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Rabun County · WMA
Tallulah Gorge WMA Hunting Guide
Tallulah Gorge WMA, 2,689 acres in Rabun and Habersham counties: whitetails, black bears, gobblers and squirrels and rabbits, this season's dates, Game Check harvest, rules and the ground nearby.
Photo: David Dugan (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Getting to Tallulah Gorge WMA
Parking, trailheads and gates near Tallulah Gorge WMA
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 0.8 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Tugaloo Boat RampBoat ramp · 1.4 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 1.5 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.2 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.3 mi from the centreDirections
- Parking areaParking · 2.4 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.
Tallulah Gorge WMA by the numbers
Kind of ground: wildlife management area run by WRD. Where: Rabun and Habersham counties. The Gainesville regional office (Region 2) is the WRD contact. It is run by the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division. With 2,689 acres, it sits at 76th of 121 WMAs by acreage. Toccoa is the closest town with a guide here, about 10 miles away; the area lies north of it.
Tallulah Gorge WMA, county by county
| County | Courthouse town | Population 2024 | Doe-day zone | Bear zone | Alligator zone | Deer 2025-26 (reported) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rabun County | Clayton | 17,711 | Yellow | Northern | — | 371 |
| Habersham County | Clarkesville | 49,665 | Orange | Northern | — | 1,338 |
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 Tallulah Gorge WMA
Dates WRD set for Tallulah Gorge WMA
This year's listing gives Tallulah Gorge WMA 6 lines of dates: deer & bear, turkey, small game and waterfowl.
| Game | Segment | When | Flags | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer & bear | Archery | Buck Only: Sept. 12-Oct. 9 | — | |
| Deer & bear | Primitive | Buck Only: Oct. 10-16 | — | |
| Deer & bear | Firearms | Buck Only: Oct. 17-Jan. 1 | — | |
| Turkey | — | Apr. 3-May 15 | — | |
| 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.
How many deer come off Tallulah Gorge WMA
Bucks 2, does 0: that is the 2025-26 reported harvest on Tallulah Gorge WMA. Range across the chart: 2 up to 10 deer. 29 gobblers have been checked from Tallulah Gorge WMA in the springs listed, 2 of them in 2026. Counts are raw Game Check reports from the area; WRD does not adjust them for non-reporting at this level.
Deer reported from Tallulah Gorge WMA
| Year | Antlered | Antlerless | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2024-25 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 2023-24 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 2022-23 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| 2021-22 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 2020-21 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| 2019-20 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| 2018-19 | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| 2017-18 | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| 2016-17 | 7 | 1 | 8 |
Tallulah Gorge WMA spring turkey counts
| Season | Gobblers checked |
|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | 2 |
| Spring 2025 | 3 |
| Spring 2024 | 4 |
| Spring 2023 | 1 |
| Spring 2022 | 4 |
| Spring 2020 | 1 |
| Spring 2019 | 2 |
| Spring 2018 | 1 |
| Spring 2017 | 5 |
| Spring 2016 | 6 |
Legal bears around Tallulah Gorge WMA
Deer from WRD deer harvest reports, turkeys from WRD turkey harvest layer, bears from the WRD north Georgia bear summary; as of 2026-10-13. Checked October 13, 2026.
What Tallulah Gorge WMA requires
What applies here, card by card.
How Tallulah Gorge 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 ATVs
- No coyote season
Licenses for Tallulah Gorge WMA
The free Harvest Record is mandatory for deer, bear, turkey and alligator, whatever license you hold.
Rules that follow you onto Tallulah Gorge 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 Tallulah Gorge WMA
From Tallulah Falls: Take U.S. 441 north, turn right onto Jane Hurt Yarn Dr., go ¼ mile past campground, follow WMA signs.
Tallulah Gorge WMA up close
Quoted from the managing agency, then the lists that tie this page to others.
Notes from WRD
Tallulah Gorge WMA is mostly forested with rolling to steep hills. The Gorge itself and the Tallulah River roughly bisect the property. The eastern and southeastern portion of the WMA is border by Lake Tugaloo and the South Carolina state line. Daily on-site sign-in is required. This is a WMA Lands Pass area, but a Park Pass will suffice for the Lands Pass requirement. All hunters and anglers must be appropriately licensed.
Text and lists from the source page, Georgia regulations, WRD GIS, WRD GIS; retrieved 2026-10-13, checked October 13, 2026.
Tallulah Gorge WMA species and bags
Hunters come to Tallulah Gorge WMA for whitetails, black bears, gobblers, squirrels and rabbits and ducks and geese.
