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WMA, the coast and southeast Georgia
Ossabaw Island WMA A Hunter's Guide
9,000 acres of wma in Chatham County, with 2026-27 dates, harvest numbers, licenses and a map.
Photo: Dreaming in the deep south (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Ossabaw Island WMA
Ossabaw Island WMA season dates, 2026-27
6 lines in this season's WRD listing apply to Ossabaw Island WMA: deer, feral hog and coyote. The quota lines (5) add up to 475 hunters. Also marked: 4 bonus deer lines and 1 youth line.
| Game | Type | Dates | Marks | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | Oct. 8-10 | Quota 100 Bonus deer | |
| Deer | Primitive | Oct. 22-24 | Quota 100 Bonus deer | |
| Deer | Firearms | Nov. 26-28 | Quota 75 Youth Bonus deer | |
| Deer | Firearms | Nov. 5-7, Dec. 10-12 | Quota 100 Bonus deer | |
| Feral Hog | — | Jan. 14-16, Feb. 11-13 | Quota 100 | |
| Coyote | — | No May 16-31 coyote & hog season. | — |
Dates and symbols from the 2026-27 Georgia regulations listing, wording as printed by the source. Checked October 13, 2026.
Ossabaw Island WMA by the numbers
Think of Ossabaw Island WMA as a wildlife management area run by WRD spread over Chatham County. WRD handles it out of the Brunswick office (Game Management Region 6). It is run by the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division. Its 9,000 acres put it 36th by size among 121 WMAs on our list. The nearest covered town is Buckhead, around 10 miles off in a straight line.
Ossabaw Island WMA, county by county
| County | Seat of county | People | Either-sex colour | Bear zone | Alligator | Deer checked, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chatham County | Savannah | 307,336 | Green | None | Zone 8 | 241 |
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.
Deer and turkeys taken on Ossabaw Island WMA
Harvest for Ossabaw Island WMA is not broken out by WRD. County figures are the nearest substitute.
| County | Deer (reported) | Deer (estimate) | Spring gobblers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chatham | 241 | 418 | 8 |
Deer from WRD deer harvest reports, turkeys from WRD turkey harvest layer; as of 2026-10-13. Checked October 13, 2026.
Ossabaw Island WMA described
Nothing here is our wording: it is the manager's own description.
Agency description
Ossabaw Island WMA is comprised of 9,000 acres with quota hunts available for deer and feral hog. All hunters must provide their own boat transportation to the island and must access the island at Newell Creek dock on the south end. Campfires are restricted to provided fire ring areas. No access permitted to Ossabaw Island above the high tide mark unless part of quota hunts. Ossabaw Island is the third largest of Georgia’s Sea Islands and lies along the Atlantic Ocean about 20 miles south of Savannah.
The island encompasses over 16,000 acres of tidal marshes and 9,000 acres of high ground. Ponds, salt water creeks, one river and many sloughs, inlets, and beaches make the high ground of Ossabaw a complex of small islands. Broad flat ridges and shallow depressions comprise the western part of Ossabaw (Pleistocene soils), while steep, parallel dune ridges mark the eastern part (Holocene soils). Access to Ossabaw Island above the high tide mark is prohibited, except that hunters drawn for deer or feral hog hunts may enter no earlier than 12:00 pm EST one day prior to check-in. Check in opens at 9 am EST one day prior to hunt, camps must be removed by 12 pm EST on the day after the hunt ends.
One person from each campsite must check in and check out at the check station. Hunters are responsible for their own transportation to and from the island, and must use only the dock facilities at Newell Creek at the south end. Campfires allowed only in provide fire rings. Motorized vehicles, e-bikes, bicycles, and pets are not allowed.
Text and lists from the source page, Georgia regulations, WRD GIS, WRD GIS; retrieved 2026-10-13, checked October 13, 2026.
Ossabaw Island WMA licenses and access
Ground rules, then the paperwork.
Ossabaw Island WMA ground rules
Anyone 16 or older needs a Georgia hunting or fishing license, or a Lands Pass, just to enter. Online sign-in is mandatory for deer, bear and turkey; it opens the day ahead. A few dates are quota only, so apply ahead. Bonus-hunt deer are checked at the station on the day of harvest.
