Georgia — where you can actually hunt
Georgia sells tags over the counter — there's no draw. So the question is where: which counties have public land you can walk onto and hunt. And “public land” isn't one thing — a national park or a refuge is closed or permit-only, so we count only what's truly open, and show the rest honestly. Pick your species below.
What “huntable” means here
National forest, BLM, and state game lands / WMAs are open to hunting (state wildlife-agency lands are managed forit); state forests generally are. National & state parks and military land are closed; wildlife refuges are permit-only — those are excluded from the number.
By huntable public land
Most huntable counties first
Ranked by open public land — state game lands / WMAs and national forest are the open categories that push a county up. The mix shows what kind; deer harvest (GADNR reported total deer kill) shows where the animals are.
| County | Huntable | Land mix | Total deer harvest | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rabun | 62.1% | National Forest 54.6% · State Game Lands / WMA 7.5% | 223 | |
| Towns | 52.3% | National Forest 34.3% · State Game Lands / WMA 18.1% | 260 | |
| Union | 46.5% | National Forest 33.8% · State Game Lands / WMA 12.6% | 1,011 | |
| Fannin | 42.1% | State Game Lands / WMA 26.3% · National Forest 15.8% | 1,064 | |
| Lumpkin | 31.6% | National Forest 20.4% · State Game Lands / WMA 11.2% | 915 | |
| White | 31.3% | State Game Lands / WMA 17.7% · National Forest 13.6% | 785 | |
| Murray | 27% | State Game Lands / WMA 22% · National Forest 5.1% | 1,241 | |
| Dawson | 25.3% | State Game Lands / WMA 20.3% · National Forest 5% | 639 | |
| Gilmer | 24.4% | State Game Lands / WMA 14.6% · National Forest 9.8% | 972 | |
| Putnam | 24.1% | State Game Lands / WMA 17.9% · National Forest 6.1% | 2,110 | |
| Habersham | 22.3% | National Forest 18.4% · State Game Lands / WMA 3.9% | 960 | |
| Stephens | 20.1% | National Forest 11% · State Game Lands / WMA 9% | 367 | |
| McIntosh | 17.1% | State Game Lands / WMA 17.1% | 333 | |
| Jasper | 15.3% | National Forest 11.5% · State Game Lands / WMA 3.8% | 2,097 | |
| Walker | 15.2% | State Game Lands / WMA 10.7% · National Forest 4.5% | 1,689 | |
| Paulding | 14.3% | State Game Lands / WMA 14.3% | 1,079 | |
| Long | 12.6% | State Game Lands / WMA 12.6% | 481 | |
| Greene | 11.7% | State Game Lands / WMA 11.6% | 2,390 | |
| Glynn | 11.1% | State Game Lands / WMA 11.1% | 315 | |
| Chattooga | 10.1% | National Forest 9.7% | 1,236 | |
| Wayne | 10% | State Game Lands / WMA 10% | 709 | |
| Talbot | 9.8% | State Game Lands / WMA 9.8% | 1,799 | |
| Marion | 9.6% | State Game Lands / WMA 9.6% | 1,427 | |
| Chatham | 8.9% | State Game Lands / WMA 8.9% | 308 | |
| Floyd | 8% | State Game Lands / WMA 7% · National Forest 1% | 2,220 | |
| Jeff Davis | 8% | State Game Lands / WMA 8% | 732 | |
| McDuffie | 7.7% | State Game Lands / WMA 7.7% | 1,456 | |
| Jones | 7.2% | State Game Lands / WMA 5.4% · National Forest 1.8% | 1,699 | |
| Whitfield | 6.3% | National Forest 4.5% · State Game Lands / WMA 1.8% | 902 | |
| Houston | 5.9% | State Game Lands / WMA 5.9% | 1,033 | |
| Camden | 5.5% | State Game Lands / WMA 5.5% | 518 | |
| Haralson | 5.3% | State Game Lands / WMA 5.3% | 1,156 | |
| Ware | 5.2% | State Game Lands / WMA 5.2% | 813 | |
| Bleckley | 5.2% | State Game Lands / WMA 5.2% | 592 | |
| Dougherty | 4.6% | State Game Lands / WMA 4.6% | 476 | |
| Polk | 4.4% | State Game Lands / WMA 4.4% | 1,806 | |
| Lanier | 4.3% | State Game Lands / WMA 4.3% | 338 | |
| Bryan | 4% | State Game Lands / WMA 4% | 747 | |
| Gordon | 3.8% | State Game Lands / WMA 3.8% | 1,956 | |
| Harris | 3.8% | State Game Lands / WMA 3.8% | 1,883 | |
| Meriwether | 3.8% | State Game Lands / WMA 3.8% | 2,319 | |
| Screven | 3.7% | State Game Lands / WMA 3.7% | 1,479 | |
| Calhoun | 3.7% | State Game Lands / WMA 3.7% | 976 | |
| Decatur | 3.5% | State Game Lands / WMA 3.5% | 1,162 | |
| Miller | 3.5% | State Game Lands / WMA 3.5% | 521 | |
