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Game Management Region 2
Madison County Hunting
A county guide to Madison County in northeast Georgia: deer and bear zones, every public tract, deer and turkey harvest rankings, towns, neighbours and nearby services.
Photo: Savannah District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CC BY 2.0)
Madison County, 282 square miles in northeast Georgia, is run from Danielsville and answers to the Gainesville region office. With about 32,771 residents in 2024, it averages near 116 people a square mile. 1 public area on the WRD, federal and Corps lists reach into the county, 1 WMA among them. Mapped public acreage inside 10 miles of Danielsville: about 436.
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.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Madison County
Madison County deer zone, bear zone and county rules
Green zone rules apply across Madison County, so a doe is legal on private land on all 88 firearms days, plus the full archery and primitive weapons seasons. The statewide season limit is 12 deer: up to 10 antlerless and up to 2 antlered.
Legal bucks
Only the statewide buck rule covers Madison County: one of the two antlered deer needs 4 points (1 inch+) on one antler or 15 inches of spread.
CWD here
No CWD rules beyond the statewide ones apply here; the Management Area is limited to Atkinson, Berrien, Lanier and Lowndes.
Feeding and bait
Over bait in Madison County? Fine on private land for deer and hogs if you carry written permission; illegal on public ground.
Black bear rules
Northern zone bears: archery from Sept. 12, primitive weapons Oct. 10-16 and firearms Oct. 17 to Jan. 10, without 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.
2026-27 calendar for Madison County land
Madison County falls in the Green either-sex zone, which decides the doe days on private land. The 26 rows below are every dated segment that applies there.
| Game | Season | Covers | Begins | Finishes | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Public tracts on the Madison County map
1 public area from the WRD, federal and Corps lists reach into Madison County. Acres for areas that cross county lines are the whole area. Short drives out of the county: Hart County WMA (24 miles), Richard B. Russell State Park (27 miles) and Tugaloo State Park (27 miles).
| Public land | Kind | Acres | Quota | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broad River WMA | WMA | 440 | — | deer, bear, turkey… |
Close outside the line: Hart County WMA (24 miles), Richard B. Russell State Park (27 miles), Tugaloo State Park (27 miles), Elbert County WMA (27 miles), Hartwell Lake (29 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.
How many deer Madison County produces
Madison County logged 2,078 deer in Game Check for 2025-26, 20th of Georgia’s 159 counties. Adjusting for hunters who never report, WRD estimates 2,784 deer, 28th statewide. In 2016-17 the county reported 1,817, so the change since is +14%. The in-progress 2026-27 bar shows 246 deer reported through Oct. 12.
| Year | Checked | Bucks | Does | Adjusted | Per sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 (to Oct. 12) | 246 | 91 | 155 | 337 | 0.86 |
| 2025-26 | 2,078 | 1,080 | 998 | 2,784 | 7.28 |
| 2024-25 | 2,637 | 1,367 | 1,270 | 3,609 | 9.23 |
| 2023-24 | 2,153 | 1,160 | 993 | 2,575 | 7.54 |
| 2022-23 | 1,999 | 1,080 | 919 | 2,690 | 7.00 |
| 2021-22 | 1,866 | 1,085 | 781 | 2,450 | 6.53 |
| 2020-21 | 2,160 | 1,188 | 972 | 2,802 | 7.56 |
| 2019-20 | 1,910 | 1,033 | 877 | 2,702 | 6.69 |
| 2018-19 | 2,173 | 1,128 | 1,045 | 3,133 | 7.61 |
| 2017-18 | 2,083 | 1,177 | 906 | 2,928 | 7.29 |
| 2016-17 | 1,817 | 1,013 | 804 | 2,468 | 6.36 |
Deer by WMA
| Area | 2025-26 | 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|
| Broad River WMA | 12 | 5 |
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.
Gobbler counts and bear data for Madison County
Reported spring harvest in Madison County: 23 gobblers in 2026, out of 12,634 statewide. Turkeys must be reported through Game Check within 24 hours, like deer and bears. WMA gobblers in 2026: Broad River WMA 1.
| Spring of | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkeys reported | 23 | 25 | 20 | 10 | 22 | 23 |
Black bear harvest
The 2022-2025 WRD summaries list no bears for Madison County.
| Year | Taken legally | Males | Females | Vehicle kills | Mortality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Turkey: WRD Turkey Harvest service (Game Check, not adjusted). Bears: WRD north Georgia harvest summaries (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025). Checked October 13, 2026.
Madison County game processing and agency desks
Georgia keeps no taxidermist or guide registry, so these come from WRD partners and directories; Madison County entries lead.
Butchering and processing
Hunters for the Hungry lists 2 of them as participating processors.
Taxidermists
Guides and preserves
Gear shops
WRD and ranger 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.
Legal light at Madison County this week
WRD’s rule: half an hour before sunrise until half an hour after sunset, with migratory birds ending right at sunset.
Worked out for Madison 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.
Madison County towns, plus bordering counties
Towns for Madison County hunters, starting from the courthouse town.
- Danielsvilleseat of county · 868 people · 436 mapped public acres in 10 miles
Madison County touches 7 other Georgia counties.
Towns: Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
Burning rules in Madison County
- When a permit is needed: Year-round.
- Georgia EPD Summer Burn Ban counties (May 1 to Sep 30): Madison County is on this list.
- Who declares bans: (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.
- Campfires while hunting: 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.
Madison County: where to shoot
No range turned up inside Madison County; the nearest three are measured from the county center.
Facilities: 7 Bow Butt Target Lanes, 3-D Trail
Lines for archery
About 12 miles away, Victoria Bryant Archery Range is the closest public range Georgia DNR lists. Full page
Ranges from the WRD range list and directory listings, checked October 13, 2026.
Madison County: short answers
What either-sex zone is Madison County in?
The Green zone, with 88 firearms either-sex days on private land.
How many deer did Madison County hunters report last season?
2,078 through Game Check in 2025-26; WRD scales that to 2,784 for non-reporting.
What was the 2026 turkey harvest in Madison County?
23 reported gobblers (0.08 per square mile).
What are the 2026-27 bear dates for Madison County?
Sept. 12, 2026 to Jan. 10, 2027 across archery, primitive weapons and firearms.
Which public tract in Madison County has the most acres?
Broad River WMA, at 440 acres counting any part outside the county.
May I hunt deer over a feeder in Madison County?
On private land, yes, for deer and feral hogs, as long as you have the landowner’s permission in writing. Never on public land.
What goes on the Harvest Record?
The date and county of the kill, before you move the animal, and later the Game Check confirmation number.
Do I need to wear orange in Madison County?
Yes, during primitive weapons and firearms deer and bear seasons: 500 square inches of orange or blaze pink above the waist.
Is Madison County in the CWD Management Area?
No.
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.
Packing up for Madison County
If anything here disagrees with the regulations guide, the guide wins.
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: ImagePerson (CC BY 4.0); irio.jyske (CC BY 2.0); Clinton Steeds (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (CC BY 2.0); chumlee10 (CC BY-SA 2.0); Yellowstone National Park (Public domain); USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Judy Gallagher (CC BY 2.0); watts_photos (CC BY 2.0).