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2026-27 · WMA
Sandhills WMA West for Hunters
Who runs it, what the regulations list for whitetails, gobblers, bobwhites and ducks and geese, how many deer and gobblers are reported, and the public land around it in Taylor County.
Photo: kla4067 (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Getting to Sandhills WMA: West
Sandhills WMA West by the numbers
Hunters find Sandhills WMA: West in Taylor County; it is a wildlife management area run by WRD. Game Management Region 5 (Albany) takes in this ground. It is run by the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division. At 2,500 acres it ranks 78th of 121 Georgia WMAs with a published size. From Howard, our nearest town guide, head south for roughly 3 miles. The tract belongs to Sandhills WMA.
Sandhills WMA West, county by county
| County | Seat | Residents | ESZ colour | Bear | Gator | Checked deer 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor County | Butler | 7,783 | Green | None | Zone 3 | 1,708 |
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 Sandhills WMA: West
Sandhills WMA West hunt dates and quota lines
The 2026-27 regulations list 9 dated lines for Sandhills WMA West, covering deer, turkey, waterfowl, dog training, coyote and small game.
| Species | Hunt | Open days | Guide symbols | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery | Sept. 12-Oct. 9 | — | |
| Deer | Primitive | Oct. 10-16 | — | |
| Deer | Firearms | Oct. 17-Jan. 10 | — | |
| Turkey | — | Apr. 3-May 15 | — | |
| Waterfowl | — | State Seasons | — | Legal hours end at noon. |
| Dog training | — | Aug. 15-Mar. 19 | — | |
| Coyote | — | May 16-31. Feral hogs may be hunted with dogs. | — | |
| Small game | — | State Seasons | — | |
| Quail | — | — | — | Wednesdays, Saturdays during state season. |
Dates and symbols from the 2026-27 Georgia regulations listing, wording as printed by the source. Checked October 13, 2026.
Sandhills WMA West licenses and access
What applies here, card by card.
Entry and limits, Sandhills WMA West
No license, no entry for those 16 and up: a Georgia hunting or fishing license or a Lands Pass is required. Sign in on Go Outdoors Georgia before any bear, deer or turkey hunt (open the day before).
- No fox squirrel hunting
What to buy before Sandhills WMA West
Most residents buy the Sportsman's License. Whatever you buy, log deer, bear and turkey on the free Harvest Record.
Orange, bait and Game Check on Sandhills WMA West
500 square inches of orange or blaze pink above the waist is the rule for gun and primitive weapons big game hunts. Keep corn and feed at home: baiting is prohibited on state and federally managed land. Report deer, bear and turkey on Georgia Game Check within 24 hours.
Sandhills WMA West by road
From Butler: From the intersection of HWY 96/HWY 19 in Butler, GA, take HWY 96 west 13.2 miles. Turn left on HWY 90 and go 2.2 miles, then left on Fox Run Rd. Continue 2.2 miles and the WMA entrance will be on your right.
How many deer come off Sandhills WMA West
Game Check shows 19 deer for Sandhills WMA West in the 2025-26 season. 2025-26 was the top season (19); 2022-23 the leanest (11). Gobblers reported in spring 2026: 3. All listed springs: 22. Reported numbers only: WRD publishes no compliance-adjusted estimate for a single area.
Sandhills WMA West bucks and does
| Season | Bucks | Does | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 11 | 8 | 19 |
| 2024-25 | 11 | 5 | 16 |
| 2023-24 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| 2022-23 | 9 | 2 | 11 |
| 2021-22 | 11 | 1 | 12 |
| 2020-21 | 10 | 2 | 12 |
| 2019-20 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| 2018-19 | 9 | 10 | 19 |
Turkey counts, Sandhills WMA West
| Spring | Birds reported |
|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | 3 |
| Spring 2025 | 4 |
| Spring 2024 | 1 |
| Spring 2023 | 1 |
| Spring 2022 | 1 |
| Spring 2021 | 4 |
| Spring 2020 | 4 |
| Spring 2019 | 4 |
Deer from WRD deer harvest reports, turkeys from WRD turkey harvest layer; as of 2026-10-13. Checked October 13, 2026.
Sandhills WMA West: game list
Whitetails, gobblers, bobwhites, ducks and geese, coyotes, squirrels and rabbits and feral hogs, per the area record.
White-tailed deer
First line in the listing: Sept. 12-Oct. 9 (archery).
Bobwhite quail
Coyote
First line in the listing: May 16-31. Feral hogs may be hunted with dogs.
Feral hog
Species from the area record; bag limits from the WRD bag limit table. Checked October 13, 2026.
The ground at Sandhills WMA West
The agency text first, then linked areas.
Sandhills WMA West as WRD describes it
Sandhills Wildlife Management Area is located in Taylor County on the north side of GA Highway 96 and about 2.5 miles west of the square in Butler. This 2498 acre property offers hunting opportunities for deer, turkey and small game. Primitive camping is allowed in designated areas. The State of Georgia acquired the land in 2007 for its high diversity of rare species. The list of rare and threatened animals and plants includes Southeastern kestrels (a type of falcon), Bachman's sparrows, gopher tortoises, southern hognose snakes, gopher frogs, striped newts, federally endangered pondberry, sandhill golden-aster, Pickering's morning-glory, and lax water-milfoil.
