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Wildlife refuge, southwest Georgia
Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge A Hunter's Guide
11,184 acres of wildlife refuge in Stewart and Quitman counties, with 2026-27 dates, harvest numbers, licenses and a map.
Photo: Shawn Taylor (CC BY 2.0)
Eufaula NWR season dates, 2026-27
3 lines in this season's WRD listing apply to Eufaula NWR: deer and waterfowl. The quota lines (1) add up to 16 hunters. Also marked: 1 bonus deer line and 1 youth line.
| Game | Type | Dates | Marks | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | Sept. 12-Jan. 10 | — | |
| Deer | Firearms | Oct. 3, 17 | Youth Bonus deer | |
| Waterfowl | — | — | Quota 16 | Wed. during state season. Shotshell limit of 25. Check with Refuge office for dates. |
Dates and symbols from the 2026-27 Georgia regulations listing, wording as printed by the source. Checked October 13, 2026.
Eufaula NWR by the numbers
Think of Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge as a national wildlife refuge with a hunt program spread over Stewart and Quitman counties. WRD handles it out of the Albany office (Game Management Region 5). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages it. Its 11,184 acres put it 4th by size among 9 refuges on our list. The nearest covered town is Georgetown, around 10 miles off in a straight line.
Eufaula NWR, county by county
| County | Seat of county | People | Either-sex colour | Bear zone | Alligator | Deer checked, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stewart County | Lumpkin | 4,809 | Green | None | Zone 1 | 2,342 |
| Quitman County | Georgetown | 2,323 | Green | None | Zone 1 | 718 |
From the source page (USFWS refuge page ("the 11,184-acre refuge", Alabama and Georgia)); 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.
Deer and turkeys taken on Eufaula NWR
In 2025-26 the reported take on Eufaula NWR reached 30. The best season on the chart is 2017-18 at 48; the lowest, 20 in 2018-19. Early 2026-27 figure, still climbing: 3. The spring 2016 turkey count for Eufaula NWR was 2, out of 2 across the years shown. Treat them as a floor. They are Game Check entries, not adjusted totals.
Deer counts, Eufaula NWR
| Season | Antlered | Antlerless | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 (in progress) | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 2025-26 | 18 | 12 | 30 |
| 2024-25 | 15 | 13 | 28 |
| 2023-24 | 18 | 19 | 37 |
| 2022-23 | 20 | 13 | 33 |
| 2021-22 | 13 | 16 | 29 |
| 2020-21 | 14 | 15 | 29 |
| 2019-20 | 16 | 31 | 47 |
| 2018-19 | 11 | 9 | 20 |
| 2017-18 | 26 | 22 | 48 |
| 2016-17 | 14 | 11 | 25 |
Spring gobblers at Eufaula NWR
| Year | Gobblers |
|---|---|
| Spring 2016 | 2 |
Deer from WRD deer harvest reports, turkeys from WRD turkey harvest layer; as of 2026-10-13. Checked October 13, 2026.
Eufaula NWR described
Nothing here is our wording: it is the manager's own description.
Agency description
Main unit about 7 miles north of Eufaula, Alabama, along both banks of the Chattahoochee River (Walter F. George Lake). Two impounded areas are managed for waterfowl, one in Alabama and one in Georgia. DNR Law Enforcement: hunting on the Georgia side is mainly in the Bradley Unit. Youth hunts for ages 10-15. Closed to alligator hunting; no May 16-31 coyote and hog season.
Linked ground around Eufaula NWR
| Area | Type | Counties | Acres | Deer 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walter F. George Lake (Lake Eufaula) | Corps lake | Clay, Quitman | — | 1 |
Text and lists from the source page, USFWS, FWS realty layer, Georgia regulations; retrieved 2026-10-13, checked October 13, 2026.
Eufaula NWR licenses and access
Ground rules, then the paperwork.
Eufaula NWR ground rules
Refuge permit required. Apply Aug. 1 to Sept. 15 for all quota hunts; user fees must be prepaid. Quota waterfowl hunters are assigned blinds and may bring up to two guests.
Eufaula NWR license checklist
Big game hunters add the Big Game License to a hunting license, or buy the Sportsman's, and always carry the free Harvest Record.
Three statewide rules for Eufaula NWR
Orange or blaze pink, 500 square inches above the waist, during primitive weapons and firearms deer and bear hunts. Hunting over bait is unlawful on every state or federal property, this one included. Every deer, turkey and bear goes into Game Check within 24 hours.
