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2026-27 · Green zone
Carroll County Hunting
Built from the 2026-27 Georgia regulations and Game Check: zone rules for Carroll County, public land, harvest history, sunrise times and businesses that serve hunters.
Photo: Thomson20192 (CC0 1.0)
Carroll County belongs to WRD Game Management Region 1 and spans 499 square miles around Carrollton. Its 2024 Census estimate is 129,911 residents (+9.0% since 2020). No WMA, park or federal tract on the public list lies inside Carroll County, so public hunting means driving to a neighbour.
Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates (population), WRD region and zones from the GA County Zones layer, public acres within 10 miles from WRD, USFS, USFWS and DoD boundaries. Checked October 13, 2026.
Carroll County: doe days, bears, gators and bait
Carroll County is a Green zone county, the most liberal colour: deer of either sex are legal on private land every day of archery, primitive weapons and firearms season, 88 firearms days in all. The season limit counts all of Georgia: 12 deer, with a cap of 2 bucks and 10 antlerless.
Every county in the Green zone
Antler rule
No county-wide antler restriction here. Statewide, the second of your two bucks must have at least 4 points on one side or a 15-inch spread.
CWD status
Carroll County is outside the CWD Management Area. Testing is optional here but free through cooperating processors and taxidermists.
Bait on private land
Private land: bait allowed for deer and hogs with written landowner permission. Public land: no bait, and no hunting within 200 yards of it.
Bear zone
Carroll County is in the Northern bear zone: archery Sept. 12-Oct. 9, primitive weapons Oct. 10-16, firearms Oct. 17-Jan. 10. No dogs.
Zones from the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division either-sex days, bear and turkey rules and 2026-27 guide (PDF); DMU from the GA County Zones layer. Checked October 13, 2026.
Carroll County: dates for every game animal
From the September archery opener through the last rabbit days, 26 segments apply to Carroll County this season.
| Species | Segment | Where | Opening day | Closing day | Open? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery | Private land | Sep 12, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery (Either-Sex) | Green zone | Sep 12, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms (Antlerless Only) | Green zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Primitive Weapons (Either-Sex) | Green zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 16, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Primitive weapons & youth-only firearms | Statewide | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 16, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms (Either-Sex) | Green zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| Black bear | Archery | Northern bear zone | Sep 12, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Primitive weapons & youth-only firearms | Northern bear zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 16, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Firearms | Northern bear zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Special Opportunity (youth under 16 and mobility-impaired) | Private land | Mar 20, 2027 | Mar 21, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring gobbler | Private land | Mar 27, 2027 | May 15, 2027 | |
| Feral hog | Private land | Private land | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Bobwhite quail | Hunting | Statewide | Nov 14, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Ruffed grouse | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 15, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Rabbits | Hunting | Statewide | Nov 14, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Squirrels | Hunting (gray and fox squirrel) | Statewide | Aug 15, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Year-round (unprotected) | Private land | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Raccoon | Hunting | Private land | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Opossum | Hunting | Private land | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Gray and red fox | Hunting (gray and red fox) | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Hunting | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Armadillo | Year-round (unprotected) | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Groundhog | Year-round (unprotected) | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Beaver | Year-round (unprotected) | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Nutria | Year-round (unprotected) | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
From the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division 2026-27 big game seasons, either-sex days and small game seasons, checked October 13, 2026.
Carroll County: WMAs plus other public acres
For public hunting near Carroll County, start with the areas on the map, all in surrounding counties. Lighter pins mark Chattahoochee Bend State Park and Tallapoosa River WMA, which sit outside Carroll County.
| Nearby area | Type | Acres | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chattahoochee Bend State Park | State park | 2,910 | 11 miles |
| Tallapoosa River WMA | WMA | 5,215 | 21 miles |
| J.L. Lester WMA | WMA | 477 | 26 miles |
| Treat Mountain WMA | WMA | 7,260 | 27 miles |
| Paulding Forest WMA | WMA | 28,183 | 27 miles |
Public land from WRD area listings in the 2026-27 guide, the WRD WMA boundary layer, USFS, USFWS and Corps pages, checked October 13, 2026. Acres within 10 miles of the county seat are a GIS measure. All Georgia public land · Quota hunts.
Carroll County deer: Game Check reports by season
Hunters reported 2,360 deer from Carroll County through Game Check in 2025-26: 1,315 bucks and 1,045 does. WRD’s compliance-adjusted estimate is 3,145, or 4.68 deer per square mile (46th by density). That is 55% above the 2016-17 report of 1,519; the best season in the series was 2024-25 at 2,556. With firearms season still ahead, 2026-27 reports reached 327 by Oct. 12.
| Season | Game Check total | Antlered | Antlerless | Adjusted estimate | Deer/sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 (to Oct. 12) | 327 | 118 | 209 | 448 | 0.65 |
| 2025-26 | 2,360 | 1,315 | 1,045 | 3,145 | 4.68 |
| 2024-25 | 2,556 | 1,465 | 1,091 | 3,476 | 5.07 |
| 2023-24 | 2,319 | 1,263 | 1,056 | 2,770 | 4.60 |
| 2022-23 | 2,068 | 1,166 | 902 | 2,770 | 4.11 |
| 2021-22 | 1,861 | 1,102 | 759 | 2,431 | 3.69 |
| 2020-21 | 2,016 | 1,144 | 872 | 2,607 | 4.00 |
| 2019-20 | 1,768 | 994 | 774 | 2,498 | 3.51 |
| 2018-19 | 1,570 | 901 | 669 | 2,245 | 3.12 |
| 2017-18 | 1,589 | 964 | 625 | 2,219 | 3.15 |
| 2016-17 | 1,519 | 850 | 669 | 2,062 | 3.02 |
WRD DeerHarvestReports service and deer harvest dashboard (county summary; 2026-27 through Oct. 12, 2026 and provisional). Adjusted values and per-square-mile figures are WRD’s. Checked October 13, 2026.
