Oconee WMA: 2026-27 seasons, quota hunts and deer harvest
Oconee WMA is 7,400 acres of public hunting land in Greene, Hancock and Putnam counties, managed by Georgia DNR's WRD (Region 3). For 2026-27, WRD lists these deer dates on Oconee WMA: archery, Sept. 12 to Oct. 9, Dec. 1 to Jan. 10; primitive, Oct. 10 to 16; firearms, Oct. 17 to Nov. 30. Hunters reported 153 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season through Georgia Game Check (80 bucks, 73 does). WRD drew 18 quota hunts here in its 2026 lottery.
Data updated October 2026. Seasons: WRD's 2026-27 WMA listings. Harvest: WRD Game Check reports to the 2025-26 season. Quota hunts: WRD's 2026 lottery reports.
Oconee WMAOther WRD WMAsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 7,400 acres (WRD's 2026-27 regulations, page 43) |
|---|---|
| County | Greene County, Hancock County, Putnam County |
| WRD region | Region 3, office 706-595-4222 |
| WRD's listing | WMA on leased or partner land |
| Deer, 2026-27 | Archery: Sept. 12 to Oct. 9, Dec. 1 to Jan. 10. Primitive: Oct. 10 to 16. Firearms: Oct. 17 to Nov. 30 |
| Deer reported, 2025-26 | 153 (80 bucks, 73 does) |
| Quota hunts, 2026 lottery | 18, with 5,387 applications |
| Camping | Not listed (WRD) |
| Nearest towns | White Plains (5 mi), Siloam (8 mi) and Sparta (10 mi) |
What is Oconee WMA like?
Oconee Wildlife Management Area is a 7,400-acre area located in Greene, Hancock, and Putnam Counties in east-central Georgia. Typical of Piedmont landscapes, the area consist largely of rolling hills interspersed with creeks. It also borders Lake Oconee and Lake Sinclair created by the impoundment of the Oconee River. Habitat types include mixed pine/hardwoods, pure hardwood, and planted pine stands. Wildlife openings consists of fallow fields, planted food plots, and timber clear-cuts. The area offers hunting opportunities for deer, turkey, small game, and dove. The Rock Hawk Trails and Effigy is an archery-only area open for deer, turkey and small game. The Dan Denton Waterfowl Area is a 100-acre impoundment managed for waterfowl. No fishing or hunting (other than for ducks and geese and archery deer hunting during statewide archery and primitive weapons season) on waterfowl impoundments.
WRD lists these facilities: rock hawk/oconee archery range, lake and nature trails.
From WRD's page for Oconee WMA.
When are the 2026-27 seasons on Oconee WMA?
WRD sets each WMA's own dates. It lists 3 parts of Oconee WMA separately: Oconee WMA, Oconee WMA - Rock Hawk Trails & Effigy and Oconee WMA - Dan Denton Waterfowl Area. These are WRD's 2026-27 dates and notes for the area, as printed:
Oconee WMA
| Season | 2026-27 dates and WRD's notes |
|---|---|
| Deer, archery | Sept. 12 to Oct. 9, Dec. 1 to Jan. 10 |
| Deer, primitive | Oct. 10 to 16 |
| Deer, firearms | Oct. 17 to Nov. 30 |
| Turkey | Apr. 17 to May 15 |
| Small Game | Sign-in State Seasons |
| Quail | State Season Hunting party must report harvest at kiosk or online, complete one survey per party. |
| Waterfowl | State Seasons |
| Coyote | May 16 to 31 |
| Dove | Sept. 12, 19, 26, Oct. 3, 10, Nov. 21 to 29, Dec. 19 to Jan. 31 |
Oconee WMA - Rock Hawk Trails & Effigy
| Season | 2026-27 dates and WRD's notes |
|---|---|
| Deer, archery | Sept. 12 to Jan. 10 |
| Turkey | Selected Oconee quota turkey hunters only may hunt with firearms during quota hunt dates in this area. Apr. 17 to May 15 |
| Small Game | State Seasons |
| Waterfowl | State Seasons |
Oconee WMA - Dan Denton Waterfowl Area
| Season | 2026-27 dates and WRD's notes |
|---|---|
| Deer, archery | Sept. 12 to Oct. 16 |
Source: WRD WMA hunting opportunities, 2026-27 season (FY27). The area's full listing in the 2026-2027 Georgia Hunting and Fishing Regulations, page 43 adds its quota, youth and special hunts and its area notes, and is the final word. WRD can change a hunt during the year: check WRD's page for the area before you go.
