and Upson counties. This 7,200-acre property offers hunting opportunities for deer, turkey, small game and waterfowl. Big Lazer Creek PFA the agency website, a 195-acre lake, lies within the WMA.
Dove field forecast for Big Lazer Creek WMA
| Property | Region | Acres planted | Crops | Forecast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Lazer Creek WMA | 5 | 20 | Wheat, Brown Top Millet, Pearl millet | Fair |
Text and lists from the source page, Georgia regulations, WRD GIS, WRD GIS; retrieved 2026-10-13, checked October 13, 2026.
Big Lazer Creek WMA: rules before the first hunt
Prices are the WRD figures for this license year.
Big Lazer Creek WMA access
A Lands Pass or a Georgia hunting or fishing license is the ticket in for anyone over 15. Deer, turkey and bear trips start with the Go Outdoors Georgia sign-in. Quota lines are by application only. Bonus deer are checked on site the same day. Antler restrictions apply: 4 points per side or 15 inches outside spread.
Big Lazer Creek WMA: licenses and passes
Deer, bear or turkey means a Harvest Record (no charge) on top of the license; the Sportsman's License covers the rest for residents.
Before the shot at Big Lazer Creek WMA
During primitive weapons and firearms deer or bear dates, hunters show 500 square inches of orange or pink. No bait on public ground: hunting game or hogs over bait is illegal on state and federal land. Record the kill first, then report it through Game Check inside 24 hours.
Getting drawn for Big Lazer Creek WMA
Quota permits are drawn on Go Outdoors Georgia; a hunter not drawn earns a priority point for that category.
Route to Big Lazer Creek WMA
From Talbotton: Take U.S. 80 east 4 miles, turn left on Po Biddy Rd. go 6.5 miles, turn left on Bunkham Rd. and go 1.2 miles to check station.
Big Lazer Creek WMA species and bags
Game on the list: whitetails, gobblers, coyotes, doves, ducks and geese and squirrels and rabbits.
White-tailed deer
The guide lists Sept. 12-Oct. 4, Oct. 25-Nov. 8 first (archery).
Wild turkey
The guide lists Apr. 3-9, Apr. 10-16 first.
Mourning dove
The guide lists Sept. 5, 12, Sept. 19-Oct. 11, Nov. 22-29, Dec. 19-Jan. 31 first.
Species from the area record; bag limits from the WRD bag limit table. Checked October 13, 2026.
Big Lazer Creek WMA plotted with nearby areas
Big Lazer Creek WMA sits at the orange pin, with 12 public neighbours inside 30 miles. Combined, about 60,984 acres are on record.
| Area | Type | Acres | Distance | Direction | Deer 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sprewell Bluff WMA: East | WMA | 1,330 | 6 mi | northwest | 12 |
| Sprewell Bluff WMA: West | WMA | 6,571 | 9 mi | northwest | 59 |
| Camp Thunder VPA | VPA property | 1,527 | 13 mi | northwest | 11 |
| Sandhills WMA: West | WMA | 2,500 | 15 mi | south | 19 |
| Chattahoochee Fall Line WMA: Almo Tract | WMA | 6,700 | 16 mi | south | 31 |
| Sandhills WMA: East | WMA | 870 | 16 mi | southeast | — |
| Upatoi Ravines Natural Area | Natural area | 9,500 | 17 mi | southwest | — |
| F.D. Roosevelt State Park | State park | 9,049 | 19 mi | west | — |
| Chattahoochee Fall Line WMA: Fort Perry Tract | WMA | 2,100 | 21 mi | south | 6 |
| Chattahoochee Fall Line WMA: VPA Tracts | VPA property | 9,048 | 24 mi | southwest | 35 |
| Joe Kurz WMA | WMA | 3,700 | 24 mi | north | 31 |
| Chattahoochee Fall Line WMA: Hilliard Plantation Tract | WMA | 8,089 | 30 mi | southwest | 45 |
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.
The WRD range at Big Lazer Creek WMA
1 WRD range on this property, open to the public under WRD rules.
Facilities: 100-yard Range
- A Georgia hunting or fishing license or a Lands Pass is required to shoot.
- Gun shooters must finish the free Go Outdoors Georgia safety video.
- Leave green-tip and armor-piercing ammo at home.
From the WRD range list and the GA DNR range layer, checked October 13, 2026.
Big Lazer Creek WMA: nearest towns and businesses
Town guides first, then businesses in the same and neighbouring counties.
| Town | County | Miles | Population | Public land nearby |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Park | Upson | 7 mi | — | 10,361 |
| Sunset Village | Upson | 7 mi | — | 16,690 |
| Woodland | Talbot | 9 mi | 303 | 15,324 |
| Thomaston | Upson | 9 mi | 9,850 | 7,723 |
County pages for this ground: Talbot County, Upson County.
Services close to Big Lazer Creek WMA
Nearest offices to Big Lazer Creek 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.
Bring this to Big Lazer Creek WMA
Four picks matched to this ground and its seasons.
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Big Lazer Creek WMA: daily hunting hours
Hunting opens 30 minutes before sunup statewide. Most game runs to 30 minutes after sundown, while migratory birds close at sunset.
Worked out for Big Lazer Creek 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.
Big Lazer Creek WMA: what hunters ask
Which agency is in charge of Big Lazer Creek WMA?
A wildlife management area run by WRD; the manager is the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division.
Is Big Lazer Creek WMA big enough for a full day?
Roughly 7,200 acres.
Which town makes a good base for Big Lazer Creek WMA?
Talbot and Upson counties; Lincoln Park is the nearest town we cover, 7 miles away.
What do adults need to enter Big Lazer Creek WMA?
The old WMA license was dropped in 2017. Now a Georgia hunting or fishing license, or the Lands Pass, covers entry at 16+.
Do I have to sign in at Big Lazer Creek WMA?
Yes for bear, deer and turkey: sign in online on Go Outdoors Georgia, available from the day before.
When do deer hunts start on Big Lazer Creek WMA?
First deer line: Sept. 12-Oct. 4, Oct. 25-Nov. 8 (archery). Every other line is in the season table above.
When does spring turkey open at Big Lazer Creek WMA?
Spring dates: Apr. 3-9, Apr. 10-16. One gobbler per area per person on public land.
What does Big Lazer Creek WMA hold for hunters?
Whitetails, gobblers, coyotes, doves, ducks and geese and squirrels and rabbits.
Do I need to be drawn for Big Lazer Creek WMA?
Yes: 1 listing line is quota only, 50 hunters in all.
Is camping allowed at Big Lazer Creek WMA?
Yes; use the designated sites.
What was last season's deer harvest at Big Lazer Creek WMA?
Game Check: 32 bucks and 19 does in 2025-26.
Which alligator zone covers Big Lazer Creek WMA?
Gator zone 1, 3; one alligator per permit.
Big Lazer Creek WMA: confirm before you go
Double-check Big Lazer Creek WMA with its manager: open areas, gates, sign-in and any drawn hunts.
Sources for this page: WRD: big lazer creek wma · Georgia regulations: wma regulations a c · WRD GIS · WRD GIS · WRD: dove · WRD GIS; regulations from the 2026-27 Georgia hunting regulations. Checked October 13, 2026.
Other photos on this page: ZionNPS (CC BY 2.0); bgautrea (CC BY-SA 2.0).