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2026-27 · Orange zone
Pickens County Hunting
Built from the 2026-27 Georgia regulations and Game Check: zone rules for Pickens County, public land, harvest history, sunrise times and businesses that serve hunters.
Photo: Thomson20192 (CC0 1.0)
Pickens County belongs to WRD Game Management Region 1 and spans 232 square miles around Jasper. Its 2024 Census estimate is 36,580 residents (+10.1% since 2020). No WMA, park or federal tract on the public list lies inside Pickens County, so public hunting means driving to a neighbour. Jasper has roughly 7,843 public acres within 10 miles, by GIS measure.
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 Pickens County
Pickens County: doe days, bears, gators and bait
In Pickens County, a Orange zone county, a firearms hunter can take a doe on just 28 days: Nov 6-Nov 12, Nov 20-Nov 26 and Dec 28-Jan 10. The season limit counts all of Georgia: 12 deer, with a cap of 2 bucks and 10 antlerless.
Every county in the Orange 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
Pickens 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
Pickens 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.
Pickens County: dates for every game animal
From the September archery opener through the last rabbit days, 30 segments apply to Pickens 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) | Orange zone | Sep 12, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Primitive Weapons (Either-Sex) | Orange 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 (Antlered Bucks Only) | Orange zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 5, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms (Either-Sex) | Orange zone | Nov 6, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms (Antlered Bucks Only) | Orange zone | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 19, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms (Either-Sex) | Orange zone | Nov 20, 2026 | Nov 26, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms (Antlered Bucks Only) | Orange zone | Nov 27, 2026 | Dec 27, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms (Either-Sex) | Orange zone | Dec 28, 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.
Pickens County: WMAs plus other public acres
For public hunting near Pickens County, start with the areas on the map, all in surrounding counties. Lighter pins mark McGraw Ford WMA and Rich Mountain WMA: Cartecay Tract, which sit outside Pickens County.
| Nearby area | Type | Acres | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| McGraw Ford WMA | WMA | 2,067 | 13 miles |
| Rich Mountain WMA: Cartecay Tract | WMA | 2,165 | 13 miles |
| Carter's Lake WMA | WMA | 3,300 | 14 miles |
| Dawson Forest WMA | WMA | 25,658 | 15 miles |
| Carters Lake | Corps lake | — | 16 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.
Pickens County deer: Game Check reports by season
Hunters reported 1,068 deer from Pickens County through Game Check in 2025-26: 662 bucks and 406 does. WRD’s compliance-adjusted estimate is 1,411, or 4.59 deer per square mile (51st by density). That is 107% above the 2016-17 report of 515; the best season in the series was 2025-26 at 1,068. With firearms season still ahead, 2026-27 reports reached 189 by Oct. 12.
| Season | Game Check total | Antlered | Antlerless | Adjusted estimate | Deer/sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 (to Oct. 12) | 189 | 86 | 103 | 256 | 0.81 |
| 2025-26 | 1,068 | 662 | 406 | 1,411 | 4.59 |
| 2024-25 | 1,050 | 635 | 415 | 1,423 | 4.51 |
| 2023-24 | 884 | 551 | 333 | 1,040 | 3.80 |
| 2022-23 | 822 | 547 | 275 | 1,078 | 3.53 |
| 2021-22 | 667 | 472 | 195 | 823 | 2.87 |
| 2020-21 | 684 | 478 | 206 | 864 | 2.94 |
| 2019-20 | 675 | 445 | 230 | 950 | 2.90 |
| 2018-19 | 697 | 411 | 286 | 994 | 3.00 |
| 2017-18 | 560 | 365 | 195 | 776 | 2.41 |
| 2016-17 | 515 | 321 | 194 | 687 | 2.21 |
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: Pickens County harvest figures
Pickens County produced 105 reported toms in 2026; its best spring since 2016 was 2024 with 148. The limit is one gobbler a day and two a season; only gobblers may be taken.
| Year | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gobblers | 123 | 109 | 127 | 148 | 125 | 105 |
Bears in Pickens County
47 bears were legally taken in Pickens County from 2022 to 2025, 14 of them in 2025.
| Season | Legal bears | Male | Female | Road-kill | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| 2023 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 8 |
| 2024 | 21 | 9 | 12 | 3 | 25 |
| 2025 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 15 |
Turkey: WRD Turkey Harvest service (Game Check, not adjusted). Bears: WRD north Georgia harvest summaries (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025). Checked October 13, 2026.
