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McDuffie County, Georgia
Clarks Hill WMA – East Hunting Notes
2026-27 dates for whitetails, gobblers, doves and coyotes, quota lines, reported harvest, access rules and the nearest towns.
Photo: jasepielli (CC BY 2.0)
Where Clarks Hill WMA East sits and who runs it
Clarks Hill WMA – East is a wildlife management area run by WRD in McDuffie, Wilkes and Lincoln counties. It falls in Game Management Region 3, served by the Thomson office. It is run by the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division. Size: 10,224 acres, number 32 of 121 WMAs. Look south of Lincolnton (the nearest town we cover), about 11 miles out. Several tracts make up Clarks Hill WMA; this is one.
County context for Clarks Hill WMA East
| County | Seat | People (2024) | Private-land deer zone | Bear zone | Gator zone | Deer checked 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDuffie County | Thomson | 21,764 | Green | None | Zone 9 | 1,508 |
| Wilkes County | Washington | 9,567 | Green | None | — | 2,775 |
| Lincoln County | Lincolnton | 8,049 | Green | None | — | 1,316 |
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.
When Clarks Hill WMA East is open this season
Clarks Hill WMA East has 11 season lines in the 2026-27 guide, for deer, turkey, dove, coyote, small game and quail. 2 of the lines carry a quota symbol, 120 hunters in all.
| Species | Season | Days open | Symbols | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | Sept. 12-Oct. 9 | — | |
| Deer | Primitive | Oct. 10-16 | — | |
| Deer | Firearms | Oct. 17-Nov. 30 | — | |
| Turkey | — | Apr. 3-May 15 | — | |
| Dove | Field 1 (McDuffie) | Sept. 5 | Quota 60 | |
| Dove | Field 2 (Wilkes) | Sept. 5 | Quota 60 | |
| Dove | Area Wide | Sept. 12, 19, Oct. 3, 10, Nov. 21-29, Dec. 19-Jan. 31 | — | |
| Coyote | — | May 16-31 | — | |
| Small game | — | State Seasons | — | |
| Quail | — | State season. | — | Hunting party must report harvest at kiosk or online, complete one survey per party. |
| Waterfowl | — | — | — | Waterfowl allowed during state season dates that overlap with small game dates. |
Dates and symbols from the 2026-27 Georgia regulations listing, wording as printed by the source. Checked October 13, 2026.
Clarks Hill WMA East harvest from Game Check
Game Check logged 159 deer from Clarks Hill WMA East in 2025-26: 83 antlered, 76 antlerless. Since 2016-17, totals have run from 65 to 159. The 2026-27 season is under way: 23 deer reported so far. Turkey hunters reported 14 gobblers from Clarks Hill WMA East in spring 2026, and 119 across the springs shown. Unadjusted Game Check reports, the finest level WRD publishes.
Deer by season at Clarks Hill WMA East
| Year | Bucks | Does | Deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 (in progress) | 11 | 12 | 23 |
| 2025-26 | 83 | 76 | 159 |
| 2024-25 | 82 | 49 | 131 |
| 2023-24 | 59 | 56 | 115 |
| 2022-23 | 58 | 49 | 107 |
| 2021-22 | 50 | 47 | 97 |
| 2020-21 | 54 | 45 | 99 |
| 2019-20 | 42 | 51 | 93 |
| 2018-19 | 31 | 34 | 65 |
| 2017-18 | 59 | 34 | 93 |
| 2016-17 | 41 | 48 | 89 |
Clarks Hill WMA East turkey table
| Spring | Turkeys |
|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | 14 |
| Spring 2025 | 10 |
| Spring 2024 | 5 |
| Spring 2023 | 8 |
| Spring 2022 | 7 |
| Spring 2021 | 12 |
| Spring 2020 | 24 |
| Spring 2019 | 12 |
| Spring 2018 | 7 |
| Spring 2017 | 12 |
| Spring 2016 | 8 |
Deer from WRD deer harvest reports, turkeys from WRD turkey harvest layer; as of 2026-10-13. Checked October 13, 2026.
Clarks Hill WMA East: rules before the first hunt
The first card is specific to this ground; the rest are statewide rules that matter here.
Rules on Clarks Hill WMA East
Entry at 16 and up takes a Georgia license that covers state land, or a Georgia Lands Pass. For deer, bear and turkey you register on Go Outdoors Georgia, starting the previous day. Drawn (quota) hunts require an advance application.
Paperwork for Clarks Hill WMA East
A Sportsman's License bundles hunting, big game and fishing for residents; the Harvest Record is free but still required for deer, bear and turkey.
Clarks Hill WMA East: orange, pink and baiting
Wear 500 sq in of fluorescent orange or blaze pink above the waist whenever deer or bear firearms or primitive weapons hunts are on. The private-land baiting allowance stops at the boundary; public land is bait-free. Log the animal on your Harvest Record, then report it to Game Check within a day.
Drawn hunts on Clarks Hill WMA East
Quota draws use priority points, one per year without a draw.
Directions to Clarks Hill WMA East
From Thomson: Take U.S. 78 north 11.5 miles, turn right on Smith Mill Rd. at WMA sign, go 2.5 miles to check station.
About the land at Clarks Hill WMA East
Agency description, field lists and related areas.