Does Oconee WMA have quota hunts?
Yes. WRD's 2026 lottery reports list 18 quota hunts on Oconee WMA. The most applied for was Dan Denton Waterfowl Area - Pond 1, 1st Hunt (waterfowl): 1,129 applicants for 3 spots.
| Hunt | Lottery | Applicants | Selected | First-choice applicants | Share selected | Priority points sure of a spot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Denton Waterfowl Area - Pond 1, 1st Hunt | Waterfowl, 2026 | 1,129 | 3 | 683 | 0.3% | 15 |
| Dan Denton Waterfowl Area - Pond 1, 2nd Hunt | Waterfowl, 2026 | 523 | 3 | 80 | 0.6% | 11 |
| Dan Denton Waterfowl Area - Pond 1, 3rd Hunt | Waterfowl, 2026 | 353 | 3 | 62 | 0.8% | 10 |
| Dan Denton Waterfowl Area - Pond 1, 4th Hunt | Waterfowl, 2026 | 208 | 3 | 65 | 1.4% | 10 |
| Dan Denton Waterfowl Area - Pond 1, 5th Hunt | Waterfowl, 2026 | 185 | 3 | 45 | 1.6% | 7 |
| Dan Denton Waterfowl Area - Pond 1, 6th Hunt | Waterfowl, 2026 | 128 | 3 | 30 | 2.3% | 7 |
| Dan Denton Waterfowl Area - Pond 1, 7th Hunt | Waterfowl, 2026 | 105 | 3 | 21 | 2.9% | 6 |
| Dan Denton Waterfowl Area - Pond 1, 8th Hunt | Waterfowl, 2026 | 136 | 3 | 49 | 2.2% | 10 |
| Dan Denton Waterfowl Area - Pond 3, 1st Hunt | Waterfowl, 2026 | 397 | 2 | 72 | 0.5% | 11 |
| Dan Denton Waterfowl Area - Pond 3, 2nd Hunt | Waterfowl, 2026 | 138 | 2 | 23 | 1.4% | 7 |
| Dan Denton Waterfowl Area - Pond 3, 3rd Hunt | Waterfowl, 2026 | 85 | 2 | 13 | 2.4% | 7 |
| Dan Denton Waterfowl Area - Pond 3, 4th Hunt | Waterfowl, 2026 | 77 | 2 | 17 | 2.6% | 8 |
| Dan Denton Waterfowl Area - Pond 3, 5th Hunt | Waterfowl, 2026 | 92 | 2 | 15 | 2.2% | 8 |
| Dan Denton Waterfowl Area - Pond 3, 6th Hunt | Waterfowl, 2026 | 70 | 2 | 11 | 2.9% | 4 |
| Dan Denton Waterfowl Area - Pond 3, 7th Hunt | Waterfowl, 2026 | 87 | 2 | 11 | 2.3% | 8 |
| Dan Denton Waterfowl Area - Pond 3, 8th Hunt | Waterfowl, 2026 | 131 | 2 | 48 | 1.5% | 8 |
| 1st Hunt | Turkey, 2025 | 1,083 | 30 | 470 | 2.8% | 5 |
| 2nd Hunt | Turkey, 2025 | 460 | 30 | 58 | 6.5% | 2 |
Source: WRD's 2026 quota lottery reports. "Share selected" is WRD's selected count divided by its applicant count for that year's lottery, not a forecast. "Priority points sure of a spot" is WRD's own column: applicants with at least that many priority points were selected; the rest went to a random draw.
How many deer are taken on Oconee WMA?
