Home › Georgia › Counties › Monroe County
Thomson region county guide
Monroe County Hunting
Monroe County sits in the Green either-sex zone and no bear zone. Here are its 2026-27 dates, public land, Game Check deer and turkey numbers and local services.
Photo: ChattOconeeNF (CC BY 2.0)
Monroe County (396 square miles of land) lies in east-central Georgia, with Forsyth as its county seat. Population in 2024: 31,437, up 12.4% from 2020. The public land list holds 4 records with ground in Monroe County, including Rum Creek WMA and Rum Creek WMA: Berry Creek Area. GIS puts around 4,780 public acres within a 10-mile radius of Forsyth.
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 Monroe County
Zones and special rules in Monroe County
In the Green zone, which covers Monroe County, every firearms day from Oct. 17 to Jan. 10 is either sex on private land, along with the Oct. 3-4 antlerless-only weekend. The Georgia season bag is 12 deer: no more than 10 antlerless and 2 antlered.
Two-buck limit
The county is not on the antler-restriction list. One of each hunter’s two bucks must still meet the 4-point or 15-inch standard.
Deer disease rules
CWD has not been found in or near Monroe County. Statewide, leave the carcass on the property, use a processor, or bag it for trash or a landfill.
Baiting
Georgia lets deer and hog hunters use bait on private land with written permission, and bans it on WMAs and federal land.
Bear season
No bear zone covers this county; bear hunting is closed.
Alligator quota hunt
The county is part of alligator Zone 3; average length of the 2024 harvest there was 93.9 inches.
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.
Monroe County private-land seasons, 2026-27
17 species and 24 season segments reach Monroe County. The status column checks each against today’s date.
| Species | Hunt type | Zone or scope | From | Through | Status today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| 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 |
| Alligator | Quota hunt (2026 season) | Zone 3 | Aug 14, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 | |
| 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.
Monroe County public hunting land
The table holds every listed public tract touching Monroe County, 4 in all; tracts marked “all” extend into other counties. Nearest across the boundary: Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge, Hitchiti Experimental Forest and Cedar Creek WMA.
| Tract | Managed as | Acreage | Quota hunts | Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rum Creek WMA | WMA | 5,800 | Yes | deer, turkey, dove… |
| Rum Creek WMA: Berry Creek Area | WMA | 161 | — | deer, turkey, coyote… |
| Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests | Federal | 869,017 whole area | — | bear, deer, turkey… |
| Oconee Ranger District (Oconee National Forest) | Federal | 116,724 whole area | — | deer, turkey, small game… |
Nearby areas outside the county: Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge (14 miles), Hitchiti Experimental Forest (15 miles), Cedar Creek WMA (27 miles), Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (27 miles), Clybel WMA (31 miles).
A WRD dove field is planted in Monroe County for the season. WRD dove fields.
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.
Monroe County deer harvest and state rank
The 2025-26 Game Check total for Monroe County was 1,340 deer, 49% of them does. Because not every deer is reported, WRD puts the true figure near 1,799 (3.37 per square mile). The high point of the decade was 2023-24, with 1,771 reported. The 2026-27 season is under way: 186 deer had been reported by Oct. 12, 2026.
| Season | Reported deer | Bucks | Does | WRD estimate | Density |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 (to Oct. 12) | 186 | 56 | 130 | 257 | 0.47 |
| 2025-26 | 1,340 | 679 | 661 | 1,799 | 3.37 |
| 2024-25 | 1,615 | 836 | 779 | 2,211 | 4.06 |
| 2023-24 | 1,771 | 900 | 871 | 2,130 | 4.45 |
| 2022-23 | 1,529 | 828 | 701 | 2,057 | 3.84 |
| 2021-22 | 1,552 | 867 | 685 | 2,060 | 3.90 |
| 2020-21 | 1,701 | 870 | 831 | 2,221 | 4.28 |
| 2019-20 | 1,605 | 842 | 763 | 2,272 | 4.04 |
| 2018-19 | 1,675 | 896 | 779 | 2,409 | 4.21 |
| 2017-18 | 1,544 | 854 | 690 | 2,175 | 3.88 |
| 2016-17 | 1,456 | 785 | 671 | 1,987 | 3.66 |
WMA deer harvest
| WMA | Deer 2025-26 | Deer 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|
| Rum Creek WMA | 36 | 38 |
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.
