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WMA · Region 1
Hunting John's Mountain WMA
A hunter's summary of John's Mountain WMA in Gordon, Walker, Floyd and Whitfield counties: listing dates, harvest, rules and local services.
Photo: StephenGA (CC0 1.0)
John's Mountain WMA: every dated hunt
Across 9 rows, the 2026-27 listing sets dates for deer & bear, turkey, coyote, small game and waterfowl. Watch for 3 bonus deer lines.
| Species | Weapon or type | 2026-27 dates | Tags | Area notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer & bear | Archery | Sept. 12-Oct. 23, Oct. 26-Nov. 11, Nov. 15-Dec. 25 | — | |
| Deer & bear | Firearms | Oct. 24-25 | Bonus deer | |
| Deer & bear | Firearms | Either-Sex Last Day: Nov. 12-14 | Bonus deer | |
| Deer & bear | Firearms | Buck Only: Dec. 26-Jan. 1 | Bonus deer | |
| Turkey | — | Apr. 3-May 15 | — | |
| Coyote | — | May 16-31 | — | |
| Small game | — | State Seasons | — | |
| Small game | Quail | Jan. 2-31 | — | |
| Waterfowl | — | State Seasons | — |
Dates and symbols from the 2026-27 Georgia regulations listing, wording as printed by the source. Checked October 13, 2026.
John's Mountain WMA: the essentials
Gordon, Walker, Floyd and Whitfield counties hold John's Mountain WMA, a wildlife management area run by WRD. For WRD purposes it belongs to Region 1, the Armuchee region. It is run by the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division. The 23,710-acre figure makes it 12th largest of 121 WMAs. Base town: Resaca, about 7 miles away to the west.
Where John's Mountain WMA sits by county
| County | Seat | 2024 residents | Deer colour zone | Bear zone | Gator zone | Deer reported 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gordon County | Calhoun | 60,765 | Green | Northern | — | 2,894 |
| Walker County | LaFayette | 69,340 | Green | Northern | — | 2,098 |
| Floyd County | Rome | 101,390 | Green | Northern | — | 2,953 |
| Whitfield County | Dalton | 105,070 | Orange | Northern | — | 1,425 |
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.
John's Mountain WMA: reported deer and gobblers
Last full season (2025-26) the reported count stood at 19, with 13 bucks. Reported totals peaked at 22 in 2023-24 and bottomed at 6 in 2018-19. Partial count for the current season: 4. Game Check lists 16 gobblers for spring 2026 (199 since records began here). These are deer and turkeys hunters reported through Game Check, not WRD estimates, and bonus deer checked at the station are not included.
Season-by-season deer, John's Mountain WMA
| Season | Males | Females | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 (in progress) | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 2025-26 | 13 | 6 | 19 |
| 2024-25 | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| 2023-24 | 17 | 5 | 22 |
| 2022-23 | 11 | 1 | 12 |
| 2021-22 | 10 | 4 | 14 |
| 2020-21 | 19 | 0 | 19 |
| 2019-20 | 15 | 4 | 19 |
| 2018-19 | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| 2017-18 | 4 | 6 | 10 |
| 2016-17 | 11 | 1 | 12 |
Gobblers by spring, John's Mountain WMA
| Spring | Gobblers |
|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | 16 |
| Spring 2025 | 12 |
| Spring 2024 | 16 |
| Spring 2023 | 18 |
| Spring 2022 | 14 |
| Spring 2021 | 26 |
| Spring 2020 | 26 |
| Spring 2019 | 18 |
| Spring 2018 | 22 |
| Spring 2017 | 21 |
| Spring 2016 | 10 |
John's Mountain WMA county bear counts
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 John's Mountain WMA is like
The manager describes the place; related areas follow.
What WRD says about John's Mountain WMA
Road Closures Roads 995E and 955B are temporarily closed. John's Mountain Wildlife Management Area is located in Walker, Whitfield, Gordon and Floyd counties on property owned by the U.S. Forest Service. This 23,356-acre property offers hunting opportunities for deer, bear, turkey and small game. Vehicle Usage: ATVs and UTVs are not allowed on U.S. Forest Service roads. They may only be used on roads/trails designated specifically for their use. Check Road Closures: Road closures due to damage or weather-related conditions for this property will be listed at the agency website.
Units and neighbours of John's Mountain WMA
| Unit | Type | Counties | Acres | Deer 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conasauga Ranger District (Chattahoochee National Forest) | Ranger district | Murray, Fannin, Gilmer | 188,617 | — |
Text and lists from the source page, Georgia regulations, WRD GIS, WRD GIS; retrieved 2026-10-13, checked October 13, 2026.
John's Mountain WMA: rules before the first hunt
Prices are the WRD figures for this license year.
John's Mountain WMA access
A Lands Pass or a Georgia hunting or fishing license is the ticket in for anyone over 15. Deer, turkey and bear trips start with the Go Outdoors Georgia sign-in. Bonus deer are checked on site the same day.
- No ATVs are allowed on the property
- No ATVs
- Electric bicycles restricted to roads open for motor vehicles
John's Mountain WMA: licenses and passes
Deer, bear or turkey means a Harvest Record (no charge) on top of the license; the Sportsman's License covers the rest for residents.
Before the shot at John's Mountain WMA
During primitive weapons and firearms deer or bear dates, hunters show 500 square inches of orange or pink. No bait on public ground: hunting game or hogs over bait is illegal on state and federal land. Record the kill first, then report it through Game Check inside 24 hours.
