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Bryan County · WRD Region 6
Hunting Near Buckhead, Georgia
Which WMAs and federal tracts sit near Buckhead, what WRD zones apply in Bryan County, how many deer the county reports, and who handles your game.
Photo: Photo of Fort Stewart & Hunter Army Airfield, about 23 miles from Buckhead. NASA/Milan Loiacono (Public domain)
In Bryan County, Buckhead falls under the WRD Brunswick region. Ossabaw Island WMA is the reason Buckhead is here: its nearest line is 6 miles away. No 2024 Census population is published for it. Measure 10 miles out and you reach about 29,325 acres of public ground (3 listed). The nearest option is Richmond Hill WMA, with a boundary inside 10 miles.
Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates (Gazetteer); acreage within 10 miles from places.json, a GIS measure over WRD WMA, USFS, USFWS and DoD boundaries (WRD WMA layer); region from the WRD contact page. Checked October 13, 2026.
How far Buckhead is from WMAs and refuges
Lands whose boundary comes within 10 miles of Buckhead are listed first, nearest line first; after them every other tract is ranked by miles to its mapped centre. Highlighted pins have an edge inside 10 miles.
Wildlife management areas close by: Richmond Hill WMA, Ossabaw Island WMA and Sapelo Island WMA. Quota permits are needed for certain hunts on Ossabaw Island WMA and Fort Stewart & Hunter Army Airfield. The closest national wildlife refuge is Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge. The installation at Fort Stewart & Hunter Army Airfield also hunts, through its own system.
| Land | Type | Nearest edge | Centre, miles | Acreage | Species named |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond Hill WMA | WMA | 10 mi or less | 5.1 mi SE | 7,400 | deer, turkey, waterfowl |
| Ossabaw Island WMA Some by quota | WMA | 5.8 mi | 9.7 mi SE | 9,000 | deer, feral hog |
| Fort Stewart & Hunter Army Airfield Some by quota | Military post | 10 mi or less | 23 mi NW | – | deer, turkey, waterfowl |
| Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge | Wildlife refuge | – | 16 mi E | 10,053 | deer, feral hog |
| Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge | Wildlife refuge | – | 16 mi S | 2,755 | deer, feral hog |
| Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge | Wildlife refuge | – | 25 mi S | 5,591 | deer, feral hog |
| Sapelo Island WMA Some by quota | WMA | – | 27 mi S | 9,000 | deer, waterfowl, turkey |
| Savannah National Wildlife Refuge | Wildlife refuge | – | 30 mi N | 30,715 | deer, turkey, waterfowl |
Lands, acreage and species from WRD area pages and the 2026-27 hunting regulations; boundaries within 10 miles from places.json (WRD WMA Boundary GIS, USFS, USFWS and DoD layers); centre distances are straight-line from the Census point for Buckhead to each mapped point. Checked October 13, 2026. Statewide map.
Buckhead: deer, bear and alligator zones
Private-land doe days in Bryan County come from the Green zone. No bear zone includes Bryan County. Running deer with dogs is legal here on the listed dates (Oct. 17-Jan. 10). For the alligator quota hunt, the county is in Zone 8.
Zones from the 2026-27 Georgia hunting regulations and the WRD county zone layer, checked October 13, 2026.
Buckhead area seasons, 2026-27
These dates cover private land. A WMA or the national forest can be shorter or quota-only, so check the area page before you go.
| Animal | Hunt | Scope | Starts | Ends | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery | Private land | Sep 12, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Archery (Either-Sex) | Green zone | Sep 12, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms (Antlerless Only) | Green zone | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Primitive Weapons (Either-Sex) | Green zone | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 16, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Primitive weapons & youth-only firearms | Statewide | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 16, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Firearms (Either-Sex) | Green zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Hunting deer with dogs (either sex) | Dog-deer: Bryan | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Special Opportunity (youth under 16 and mobility-impaired) | Private land | Mar 20, 2027 | Mar 21, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring gobbler | Private land | Mar 27, 2027 | May 15, 2027 | |
| Feral hog | Private land | Private land | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Alligator | Quota hunt (2026 season) | Zone 8 | Aug 14, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 | |
| Bobwhite quail | Hunting | Statewide | Nov 14, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Ruffed grouse | Hunting | Statewide | Oct 15, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Rabbits | Hunting | Statewide | Nov 14, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Squirrels | Hunting (gray and fox squirrel) | Statewide | Aug 15, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Year-round (unprotected) | Private land | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Raccoon | Hunting | Private land | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Opossum | Hunting | Private land | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Gray and red fox | Hunting (gray and red fox) | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Hunting | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Armadillo | Year-round (unprotected) | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Groundhog | Year-round (unprotected) | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Beaver | Year-round (unprotected) | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
| Nutria | Year-round (unprotected) | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round | Year-round |
From the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division 2026-27 big game seasons, either-sex days and small game seasons, checked October 13, 2026.