Hunters reported 153 deer on Oconee WMA in the 2025-26 season: 80 bucks and 73 does. Over the 10 seasons WRD reports, the area averaged 163 deer a season, from 118 in 2021-22 to 212 in 2019-20.
| Season | Deer reported | Bucks | Does | Bucks per 100 deer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 153 | 80 | 73 | 52 |
| 2024-25 | 127 | 73 | 54 | 57 |
| 2023-24 | 152 | 78 | 74 | 51 |
| 2022-23 | 178 | 88 | 90 | 49 |
| 2021-22 | 118 | 70 | 48 | 59 |
| 2020-21 | 193 | 97 | 96 | 50 |
| 2019-20 | 212 | 85 | 127 | 40 |
| 2018-19 | 163 | 88 | 75 | 54 |
| 2017-18 | 191 | 97 | 94 | 51 |
| 2016-17 | 146 | 72 | 74 | 49 |
Source: WRD deer harvest reports (Georgia Game Check), deer reported by WMA, adding WRD's lines for Dan Denton, Oconee WMA and Oconee WMA. Deer from bonus hunts are tagged at the check station and may not be in Game Check's count. WRD records the 2026-27 season as it goes; it is left out until it ends.
Which county is Oconee WMA in?
Oconee WMA spreads over 3 counties. Each county's deer harvest for 2025-26, for the whole county, private land included:
| County | WMA acres in it | County deer reported, 2025-26 | Deer per square mile | Rank of 159 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greene County | 3,337 | 2,153 | 5.6 | 17th |
| Hancock County | 3,001 | 3,095 | 6.6 | 4th |
| Putnam County | 1,189 | 1,740 | 5 | 40th |
County harvest: WRD deer harvest reports (Georgia Game Check). WMA acres in each county measured by FilledTag on WRD's boundary map and the U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries; the mapped boundary can take in water or tracts that WRD's stated acreage leaves out.
How do you get to Oconee WMA?
WRD gives this address: 5051 Liberty Church Road, White Plains, GA 30678 (GPS 33.38938, -83.1209). Highways through the area: GA 16. Nearest towns: White Plains (5 miles), Siloam (8 miles), Sparta (10 miles) and Greensboro (10 miles).
WRD prints a map of the area: Oconee WMA map (PDF).
Besides hunting, WRD lists archery, lake fishing and wildlife viewing here.
The closest other WMAs with a page here: Redlands WMA (12.1 miles), Cedar Creek WMA (14.2 miles), B.F. Grant WMA (14.2 miles) and Little River WMA (14.7 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season on Oconee WMA in 2026-27?
WRD lists these 2026-27 deer dates for Oconee WMA: archery, Sept. 12 to Oct. 9, Dec. 1 to Jan. 10; primitive, Oct. 10 to 16; firearms, Oct. 17 to Nov. 30. WMA dates can differ from the statewide dates, and sign-in is required for deer hunts unless WRD's listing says otherwise.
When is turkey season on Oconee WMA?
WRD's 2026-27 listing for Oconee WMA gives turkey: Apr. 17 to May 15. On a WMA the limit is one gobbler a season per area.
How many deer were killed on Oconee WMA last season?
153 deer were reported on Oconee WMA in the 2025-26 season, 80 bucks and 73 does, by WRD's Game Check reports by WMA.
Is Oconee WMA a quota hunt?
Some of its hunts are. WRD's 2026 lottery listed 18 quota hunts on Oconee WMA, with 5,387 applications for 100 spots. Its other seasons need sign-in, not a draw.
Can you camp on Oconee WMA?
WRD's listing for Oconee WMA does not show camping. Ask the region office before planning to stay on the area.
What county is Oconee WMA in?
Greene County (3,337 acres), Hancock County (3,001 acres) and Putnam County (1,189 acres), measured on WRD's boundary.
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Where these numbers come from
- Seasons and notes: WRD WMA hunting opportunities, 2026-27 season (FY27); general WMA rules: 2026-2027 Georgia Hunting and Fishing Regulations, pages 19 to 21.
- Deer harvest by WMA and county: WRD deer harvest reports (Georgia Game Check).
- Quota hunts: WRD quota hunt lottery reports, 2026.
- Area description, facilities and address: WRD, Oconee WMA. Boundary and acres: WRD WMA boundaries.
- Counties, highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries; U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer. National forest and refuges: U.S. Forest Service national forest ownership; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundaries.
FilledTag is not part of Georgia DNR. Numbers are copied from WRD or measured from public maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
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