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WMA · Region 3
Hunting Oconee WMA
A hunter's summary of Oconee WMA in Greene, Hancock and Putnam counties: listing dates, harvest, rules and local services.
Photo: ChattOconeeNF (CC BY 2.0)
Oconee WMA: every dated hunt
Across 21 rows, the 2026-27 listing sets dates for deer, turkey, small game, waterfowl, coyote and dove. Quota draws cover 6 lines and 100 slots in total. Watch for 2 youth lines. The guide splits it into 3 listings, named in the left column.
| Listing | Species | Weapon or type | 2026-27 dates | Tags | Area notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oconee WMA | Deer | Archery | Sept. 12-Oct. 9, Dec. 1-Jan. 10 | — | |
| Oconee WMA | Deer | Primitive | Oct. 10-16 | — | |
| Oconee WMA | Deer | Firearms | Oct. 17-Nov. 30 | — | |
| Oconee WMA | Turkey | — | Apr. 3-9, 10-16 | Quota 30 | |
| Oconee WMA | Turkey | — | Apr. 17-May 15 | — | |
| Oconee WMA | Small game | — | State Seasons | Sign-in | |
| Oconee WMA | Small game | Quail | State Season | — | Hunting party must report harvest at kiosk or online, complete one survey per party. |
| Oconee WMA | Waterfowl | — | State Seasons | — | |
| Oconee WMA | Coyote | — | May 16-31 | — | |
| Oconee WMA | Dove | — | Sept. 5 | Quota 60 Sign-in | |
| Oconee WMA | Dove | — | Sept. 12, 19, 26, Oct. 3, 10, Nov. 21-29, Dec. 19-Jan. 31 | — | |
| Oconee WMA Dan Denton Waterfowl Area | Deer | Archery | Sept. 12-Oct. 16 | — | |
| Oconee WMA Dan Denton Waterfowl Area | Waterfowl | Pond 1 | Nov. 14, 28 | Youth Quota 3 Sign-in | |
| Oconee WMA Dan Denton Waterfowl Area | Waterfowl | Pond 1 | Dec. 12, 19, 26, Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 | Quota 3 Sign-in | |
| Oconee WMA Dan Denton Waterfowl Area | Waterfowl | Pond 3 | Nov. 14, 28 | Youth Quota 2 Sign-in | |
| Oconee WMA Dan Denton Waterfowl Area | Waterfowl | Pond 3 | Dec. 12, 19, 26, Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 | Quota 2 Sign-in | |
| Oconee WMA Dan Denton Waterfowl Area | Coyote | — | No May 16-31 coyote & hog season. | — | |
| Oconee WMA Rock Hawk Trails & Effigy | Deer | Archery | Sept. 12-Jan. 10 | — | |
| Oconee WMA Rock Hawk Trails & Effigy | Turkey | — | Apr. 17-May 15 | — | Selected Oconee quota turkey hunters only may hunt with firearms during quota hunt dates in this area. |
| Oconee WMA Rock Hawk Trails & Effigy | Small game & waterfowl | — | State Seasons | — | |
| Oconee WMA Rock Hawk Trails & Effigy | Coyote | — | No May 16-31 coyote & hog season. | — |
Dates and symbols from the 2026-27 Georgia regulations listing, wording as printed by the source. Checked October 13, 2026.
Oconee WMA: the essentials
Greene, Hancock and Putnam counties hold Oconee WMA, a wildlife management area run by WRD. For WRD purposes it belongs to Region 3, the Thomson region. It is run by the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division. The 7,930-acre figure makes it 43rd largest of 121 WMAs. Base town: White Plains, about 9 miles away to the southwest.
Where Oconee WMA sits by county
| County | Seat | 2024 residents | Deer colour zone | Bear zone | Gator zone | Deer reported 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greene County | Greensboro | 21,091 | Green | None | — | 2,153 |
| Hancock County | Sparta | 8,683 | Green | None | Zone 9 | 3,095 |
| Putnam County | Eatonton | 23,383 | Green | None | — | 1,740 |
From the source page (Georgia 2026-27 Hunting Regulations (eRegulations) area listing (sum of listed sections)); 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.