Turkey, bear and alligator harvest in Monroe County
Monroe County hunters reported 106 gobblers in spring 2026, 36th (tied) among Georgia counties. Georgia has no fall turkey season; spring runs Mar. 27 to May 15, 2027 on private land with a two-gobbler limit. Public-land birds checked in 2026 include 8 on Rum Creek WMA.
| Gobbler season | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gobblers reported | 83 | 58 | 72 | 76 | 93 | 106 |
Quota alligators
In 2024, Zone 3 produced 16 alligators; statewide, 408 were taken on 1,030 permits.
| Season | Zone 3 harvest | Avg length |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 16 | 93.9 |
| 2023 | 17 | 105.1 |
| 2021 | 16 | 88 |
Turkey: WRD Turkey Harvest service (Game Check, not adjusted). Alligators: WRD alligator reports. Checked October 13, 2026.
Monroe County venison, taxidermy and license stops
Businesses inside Monroe County are shown before those in bordering counties.
Meat processors
Donated venison reaches food banks through Georgia Hunters for the Hungry.
Taxidermy
Preserves and outfitters
Gun and bow shops
Agency 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.
Monroe County sunrise, sunset and shooting time
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 Monroe 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.
Monroe County town guides and adjacent counties
Monroe County has 4 town guides, each with its nearest WMAs, processors and shooting light.
- Forsythseat · 4,895 residents (2024) · 4,780 acres open to the public nearby
- Bolingbroke11,194 acres open to the public nearby
- Juliette61,012 acres open to the public nearby
- Smarr5,735 acres open to the public nearby
7 Georgia counties wrap around Monroe County.
Towns: Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
Monroe County burn ban and campfire rules
- Permit season: Year-round.
- Georgia EPD Summer Burn Ban counties (May 1 to Sep 30): Monroe County is on this list.
- Burn bans come from: (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.
Monroe County ranges and matches
The Monroe County list runs to 1 range; cards first, then any others in a table.
Lines for trap, skeet, sporting clays, 5-stand and shotgun
Public range nearest the county: Cedar Creek Shooting Range, Putnam County, 27 miles. Range page
Ranges from the WRD range list and directory listings, checked October 13, 2026.
Monroe County, dinners, courses and trials
NWTF banquet account for 1 upcoming event here.
On the calendar
| Dates | Name | Place | Entry | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 9, 2027 | Georgia State Chapter Awards Banquet · NWTF banquet | Forsyth, Monroe Co. | Buy tickets | Source |
Monroe County hunting questions
How many doe days does Monroe County get?
88 with a firearm in 2026-27, plus every archery and primitive weapons day.
Can a Monroe County hunter give venison to charity?
Yes, through Georgia Hunters for the Hungry at participating processors; the closest listed are Circle E Ranch, Wayside Deer Processing and Flint River Deer Processing.
How many turkeys are killed in Monroe County?
106 gobblers were reported in spring 2026.
Where does Monroe County rank for deer harvest?
68th of 159 counties by Game Check reports in 2025-26 (1,340 deer).
Which wildlife management areas reach Monroe County?
Rum Creek WMA and Rum Creek WMA: Berry Creek Area.
Are black bears hunted in Monroe County?
No. The nearest bear hunting is in the zone counties shown on the bear zone page.
How do I report a deer killed in Monroe County?
Record it on your Harvest Record before moving it, then report through Game Check within 24 hours.
Can I hunt deer over corn in Monroe County?
On private land, yes, if you have written permission from the landowner.
When was CWD found in Georgia?
January 2025, in a hunter-harvested deer from Lanier County.
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.
Monroe County trip checklist
Zone lines in Monroe County follow county borders and a few highways, so check the either-sex map before you tag a doe.
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: ChattOconeeNF (CC BY 2.0); USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0); ChattOconeeNF (CC BY 2.0); US Forest Service – Southern Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); US Forest Service – Southern Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Forest Service Photography (Public Domain Mark 1.0); GerryT (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Mountain Prairie (CC BY 2.0); gailhampshire (CC BY 2.0).