DNR Wildlife Resources Division personnel are using a variety of methods to aggressively manage and restore these habitats to their natural state, ultimately benefiting rare and common species native to this area. Techniques include prescribed burning, thinning and mulching trees, using herbicide on exotic and weedy vegetation, and planting longleaf pine seedlings. Such management comes with inherent growing pains; namely, it will make the site look somewhat ugly before time allows it to rebound with greater natural beauty.
Camping in designated areas only.
Sandhills WMA West: parent, units and overlapping ground
| Name | Type | Counties | Acreage | Deer, last season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandhills WMA: East | WMA | Taylor | 870 | — |
Text and lists from the source page, Georgia regulations, WRD GIS, WRD GIS; retrieved 2026-10-13, checked October 13, 2026.
Sandhills WMA West on the map, with its neighbours
Sandhills WMA West sits at the orange pin, with 12 public neighbours inside 30 miles. Together they publish 62,484 acres.
| Name | Type | Acres | Away | Bearing | Deer checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattahoochee Fall Line WMA: Almo Tract | WMA | 6,700 | 6 mi | west | 31 |
| Sandhills WMA: East | WMA | 870 | 7 mi | east | — |
| Chattahoochee Fall Line WMA: Fort Perry Tract | WMA | 2,100 | 9 mi | southwest | 6 |
| Upatoi Ravines Natural Area | Natural area | 9,500 | 15 mi | west | — |
| Big Lazer Creek WMA | WMA | 7,200 | 15 mi | north | 51 |
| Chattahoochee Fall Line WMA: Hilliard Plantation Tract | WMA | 8,089 | 18 mi | southwest | 45 |
| Chattahoochee Fall Line WMA: VPA Tracts | VPA property | 9,048 | 18 mi | west | 35 |
| Sprewell Bluff WMA: East | WMA | 1,330 | 21 mi | north | 12 |
| Sprewell Bluff WMA: West | WMA | 6,571 | 23 mi | north | 59 |
| Montezuma Bluffs WMA | WMA | 500 | 26 mi | southeast | 6 |
| Camp Thunder VPA | VPA property | 1,527 | 28 mi | north | 11 |
| F.D. Roosevelt State Park | State park | 9,049 | 28 mi | northwest | — |
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.
Sandhills WMA West: nearest towns and businesses
Town guides first, then businesses in the same and neighbouring counties.
| Town | County | Straight line | 2024 pop. | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard | Taylor | 3 mi | — | 11,319 |
| Butler | Taylor | 9 mi | 1,827 | 3,359 |
| Talbotton | Talbot | 12 mi | 738 | 20,519 |
| Box Springs | Talbot | 16 mi | — | 27,131 |
Its counties, each with a guide: Taylor County.
Local businesses for Sandhills WMA West hunters
Who to call about Sandhills WMA West
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.
Closest public range to Sandhills WMA: West
No range sits on Sandhills WMA: West; the nearest WRD-listed range is Big Lazer Creek Shooting Range, about 16 miles away. The other cards are private ranges within 30 miles.
Facilities: 100-yard Range
Lines for trap, skeet, sporting clays, 5-stand, steel and shotgun
Lines for rifle, handgun and smallbore
From the WRD range list and the GA DNR range layer, checked October 13, 2026.
Sandhills WMA West sunrise, sunset and shooting time
Whitetails, turkeys and squirrels: sunrise minus 30 minutes to sunset plus 30. Migratory birds: same start, but they end at sunset.
Worked out for Sandhills WMA West 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 Sandhills WMA West questions
What are the spring turkey dates at Sandhills WMA West?
Turkey runs Apr. 3-May 15. Each hunter may take one gobbler from the area.
What can be hunted at Sandhills WMA West?
Per the area record, whitetails, gobblers, bobwhites, ducks and geese, coyotes, squirrels and rabbits and feral hogs.
Is Sandhills WMA West a quota hunt?
Nothing is quota only.
Does Sandhills WMA West allow camping?
Camping is permitted where designated.
How many bucks came off Sandhills WMA West?
11 bucks and 8 does were checked in 2025-26.
Is Sandhills WMA West in an alligator hunt zone?
Alligator zone 3; hunting is by quota permit only.
Which areas are close to Sandhills WMA West?
Within reach are Chattahoochee Fall Line WMA: Almo Tract (6 miles), Sandhills WMA: East (7 miles) and Chattahoochee Fall Line WMA: Fort Perry Tract (9 miles), nearest first.
Is blaze pink legal on Sandhills WMA West?
Orange or pink, 500 square inches, whenever firearms or primitive weapons deer or bear hunts are on.
Where do I check game taken on Sandhills WMA West?
Game Check within 24 hours, after noting date and county on the Harvest Record.
Can I put out corn on Sandhills WMA West?
No; bait is only legal on private land with written permission.
What sort of property is Sandhills WMA West?
Wildlife management area run by WRD, under the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division.
Is Sandhills WMA West big enough for a full day?
2,500 acres, per Georgia 2026-27 Hunting Regulations (eRegulations) area listing.
Sandhills WMA West: confirm before you go
The manager has the last word on Sandhills WMA West. Read its page and the WRD guide the week of your hunt.
Sources for this page: WRD: sandhills wma west · 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: YoungSue (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Judy Gallagher (CC BY 2.0).