Deer and turkey harvest around Buckhead
These are the Game Check reports for Bryan County, WRD’s adjusted deer estimate and the WMA totals nearby.
For 2025-26, Bryan County reports came to 711 deer. WRD scales that up to an estimated 1,247 deer, 141st among counties per square mile. The 2026-27 season is under way, with 76 deer reported so far.
Bryan County gave up 76 reported gobblers in spring 2026.
WMA deer and gobblers near Buckhead
| WMA | How far | Deer, 2025 | Bucks 2025 | Gobblers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond Hill WMA | 5.1 mi | 52 | 24 | 3 |
| Sapelo Island WMA | 27 mi | 45 | 16 | – |
Deer from the WRD deer harvest dashboard (data layer); turkeys from the WRD turkey harvest dashboard; WMA figures from the WMA harvest layer. Checked October 13, 2026.
Buckhead hunter services by distance
Phone, map and website buttons appear wherever the source listed them. Hours were not checked, so ring before you drive over. Wise Brothers Processing and Taxidermy (11 miles) takes donated deer for Georgia Hunters for the Hungry. For free CWD testing, the nearest listed drop-off is Wise Brothers Processing (13 miles).
| Type | Inside 15 | Inside 30 | Nearest one | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meat processing | 1 | 1 | Wise Brothers Processing and Taxidermy (Savannah) | 11 miles |
| Mounts and taxidermy | 3 | 4 | Trophy Takers Taxidermy (Richmond Hill) | 7 miles |
| Guns, bows and licenses | 13 | 40 | PFI Puskas Firearms innovations (Richmond Hill) | 7 miles |
| Preserves and outfitters | 1 | 1 | Dorchester Hunting Preserve (Midway) | 7 miles |
Meat processing
Mounts and taxidermy
Guns, bows and licenses
Preserves and outfitters
Processors from Georgia Hunters for the Hungry, the WRD CWD testing map and Yellow Pages; shops from the Go Outdoors Georgia agent locator and Yellow Pages; preserves from Discover Georgia Outdoors. Checked October 13, 2026; hours were not checked.
Buckhead: WRD, warden and Forest Service contacts
Region offices handle WMA management and bear checks; Law Enforcement handles wardens and violations.
WRD Brunswick office
DNR Law Enforcement (Brunswick)
From the WRD contact page, the DNR Law Enforcement region offices and the Chattahoochee-Oconee offices page, checked October 13, 2026.
Practice lines near Buckhead
Richmond Hill Shooting Range is closest, about 4 miles from Buckhead.
Facilities: 12 long range state-of-the-art electronic shooting stations, 14 long range steel shooting stations, 20 short range pistol shooting stations
Facilities: 4 static archery range target stations, Archery tower with 6 3D targets, 3D archery trail with 15 targets
Lines for trap, skeet, sporting clays and shotgun
Straight-line miles from the town center; ranges checked October 13, 2026.
Hunting hours near Buckhead
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 Buckhead 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.
What Buckhead hunters want to know
Does Bryan County have extended archery or dog-deer hunting?
Dog-deer dates: Oct. 17-Jan. 10.
Can I hunt alligators near Buckhead?
The county counts in Zone 8. Hunting requires a drawn alligator permit.
How far is Buckhead from a WMA?
Start with Richmond Hill WMA, with a boundary inside 10 miles. Ossabaw Island WMA follows.
Which doe-day calendar applies around Buckhead?
Bryan County is in the Green either-sex zone. The seasons table on this page lists those either-sex dates.
How many acres of public hunting land surround Buckhead?
Close to 29,325 acres sit inside a 10 mile radius. Within 30 miles the list grows to 8 properties.
What did Game Check record for Bryan County deer last season?
711 reported in 2025-26. WRD estimates the real figure at 1,247.
Does Bryan County have an open bear season?
There is no bear zone in Bryan County.
Which processor near Buckhead takes deer?
Wise Brothers Processing and Taxidermy (Savannah) sits 11 miles from town. Within 30 miles: 1.
Do turkey hunters do well around Buckhead?
Game Check shows 76 for spring 2026.
Is there a license agent in Buckhead?
Wal-Mart #635, about 9 miles out. Buying online at GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com is the other option.
Which taxidermy shop is nearest to Buckhead?
Our closest taxidermy listing is Trophy Takers Taxidermy, 7 miles away. Within 30 miles we list 4.
Do any WMAs near Buckhead need an application?
Yes, starting with Ossabaw Island WMA. Selection is by application, with priority points.
Answers drawn from the sources listed in each section above, checked October 13, 2026.
Finishing the Buckhead hunt plan
Leaving from Buckhead? Confirm the zone, the area’s sign-in rules and your licenses before the drive.
Other photos on this page: U.S. Geological Survey (CC0 1.0); USFWS/Southeast (Public domain); NASA/Milan Loiacono (Public domain); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (CC BY 2.0); gary_leavens (CC BY-SA 2.0); Judy Gallagher (CC BY 2.0); YellowstoneNPS (Public domain); Jonas N. Jordan, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Public domain).