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Ocmulgee WMA Hunting
Everything we could verify about Ocmulgee WMA: acreage, rules, dates, harvest and the ground nearby.
Photo: Ken Lund (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Ocmulgee WMA in brief
Sitting in Bleckley, Pulaski and Twiggs counties, Ocmulgee WMA is a wildlife management area run by WRD. Region 4 staff in Fitzgerald cover it for WRD. It is run by the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division. By area (15,475 acres) it comes 26th of the 121 WMAs. Roughly 7 miles separates it from Cochran, the closest town page on this site.
County context for Ocmulgee WMA
| County | County seat | Population | Either-sex zone | Bear | Alligator | Game Check deer 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bleckley County | Cochran | 12,626 | Green | Central | Zone 5 | 689 |
| Pulaski County | Hawkinsville | 10,180 | Green | None | Zone 5 | 713 |
| Twiggs County | Jeffersonville | 7,728 | Green | Central | Zone 5 | 1,338 |
From the source page (Georgia 2026-27 Hunting Regulations (eRegulations) area listing (sum of listed sections)); 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 Ocmulgee WMA hunt calendar
Game with dates here this year: deer, turkey, alligator, coyote, small game and waterfowl (17 lines in all). 1 hunt is quota only, with 60 hunter slots between them; apply on Go Outdoors Georgia. Other marks in the list: 1 bonus deer line and 1 youth line. WRD prints 2 separate listings for this ground; the first column says which one each line comes from.
| Unit | Game | Hunt | Dates | Symbols | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocmulgee WMA | Deer | Archery | Sept. 12-25 | — | |
| Ocmulgee WMA | Deer | West Lake Road Tract | Sept. 12-Jan. 10 | — | |
| Ocmulgee WMA | Deer | Firearms | Oct. 10-16 | Youth | |
| Ocmulgee WMA | Deer | Firearms | Either-sex Last Day: Oct. 22-24, Nov. 19-21 | Bonus deer | |
| Ocmulgee WMA | Deer | Firearms | Dec. 10-13 | — | |
| Ocmulgee WMA | Turkey | — | Apr. 3-9 | Quota 60 | |
| Ocmulgee WMA | Turkey | — | Apr. 10-May 15 | — | |
| Ocmulgee WMA | Alligator | Ocmulgee PFA | Sept. 4-6. No hunting during daylight hours. | — | |
| Ocmulgee WMA | Coyote | — | May 16-31 | — | |
| Ocmulgee WMA | Small game | — | State Seasons | — | |
| Ocmulgee WMA | Waterfowl | Ocmulgee PFA | Wednesdays: Dec. 16-Jan. 28 | — | Legal hours end at 12 noon. |
| Ocmulgee WMA Gum Swamp Creek | Deer | Archery | Sept. 12-Jan. 10 | — | |
| Ocmulgee WMA Gum Swamp Creek | Turkey | — | Apr. 3-May 15 | — | Archery |
| Ocmulgee WMA Gum Swamp Creek | Dog training | — | Aug. 15-Mar. 15 | — | |
| Ocmulgee WMA Gum Swamp Creek | Coyote | — | May 16-31 | — | |
| Ocmulgee WMA Gum Swamp Creek | Small game | — | State Seasons | — | |
| Ocmulgee WMA Gum Swamp Creek | Waterfowl | — | State Season | — |
Dates and symbols from the 2026-27 Georgia regulations listing, wording as printed by the source. Checked October 13, 2026.
Ocmulgee WMA: rules before the first hunt
Area rules first, then licenses, orange and bait.
Getting in at Ocmulgee WMA
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. Apply early for the quota dates. On bonus hunts, check each deer at the area station that day.
- No camping is allowed on this tract
- No bear hunting
- No camping
- Legal hours for waterfowl end at noon
License costs for Ocmulgee WMA
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 Ocmulgee WMA
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.
