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2026-27 · Green zone
Talbot County Hunting
Built from the 2026-27 Georgia regulations and Game Check: zone rules for Talbot County, public land, harvest history, sunrise times and businesses that serve hunters.
Photo: Ken Lund (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Talbot County belongs to WRD Game Management Region 5 and spans 391 square miles around Talbotton. Its 2024 Census estimate is 5,755 residents (+0.4% since 2020). 4 public areas have ground in the county; 3 are WMAs. Talbotton has roughly 20,519 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 Talbot County
Talbot County: doe days, bears, gators and bait
Talbot 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 restriction
Small bucks are off limits in Talbot County; each one needs 4 points (1 in.+) on either antler or 15-in. outside spread.
CWD status
Talbot 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
There is no open bear season here.
Alligator permits
Alligators are hunted here by quota permit in Zone 1, where hunters took 29 in 2024.
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.
Talbot County: dates for every game animal
From the September archery opener through the last rabbit days, 24 segments apply to Talbot 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 | |
| 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 1 | 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.
Talbot County: WMAs plus other public acres
Talbot County has 4 listed public areas; the map pins them along with 5 close by over the county line. Lighter pins mark Sprewell Bluff WMA: East and Sandhills WMA: West, which sit outside Talbot County.
| Area | Type | Acres | Quota hunts | Game listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Lazer Creek WMA | WMA | 7,200 (all) | Yes | deer, turkey, coyote… |
| Chattahoochee Fall Line WMA: Almo Tract | WMA | 6,700 (all) | Yes | deer, dove, turkey… |
| Sprewell Bluff WMA: West | WMA | 6,571 (all) | — | deer, turkey, coyote… |
| Upatoi Ravines Natural Area | Other | 9,500 | Yes | deer, turkey, small game |
Also near the county: Sprewell Bluff WMA: East (11 miles), Sandhills WMA: West (13 miles), Chattahoochee Fall Line WMA: Fort Perry Tract (14 miles), Chattahoochee Fall Line WMA: VPA Tracts (15 miles), F.D. Roosevelt State Park (16 miles).
There is a state-managed dove field in Talbot County. Dove field list.
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.
Talbot County deer: Game Check reports by season
Hunters reported 1,914 deer from Talbot County through Game Check in 2025-26: 927 bucks and 987 does. WRD’s compliance-adjusted estimate is 2,577, or 4.85 deer per square mile (37th by density). That is 10% below the 2016-17 report of 2,133; the best season in the series was 2016-17 at 2,133. With firearms season still ahead, 2026-27 reports reached 162 by Oct. 12.
| Season | Game Check total | Antlered | Antlerless | Adjusted estimate | Deer/sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 (to Oct. 12) | 162 | 41 | 121 | 225 | 0.41 |
| 2025-26 | 1,914 | 927 | 987 | 2,577 | 4.85 |
| 2024-25 | 1,934 | 950 | 984 | 2,656 | 4.90 |
| 2023-24 | 2,084 | 1,025 | 1,059 | 2,515 | 5.28 |
| 2022-23 | 1,798 | 820 | 978 | 2,460 | 4.55 |
| 2021-22 | 1,801 | 898 | 903 | 2,458 | 4.56 |
| 2020-21 | 1,885 | 859 | 1,026 | 2,485 | 4.78 |
| 2019-20 | 1,678 | 786 | 892 | 2,381 | 4.25 |
| 2018-19 | 1,698 | 825 | 873 | 2,460 | 4.30 |
| 2017-18 | 1,872 | 968 | 904 | 2,652 | 4.74 |
| 2016-17 | 2,133 | 888 | 1,245 | 3,006 | 5.40 |
Deer checked on public land in Talbot County
| WMA | 2025 season | 2024 season |
|---|---|---|
| Big Lazer Creek WMA | 51 | 25 |
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: Talbot County harvest figures
Talbot County produced 93 reported toms in 2026; its best spring since 2016 was 2020 with 172. The limit is one gobbler a day and two a season; only gobblers may be taken. On public land, Big Lazer Creek WMA (8) reported birds in 2026.
| Year | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gobblers | 140 | 96 | 130 | 103 | 87 | 93 |
Alligator harvest
Alligator Zone 1, which includes Talbot County, gave up 29 gators in 2024.
| Year | Gators taken | Mean length (in) |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 29 | 115.9 |
| 2023 | 42 | 115.5 |
| 2021 | 30 | 116 |
Turkey: WRD Turkey Harvest service (Game Check, not adjusted). Alligators: WRD alligator reports. Checked October 13, 2026.
After the shot in Talbot County: who to call
Distances are straight-line miles from the middle of Talbot 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.
Talbot 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 Talbot 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.
Talbot County base towns and next-door counties
Population figures come from the Census 2024 estimates; unincorporated places have none.
- Talbottoncounty seat · 738 residents · 20,519 public acres within a 10-mile radius
- Box Springs27,131 public acres within a 10-mile radius
- Woodland303 residents · 15,324 public acres within a 10-mile radius
Adjacent Georgia counties: 7.
Towns: Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; adjacency from the Census county adjacency file.
Before you burn in Talbot County
- Burn permit: Year-round.
- Georgia EPD Summer Burn Ban counties (May 1 to Sep 30): Talbot County is not 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.
- 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.
Talbot County: where to shoot
Talbot County holds 3 listed ranges, including Big Lazer Creek Shooting Range from the WRD list.
Facilities: 100-yard Range
Lines for rifle, handgun and smallbore
Lines for trap, skeet, sporting clays, 5-stand, steel and shotgun
Ranges from the WRD range list and directory listings, checked October 13, 2026.
Talbot County, dinners, courses and trials
Adaptive hunt account for 1 upcoming event here.
Upcoming
| Date | Event | Where | Sign up | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 20–21, 2026 | Adaptive/Supported Hunt – DEER at Fort Perry East · Adaptive hunt | Fort Perry East, Box Springs, Talbot Co. | Apply | Source |
Talbot County FAQ
Does the Outdoors GA app work without signal in Talbot County?
Yes, Game Check in the app works without cell service.
Do I need permission to hunt over bait in Talbot County?
Yes, written permission from the landowner.
Can I bring a deer from another state into Talbot County?
Only boned meat, hides without heads, clean antlers and skulls, and finished taxidermy.
Is a blaze orange hat enough in Talbot County?
Only if your outer garments total 500 square inches above the waist.
Where can I get a deer cut and wrapped in Talbot County?
Our list puts Chapmans Johnny Deer Processing & Fishing Guide Service, Hadley's Taxidermy & Deer Processing and Circle Inn Taxidermy & Deer Processing closest.
Are alligators hunted in Talbot County?
Yes, by quota permit holders in Zone 1.
What was the best recent deer season in Talbot County?
2016-17, with 2,133 deer reported through Game Check.
When can I shoot a doe in Talbot County?
Talbot 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.
Does Talbot County have any bear hunting dates?
None. WRD opens bears only in the three zone groups of counties.
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 Talbot 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: Sitimans (CC BY-SA 2.0); fishhawk (CC BY 2.0); Frank.Vassen (CC BY 2.0); Airwolfhound (CC BY-SA 2.0); ilouque (CC BY 2.0); Michael Fraley (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Headquarters (CC BY 2.0); chumlee10 (CC BY-SA 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (CC BY 2.0).