Beyond deer: Carroll County harvest figures
Carroll County produced 121 reported toms in 2026; its best spring since 2016 was 2020 with 135. The limit is one gobbler a day and two a season; only gobblers may be taken.
| Year | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gobblers | 93 | 77 | 99 | 112 | 99 | 121 |
Bears in Carroll County
For Carroll County, only the zone total exists: 326 bears in the Northern zone in 2025.
| Season | Northern zone |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 326 |
| 2024 | 499 |
| 2023 | 306 |
| 2022 | 435 |
| 2021 | 363 |
Turkey: WRD Turkey Harvest service (Game Check, not adjusted). Bears: WRD bear harvest by zone. Checked October 13, 2026.
After the shot in Carroll County: who to call
Distances are straight-line miles from the middle of Carroll County.
Taking a deer in
For a mount
Guides and plantations
Where to buy a license
Region offices
Processors: Georgia Hunters for the Hungry, WRD CWD drop-off sites and directory listings; shops from the Go Outdoors Georgia license agent locator and directories; guides from Discover Georgia Outdoors; offices from WRD, DNR Law Enforcement and USFS. Checked October 13, 2026; call ahead. All Georgia hunting services.
Carroll County: daily hunting hours
In Georgia, legal hunting hours run from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. Doves, ducks and other migratory birds stop at sunset.
Worked out for Carroll County 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.
Carroll County base towns and next-door counties
Population figures come from the Census 2024 estimates; unincorporated places have none.
- Carrolltoncounty seat · 28,306 residents
Adjacent Georgia counties: 6; across the state line, Cleburne (AL) and Randolph (AL).
Towns: Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
Fires, permits and bans around Carroll County
- Permit season: Year-round.
- Georgia EPD Summer Burn Ban counties (May 1 to Sep 30): Carroll County is on this list.
- Ban orders: (1) The State Forester/GFC Director may order outdoor burning banned in one or more counties when drought or other conditions make burning unusually hazardous (O.C.G.A.
- Fires on public land: Georgia DNR WMAs: Rule 391-4-2-.60(8) allows camping and other recreational use year-round unless indicated or posted otherwise at the check station or site.
Carroll County: where to shoot
Carroll County holds 4 listed ranges; none of them is on the WRD list.
Lines for handgun, rifle and shotgun
Lines for rifle, handgun, smallbore, benchrest and shotgun
Lines for trap, skeet, 5-stand, rifle, handgun, smallbore, muzzleloader and archery
Lines for archery and 3D archery
J.L. Lester Archery Range in Polk County is the nearest WRD range, about 26 miles. Open it
Upcoming in Carroll County
| When, name | Type | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 18, 2027 · Indoor Shoot • | 3D archery | Listed here |
Ranges from the WRD range list and directory listings, checked October 13, 2026.
Carroll County, dinners, courses and trials
NWTF banquet account for 1 upcoming event here.
Upcoming
| Date | Event | Where | Sign up | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 4, 2027 | Little Tallapoosa River Chapter · NWTF banquet | Carrollton, Carroll Co. | Buy tickets | Source |
Carroll County FAQ
Can I bring a deer from another state into Carroll County?
Only boned meat, hides without heads, clean antlers and skulls, and finished taxidermy.
Is a blaze orange hat enough in Carroll County?
Only if your outer garments total 500 square inches above the waist.
When can I shoot a doe in Carroll County?
Carroll County is in the Green zone: 88 firearms days are either sex, the whole season plus Oct. 3-4. Archery and primitive weapons are either sex.
Where can I get a deer cut and wrapped in Carroll County?
Our list puts North's Deer Processing, Jeffers Meat Processing Plant and We Want Your Bucks Deer Proces closest.
How many gobblers can I take in Carroll County?
One a day and two a season, statewide.
What was the best recent deer season in Carroll County?
2024-25, with 2,556 deer reported through Game Check.
Which public tracts are closest to Carroll County?
Chattahoochee Bend State Park (11 miles), Tallapoosa River WMA (21 miles) and J.L. Lester WMA (26 miles).
Can I use dogs for bears in Carroll County?
No, except the Chattahoochee and Chestatee WMA dog-bear quota hunt.
Does the Outdoors GA app work without signal in Carroll County?
Yes, Game Check in the app works without cell service.
Answers drawn from the 2026-27 Georgia hunting guide, big game seasons, harvest reporting rules, WRD Game Check data and the sources cited above. Checked October 13, 2026.
Loose ends before Carroll County
Quota hunt deadlines come early; apply through Go Outdoors Georgia well ahead.
Sources: WRD 2026-27 hunting guide (PDF), big game seasons, Georgia Wildlife Resources Division, Census and the agencies linked in each section. Checked October 13, 2026.
Other photos on this page: GerryT (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public Domain Mark 1.0); TonySprezzatura (CC BY-SA 2.0); Ligocsicnarf89 (CC BY 4.0); The Hendersons Paradox (CC BY-SA 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); AcrylicArtist (CC BY 2.0); YoungSue (Public Domain Mark 1.0).