After the shot in Pickens County: who to call
Distances are straight-line miles from the middle of Pickens County.
Taking a deer in
Processors from the Georgia Wildlife Federation list accept Hunters for the Hungry donations.
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.
Pickens 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 Pickens 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.
Pickens County base towns and next-door counties
Population figures come from the Census 2024 estimates; unincorporated places have none.
- Jaspercounty seat · 5,289 residents · 7,843 public acres within a 10-mile radius
Adjacent Georgia counties: 5.
Towns: Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
Burn bans and permits in Pickens County
- Permit season: Year-round.
- Georgia EPD Summer Burn Ban counties (May 1 to Sep 30): Pickens 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.
- Warming fires: 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.
Pickens County: where to shoot
Pickens County holds 2 listed ranges; none of them is on the WRD list.
Lines for rifle, handgun, smallbore, action pistol and benchrest
Lines for trap, skeet, 5-stand, rifle, handgun, smallbore, muzzleloader, archery and shotgun
Rich Mountain: Cartecay Tract Archery Range in Gilmer County is the nearest WRD range, about 14 miles. Open it
Upcoming in Pickens County
| When, name | Type | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 29, 2026 · USPSA Match Night – Mountain City Practical Shooters at Appalachian Gun, Pawn & Range | USPSA | Sign up |
| Nov 3, 2026 · Tactical Tuesday (Ladies Only) at Appalachian Gun, Pawn & Range | Class | Listed here |
| Nov 5, 2026 · USPSA Match Night – Mountain City Practical Shooters at Appalachian Gun, Pawn & Range | USPSA | Sign up |
| Nov 12, 2026 · USPSA Match Night – Mountain City Practical Shooters at Appalachian Gun, Pawn & Range | USPSA | Sign up |
| Nov 14, 2026 · Defensive Shooting Fundamentals 201 at Appalachian Gun, Pawn & Range | Class | Sign up |
| Nov 19, 2026 · USPSA Match Night – Mountain City Practical Shooters at Appalachian Gun, Pawn & Range | USPSA | Sign up |
Ranges from the WRD range list and directory listings, checked October 13, 2026.
Pickens County FAQ
Can I bring a deer from another state into Pickens County?
Only boned meat, hides without heads, clean antlers and skulls, and finished taxidermy.
Is a blaze orange hat enough in Pickens County?
Only if your outer garments total 500 square inches above the waist.
When can I shoot a doe in Pickens County?
Pickens County is in the Orange zone: 28 firearms days are either sex (Nov 6-Nov 12, Nov 20-Nov 26 and Dec 28-Jan 10). Archery and primitive weapons are either sex.
Where can I get a deer cut and wrapped in Pickens County?
Our list puts Tailscreek Processing LLC, Franguno's Wild Cuts and Sheriff's Meat Processing closest.
How many gobblers can I take in Pickens County?
One a day and two a season, statewide.
What was the best recent deer season in Pickens County?
2025-26, with 1,068 deer reported through Game Check.
Which public tracts are closest to Pickens County?
McGraw Ford WMA (13 miles), Rich Mountain WMA: Cartecay Tract (13 miles) and Carter's Lake WMA (14 miles).
Can I use dogs for bears in Pickens County?
No, except the Chattahoochee and Chestatee WMA dog-bear quota hunt.
Does the Outdoors GA app work without signal in Pickens 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 Pickens 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: Jonas N. Jordan, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Public domain); sgharvey (CC BY 2.0); ZionNPS (CC BY 2.0); Charles Patrick Ewing (CC BY 2.0); Joe K Gage (CC BY-SA 2.0); Nicholas A. Tonelli (CC0 1.0); Ligocsicnarf89 (CC BY 4.0).