Description from WRD
Clarks Hill Wildlife Management Area – East is located in McDuffie, Wilkes and Lincoln counties. This 10,224-acre property is owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and managed by the Georgia DNR-Wildlife Resources Division. It offers hunting opportunities for deer, turkey, small game, dove and waterfowl. The WMA borders the Little River branch of Clarks Hill Lake. The habitat there is mostly rolling hills of mature mixed pine-hardwood forests composed of loblolly and shortleaf pine as well as white and northern red oaks.
Camping is only allowed in designated sites.
Clarks Hill WMA East dove field crops
| Property | Region | Planted acres | Crop mix | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarks Hill WMA | 3 | 60 | Wheat, brownton millet, pearl millet strips | Good |
Other pages that share Clarks Hill WMA East's land
| Name | Kind | County | Acres | Deer reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J. Strom Thurmond Lake (Clarks Hill Lake) | Corps lake | McDuffie, Wilkes, Lincoln | — | 327 |
| Clarks Hill WMA – West | WMA | McDuffie, Wilkes, Warren | 3,067 | 159 |
Text and lists from the source page, Georgia regulations, WRD GIS, WRD GIS; retrieved 2026-10-13, checked October 13, 2026.
Game at Clarks Hill WMA East, with limits
Listed game for Clarks Hill WMA East: whitetails, gobblers, doves, coyotes, squirrels and rabbits, bobwhites and ducks and geese.
Ducks and geese
Species from the area record; bag limits from the WRD bag limit table. Checked October 13, 2026.
Clarks Hill WMA East on the map, with its neighbours
Clarks Hill WMA East sits at the orange pin, with 11 public neighbours inside 30 miles. That is 12,987 acres of listed ground.
| Area | Category | Acreage | Straight line | Direction | Game Check deer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany Creek WMA | WMA | 1,200 | 4 mi | southeast | 21 |
| Clarks Hill WMA – West | WMA | 3,067 | 4 mi | south | 159 |
| Mistletoe State Park | State park | 1,920 | 9 mi | east | — |
| Keg Creek WMA | WMA | 800 | 13 mi | east | 9 |
| Soap Creek WMA | WMA | 1,000 | 14 mi | north | 12 |
| Fishing Creek WMA | WMA | 2,900 | 16 mi | north | 18 |
| McDuffie PFA | Public fishing area | 600 | 19 mi | south | — |
| J. Strom Thurmond Lake (Clarks Hill Lake) | Corps lake | — | 19 mi | east | 327 |
| Richard B. Russell Lake | Corps lake | — | 22 mi | north | 121 |
| Lower Broad River WMA | WMA | 1,500 | 25 mi | north | 23 |
| Fort Eisenhower (formerly Fort Gordon) | Army post | — | 26 mi | southeast | 189 |
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.
Clarks Hill WMA – East public range
Sight in right here: Clarks Hill Archery Range sits on this property.
Facilities: 7 3D targets
- License or Lands Pass, per WRD.
From the WRD range list and the GA DNR range layer, checked October 13, 2026.
Clarks Hill WMA East: nearest towns and businesses
Closest towns first; businesses by county and distance.
| Town | County | Miles off | People | Public acres (10 mi) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincolnton | Lincoln | 11 mi | 1,431 | 5,554 |
| Thomson | McDuffie | 12 mi | 6,792 | 5,266 |
| Appling | Columbia | 14 mi | — | 3,795 |
| Washington | Wilkes | 14 mi | 3,623 | 799 |
Counties covered: McDuffie County, Wilkes County, Lincoln County.
Help near Clarks Hill WMA East
Clarks Hill WMA East contacts
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.
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A week of shooting light for Clarks Hill WMA East
WRD’s rule: half an hour before sunrise until half an hour after sunset, with migratory birds ending right at sunset.
Worked out for Clarks Hill WMA East 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.
Clarks Hill WMA East, asked and answered
What kind of place is Clarks Hill WMA East?
It is a wildlife management area run by WRD, managed by the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division.
Is Clarks Hill WMA East big enough for a full day?
About 10,224 acres.
Which town makes a good base for Clarks Hill WMA East?
In McDuffie, Wilkes and Lincoln counties, about 11 miles from Lincolnton.
Which license covers Clarks Hill WMA East?
A Georgia hunting or fishing license works; otherwise buy the Lands Pass, $30.00 for residents.
Must I register before hunting Clarks Hill WMA East?
Online sign-in on Go Outdoors Georgia is required for big game and turkey.
When is the first deer hunt at Clarks Hill WMA East?
The guide lists Sept. 12-Oct. 9 first for deer. The table has every segment.
When do gobbler hunts run on Clarks Hill WMA East?
Apr. 3-May 15. Take one gobbler per area at most.
What game is listed for Clarks Hill WMA East?
The area lists whitetails, gobblers, doves, coyotes, squirrels and rabbits, bobwhites and ducks and geese.
Are hunts on Clarks Hill WMA East limited?
Quota: 2 lines, 120 hunters.
Can I camp during a hunt at Clarks Hill WMA East?
The area allows camping in designated spots.
How many deer get reported from Clarks Hill WMA East?
Hunters reported 159 deer in 2025-26 (83 bucks).
Are alligators hunted around Clarks Hill WMA East?
It is in zone 9; apply in the alligator draw.
Clarks Hill WMA East: confirm before you go
Public land rules change more often than the printed guide. Recheck Clarks Hill WMA East with the manager before you go.
Sources for this page: WRD: clarks hill east · 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: larus10 (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Calistemon (CC BY-SA 4.0).