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Hunting Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area
A hunter's summary of Rum Creek WMA: Berry Creek Area in Monroe County: listing dates, harvest, rules and local services.
Photo: ChattOconeeNF (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Getting to Rum Creek WMA: Berry Creek Area
Parking, trailheads and gates near Rum Creek WMA: Berry Creek Area
- Parking areaParking · 0.6 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 0.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.7 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 3.4 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.
Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area: every dated hunt
Across 5 rows, the 2026-27 listing sets dates for deer, turkey, coyote, small game and waterfowl.
| Species | Weapon or type | 2026-27 dates | Tags | Area notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | — | Sept. 12-Jan. 10 | — | |
| Turkey | — | Apr. 3-May 15 | — | |
| Coyote | — | May 16-31 | — | |
| Small game | — | State Seasons | — | |
| Waterfowl | — | State Seasons | — |
Dates and symbols from the 2026-27 Georgia regulations listing, wording as printed by the source. Checked October 13, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Rum Creek WMA: Berry Creek Area
Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area: the essentials
Monroe County holds Rum Creek WMA: Berry Creek Area, a wildlife management area run by WRD. For WRD purposes it belongs to Region 3, the Thomson region. It is run by the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division. The 161-acre figure makes it 120th largest of 121 WMAs. Base town: Juliette, about 3 miles away to the southeast. Parent: Rum Creek WMA.
Where Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area sits by county
| County | Seat | 2024 residents | Deer colour zone | Bear zone | Gator zone | Deer reported 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County | Forsyth | 31,437 | Green | None | Zone 3 | 1,340 |
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.
Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area: reported deer and gobblers
Last full season (2025-26) the reported count stood at 5, with 2 bucks. Reported totals peaked at 23 in 2016-17 and bottomed at 3 in 2021-22. Partial count for the current season: 2. Game Check lists 1 gobbler for spring 2026 (8 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, Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area
| Season | Males | Females | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 (in progress) | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 2025-26 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 2024-25 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 2023-24 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 2022-23 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| 2021-22 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 2020-21 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| 2019-20 | 6 | 3 | 9 |
| 2018-19 | 4 | 8 | 12 |
| 2017-18 | 9 | 5 | 14 |
| 2016-17 | 13 | 10 | 23 |
Gobblers by spring, Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area
| Spring | Gobblers |
|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | 1 |
| Spring 2025 | 1 |
| Spring 2022 | 1 |
| Spring 2020 | 1 |
| Spring 2017 | 1 |
| Spring 2016 | 3 |
Deer from WRD deer harvest reports, turkeys from WRD turkey harvest layer; as of 2026-10-13. Checked October 13, 2026.
What Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area is like
The manager describes the place; related areas follow.
What WRD says about Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area
Rum Creek: Berry Creek Area is in Monroe County adjacent to Rum Creek WMA. Berry Creek Area is a 161-acre archery-only tract. This property is owned by Georgia Power Company and leased free of charge to Georgia DNR. Berry Creek provides hunting opportunities for deer, turkey, and small game. Falconry is permitted during small game season. This tract predominately consists of an open pine canopy and grassy ground cover that is frequently burned.
This creates great habitat for game species such as quail, turkey, deer and fox squirrels as well as many song birds. Parking is only allowed in designated areas. Please see the interactive map for locations. Waterfowl hunting hours end at noon.
Units and neighbours of Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area
| Unit | Type | Counties | Acres | Deer 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rum Creek WMA | WMA | Monroe | 5,800 | 36 |
Text and lists from the source page, Georgia regulations, WRD GIS, WRD GIS; retrieved 2026-10-13, checked October 13, 2026.
Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area: rules before the first hunt
Prices are the WRD figures for this license year.
Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area 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. Archery-only rules apply.
- No firearms hunting allowed
- No camping
Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area: 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 Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area
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 Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area
From Forsyth: Take Hwy 18 east 7 miles to Rum Creek Drive on your left then proceed to the check station on your right.
Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area species and bags
Game on the list: whitetails, gobblers, coyotes, squirrels and rabbits and ducks and geese.
Species from the area record; bag limits from the WRD bag limit table. Checked October 13, 2026.
Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area plotted with nearby areas
Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area sits at the orange pin, with 9 public neighbours inside 30 miles. Combined, about 226,779 acres are on record.
| Area | Type | Acres | Distance | Direction | Deer 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge | Wildlife refuge | 35,000 | 6 mi | east | 8 |
| Hitchiti Experimental Forest | Experimental forest | 4,591 | 7 mi | east | — |
| Cedar Creek WMA | WMA | 41,000 | 19 mi | northeast | 93 |
| Little River WMA | WMA | 1,475 | 25 mi | northeast | 14 |
| Clybel WMA | WMA | 6,700 | 26 mi | north | 40 |
| Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge | Wildlife refuge | 7,760 | 26 mi | southeast | 26 |
| Oconee Ranger District (Oconee National Forest) | Ranger district | 116,724 | 26 mi | northeast | 385 |
| Gaither WMA | WMA | 2,129 | 27 mi | north | 25 |
| B.F. Grant WMA | WMA | 11,400 | 30 mi | northeast | 47 |
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.
Shooting ranges near Rum Creek WMA: Berry Creek Area
The WRD range closest to Rum Creek WMA: Berry Creek Area is Cedar Creek Shooting Range (18 miles). Private ranges within 30 miles are included.
Facilities: 100-yard Range
Lines for trap, skeet, sporting clays, 5-stand and shotgun
Lines for rifle and handgun
From the WRD range list and the GA DNR range layer, checked October 13, 2026.
Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area: nearest towns and businesses
Town guides first, then businesses in the same and neighbouring counties.
| Town | County | Miles | Population | Public land nearby |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juliette | Monroe | 3 mi | — | 61,012 |
| Smarr | Monroe | 8 mi | — | 5,735 |
| Forsyth | Monroe | 9 mi | 4,895 | 4,780 |
| Bolingbroke | Monroe | 10 mi | — | 11,194 |
County pages for this ground: Monroe County.
Services close to Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area
Nearest offices to Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area
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.
Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area: 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 Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area 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.
Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area: what hunters ask
Do I have to sign in at Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area?
Yes for bear, deer and turkey: sign in online on Go Outdoors Georgia, available from the day before.
When do deer hunts start on Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area?
First deer line: Sept. 12-Jan. 10 (all weapons). Every other line is in the season table above.
When does spring turkey open at Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area?
Spring dates: Apr. 3-May 15. One gobbler per area per person on public land.
What does Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area hold for hunters?
Whitetails, gobblers, coyotes, squirrels and rabbits and ducks and geese.
Must I win a draw for Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area?
No draw is listed for it.
Is camping allowed at Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area?
No camping on the area.
What was last season's deer harvest at Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area?
Game Check: 2 bucks and 3 does in 2025-26.
Which alligator zone covers Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area?
Gator zone 3; one alligator per permit.
Where else can I go near Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area?
Within reach are Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge (6 miles), Hitchiti Experimental Forest (7 miles) and Cedar Creek WMA (19 miles), nearest first.
When is orange required on Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area?
Pink counts: 500 square inches of either colour above the waist in firearms and primitive weapons hunts. Archery-only areas do not need it.
Is Game Check required for Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area?
Report through Game Check within a day; bonus deer go to the area check station instead.
Can I hunt over bait on Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area?
No. State and federal land prohibit bait.
Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area, the last word
Double-check Rum Creek WMA Berry Creek Area with its manager: open areas, gates, sign-in and any drawn hunts.
Sources for this page: WRD: rum creek wma berry creek area · Georgia regulations: wma regulations q s · WRD GIS · WRD GIS · WRD GIS; regulations from the 2026-27 Georgia hunting regulations. Checked October 13, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Judy Gallagher (CC BY 2.0); vanhookc (CC BY-SA 2.0).