Home › Georgia › Public land › Okefenokee NWR
Public land · Wildlife refuge
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge Hunting
Everything we could verify about Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge: acreage, rules, dates, harvest and the ground nearby.
Photo: gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K (CC BY 2.0)
Okefenokee NWR in brief
Sitting in Charlton, Ware and Clinch counties, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge with a hunt program. Region 6 staff in Brunswick cover it for WRD. It is run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. By area (407,038 acres) it comes 1st of the 9 refuges. Roughly 17 miles separates it from Homeland, the closest town page on this site. The ground splits into 3 units.
County context for Okefenokee NWR
| County | County seat | Population | Either-sex zone | Bear | Alligator | Game Check deer 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlton County | Folkston | 13,021 | Green | Southern | Zone 6 | 633 |
| Ware County | Waycross | 36,222 | Green | Southern | Zone 6 | 1,278 |
| Clinch County | Homerville | 6,871 | Green | Southern | Zone 6 | 884 |
From the source page (FWS National Realty FWSInterest_Simplified (fee-owned GIS acres, whole refuge)); 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.
How hunting days are set on Okefenokee NWR
Okefenokee NWR is hunted under federal permit rules; the WRD guide prints no table for it.
Rules from the manager page, USFWS, FWS realty layer. Checked October 13, 2026.
Okefenokee NWR: rules before the first hunt
Area rules first, then licenses, orange and bait.
Getting in at Okefenokee NWR
A signed Okefenokee NWR hunt permit (the hunt regulations brochure) is required and must be carried; hunting is limited to three upland units. Bears and alligators may not be taken.
License costs for Okefenokee NWR
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 Okefenokee NWR
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.
Okefenokee NWR: quota deadlines
Apply online by the deadline; points accumulate for every year you are not selected.
What hunters report from Okefenokee NWR
The 2025-26 Game Check total for Okefenokee NWR was 9 (5 antlered, 4 antlerless). High mark: 22 (2017-18). Low mark: 6 (2023-24). So far in 2026-27, 5 deer have been checked (season in progress). Spring 2023 brought 1 reported gobbler; the table sums to 1. Only reported animals appear here; WRD adjusts for non-reporting at county level, not per area.
Okefenokee NWR deer table
| Season | Bucks checked | Does checked | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 (in progress) | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 2025-26 | 5 | 4 | 9 |
| 2024-25 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
| 2023-24 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| 2022-23 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| 2021-22 | 2 | 6 | 8 |
| 2020-21 | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| 2019-20 | 6 | 8 | 14 |
| 2018-19 | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| 2017-18 | 9 | 13 | 22 |
| 2016-17 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
Turkeys reported from Okefenokee NWR
| Season | Reported gobblers |
|---|---|
| Spring 2023 | 1 |
Deer from WRD deer harvest reports, turkeys from WRD turkey harvest layer; as of 2026-10-13. Checked October 13, 2026.
Game at Okefenokee NWR, with limits
The listing and the manager name whitetails, feral hogs, gobblers and squirrels and rabbits for Okefenokee NWR.
White-tailed deer
Feral hog
Wild turkey
Small game
Species from the area record; bag limits from the WRD bag limit table. Checked October 13, 2026.
About the land at Okefenokee NWR
From the agency page, word for word.
In the agency's own words
Established in 1937; headwaters of the Suwannee and St. Marys rivers. USFWS: hunting is permitted on approximately 3,822 acres in three upland units (Suwannee Canal Recreation Area, Pocket Unit and Cowhouse Unit). The refuge has 353,981 acres of National Wilderness within its boundaries.
Related to Okefenokee NWR
| Area | Type | Where | Size (ac) | Deer checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Okefenokee NWR – Suwannee Canal Recreation Area Unit | Refuge hunt unit | — | — | — |
| Okefenokee NWR – Pocket Unit | Refuge hunt unit | — | — | — |
| Okefenokee NWR – Cowhouse Unit | Refuge hunt unit | — | — | — |
Text and lists from the source page, USFWS, FWS realty layer, DNR Law Enforcement; retrieved 2026-10-13, checked October 13, 2026.
Okefenokee NWR plotted with nearby areas
Inside a 30-mile ring sit 1 more area; orange marks Okefenokee NWR. Published acres across them: 35,247.
| Neighbour | Type | Acres | Miles off | Direction | Deer, last season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dixon Memorial WMA | WMA | 35,247 | 22 mi | north | 60 |
Points from WRD, USFS, USFWS, NPS, DoD and Recreation.gov layers (FWS National Realty FWSInterest_Simplified (polygon centroid, Georgia portion)). Distances are straight-line. Statewide public land map.
Okefenokee NWR: nearest towns and businesses
Closest towns first; businesses by county and distance.
| Town | County | Distance | People | Public acres, 10 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homeland | Charlton | 17 mi | 907 | 27,111 |
| Fargo | Clinch | 18 mi | 263 | 28,802 |
| Folkston | Charlton | 18 mi | 4,701 | 20,317 |
| Hoboken | Brantley | 28 mi | 505 | 19,282 |
County guides: Charlton County, Ware County, Clinch County.
Services close to Okefenokee NWR
Agency offices by Okefenokee NWR
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.
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge: nearest ranges
For a public range, drive about 21 miles to Dixon Memorial Shooting Range.
Facilities: 100-yard Range, 25-yard Range
From the WRD range list and the GA DNR range layer, checked October 13, 2026.
First and last light at Okefenokee NWR
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 Okefenokee NWR 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.
Okefenokee NWR gear list
Chosen for the game hunted here; listings load when you click.
Amazon links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you.
Okefenokee NWR: what hunters ask
How fast must I report a kill on Okefenokee NWR?
Within 24 hours, by app, online or by phone at 1-800-366-2661.
Can I wear pink instead of orange on Okefenokee NWR?
Yes in gun and primitive weapons big game hunts: 500 sq in, orange or pink.
Who manages Okefenokee NWR?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the manager; the ground is a national wildlife refuge with a hunt program.
Does the private-land bait rule apply on Okefenokee NWR?
No, public land is closed to baiting.
Which town makes a good base for Okefenokee NWR?
In Charlton, Ware and Clinch counties, about 17 miles from Homeland.
Is Okefenokee NWR big enough for a full day?
Published acreage: 407,038.
Which species can I hunt on Okefenokee NWR?
The record lists whitetails, feral hogs, gobblers and squirrels and rabbits.
What does Okefenokee NWR require before a hunt?
A signed Okefenokee NWR hunt permit (the hunt regulations brochure) is required and must be carried; hunting is limited to three upland units. Bears and alligators may not be taken.
How many deer are taken on Okefenokee NWR?
9 deer, 5 of them bucks, in Game Check for 2025-26.
How do I get a quota permit for Okefenokee NWR?
Parts of it are drawn or permit-limited.
Which quota zone holds Okefenokee NWR?
Zone 6, quota permit holders only.
Are bears hunted near Okefenokee NWR?
Bear zone: Southern. No bear dates here.
Okefenokee NWR, the last word
Double-check Okefenokee NWR with its manager: open areas, gates, sign-in and any drawn hunts.
Sources for this page: USFWS: hunting · USFWS: okefenokee · FWS realty layer · DNR Law Enforcement: specialfederalregulations; regulations from the 2026-27 Georgia hunting regulations. Checked October 13, 2026.
Other photos on this page: pedrik (CC BY 2.0); GA-Kayaker (CC BY 2.0).