Oconee WMA: reported deer and gobblers
Last full season (2025-26) the reported count stood at 153, with 80 bucks. Reported totals peaked at 212 in 2019-20 and bottomed at 118 in 2021-22. Partial count for the current season: 21. Game Check lists 12 gobblers for spring 2026 (119 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, Oconee WMA
| Season | Males | Females | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 (in progress) | 11 | 10 | 21 |
| 2025-26 | 80 | 73 | 153 |
| 2024-25 | 73 | 54 | 127 |
| 2023-24 | 78 | 74 | 152 |
| 2022-23 | 88 | 90 | 178 |
| 2021-22 | 70 | 48 | 118 |
| 2020-21 | 97 | 96 | 193 |
| 2019-20 | 85 | 127 | 212 |
| 2018-19 | 88 | 75 | 163 |
| 2017-18 | 97 | 94 | 191 |
| 2016-17 | 72 | 74 | 146 |
Gobblers by spring, Oconee WMA
| Spring | Gobblers |
|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | 12 |
| Spring 2025 | 12 |
| Spring 2024 | 10 |
| Spring 2023 | 5 |
| Spring 2022 | 4 |
| Spring 2021 | 13 |
| Spring 2020 | 18 |
| Spring 2019 | 15 |
| Spring 2018 | 9 |
| Spring 2017 | 13 |
| Spring 2016 | 8 |
Deer from WRD deer harvest reports, turkeys from WRD turkey harvest layer; as of 2026-10-13. Checked October 13, 2026.
What Oconee WMA is like
The manager describes the place; related areas follow.
What WRD says about Oconee WMA
Oconee Wildlife Management Area is a 7,400-acre area located in Greene, Hancock, and Putnam Counties in east-central Georgia. Typical of Piedmont landscapes, the area consist largely of rolling hills interspersed with creeks. It also borders Lake Oconee and Lake Sinclair created by the impoundment of the Oconee River. Habitat types include mixed pine/hardwoods, pure hardwood, and planted pine stands. Wildlife openings consists of fallow fields, planted food plots, and timber clear-cuts.
The area offers hunting opportunities for deer, turkey, small game, and dove. The Rock Hawk Trails and Effigy is an archery-only area open for deer, turkey and small game. The Dan Denton Waterfowl Area is a 100-acre impoundment managed for waterfowl. No fishing or hunting (other than for ducks and geese and archery deer hunting during statewide archery and primitive weapons season) on waterfowl impoundments. No fishing or hunting on waterfowl impoundments (except waterfowl and archery deer during statewide archery and primitive weapons seasons).
Impoundments 1 & 3 are open only to drawn quota hunters. Hunters may not enter impoundments before 5:00 a.m. and shooting ends at noon, except the last hunt of the season when shooting ends at sunset. Herndon Pond and Impoundment 2 are closed to hunting. Waterfowl hunting is prohibited on the Oconee River between Wallace Dam and GA Hwy 16.
Dove field forecast for Oconee WMA
| Property | Region | Acres planted | Crops | Forecast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oconee WMA | 3 | 21 | Browntop millet, wheat, pearl millet strips | Good |
Text and lists from the source page, Georgia regulations, WRD GIS, WRD GIS; retrieved 2026-10-13, checked October 13, 2026.
Oconee WMA: rules before the first hunt
Prices are the WRD figures for this license year.
Oconee 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.
- No small game hunting
- No Foot traffic from Nov
- 1- Feb
- 1
Oconee 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 Oconee 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 Oconee WMA
Quota permits are drawn on Go Outdoors Georgia; a hunter not drawn earns a priority point for that category.
Route to Oconee WMA
From Greensboro: Turn south from HWY 278 onto Walnut St. (Veazey Rd.) at caution light, go 7.1 miles and turn right on Liberty Church Rd., go 7.5 miles to check station. From Eatonton: Go east 14.7 miles on GA HWY 16 to the Oconee River, continue 3.8 miles to Centennial Road, turn left and continue 4.8 miles to Centennial Church Road, turn left and continue 2.5 miles to Liberty Church Road, turn left and go south 0.8 miles to check station located on the right From Eatonton: Go east 14.2 miles on GA Hwy 16, look for turn in for Impoundment 1 on left before you reach the bridge over the Oconee River. Sign-in kiosk is located in gravel parking lot. From Eatonton: Go east 13.8 miles on GA Hwy 16 towards the Oconee River, turn left onto Wallace Dam Rd. then turn left onto Lawrence Shoals Rd., go 1 mile, parking is on left.
