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Clarks Hill WMA – West Hunting
Everything we could verify about Clarks Hill WMA – West: acreage, rules, dates, harvest and the ground nearby.
Photo: Jake Wasdin (CC BY 2.0)
Clarks Hill WMA West in brief
Sitting in McDuffie, Wilkes and Warren counties, Clarks Hill WMA – West is a wildlife management area run by WRD. Region 3 staff in Thomson cover it for WRD. It is run by the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division. By area (3,067 acres) it comes 72nd of the 121 WMAs. Roughly 7 miles separates it from Thomson, the closest town page on this site. Part of the multi-tract Clarks Hill WMA.
County context for Clarks Hill WMA West
| County | County seat | Population | Either-sex zone | Bear | Alligator | Game Check deer 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDuffie County | Thomson | 21,764 | Green | None | Zone 9 | 1,508 |
| Wilkes County | Washington | 9,567 | Green | None | — | 2,775 |
| Warren County | Warrenton | 5,148 | Green | None | Zone 9 | 2,034 |
From the source page (Georgia 2026-27 Hunting Regulations (eRegulations) area listing); 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.
The 2026-27 Clarks Hill WMA West hunt calendar
Game with dates here this year: deer, turkey, coyote, small game and waterfowl (7 lines in all).
| Game | Hunt | Dates | Symbols | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | Sept. 12-Oct. 9 | — | |
| Deer | Primitive | Oct. 10-16 | — | |
| Deer | Firearms | Oct. 17-Jan. 10 | — | |
| Turkey | — | Apr. 3-May 15 | — | |
| Coyote | — | May 16-31 | — | |
| Small game | — | State Seasons | — | |
| Waterfowl | — | — | — | Waterfowl allowed during state season dates that overlap with small game dates. |
Dates and symbols from the 2026-27 Georgia regulations listing, wording as printed by the source. Checked October 13, 2026.
Clarks Hill WMA West: rules before the first hunt
Area rules first, then licenses, orange and bait.
Getting in at Clarks Hill WMA West
Visitors 16+ carry either a Georgia hunting or fishing license or the Lands Pass. Big game and turkey hunters complete the online sign-in first, available a day early.
- No camping
License costs for Clarks Hill WMA West
Residents can skip the separate licenses with a Sportsman's License. Deer, bear and turkey hunters of any age carry the free Harvest Record.
Statewide rules at Clarks Hill WMA West
Georgia accepts blaze pink as well as orange: 500 square inches, worn above the waist, in gun and muzzleloader deer and bear hunts. Baiting is banned for any game or feral hog on state and federal land, WMAs and national forests included. Game Check reporting is due within 24 hours of harvest.
Finding Clarks Hill WMA West
From Thomson: Take U.S. 78 north 8.7 miles, make a U-turn and travel 0.2, turn right.
What hunters report from Clarks Hill WMA West
The 2025-26 Game Check total for Clarks Hill WMA West was 159 (83 antlered, 76 antlerless). High mark: 159 (2025-26). Low mark: 65 (2018-19). So far in 2026-27, 23 deer have been checked (season in progress). Spring 2026 brought 14 reported gobblers; the table sums to 119. Only reported animals appear here; WRD adjusts for non-reporting at county level, not per area.
Clarks Hill WMA West deer table
| Season | Bucks checked | Does checked | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 (in progress) | 11 | 12 | 23 |
| 2025-26 | 83 | 76 | 159 |
| 2024-25 | 82 | 49 | 131 |
| 2023-24 | 59 | 56 | 115 |
| 2022-23 | 58 | 49 | 107 |
| 2021-22 | 50 | 47 | 97 |
| 2020-21 | 54 | 45 | 99 |
| 2019-20 | 42 | 51 | 93 |
| 2018-19 | 31 | 34 | 65 |
| 2017-18 | 59 | 34 | 93 |
| 2016-17 | 41 | 48 | 89 |
Turkeys reported from Clarks Hill WMA West
| Season | Reported gobblers |
|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | 14 |
| Spring 2025 | 10 |
| Spring 2024 | 5 |
| Spring 2023 | 8 |
| Spring 2022 | 7 |
| Spring 2021 | 12 |
| Spring 2020 | 24 |
| Spring 2019 | 12 |
| Spring 2018 | 7 |
| Spring 2017 | 12 |
| Spring 2016 | 8 |
Deer from WRD deer harvest reports, turkeys from WRD turkey harvest layer; as of 2026-10-13. Checked October 13, 2026.
Game at Clarks Hill WMA West, with limits
The listing and the manager name whitetails, gobblers, coyotes, squirrels and rabbits and ducks and geese for Clarks Hill WMA West.
Ducks and geese
Species from the area record; bag limits from the WRD bag limit table. Checked October 13, 2026.
About the land at Clarks Hill WMA West
From the agency page, word for word.
In the agency's own words
Clarks Hill Wildlife Management Area – West is located in McDuffie, Wilkes, and Warren counties. This 3,067-acre property is owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and managed by the Georgia DNR-Wildlife Resources Division. It consists of the property bordering 3 tributaries entering Clarks Hill Lake from the western side: Little River, Big Creek, and Hart Creek. It offers hunting opportunities for deer, turkey, small game, and waterfowl. The habitat consists of rolling to steep terrain and is made up of mature mixed hardwood-pine woodlands with white and norther red oaks and loblolly pine.
