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Columbia County · WMA
Keg Creek WMA for Hunters
Keg Creek WMA, 800 acres in Columbia County: whitetails, gobblers, coyotes and squirrels and rabbits, this season's dates, Game Check harvest, rules and the ground nearby.
Photo: jasepielli (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Keg Creek WMA
Parking, trailheads and gates near Keg Creek WMA
- Parking areaParking · 0.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.1 mi from the centreDirections
Parking, trailhead and gate locations come from OpenStreetMap contributors. Roads into public land can be gated or seasonal; check with the managing agency before you go.
Keg Creek WMA by the numbers
Kind of ground: wildlife management area run by WRD. Where: Columbia County. The Thomson regional office (Region 3) is the WRD contact. It is run by the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division. With 800 acres, it sits at 103rd of 121 WMAs by acreage. Appling is the closest town with a guide here, about 4 miles away; the area lies north of it.
Keg Creek WMA, county by county
| County | Courthouse town | Population 2024 | Doe-day zone | Bear zone | Alligator zone | Deer 2025-26 (reported) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia County | Appling | 167,472 | Green | None | Zone 9 | 1,385 |
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.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Keg Creek WMA
Dates WRD set for Keg Creek WMA
This year's listing gives Keg Creek WMA 4 lines of dates: deer, turkey, coyote and small game.
| Game | Segment | When | Flags | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | Sept. 12-Jan. 10 | — | |
| Turkey | — | Apr. 3-May 15 | — | |
| Coyote | Small game weapons | May 16-31 | — | |
| Small game | — | State Seasons | — |
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 Keg Creek WMA
Bucks 4, does 5: that is the 2025-26 reported harvest on Keg Creek WMA. Range across the chart: 2 up to 10 deer. This season's running total stands at 2 (incomplete). 10 gobblers have been checked from Keg Creek WMA in the springs listed, 1 of them in 2025. Counts are raw Game Check reports from the area; WRD does not adjust them for non-reporting at this level.
Deer reported from Keg Creek WMA
| Year | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 (in progress) | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2025-26 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| 2024-25 | 6 | 3 | 9 |
| 2023-24 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| 2022-23 | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| 2021-22 | 6 | 2 | 8 |
| 2020-21 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| 2019-20 | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| 2018-19 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 2017-18 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2016-17 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
Keg Creek WMA spring turkey counts
| Season | Gobblers checked |
|---|---|
| Spring 2025 | 1 |
| Spring 2024 | 2 |
| Spring 2021 | 2 |
| Spring 2020 | 1 |
| Spring 2019 | 1 |
| Spring 2018 | 2 |
| Spring 2016 | 1 |
Deer from WRD deer harvest reports, turkeys from WRD turkey harvest layer; as of 2026-10-13. Checked October 13, 2026.
What Keg Creek WMA requires
What applies here, card by card.
How Keg Creek WMA works
Before stepping onto the area, hunters and visitors 16 and older need a license or the Lands Pass. Bear, deer and turkey hunters sign in online on Go Outdoors Georgia, from the day before.
- No camping is allowed on the property
- No camping
Licenses for Keg Creek WMA
The free Harvest Record is mandatory for deer, bear, turkey and alligator, whatever license you hold.
Rules that follow you onto Keg Creek WMA
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.
Getting to Keg Creek WMA
From Pollards Corner: Take HWY 47 west 2 miles. Area is on left side of HWY.
Keg Creek WMA up close
Quoted from the managing agency, then the lists that tie this page to others.
Notes from WRD
Keg Creek Wildlife Management Area is located in Columbia County. This 800-acre property offers hunting opportunities for deer (archery only), turkey and small game.
Text and lists from the source page, Georgia regulations, WRD GIS, WRD GIS; retrieved 2026-10-13, checked October 13, 2026.
Keg Creek WMA species and bags
Hunters come to Keg Creek WMA for whitetails, gobblers, coyotes and squirrels and rabbits.
Species from the area record; bag limits from the WRD bag limit table. Checked October 13, 2026.
