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Paulding Forest WMA Hunting
Everything we could verify about Paulding Forest WMA: acreage, rules, dates, harvest and the ground nearby.
Photo: .:[ Melissa ]:. (CC BY 2.0)
Paulding Forest WMA in brief
Sitting in Paulding and Polk counties, Paulding Forest WMA is a wildlife management area run by WRD. Region 1 staff in Armuchee cover it for WRD. It is run by the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division. By area (28,183 acres) it comes 8th of the 121 WMAs. Roughly 2 miles separates it from Braswell, the closest town page on this site.
County context for Paulding Forest WMA
| County | County seat | Population | Either-sex zone | Bear | Alligator | Game Check deer 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paulding County | Dallas | 188,549 | Green | Northern | — | 1,372 |
| Polk County | Cedartown | 44,610 | Green | Northern | — | 1,982 |
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.
The 2026-27 Paulding Forest WMA hunt calendar
Game with dates here this year: deer & bear, turkey, dog training, coyote, small game and waterfowl (10 lines in all). 1 hunt is quota only, with 50 hunter slots between them; apply on Go Outdoors Georgia. Other marks in the list: 2 bonus deer lines and 1 specialty hunt.
| Game | Hunt | Dates | Symbols | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer & bear | Archery | Sept. 12-Oct. 9, Oct. 12-Nov. 4, 9-13 | — | |
| Deer & bear | Firearms | Oct. 10-11 | Specialty Bonus deer | |
| Deer & bear | Firearms | Either-Sex Last Day: Nov. 5-8 | Bonus deer | |
| Deer & bear | Firearms | Dec. 10-13 | — | |
| Turkey | — | Apr. 3-11, 17-25 | Quota 50 | |
| Turkey | — | Apr. 26-May 15 | — | |
| Dog training | — | Aug. 15-Mar. 19 except during firearms deer hunts. | — | |
| Coyote | — | May 16-31 | — | |
| Small game | — | State Seasons except during firearm deer hunts. | — | |
| Waterfowl | — | State Seasons | — |
Dates and symbols from the 2026-27 Georgia regulations listing, wording as printed by the source. Checked October 13, 2026.
Paulding Forest WMA: rules before the first hunt
Area rules first, then licenses, orange and bait.
Getting in at Paulding Forest WMA
Visitors 16+ carry either a Georgia hunting or fishing license or the Lands Pass. Big game and turkey hunters complete the online sign-in first, available a day early. Apply early for the quota dates. On bonus hunts, check each deer at the area station that day.
- No ATVs allowed on the property
- No ATVs
License costs for Paulding Forest WMA
Residents can skip the separate licenses with a Sportsman's License. Deer, bear and turkey hunters of any age carry the free Harvest Record.
Statewide rules at Paulding Forest WMA
Georgia accepts blaze pink as well as orange: 500 square inches, worn above the waist, in gun and muzzleloader deer and bear hunts. Baiting is banned for any game or feral hog on state and federal land, WMAs and national forests included. Game Check reporting is due within 24 hours of harvest.
Paulding Forest WMA: quota deadlines
Apply online by the deadline; points accumulate for every year you are not selected.
Finding Paulding Forest WMA
From Intersection of HW 278 and HW 61 travel west on HW 278 12.5 miles. Turn Right onto Coot’s Lake Rd and go to the stop sign. Turn Right onto Braswell Mt. Rd. Go 2 miles to check-in station pull in on left side of road.
What hunters report from Paulding Forest WMA
The 2025-26 Game Check total for Paulding Forest WMA was 106 (67 antlered, 39 antlerless). High mark: 106 (2025-26). Low mark: 43 (2018-19). So far in 2026-27, 21 deer have been checked (season in progress). Spring 2026 brought 27 reported gobblers; the table sums to 503. Only reported animals appear here; WRD adjusts for non-reporting at county level, not per area.
Paulding Forest WMA deer table
| Season | Bucks checked | Does checked | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 (in progress) | 3 | 18 | 21 |
| 2025-26 | 67 | 39 | 106 |
| 2024-25 | 49 | 29 | 78 |
| 2023-24 | 55 | 42 | 97 |
| 2022-23 | 43 | 29 | 72 |
| 2021-22 | 53 | 34 | 87 |
| 2020-21 | 34 | 17 | 51 |
| 2019-20 | 30 | 20 | 50 |
| 2018-19 | 21 | 22 | 43 |
| 2017-18 | 36 | 22 | 58 |
| 2016-17 | 36 | 24 | 60 |
Turkeys reported from Paulding Forest WMA
| Season | Reported gobblers |
|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | 27 |
| Spring 2025 | 25 |
| Spring 2024 | 47 |
| Spring 2023 | 32 |
| Spring 2022 | 21 |
| Spring 2021 | 68 |
| Spring 2020 | 66 |
| Spring 2019 | 61 |
| Spring 2018 | 54 |
| Spring 2017 | 59 |
| Spring 2016 | 43 |
Bear harvest in the Paulding Forest WMA counties
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.
