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Chronic wasting disease
Georgia CWD Management Area and Carcass Rules
CWD was first detected in Georgia in January 2025 (hunter-harvested deer, Lanier County). CWD Management Area (CMA) = any county with a detection plus any county within 5 miles of a detection: Atkinson, Berrien, Lanier and Lowndes (as of April 2026; guide section "as of May 2026").
Photo: michaelhunter5 (CC BY 2.0)
The four counties of the Georgia CWD Management Area
The CMA is any county with a detection plus any county within 5 miles of one.
Testing is essential in the CMA (participating processors, taxidermists or self-serve freezer/sampling sites listed at GeorgiaWildlife.com/cwd). Testing is not necessary outside the CMA but is available statewide; routine surveillance samples deer from cooperating taxidermists and processors. Deer that test positive do not count toward the bag limit; processing fees may be reimbursed, pending funds.
Atkinson County
Pearson area, WRD Region 6 (Brunswick). Either-sex zone: Green. Deer reported 2025-26: 636.
Berrien County
Nashville area, WRD Region 6 (Brunswick). Either-sex zone: Green. Deer reported 2025-26: 1,286.
Lanier County
Lakeland area, WRD Region 6 (Brunswick). Either-sex zone: Green. Deer reported 2025-26: 288.
Lowndes County
Valdosta area, WRD Region 6 (Brunswick). Either-sex zone: Green. Deer reported 2025-26: 1,220.
Chronic wasting disease (guide), WRD CWD page, checked October 13, 2026.
Georgia CWD rules for hunters
Disposal and import rules apply everywhere in Georgia, not just in the four CMA counties. The feeding advice is a recommendation, not a rule.
Carcass disposal, statewide
- Leave carcass on the property where the deer was killed
- Use a commercial deer processor
- Household trash service or solid waste landfill
- Deep burial, incineration or another method approved under the Dead Animal Disposal Act (O.C.G.A. 4-5-1 to 4-5-11)
Bringing deer in from another state
From any deer, elk, moose, caribou or other cervid killed outside Georgia, only these may be brought in: boned-out meat; hides without heads; antlers, skulls, skull plates, teeth or jawbones with no soft tissue (velvet antlers OK); finished taxidermy.
Keep the head on
Deer head may not be removed until processed, surrendered to storage/processing, or submitted for CWD testing.
Feeding and baiting guidance
Recommendations (not rules): broadcast bait/feed over 500+ sq ft; avoid troughs, gravity feeders, salt licks or piles on the ground; move feeding sites periodically; limit baiting/feeding to times when actively hunting. The 2026-27 guide states no CWD feeding or baiting ban. O.C.G.A. 27-3-9(b)(3) lets the Board restrict deer feeding/baiting in counties with a documented communicable deer disease and adjoining counties (summarized from Justia, 2025 code).
Management approach
Primary approach is cluster sampling of deer near each detection.
Positive deer and the bag
Deer that test positive for CWD do not count toward a hunter's bag limit.
CWD regulations, WRD firearms opener release, checked October 13, 2026.
What changed for 2026-27
- CMA expanded from Berrien and Lanier to Atkinson, Berrien, Lanier and Lowndes
- Positive deer no longer count toward bag; processing reimbursement possible
- Salt licks added to feeding guidance
- Disposal wording now "household trash service or solid waste landfill"
Guide change notes, checked October 13, 2026.
Deer harvest in the CWD counties
Game Check reported deer in Atkinson, Berrien, Lanier and Lowndes by season; the current season runs through Oct. 12, 2026 so far.
| Season | Atkinson | Berrien | Lanier | Lowndes | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 (in progress) | 22 | 69 | 20 | 59 | 170 |
| 2025-26 | 636 | 1,286 | 288 | 1,220 | 3,430 |
| 2024-25 | 431 | 1,145 | 228 | 932 | 2,736 |
| 2023-24 | 596 | 1,195 | 324 | 1,199 | 3,314 |
| 2022-23 | 536 | 1,153 | 351 | 1,095 | 3,135 |
| 2021-22 | 488 | 1,029 | 341 | 1,030 | 2,888 |
| 2020-21 | 511 | 985 | 415 | 1,152 | 3,063 |
| 2019-20 | 466 | 1,046 | 317 | 1,044 | 2,873 |
| 2018-19 | 456 | 954 | 309 | 1,110 | 2,829 |
| 2017-18 | 690 | 1,159 | 356 | 1,294 | 3,499 |
| 2016-17 | 816 | 1,240 | 403 | 1,119 | 3,578 |
WRD deer harvest by county, Game Check reported totals, checked October 13, 2026.
Public land inside the CWD Management Area
Deer from these areas fall under the CMA testing advice.
- Grand Bay WMAWildlife Management Area, Lanier, Lowndes, 8,700 acres
- Banks Lake National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife Refuge, Lanier, 4,049 acres
- Paradise PFAPublic Fishing Area, Berrien, 1,300 acres
- Lola Tract VPAVoluntary Public Access Area, Lanier, Lowndes, 391 acres
Areas from WRD’s area listings, retrieved 2026-10-13.
Georgia CWD questions
Where is CWD in Georgia?
CWD was first detected in Georgia in January 2025 (hunter-harvested deer, Lanier County). CWD Management Area (CMA) = any county with a detection plus any county within 5 miles of a detection: Atkinson, Berrien, Lanier and Lowndes (as of April 2026; guide section "as of May 2026").
Do I have to test my deer for CWD in Georgia?
The guide calls testing essential in the CMA and says it is not necessary elsewhere, though it is available statewide.
Where can I get a deer tested for CWD?
At participating processors, taxidermists or self-serve freezer and sampling sites listed at GeorgiaWildlife.com/cwd.
Does a CWD-positive deer count toward my limit?
Deer that test positive for CWD do not count toward a hunter's bag limit. Processing fees may be reimbursed, pending funds.
Can I bring a deer carcass into Georgia?
From any deer, elk, moose, caribou or other cervid killed outside Georgia, only these may be brought in: boned-out meat; hides without heads; antlers, skulls, skull plates, teeth or jawbones with no soft tissue (velvet antlers OK); finished taxidermy.
How do I get rid of a deer carcass in Georgia?
Leave carcass on the property where the deer was killed; Use a commercial deer processor; Household trash service or solid waste landfill; Deep burial, incineration or another method approved under the Dead Animal Disposal Act (O.C.G.A. 4-5-1 to 4-5-11).
Is deer feeding banned in the CWD area?
No ban is stated in the 2026-27 guide. O.C.G.A. 27-3-9(b)(3) lets the Board restrict deer feeding/baiting in counties with a documented communicable deer disease and adjoining counties (summarized from Justia, 2025 code).
Can I cut the head off my deer in the field?
Deer head may not be removed until processed, surrendered to storage/processing, or submitted for CWD testing.
After the CWD rules
Check the deer guide for seasons and limits, and the county guides for Atkinson, Berrien, Lanier and Lowndes for local processors and public land.