Oconee WMA species and bags
Game on the list: whitetails, gobblers, squirrels and rabbits, ducks and geese, coyotes and doves.
White-tailed deer
The guide lists Sept. 12-Oct. 9, Dec. 1-Jan. 10 first (archery).
Ducks and geese
The guide lists Nov. 14, 28 first (pond 1).
Species from the area record; bag limits from the WRD bag limit table. Checked October 13, 2026.
Oconee WMA plotted with nearby areas
Oconee WMA sits at the orange pin, with 6 public neighbours inside 30 miles. Combined, about 209,442 acres are on record.
| Area | Type | Acres | Distance | Direction | Deer 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little River WMA | WMA | 1,475 | 19 mi | west | 14 |
| B.F. Grant WMA | WMA | 11,400 | 20 mi | west | 47 |
| Oconee Ranger District (Oconee National Forest) | Ranger district | 116,724 | 21 mi | west | 385 |
| Redlands WMA | WMA | 37,500 | 22 mi | north | 425 |
| Cedar Creek WMA | WMA | 41,000 | 24 mi | southwest | 93 |
| Bartram Forest WMA | WMA | 1,343 | 26 mi | south | 17 |
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 Oconee WMA
1 WRD range on this property, open to the public under WRD rules.
Facilities: 17 3-D Targets, 5 Static Targets
- A Georgia hunting or fishing license or a Lands Pass is required to shoot.
From the WRD range list and the GA DNR range layer, checked October 13, 2026.
Oconee WMA: nearest towns and businesses
Town guides first, then businesses in the same and neighbouring counties.
| Town | County | Miles | Population | Public land nearby |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Plains | Greene | 9 mi | 276 | 4,298 |
| Crooked Creek | Putnam | 11 mi | — | 5,158 |
| Sparta | Hancock | 12 mi | 1,316 | 4 |
| Greensboro | Greene | 14 mi | 3,573 | 18,295 |
County pages for this ground: Greene County, Hancock County, Putnam County.
Services close to Oconee WMA
Nearest offices to Oconee 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 Oconee WMA
Four picks matched to this ground and its seasons.
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Oconee 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 Oconee 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.
Oconee WMA: what hunters ask
Which town makes a good base for Oconee WMA?
Greene, Hancock and Putnam counties; White Plains is the nearest town we cover, 9 miles away.
What do adults need to enter Oconee 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 Oconee 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 Oconee WMA?
First deer line: Sept. 12-Oct. 9, Dec. 1-Jan. 10 (archery). Every other line is in the season table above.
When does spring turkey open at Oconee WMA?
Spring dates: Apr. 3-9, 10-16. One gobbler per area per person on public land.
What does Oconee WMA hold for hunters?
Whitetails, gobblers, squirrels and rabbits, ducks and geese, coyotes and doves.
Do I need to be drawn for Oconee WMA?
Yes: 6 listing lines are quota only, 100 hunters in all.
Is camping allowed at Oconee WMA?
No camping on the area.
What was last season's deer harvest at Oconee WMA?
Game Check: 80 bucks and 73 does in 2025-26.
Which alligator zone covers Oconee WMA?
Gator zone 9; one alligator per permit.
Where else can I go near Oconee WMA?
In order of distance: Little River WMA (19 miles), B.F. Grant WMA (20 miles) and Oconee Ranger District (Oconee National Forest) (21 miles).
When is orange required on Oconee WMA?
Pink counts: 500 square inches of either colour above the waist in firearms and primitive weapons hunts.
Oconee WMA, the last word
Double-check Oconee WMA with its manager: open areas, gates, sign-in and any drawn hunts.
Sources for this page: WRD: oconee wma · Georgia regulations: wma regulations i p · 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: Petit Jeano (CC BY 2.0); colmmcsky (CC BY-SA 2.0).