Game at Paulding Forest WMA, with limits
The listing and the manager name whitetails, black bears, gobblers, coyotes, squirrels and rabbits and ducks and geese for Paulding Forest WMA.
Species from the area record; bag limits from the WRD bag limit table. Checked October 13, 2026.
About the land at Paulding Forest WMA
From the agency page, word for word.
In the agency's own words
Paulding Forest Wildlife Management Area is located in Paulding and Polk counties. This 25,707-acre property offers hunting opportunities for deer, bear, turkey, and small game. Raccoon Creek, one of the southernmost trout fishing opportunities is located on the WMA. Horse and bike trails and areas, except the Silver Comet Trail, are closed all day during firearm deer hunts and before 10:00 a.m. during archery deer and turkey hunts. Horse & bicycle trails & areas, except Silver Comet Trail, closed all day during firearms deer hunts and before 10:00 a.m. during archery deer and turkey hunts.
Camping only in designated areas, except during firearms deer hunts (see rules posted at check station).
Text and lists from the source page, Georgia regulations, WRD GIS, WRD GIS; retrieved 2026-10-13, checked October 13, 2026.
Paulding Forest WMA plotted with nearby areas
Paulding Forest WMA sits at the orange pin, with 8 public neighbours inside 30 miles. Published acres across them: 31,584.
| Neighbour | Type | Acres | Miles off | Direction | Deer, last season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheffield WMA | WMA | 5,556 | 7 mi | north | 26 |
| Tallapoosa River WMA | WMA | 5,215 | 15 mi | west | 13 |
| J.L. Lester WMA | WMA | 477 | 15 mi | west | 8 |
| Allatoona Lake | Corps lake | 2,777 | 18 mi | northeast | 83 |
| Red Top Mountain State Park | State park | 1,776 | 19 mi | northeast | — |
| Allatoona WMA | WMA | 7,589 | 22 mi | northeast | 197 |
| Treat Mountain WMA | WMA | 7,260 | 24 mi | west | 5 |
| Pleasant Valley VPA | VPA property | 934 | 26 mi | north | 8 |
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.
Paulding Forest WMA: nearest towns and businesses
Closest towns first; businesses by county and distance.
| Town | County | Distance | People | Public acres, 10 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braswell | Paulding | 2 mi | 368 | 35,514 |
| Dallas | Paulding | 6 mi | 15,062 | 28,121 |
| Rockmart | Polk | 7 mi | 5,284 | 30,685 |
| Taylorsville | Bartow | 9 mi | 265 | 23,371 |
County guides: Paulding County, Polk County.
Services close to Paulding Forest WMA
Agency offices by Paulding Forest 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.
Paulding Forest WMA: nearest ranges
For a public range, drive about 15 miles to J.L. Lester Archery Range. Closer private options sit beside it.
Facilities: Bullseye Targets
Lines for archery and 3D archery
Lines for handgun, rifle, shotgun and archery
From the WRD range list and the GA DNR range layer, checked October 13, 2026.
First and last light at Paulding Forest WMA
Deer, turkey and small game hunters get 30 minutes of light on each side of the day; dove and waterfowl hunters quit at sundown.
Worked out for Paulding Forest 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.
Paulding Forest WMA gear list
Chosen for the game hunted here; listings load when you click.
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Paulding Forest WMA: what hunters ask
How do I get a quota permit for Paulding Forest WMA?
Apply for the 1 quota lines through Go Outdoors Georgia.
Which species can I hunt on Paulding Forest WMA?
The record lists whitetails, black bears, gobblers, coyotes, squirrels and rabbits and ducks and geese.
How many deer are taken on Paulding Forest WMA?
106 deer, 67 of them bucks, in Game Check for 2025-26.
Can I camp on Paulding Forest WMA?
Designated camping is available.
What areas neighbour Paulding Forest WMA?
Close by: Sheffield WMA (7 miles), Tallapoosa River WMA (15 miles) and J.L. Lester WMA (15 miles), straight-line.
Are bears hunted near Paulding Forest WMA?
Bear zone: Northern. Check the listing for bear dates.
How fast must I report a kill on Paulding Forest WMA?
Within 24 hours, by app, online or by phone at 1-800-366-2661.
Can I wear pink instead of orange on Paulding Forest WMA?
Yes in gun and primitive weapons big game hunts: 500 sq in, orange or pink.
Which agency is in charge of Paulding Forest WMA?
The Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division is the manager; the ground is a wildlife management area run by WRD.
Does the private-land bait rule apply on Paulding Forest WMA?
No, public land is closed to baiting.
Which town makes a good base for Paulding Forest WMA?
In Paulding and Polk counties, about 2 miles from Braswell.
Is Paulding Forest WMA big enough for a full day?
Published acreage: 28,183.
Paulding Forest WMA, the last word
Double-check Paulding Forest WMA with its manager: open areas, gates, sign-in and any drawn hunts.
Sources for this page: WRD: paulding forest wma · Georgia regulations: wma regulations i p · WRD GIS · WRD GIS · WRD GIS; regulations from the 2026-27 Georgia hunting regulations. Checked October 13, 2026.
Other photos on this page: sgharvey (CC BY 2.0); USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0).