This property is best accessed by boat from either the Little River boat ramp on U.S. Highway 78/GA Highway 17 or Clarks Hill Lake. This area is open for statewide hunting seasons and is not included in the specialty hunts offered on other WMAs. There is no camping offered on this WMA.
Related to Clarks Hill WMA West
| Area | Type | Where | Size (ac) | Deer checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J. Strom Thurmond Lake (Clarks Hill Lake) | Corps lake | McDuffie, Wilkes, Lincoln | — | 327 |
| Clarks Hill WMA – East | WMA | McDuffie, Wilkes, Lincoln | 10,224 | 159 |
Text and lists from the source page, Georgia regulations, WRD GIS, WRD GIS; retrieved 2026-10-13, checked October 13, 2026.
Clarks Hill WMA West plotted with nearby areas
Clarks Hill WMA West sits at the orange pin, with 11 public neighbours inside 30 miles. Published acres across them: 20,144.
| Neighbour | Type | Acres | Miles off | Direction | Deer, last season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany Creek WMA | WMA | 1,200 | 4 mi | northeast | 21 |
| Clarks Hill WMA – East | WMA | 10,224 | 4 mi | north | 159 |
| Mistletoe State Park | State park | 1,920 | 10 mi | northeast | — |
| Keg Creek WMA | WMA | 800 | 13 mi | east | 9 |
| McDuffie PFA | Public fishing area | 600 | 15 mi | southeast | — |
| Soap Creek WMA | WMA | 1,000 | 18 mi | north | 12 |
| Fishing Creek WMA | WMA | 2,900 | 20 mi | north | 18 |
| J. Strom Thurmond Lake (Clarks Hill Lake) | Corps lake | — | 20 mi | east | 327 |
| Fort Eisenhower (formerly Fort Gordon) | Army post | — | 23 mi | southeast | 189 |
| Richard B. Russell Lake | Corps lake | — | 26 mi | north | 121 |
| Lower Broad River WMA | WMA | 1,500 | 29 mi | north | 23 |
Points from WRD, USFS, USFWS, NPS, DoD and Recreation.gov layers (WRD WMA Boundary GIS (point inside polygon (centroid falls outside))). Distances are straight-line. Statewide public land map.
Clarks Hill WMA West: nearest towns and businesses
Closest towns first; businesses by county and distance.
| Town | County | Distance | People | Public acres, 10 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomson | McDuffie | 7 mi | 6,792 | 5,266 |
| Appling | Columbia | 13 mi | — | 3,795 |
| Warrenton | Warren | 14 mi | 1,887 | — |
| Lincolnton | Lincoln | 16 mi | 1,431 | 5,554 |
County guides: McDuffie County, Wilkes County, Warren County.
Services close to Clarks Hill WMA West
Agency offices by Clarks Hill WMA West
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.
Clarks Hill WMA – West: nearest ranges
For a public range, drive about 4 miles to Clarks Hill Archery Range. Closer private options sit beside it.
Facilities: 7 3D targets
Lines for archery and 3D archery
From the WRD range list and the GA DNR range layer, checked October 13, 2026.
First and last light at Clarks Hill WMA West
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 Clarks Hill WMA West 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.
Clarks Hill WMA West gear list
Chosen for the game hunted here; listings load when you click.
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Clarks Hill WMA West: what hunters ask
Which town makes a good base for Clarks Hill WMA West?
In McDuffie, Wilkes and Warren counties, about 7 miles from Thomson.
Is Clarks Hill WMA West big enough for a full day?
Published acreage: 3,067.
What is the sign-in rule at Clarks Hill WMA West?
Sign in through Go Outdoors Georgia before any deer, bear or turkey hunt.
Is a WMA license still needed for Clarks Hill WMA West?
Hunters carry their hunting license; non-hunting visitors 16+ need a fishing license or the $30.00 Lands Pass.
What turkey dates does Clarks Hill WMA West list?
The listing gives Apr. 3-May 15. The WMA bag is 1 gobbler per area per hunter.
What deer dates does Clarks Hill WMA West list?
The listing opens with archery: Sept. 12-Oct. 9. Later hunts are listed above.
Is hunting at Clarks Hill WMA West first come?
No quota lines are listed; hunt the dates shown under the area rules.
Which species can I hunt on Clarks Hill WMA West?
The record lists whitetails, gobblers, coyotes, squirrels and rabbits and ducks and geese.
How many deer are taken on Clarks Hill WMA West?
159 deer, 83 of them bucks, in Game Check for 2025-26.
Can I camp on Clarks Hill WMA West?
No, camping is not allowed.
What areas neighbour Clarks Hill WMA West?
Close by: Germany Creek WMA (4 miles), Clarks Hill WMA – East (4 miles) and Mistletoe State Park (10 miles), straight-line.
Which quota zone holds Clarks Hill WMA West?
Zone 9, quota permit holders only.
Clarks Hill WMA West, the last word
Double-check Clarks Hill WMA West with its manager: open areas, gates, sign-in and any drawn hunts.
Sources for this page: WRD: clarks hill west · Georgia regulations: wma regulations a c · WRD GIS · WRD GIS · WRD GIS; regulations from the 2026-27 Georgia hunting regulations. Checked October 13, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Alabama Extension (CC0 1.0); Peter Sheik (CC BY 2.0).