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Blue Ridge Ranger District (Chattahoochee National Forest) Hunting Guide
Blue Ridge Ranger District (Chattahoochee National Forest), 302,238 acres in Union, Lumpkin, Fannin, Towns and 3 more counties: black bears, whitetails, gobblers and squirrels and rabbits, this season's dates, Game Check harvest, rules and the ground nearby.
Photo: StephenGA (CC0 1.0)
Blue Ridge Ranger District by the numbers
Kind of ground: ranger district of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests. Where: Union, Lumpkin, Fannin, Towns and 3 more counties. The Gainesville regional office (Region 2) is the WRD contact. It is run by the USDA Forest Service. With 302,238 acres, it sits at 1st of 4 ranger districts by acreage. Blairsville is the closest town with a guide here, about 9 miles away; the area lies southwest of it. Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests is the parent area.
Blue Ridge Ranger District, county by county
| County | Courthouse town | Population 2024 | Doe-day zone | Bear zone | Alligator zone | Deer 2025-26 (reported) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County | Blairsville | 27,601 | Cyan | Northern | — | 1,755 |
| Lumpkin County | Dahlonega | 36,016 | Orange | Northern | — | 1,172 |
| Fannin County | Blue Ridge | 25,854 | Cyan | Northern | — | 1,740 |
| Towns County | Hiawassee | 13,184 | Yellow | Northern | — | 505 |
| Gilmer County | Ellijay | 33,327 | Orange | Northern | — | 1,417 |
| Dawson County | Dawsonville | 33,748 | Orange | Northern | — | 874 |
| White County | Cleveland | 29,668 | Orange | Northern | — | 1,092 |
From the source page (USFS EDW Lands Area Statistics (USDA Forest Service ownership in the district, sum of gis_acres)); counties and zones from the WRD county zone tables; county deer counts from WRD Game Check; population from the Census 2024 estimates. Checked October 13, 2026.
Dates WRD set for Blue Ridge Ranger District
This year's listing gives Blue Ridge Ranger District 14 lines of dates: bear, deer (east of I-75), deer (west of I-75), turkey, small game and waterfowl.
| Game | Segment | When | Flags | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear | Archery | Sept. 12-Oct. 9, Jan. 2-10 | — | |
| Bear | Primitive | Oct. 10-16 | — | |
| Bear | Firearms | Oct. 17-Jan. 1 | — | |
| Deer (East of I-75) | Archery | Buck Only: Sept. 12-Oct. 9, Jan. 2-10 | — | |
| Deer (East of I-75) | Primitive | Buck Only: Oct. 10-16 | — | |
| Deer (East of I-75) | Firearms | Buck Only: Oct. 17-Jan. 1 | — | |
| Deer (West of I-75) | Archery | Sept. 12-Oct. 9, Jan. 2-10 | — | |
| Deer (West of I-75) | Primitive | Oct. 10-16 | — | |
| Deer (West of I-75) | Firearms | Buck Only (except during county either-sex days): Oct. 17-Jan. 1 | — | |
| Turkey | — | Apr. 3-May 15 | — | Bag Limit: 1 gobbler |
| Small game | — | State Seasons | — | |
| Small game | Quail (West of i-75) | Jan. 1-31 | — | |
| Waterfowl | — | State Seasons | — | |
| Dog training | — | Aug. 1-Sept. 7, Jan. 2-March 31, 2027 | — |
Dates and symbols from the 2026-27 Georgia regulations listing, wording as printed by the source. Checked October 13, 2026.
How many deer come off Blue Ridge Ranger District
Blue Ridge Ranger District does not appear in the WRD harvest layers by name, so county totals stand in.
| County | Reported deer | Estimated deer | Turkeys 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union | 1,755 | 2,133 | 169 |
| Lumpkin | 1,172 | 1,536 | 132 |
| Fannin | 1,740 | 2,128 | 175 |
| Towns | 505 | 620 | 78 |
| Gilmer | 1,417 | 1,731 | 151 |
| Dawson | 874 | 1,151 | 69 |
| White | 1,092 | 1,434 | 95 |
Legal bears around Blue Ridge Ranger District
| County | In 2022 | In 2023 | In 2024 | In 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union | 30 | 33 | 31 | 15 |
| Lumpkin | 44 | 32 | 50 | 49 |
| Fannin | 19 | 14 | 29 | 26 |
| Towns | 4 | 15 | 24 | 5 |
| Gilmer | 47 | 31 | 76 | 27 |
| Dawson | 27 | 29 | 28 | 31 |
| White | 72 | 36 | 59 | 38 |
Deer from WRD deer harvest reports, turkeys from WRD turkey harvest layer, bears from the WRD north Georgia bear summary; as of 2026-10-13. Checked October 13, 2026.