- No motorized vehicles or pets are allowed on the island
Ossabaw Island WMA 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 Ossabaw Island WMA
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.
Ossabaw Island WMA quota draws
Permits are non-transferable, and each unsuccessful year adds one priority point.
Driving to Ossabaw Island WMA
Access only by boat, nearest ramp is at Ft. McAllister State Park, approximately 9 miles east of Richmond Hill.
Game at Ossabaw Island WMA, with limits
Species with a season or a mention here: whitetails and feral hogs.
White-tailed deer
Listing starts with archery, Oct. 8-10.
Species from the area record; bag limits from the WRD bag limit table. Checked October 13, 2026.
Ossabaw Island WMA on the map, with its neighbours
Ossabaw Island WMA sits at the orange pin, with 5 public neighbours inside 30 miles. Their published acreage adds up to 34,799.
| Public ground | Type | Acres | Distance | Which way | Deer 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond Hill WMA | WMA | 7,400 | 6 mi | west | 52 |
| Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge | Wildlife refuge | 10,053 | 10 mi | northeast | 1 |
| Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge | Wildlife refuge | 2,755 | 14 mi | southwest | 14 |
| Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge | Wildlife refuge | 5,591 | 21 mi | south | 23 |
| Sapelo Island WMA | WMA | 9,000 | 24 mi | south | 45 |
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.
Ossabaw Island WMA: nearest ranges
Richmond Hill Shooting Range in Bryan County is the nearest range on the WRD list, 7 miles out. Nearby private ranges are shown too.
Facilities: 12 long range state-of-the-art electronic shooting stations, 14 long range steel shooting stations, 20 short range pistol shooting stations
Lines for trap, skeet, sporting clays and 5-stand
From the WRD range list and the GA DNR range layer, checked October 13, 2026.
Ossabaw Island WMA: nearest towns and businesses
Closest towns first; businesses by county and distance.
| Town | County | Distance | Population | Public ground (10 mi) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buckhead | Bryan | 10 mi | — | 29,325 |
| Skidaway Island | Chatham | 11 mi | — | 21,437 |
| Richmond Hill | Bryan | 14 mi | 19,839 | 40,234 |
| Savannah | Chatham | 16 mi | 148,808 | 11,315 |
Read the county pages: Chatham County.
Shops and processors by Ossabaw Island WMA
WRD and ranger offices near Ossabaw Island 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.
Hunting hours near Ossabaw Island WMA
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 Ossabaw Island 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.
Ossabaw Island WMA, asked and answered
Does game from Ossabaw Island WMA go through Game Check?
Yes: deer, bear, turkey and alligator are reported on Game Check inside 24 hours.
What is the orange rule at Ossabaw Island WMA?
Yes, 500 square inches of orange or pink during gun and muzzleloader big game dates.
What kind of place is Ossabaw Island WMA?
The Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division manages this wildlife management area run by WRD.
Are feeders legal on Ossabaw Island WMA?
No bait of any kind on public land.
Which town makes a good base for Ossabaw Island WMA?
Buckhead is closest (10 miles); the ground is in Chatham County.
Is Ossabaw Island WMA big enough for a full day?
9,000 acres, per Georgia 2026-27 Hunting Regulations (eRegulations) area listing.
Where do I sign in to hunt Ossabaw Island WMA?
For bear, deer and turkey, yes, online, starting a day ahead.
Can I walk onto Ossabaw Island WMA without a license?
Anyone 16 or older needs a Georgia hunting or fishing license, or a Lands Pass ($30.00 resident, $60.00 nonresident).
What can be hunted at Ossabaw Island WMA?
The record lists whitetails and feral hogs.
When is the first deer hunt at Ossabaw Island WMA?
Deer begin with Oct. 8-10 (archery). More lines sit in the season table.
Is there a campground on Ossabaw Island WMA?
Yes, in the designated camping areas.
How do quota hunts work at Ossabaw Island WMA?
Yes, 5 of them, by application.
Ossabaw Island WMA: confirm before you go
Before the drive to Ossabaw Island WMA, confirm the listing dates, your licenses and any posted closures.
Sources for this page: WRD: ossabaw island 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: usdanrcstexas (CC BY 2.0); Intermountain Region US Forest Service (Public domain).