White-tailed deer
Earliest listed: Buck Only: Sept. 12-Oct. 9, archery.
Species from the area record; bag limits from the WRD bag limit table. Checked October 13, 2026.
Tallulah Gorge WMA on the map, with its neighbours
Tallulah Gorge WMA sits at the orange pin, with 11 public neighbours inside 30 miles. Acres on file for the neighbours: 347,588.
| Nearby area | Kind | Size (ac) | Miles | Heading | Deer reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattooga River Ranger District (Chattahoochee National Forest) | Ranger district | 261,439 | 7 mi | northwest | — |
| Warwoman WMA | WMA | 15,800 | 14 mi | north | 2 |
| Lake Russell WMA | WMA | 17,300 | 15 mi | south | 11 |
| Buck Shoals WMA | WMA | 582 | 19 mi | southwest | — |
| Swallow Creek WMA | WMA | 19,000 | 20 mi | northwest | 6 |
| London Farms Dove Field | Dove field | 111 | 20 mi | southwest | — |
| Dukes Creek – Smithgall Woods State Park | State park | 4,500 | 22 mi | west | 18 |
| Tugaloo State Park | State park | 393 | 23 mi | southeast | 1 |
| Chattahoochee WMA | WMA | 25,150 | 24 mi | west | 17 |
| Wilson Shoals WMA | WMA | 2,800 | 24 mi | southwest | 50 |
| Lula Bridge WMA | WMA | 513 | 28 mi | southwest | 2 |
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.
Tallulah Gorge WMA: nearest ranges
About 20 miles separates Tallulah Gorge WMA from Unicoi Air Rifle Range, the nearest WRD range. The other cards are private ranges within 30 miles.
Facilities: Air Gun Range
Lines for handgun, rifle and archery
Lines for sporting clays, rifle, handgun, smallbore, muzzleloader, action pistol, benchrest, highpower, silhouette, cowboy action, 3-gun and shotgun
From the WRD range list and the GA DNR range layer, checked October 13, 2026.
Tallulah Gorge WMA: nearest towns and businesses
Town guides first, then businesses in the same and neighbouring counties.
| Base town | County | Away | Residents | Public acres near |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toccoa | Stephens | 10 mi | 9,389 | 40,486 |
| Clayton | Rabun | 10 mi | 2,090 | 96,466 |
| Clarkesville | Habersham | 12 mi | 2,159 | 44,152 |
| Mountain City | Rabun | 13 mi | 964 | 92,861 |
Hunting guides for its counties: Rabun County, Habersham County.
After the shot at Tallulah Gorge WMA
Offices for Tallulah Gorge 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 Tallulah Gorge 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 Tallulah Gorge 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 Tallulah Gorge WMA questions
Where do hunters stay for Tallulah Gorge WMA?
Start from Toccoa; the area is 10 miles off, in Rabun and Habersham counties.
Is Tallulah Gorge WMA big enough for a full day?
Roughly 2,689 acres.
How does sign-in work on Tallulah Gorge WMA?
Deer, bear and turkey hunters sign in online first; it opens the previous day.
Do I need a Lands Pass for Tallulah Gorge 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 Tallulah Gorge WMA?
Apr. 3-May 15, per the 2026-27 listing. Limit on WMAs: 1 gobbler per area.
When does deer season open on Tallulah Gorge WMA?
Archery dates start Buck Only: Sept. 12-Oct. 9. All later dates are in the table.
Are Tallulah Gorge WMA hunts limited?
No; the listing has no quota hunts.
What can be hunted at Tallulah Gorge WMA?
Listed game: whitetails, black bears, gobblers, squirrels and rabbits and ducks and geese.
How many bucks came off Tallulah Gorge WMA?
The 2025-26 reported total was 2.
Where can I stay overnight at Tallulah Gorge WMA?
Yes, camping is allowed in designated sites.
Where else can I go near Tallulah Gorge WMA?
Nearest: Chattooga River Ranger District (Chattahoochee National Forest) (7 miles), Warwoman WMA (14 miles) and Lake Russell WMA (15 miles).
Which bear zone is Tallulah Gorge WMA in?
The Northern bear zone, and bear is on the area's game list.
Tallulah Gorge WMA: confirm before you go
The manager has the last word on Tallulah Gorge WMA. Read its page and the WRD guide the week of your hunt.
Sources for this page: WRD: tallulah gorge wma · Georgia regulations: wma regulations t z · WRD GIS · WRD GIS · WRD GIS; regulations from the 2026-27 Georgia hunting regulations. Checked October 13, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Joe K Gage (CC BY-SA 2.0); Joe Mabel (CC BY-SA 4.0).