What Blue Ridge Ranger District requires
What applies here, card by card.
How Blue Ridge Ranger District works
Hunting on national forest land outside WMAs follows Georgia statewide seasons and licensing plus the national forest listings in the Georgia regulations; WMAs on the forest have their own WMA seasons and sign-in rules. No bear hunting with dogs outside designated WMAs. No shooting within 150 yards of a residence, building, campsite, developed recreation site or occupied area, or across a Forest Service road or body of water; no loaded weapons in vehicles; baiting prohibited.
- Hogs may be taken during daylight hours only
Licenses for Blue Ridge Ranger District
The free Harvest Record is mandatory for deer, bear, turkey and alligator, whatever license you hold.
Rules that follow you onto Blue Ridge Ranger District
Firearms and primitive weapons dates mean orange or pink on top, at least 500 square inches. Bait is legal on private land with permission, never on WMAs, VPAs, national forests or other public land. Within 24 hours, report big game and turkeys on Game Check.
Blue Ridge Ranger District up close
Quoted from the managing agency, then the lists that tie this page to others.
Notes from the Forest Service
Address: 2042 Highway 515 West, Blairsville, GA 30512; phone 706-745-6928. Other requirements apply, see Dog Training. On all National Forest lands, discharging a firearm or any implement capable of causing injury or property damage is prohibited within 150 yards of a residence, building, campsite, developed recreation site, or occupied area; across or on a Forest Service road; across any water body; or into or within a cave. Transportation of any loaded weapon in a motor vehicle is prohibited.
Coyotes may be taken during hunts using legal firearms or archery equipment for the specified game species; electronic calls are allowed; night hunting is prohibited. Placing, leaving, or depositing food, bait, or refuse in any manner likely to attract or concentrate wildlife — whether for hunting or viewing — is prohibited, as is failing to properly store food or refuse to prevent wildlife access. Hunting bears with dogs is prohibited on the Chattahoochee National Forest lands outside of designated WMAs.
Blue Ridge Ranger District: parent, units and overlapping ground
| Area | Category | Counties | Acres | Game Check deer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests | National forest | Rabun, Fannin, Union | 869,017 | 1,531 |
| Chattooga River Ranger District (Chattahoochee National Forest) | Ranger district | Rabun, White, Habersham | 261,439 | — |
| Conasauga Ranger District (Chattahoochee National Forest) | Ranger district | Murray, Fannin, Gilmer | 188,617 | — |
| Oconee Ranger District (Oconee National Forest) | Ranger district | Putnam, Jasper, Greene | 116,724 | 385 |
| Rich Mountain WMA | WMA | Gilmer, Fannin | 20,674 | 6 |
| Cooper's Creek WMA | WMA | Union, Fannin | 30,000 | 9 |
| Blue Ridge WMA | WMA | Fannin, Union, Lumpkin | 20,900 | 38 |
| Chestatee WMA | WMA | Lumpkin, White | 27,123 | 6 |
| Swallow Creek WMA | WMA | Towns | 19,000 | 6 |
Text and lists from the source page, USFS EDW, USFS EDW, Georgia regulations; retrieved 2026-10-13, checked October 13, 2026.
Blue Ridge Ranger District species and bags
Hunters come to Blue Ridge Ranger District for black bears, whitetails, gobblers, squirrels and rabbits, ducks and geese, feral hogs and coyotes.
White-tailed deer
Earliest listed: Buck Only: Sept. 12-Oct. 9, Jan. 2-10, archery.
Feral hog
Coyote
Species from the area record; bag limits from the WRD bag limit table. Checked October 13, 2026.
Blue Ridge Ranger District on the map, with its neighbours
Blue Ridge Ranger District sits at the orange pin, with 12 public neighbours inside 30 miles. Acres on file for the neighbours: 177,920.
| Nearby area | Kind | Size (ac) | Miles | Heading | Deer reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper's Creek WMA | WMA | 30,000 | 1 mi | south | 9 |
| Chestatee WMA | WMA | 27,123 | 8 mi | southeast | 6 |
| Blue Ridge WMA | WMA | 20,900 | 10 mi | southwest | 38 |
| Chattahoochee WMA | WMA | 25,150 | 15 mi | east | 17 |
| Rich Mountain WMA | WMA | 20,674 | 18 mi | west | 6 |
| Dukes Creek – Smithgall Woods State Park | State park | 4,500 | 18 mi | east | 18 |
| Cochrans Creek WMA | WMA | 2,057 | 19 mi | southwest | 1 |
| Swallow Creek WMA | WMA | 19,000 | 21 mi | east | 6 |
| Rich Mountain WMA: Cartecay Tract | WMA | 2,165 | 25 mi | west | 33 |
| Dawson Forest WMA | WMA | 25,658 | 25 mi | southwest | 33 |
| London Farms Dove Field | Dove field | 111 | 27 mi | southeast | — |
| Buck Shoals WMA | WMA | 582 | 28 mi | southeast | — |
Points from WRD, USFS, USFWS, NPS, DoD and Recreation.gov layers (USFS EDW Ranger District boundary (polygon centroid, Georgia portion)). Distances are straight-line. Statewide public land map.