Ocmulgee WMA: quota deadlines
Apply online by the deadline; points accumulate for every year you are not selected.
Finding Ocmulgee WMA
From Cochran: Take U.S. 23 north, turn left on Red Dog Farm Road, go 4 miles to Magnolia Road. Turn right and follow signs to check station. From Cochran: Take HWY 26 to HWY 126 (Airport Rd.), go 5.9 miles, turn left onto Rebie Rd., go 0.3 miles, turn left onto Skipper-Jackson Rd., go 0.5 miles, entrance on left.
What hunters report from Ocmulgee WMA
The 2025-26 Game Check total for Ocmulgee WMA was 52 (18 antlered, 34 antlerless). High mark: 52 (2025-26). Low mark: 27 (2019-20). So far in 2026-27, 19 deer have been checked (season in progress). Spring 2026 brought 6 reported gobblers; the table sums to 138. Only reported animals appear here; WRD adjusts for non-reporting at county level, not per area.
Ocmulgee WMA deer table
| Season | Bucks checked | Does checked | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 (in progress) | 4 | 15 | 19 |
| 2025-26 | 18 | 34 | 52 |
| 2024-25 | 17 | 17 | 34 |
| 2023-24 | 11 | 17 | 28 |
| 2022-23 | 26 | 24 | 50 |
| 2021-22 | 11 | 16 | 27 |
| 2020-21 | 14 | 22 | 36 |
| 2019-20 | 20 | 7 | 27 |
| 2018-19 | 22 | 21 | 43 |
| 2017-18 | 26 | 16 | 42 |
| 2016-17 | 24 | 23 | 47 |
Turkeys reported from Ocmulgee WMA
| Season | Reported gobblers |
|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | 6 |
| Spring 2025 | 12 |
| Spring 2024 | 12 |
| Spring 2023 | 10 |
| Spring 2022 | 4 |
| Spring 2021 | 11 |
| Spring 2020 | 22 |
| Spring 2019 | 14 |
| Spring 2018 | 10 |
| Spring 2017 | 21 |
| Spring 2016 | 16 |
Deer from WRD deer harvest reports, turkeys from WRD turkey harvest layer; as of 2026-10-13. Checked October 13, 2026.
Game at Ocmulgee WMA, with limits
The listing and the manager name whitetails, gobblers, alligators, coyotes, squirrels and rabbits and ducks and geese for Ocmulgee WMA.
White-tailed deer
Firearms dates: Either-sex Last Day: Oct. 22-24, Nov. 19-21.
Alligator
Ocmulgee pfa dates: Sept. 4-6. No hunting during daylight hours.
Species from the area record; bag limits from the WRD bag limit table. Checked October 13, 2026.
About the land at Ocmulgee WMA
From the agency page, word for word.
In the agency's own words
Ocmulgee Wildlife Management Area is located in Bleckley, Pulaski and Twiggs counties. This 15,000-acre property has hunting opportunities for deer, turkey and small game. The Gum Swamp Creek Tract is a 475-acre area open for archery hunting for deer, turkey and small game. The Main Gates are closed every year: March 1st through the day before turkey season and June 1st through August 14th. Ocmulgee Wildlife Management Area was purchased, in part, to provide lands for the Central Georgia Black Bear Population.
Research has shown that the WMA is used more by bears during closed periods than during open periods. The Ocmulgee PFA campground is still open for year-round use and the area can still be used for hiking purposes. Ocmulgee PFA the agency website, a 106-acre lake, is part of the area; WRD says limited alligator and waterfowl hunting is allowed on the PFA (dates in the Ocmulgee WMA listing).
Dove fields on Ocmulgee WMA
| Property | Region | Acres planted | Crops | Forecast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocmulgee WMA-Gum Swamp WMA | 4 | 29 | Browntop millet | Good |
Text and lists from the source page, Georgia regulations, WRD GIS, WRD GIS; retrieved 2026-10-13, checked October 13, 2026.