Eufaula NWR quota draws
Permits are non-transferable, and each unsuccessful year adds one priority point.
Game at Eufaula NWR, with limits
Species with a season or a mention here: ducks and geese, whitetails and feral hogs.
Ducks and geese
Feral hog
Species from the area record; bag limits from the WRD bag limit table. Checked October 13, 2026.
Eufaula NWR on the map, with its neighbours
Eufaula NWR sits at the orange pin, with 3 public neighbours inside 30 miles. Their published acreage adds up to 6,700.
| Public ground | Type | Acres | Distance | Which way | Deer 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Walter F. George WMA | WMA | 1,100 | 17 mi | south | 13 |
| Hannahatchee Creek WMA | WMA | 5,600 | 20 mi | northeast | 93 |
| Walter F. George Lake (Lake Eufaula) | Corps lake | — | 26 mi | south | 1 |
Points from WRD, USFS, USFWS, NPS, DoD and Recreation.gov layers (FWS National Realty FWSInterest_Simplified (polygon centroid, Georgia portion)). Distances are straight-line. Statewide public land map.
Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge: nearest ranges
Hannahatchee Creek Shooting Range in Stewart County is the nearest range on the WRD list, 20 miles out. Nearby private ranges are shown too.
Facilities: 175-yard Range, 35-yard Range – handguns only
From the WRD range list and the GA DNR range layer, checked October 13, 2026.
Eufaula NWR: nearest towns and businesses
Closest towns first; businesses by county and distance.
| Town | County | Distance | Population | Public ground (10 mi) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown | Quitman | 10 mi | 2,323 | 6,117 |
| Lumpkin | Stewart | 16 mi | 944 | 5,540 |
| Cuthbert | Randolph | 22 mi | 2,912 | — |
| Richland | Stewart | 24 mi | 1,449 | 6,670 |
Read the county pages: Stewart County, Quitman County.
Shops and processors by Eufaula NWR
WRD and ranger offices near Eufaula NWR
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.
Gear picked for Eufaula NWR
Picked around the hunting done here; prices change daily.
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Hunting hours near Eufaula NWR
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 Eufaula NWR 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.
Eufaula NWR, asked and answered
Which areas are close to Eufaula NWR?
The closest on our list are Lake Walter F. George WMA (17 miles), Hannahatchee Creek WMA (20 miles) and Walter F. George Lake (Lake Eufaula) (26 miles).
What gator zone is Eufaula NWR in?
Zone 1. Gators need a quota permit.
Does game from Eufaula NWR go through Game Check?
Yes: deer, bear, turkey and alligator are reported on Game Check inside 24 hours.
What is the orange rule at Eufaula NWR?
Yes, 500 square inches of orange or pink during gun and muzzleloader big game dates.
What kind of place is Eufaula NWR?
It is a national wildlife refuge with a hunt program, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Are feeders legal on Eufaula NWR?
No bait of any kind on public land.
Which town makes a good base for Eufaula NWR?
Georgetown is closest (10 miles); the ground is in Stewart and Quitman counties.
Is Eufaula NWR big enough for a full day?
11,184 acres, per USFWS refuge page ("the 11,184-acre refuge", Alabama and Georgia).
When is the first deer hunt at Eufaula NWR?
Deer begin with Sept. 12-Jan. 10 (archery). More lines sit in the season table.
What paperwork does Eufaula NWR require?
Refuge permit required. Apply Aug. 1 to Sept. 15 for all quota hunts; user fees must be prepaid. Quota waterfowl hunters are assigned blinds and may bring up to two guests.
How do quota hunts work at Eufaula NWR?
Yes, 1 of them, by application.
What can be hunted at Eufaula NWR?
3 groups: ducks and geese, whitetails and feral hogs.
Eufaula NWR: confirm before you go
Before the drive to Eufaula NWR, confirm the listing dates, your licenses and any posted closures.
Sources for this page: USFWS: hunting · USFWS: eufaula · FWS realty layer · Georgia regulations: federal area regulations · DNR Law Enforcement: specialfederalregulations; regulations from the 2026-27 Georgia hunting regulations. Checked October 13, 2026.
Other photos on this page: USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); bgautrea (CC BY-SA 2.0).