Where to sight in near Blue Ridge Ranger District (Chattahoochee National Forest)
About 13 miles separates Blue Ridge Ranger District (Chattahoochee National Forest) from Union County Gun Range, the nearest WRD range. The other cards are private ranges within 30 miles.
Facilities: Pistol Range, Rifle Range, Paved Parking
Lines for skeet, sporting clays, 5-stand, rifle and muzzleloader
Lines for rifle, handgun, muzzleloader and air gun
From the WRD range list and the GA DNR range layer, checked October 13, 2026.
Blue Ridge Ranger District: nearest towns and businesses
Town guides first, then businesses in the same and neighbouring counties.
| Base town | County | Away | Residents | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blairsville | Union | 9 mi | 849 | 76,827 |
| Morganton | Fannin | 13 mi | 294 | 41,402 |
| Blue Ridge | Fannin | 17 mi | 1,246 | 45,909 |
| Dahlonega | Lumpkin | 18 mi | 7,830 | 28,679 |
Hunting guides for its counties: Union County, Lumpkin County, Fannin County, Towns County, Gilmer County, Dawson County, White County.
After the shot at Blue Ridge Ranger District
Offices for Blue Ridge Ranger District
Towns and populations from the Census 2024 estimates; public acres within 10 miles from WRD, USFS, USFWS and DoD layers; businesses from WRD lists, store locators and listings; offices from WRD, DNR Law Enforcement and USFS pages. Checked October 13, 2026. Call ahead.
Blue Ridge Ranger District hunting kit
Matched to the species on this page.
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Legal light at Blue Ridge Ranger District this week
Georgia shooting time starts a half hour before sunrise. Big game and small game end a half hour after sunset; doves and ducks end at sunset.
Worked out for Blue Ridge Ranger District 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.
Common Blue Ridge Ranger District questions
Is Blue Ridge Ranger District big enough for a full day?
Roughly 302,238 acres.
Which agency is in charge of Blue Ridge Ranger District?
The USDA Forest Service runs it as a ranger district of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests.
What paperwork does Blue Ridge Ranger District require?
Hunting on national forest land outside WMAs follows Georgia statewide seasons and licensing plus the national forest listings in the Georgia regulations; WMAs on the forest have their own WMA seasons and sign-in rules. No bear hunting with dogs outside designated WMAs. No shooting within 150 yards of a residence, building, campsite, developed recreation site or occupied area, or across a Forest S
Where do hunters stay for Blue Ridge Ranger District?
Start from Blairsville; the area is 9 miles off, in Union, Lumpkin, Fannin, Towns and 3 more counties.
When is turkey season on Blue Ridge Ranger District?
Apr. 3-May 15, per the 2026-27 listing. Limit on WMAs: 1 gobbler per area.
When does deer season open on Blue Ridge Ranger District?
Archery dates start Buck Only: Sept. 12-Oct. 9, Jan. 2-10. All later dates are in the table.
Are Blue Ridge Ranger District hunts limited?
No; the listing has no quota hunts.
What can be hunted at Blue Ridge Ranger District?
Listed game: black bears, whitetails, gobblers, squirrels and rabbits, ducks and geese, feral hogs and coyotes.
Where else can I go near Blue Ridge Ranger District?
Within reach are Cooper's Creek WMA (1 mile), Chestatee WMA (8 miles) and Blue Ridge WMA (10 miles), nearest first.
Which bear zone is Blue Ridge Ranger District in?
The Northern bear zone, and bear is on the area's game list.
How do I report a deer or gobbler from Blue Ridge Ranger District?
Record it on your Harvest Record, then report through Georgia Game Check within 24 hours (app, GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com or 1-800-366-2661).
Is blaze pink legal on Blue Ridge Ranger District?
In deer and bear gun hunts, wear 500 sq in of orange or blaze pink.
Blue Ridge Ranger District: confirm before you go
The manager has the last word on Blue Ridge Ranger District. Read its page and the WRD guide the week of your hunt.
Sources for this page: USFS: blue ridge ranger district · USFS EDW · USFS EDW · Georgia regulations: federal area regulations; regulations from the 2026-27 Georgia hunting regulations. Checked October 13, 2026.
Other photos on this page: USFWS/Southeast (Public domain); Maslowski, Steve, USFWS (Public domain).