Ocmulgee WMA plotted with nearby areas
Ocmulgee WMA sits at the orange pin, with 6 public neighbours inside 30 miles. Published acres across them: 23,480.
| Neighbour | Type | Acres | Miles off | Direction | Deer, last season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oaky Woods WMA | WMA | 13,450 | 4 mi | northwest | 45 |
| Echeconnee Creek WMA | WMA | 750 | 15 mi | north | 2 |
| Perry Dove Field | Dove field | 226 | 15 mi | west | 2 |
| Flat Creek PFA | Public fishing area | 850 | 18 mi | west | 24 |
| Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge | Wildlife refuge | 7,760 | 23 mi | north | 26 |
| Dodge County PFA | Public fishing area | 444 | 27 mi | southeast | 8 |
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.
Ocmulgee WMA: nearest towns and businesses
Closest towns first; businesses by county and distance.
| Town | County | Distance | People | Public acres, 10 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cochran | Bleckley | 7 mi | 4,836 | 15,468 |
| Hawkinsville | Pulaski | 9 mi | 4,854 | 11,598 |
| Perry | Houston | 16 mi | 24,792 | 3,186 |
| Warner Robins | Houston | 16 mi | 86,199 | 7,263 |
County guides: Bleckley County, Pulaski County, Twiggs County.
Services close to Ocmulgee WMA
Agency offices by Ocmulgee 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.
Sight in on Ocmulgee WMA
Public ranges on Ocmulgee WMA: Ocmulgee Archery Range and Ocmulgee Shooting Range.
Facilities: 3-D Trail, Static Range Targets
Facilities: 100-yard Range, 50-yard Ranges
- The pass rule: hunting license, fishing license or Lands Pass.
- The free safety video certification is required for the gun range.
- Green-tip and armor-piercing rounds are banned.
From the WRD range list and the GA DNR range layer, checked October 13, 2026.
First and last light at Ocmulgee WMA
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 Ocmulgee 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.
Ocmulgee WMA gear list
Chosen for the game hunted here; listings load when you click.
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Ocmulgee WMA: what hunters ask
Are bears hunted near Ocmulgee WMA?
Bear zone: Central. No bear dates here.
How many deer are taken on Ocmulgee WMA?
52 deer, 18 of them bucks, in Game Check for 2025-26.
What areas neighbour Ocmulgee WMA?
Close by: Oaky Woods WMA (4 miles), Echeconnee Creek WMA (15 miles) and Perry Dove Field (15 miles), straight-line.
Which quota zone holds Ocmulgee WMA?
Zone 5, quota permit holders only. Gators are on its game list.
How fast must I report a kill on Ocmulgee WMA?
Within 24 hours, by app, online or by phone at 1-800-366-2661.
Can I wear pink instead of orange on Ocmulgee WMA?
Yes in gun and primitive weapons big game hunts: 500 sq in, orange or pink.
Who manages Ocmulgee WMA?
The Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division is the manager; the ground is a wildlife management area run by WRD.
Does the private-land bait rule apply on Ocmulgee WMA?
No, public land is closed to baiting.
Which town makes a good base for Ocmulgee WMA?
In Bleckley, Pulaski and Twiggs counties, about 7 miles from Cochran.
Is Ocmulgee WMA big enough for a full day?
Published acreage: 15,475.
What is the sign-in rule at Ocmulgee WMA?
Sign in through Go Outdoors Georgia before any deer, bear or turkey hunt.
Is a WMA license still needed for Ocmulgee WMA?
Hunters carry their hunting license; non-hunting visitors 16+ need a fishing license or the $30.00 Lands Pass.
Ocmulgee WMA, the last word
Double-check Ocmulgee WMA with its manager: open areas, gates, sign-in and any drawn hunts.
Sources for this page: WRD: ocmulgee wma · Georgia regulations: wma regulations i p · WRD GIS · WRD GIS · WRD: dove · 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 (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public Domain Mark 1.0).