Keg Creek WMA on the map, with its neighbours
Keg Creek WMA sits at the orange pin, with 12 public neighbours inside 30 miles. Acres on file for the neighbours: 22,981.
| Nearby area | Kind | Size (ac) | Miles | Heading | Deer reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mistletoe State Park | State park | 1,920 | 4 mi | west | — |
| J. Strom Thurmond Lake (Clarks Hill Lake) | Corps lake | — | 7 mi | east | 327 |
| Germany Creek WMA | WMA | 1,200 | 9 mi | west | 21 |
| Clarks Hill WMA – East | WMA | 10,224 | 13 mi | west | 159 |
| Clarks Hill WMA – West | WMA | 3,067 | 13 mi | west | 159 |
| Soap Creek WMA | WMA | 1,000 | 16 mi | northwest | 12 |
| McDuffie PFA | Public fishing area | 600 | 18 mi | south | — |
| Fort Eisenhower (formerly Fort Gordon) | Army post | — | 19 mi | south | 189 |
| Fishing Creek WMA | WMA | 2,900 | 22 mi | northwest | 18 |
| Phinizy Swamp WMA | WMA | 1,500 | 25 mi | southeast | 1 |
| Spirit Creek Forest WMA | WMA | 570 | 25 mi | southeast | 9 |
| Richard B. Russell Lake | Corps lake | — | 27 mi | northwest | 121 |
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.
Keg Creek WMA: nearest ranges
About 13 miles separates Keg Creek WMA from Clarks Hill Archery Range, the nearest WRD range. The other cards are private ranges within 30 miles.
Facilities: 7 3D targets
Lines for archery and 3D archery
Lines for handgun and rifle
From the WRD range list and the GA DNR range layer, checked October 13, 2026.
Keg Creek WMA: nearest towns and businesses
Town guides first, then businesses in the same and neighbouring counties.
| Base town | County | Away | Residents | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appling | Columbia | 4 mi | — | 3,795 |
| Grovetown | Columbia | 14 mi | 17,843 | 41,970 |
| Lincolnton | Lincoln | 15 mi | 1,431 | 5,554 |
| Thomson | McDuffie | 15 mi | 6,792 | 5,266 |
Hunting guides for its counties: Columbia County.
After the shot at Keg Creek WMA
Offices for Keg Creek 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.
Legal light at Keg Creek WMA 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 Keg Creek 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.
Common Keg Creek WMA questions
Where do hunters stay for Keg Creek WMA?
Start from Appling; the area is 4 miles off, in Columbia County.
Is Keg Creek WMA big enough for a full day?
Roughly 800 acres.
How does sign-in work on Keg Creek WMA?
Deer, bear and turkey hunters sign in online first; it opens the previous day.
Do I need a Lands Pass for Keg Creek WMA?
Residents pay $15.00 for a hunting license or $30.00 for a Lands Pass; either lets you in.
When is turkey season on Keg Creek WMA?
Apr. 3-May 15, per the 2026-27 listing. Limit on WMAs: 1 gobbler per area.
When does deer season open on Keg Creek WMA?
Archery dates start Sept. 12-Jan. 10. All later dates are in the table.
Are Keg Creek WMA hunts limited?
No; the listing has no quota hunts.
What can be hunted at Keg Creek WMA?
Listed game: whitetails, gobblers, coyotes and squirrels and rabbits.
How many bucks came off Keg Creek WMA?
The 2025-26 reported total was 9.
Where can I stay overnight at Keg Creek WMA?
Camping is prohibited here.
Where else can I go near Keg Creek WMA?
Within reach are Mistletoe State Park (4 miles), J. Strom Thurmond Lake (Clarks Hill Lake) (7 miles) and Germany Creek WMA (9 miles), nearest first.
Can I hunt alligators near Keg Creek WMA?
9; alligators are a quota hunt.
Keg Creek WMA: confirm before you go
The manager has the last word on Keg Creek WMA. Read its page and the WRD guide the week of your hunt.
Sources for this page: WRD: keg creek 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: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); GA-Kayaker (CC BY 2.0).