Route to John's Mountain WMA
From Calhoun: Take HWY 136C north 6 miles to Sugar Valley, turn left and go 6 miles to Lake Marvin, check station is at The Pocket.
John's Mountain WMA species and bags
Game on the list: whitetails, black bears, gobblers, coyotes, squirrels and rabbits and ducks and geese.
White-tailed deer
The guide lists Either-Sex Last Day: Nov. 12-14 first (firearms).
Black bear
The guide lists Sept. 12-Oct. 23, Oct. 26-Nov. 11, Nov. 15-Dec. 25 first (archery).
Species from the area record; bag limits from the WRD bag limit table. Checked October 13, 2026.
John's Mountain WMA plotted with nearby areas
John's Mountain WMA sits at the orange pin, with 12 public neighbours inside 30 miles. Combined, about 50,731 acres are on record.
| Area | Type | Acres | Distance | Direction | Deer 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arrowhead WMA | WMA | 337 | 11 mi | southwest | 1 |
| McEntire Road VPA | VPA property | 95 | 16 mi | east | — |
| Coosawattee WMA | WMA | 2,714 | 16 mi | east | 110 |
| Berry College WMA | WMA | 15,605 | 19 mi | southwest | 19 |
| Crockford-Pigeon Mountain WMA | WMA | 21,895 | 19 mi | west | 81 |
| Rocky Mountain Recreation Area & PFA | Public fishing area | 3,000 | 21 mi | southwest | 22 |
| Pleasant Valley VPA | VPA property | 934 | 21 mi | southeast | 8 |
| Carters Lake | Corps lake | — | 22 mi | east | — |
| Conasauga River WMA | WMA | 509 | 22 mi | northeast | 18 |
| Otting WMA | WMA | 700 | 23 mi | west | 8 |
| Zahnd WMA | WMA | 1,642 | 23 mi | west | 9 |
| Carter's Lake WMA | WMA | 3,300 | 24 mi | east | 44 |
Points from WRD, USFS, USFWS, NPS, DoD and Recreation.gov layers (WRD WMA Boundary GIS (polygon centroid)). Distances are straight-line. Statewide public land map.
John's Mountain WMA: nearest ranges
The WRD range closest to John's Mountain WMA is Chestnut Mountain Shooting Range (3 miles). Private ranges within 30 miles are included.
Facilities: 100-yard Range
Lines for handgun, rifle and smallbore
Lines for rifle, handgun and smallbore
From the WRD range list and the GA DNR range layer, checked October 13, 2026.
John's Mountain WMA: nearest towns and businesses
Town guides first, then businesses in the same and neighbouring counties.
| Town | County | Miles | Population | Public land nearby |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resaca | Gordon | 7 mi | 1,137 | 31,080 |
| Calhoun | Gordon | 9 mi | 19,592 | 12,026 |
| Plainville | Gordon | 12 mi | 357 | 12,524 |
| Dalton | Whitfield | 14 mi | 34,970 | 12,871 |
County pages for this ground: Gordon County, Walker County, Floyd County, Whitfield County.
Services close to John's Mountain WMA
Nearest offices to John's Mountain WMA
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.
Bring this to John's Mountain WMA
Four picks matched to this ground and its seasons.
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John's Mountain WMA: daily hunting hours
Hunting opens 30 minutes before sunup statewide. Most game runs to 30 minutes after sundown, while migratory birds close at sunset.
Worked out for John’s Mountain WMA 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.
John's Mountain WMA: what hunters ask
Which agency is in charge of John's Mountain WMA?
A wildlife management area run by WRD; the manager is the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division.
Is John's Mountain WMA big enough for a full day?
Roughly 23,710 acres.
Which town makes a good base for John's Mountain WMA?
Gordon, Walker, Floyd and Whitfield counties; Resaca is the nearest town we cover, 7 miles away.
What do adults need to enter John's Mountain WMA?
The old WMA license was dropped in 2017. Now a Georgia hunting or fishing license, or the Lands Pass, covers entry at 16+.
Do I have to sign in at John's Mountain WMA?
Yes for bear, deer and turkey: sign in online on Go Outdoors Georgia, available from the day before.
When do deer hunts start on John's Mountain WMA?
First deer line: Sept. 12-Oct. 23, Oct. 26-Nov. 11, Nov. 15-Dec. 25 (archery). Every other line is in the season table above.
When does spring turkey open at John's Mountain WMA?
Spring dates: Apr. 3-May 15. One gobbler per area per person on public land.
What does John's Mountain WMA hold for hunters?
Whitetails, black bears, gobblers, coyotes, squirrels and rabbits and ducks and geese.
Must I win a draw for John's Mountain WMA?
No draw is listed for it.
Is camping allowed at John's Mountain WMA?
Yes; use the designated sites.
What was last season's deer harvest at John's Mountain WMA?
Game Check: 13 bucks and 6 does in 2025-26.
Which bear rules apply on John's Mountain WMA?
Georgia puts it in the Northern zone. Bear is listed.
John's Mountain WMA, the last word
Double-check John's Mountain WMA with its manager: open areas, gates, sign-in and any drawn hunts.
Sources for this page: WRD: johns mountain wma · Georgia regulations: wma regulations i p · WRD GIS · WRD GIS · WRD GIS; regulations from the 2026-27 Georgia hunting regulations. Checked October 13, 2026.
Other photos on this page: USFWS Headquarters (CC BY 2.0); Dana Beveridge (CC BY 2.0).