| Pulaski | 3.4% | State Game Lands / WMA 3.4% | 607 | |
| Burke | 3.3% | State Game Lands / WMA 3.3% | 3,364 | |
| Webster | 3.3% | State Game Lands / WMA 3.3% | 946 | |
| Seminole | 3% | State Game Lands / WMA 3% | 276 | |
| Irwin | 3% | State Game Lands / WMA 3% | 863 | |
| Appling | 2.9% | State Game Lands / WMA 2.9% | 972 | |
| Heard | 2.9% | State Game Lands / WMA 2.9% | 1,401 | |
| Morgan | 2.8% | State Game Lands / WMA 2.8% | 2,081 | |
| Telfair | 2.7% | State Game Lands / WMA 2.7% | 1,013 | |
| Banks | 2.7% | State Game Lands / WMA 2.3% | 1,218 | |
| Wilkes | 2.5% | State Game Lands / WMA 2.5% | 3,050 | |
| Pierce | 2.5% | State Game Lands / WMA 2.5% | 375 | |
| Tattnall | 2.4% | State Game Lands / WMA 2.4% | 1,100 | |
| Bulloch | 2.4% | State Game Lands / WMA 2.4% | 1,324 | |
| Brantley | 2.4% | State Game Lands / WMA 2.4% | 352 | |
| Elbert | 2.2% | State Game Lands / WMA 2.2% | 2,151 | |
| Baker | 2.2% | State Game Lands / WMA 2.2% | 806 | |
| Bartow | 2.2% | State Game Lands / WMA 2.2% | 1,935 | |
| Emanuel | 2.1% | State Game Lands / WMA 2.1% | 1,901 | |
| Wheeler | 2.1% | State Game Lands / WMA 2.1% | 755 | |
| Monroe | 2.1% | State Game Lands / WMA 2% | 1,541 | |
| Cherokee | 2.1% | State Game Lands / WMA 2.1% | 2,043 | |
| Upson | 2% | State Game Lands / WMA 2% | 1,719 | |
| Stewart | 1.9% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.9% | 2,312 | |
| Laurens | 1.8% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.8% | 2,898 | |
| Muscogee | 1.7% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.7% | 684 | |
| Lincoln | 1.7% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.7% | 1,311 | |
| Rockdale | 1.7% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.7% | 435 | |
| Barrow | 1.7% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.7% | 666 | |
| Troup | 1.6% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.6% | 1,408 | |
| Columbia | 1.5% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.5% | 1,766 | |
| Twiggs | 1.5% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.5% | 1,362 | |
| Taylor | 1.4% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.4% | 1,669 | |
| Oglethorpe | 1.4% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.3% | 2,717 | |
| Newton | 1.3% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.3% | 1,322 | |
| Lowndes | 1.1% | State Game Lands / WMA 1.1% | 1,028 | |
| Richmond | 1% | State Game Lands / WMA 1% | 785 | |
| Hancock | 1% | State Game Lands / WMA 1% | 3,577 | |
| Coweta | 1% | State Game Lands / WMA 1% | 1,738 | |
| Dooly | 0.9% | State Game Lands / WMA 0.9% | 795 | |
| Hall | 0.9% | State Game Lands / WMA 0.9% | 2,222 | |
| Baldwin | 0.8% | State Game Lands / WMA 0.8% | 1,241 | |
| Coffee | 0.8% | State Game Lands / WMA 0.8% | 1,107 | |
| Thomas | 0.7% | State Game Lands / WMA 0.7% | 924 | |
| Jenkins | 0.7% | State Game Lands / WMA 0.7% | 1,017 | |
| Cook | 0.6% | State Game Lands / WMA 0.6% | 424 | |
| Wilkinson | 0.6% | State Game Lands / WMA 0.6% | 1,629 | |
| Montgomery | 0.6% | State Game Lands / WMA 0.6% | 605 | |
| Clay | 0.6% | State Game Lands / WMA 0.6% | 879 | |
| Hart | 0.6% | State Game Lands / WMA 0.6% | 1,421 | |
| Berrien | 0.5% | State Game Lands / WMA 0.5% | 1,029 | |
| Colquitt | 0.5% | State Game Lands / WMA 0.5% | 1,041 | |
| Bibb | 0.3% | — | 397 | |
| Quitman | 0.3% | — | 729 | |
| Evans | 0.3% | — | 502 | |
| Madison | 0.2% | — | 1,864 | |
| Walton | 0.2% | — | 1,566 | |
| Franklin | 0.2% | — | 1,333 | |
| Macon | 0.2% | — | 1,340 | |
| Warren | 0.1% | — | 2,175 | |
| Oconee | 0.1% | — | 615 | |
| Wilcox | 0.1% | — | 694 | |
| Lee | 0.1% | — | 1,117 | |
| Clinch | 0.1% | — | 563 | |
| Crisp | 0.1% | — | 544 | |
| Dodge | 0.1% | — | 1,632 | |
| Butts | 0.1% | — | 716 | |
| Liberty | 0% | — | 588 | |
| DeKalb | 0% | — | 206 | |
| Jackson | 0% | — | 1,779 | |
| Washington | 0% | — | 2,814 | |
| Charlton | 0% | — | 379 | |
| Effingham | 0% | — | 1,227 | |
| Toombs | 0% | — | 1,021 | |
| Mitchell | 0% | — | 758 | |
| Treutlen | 0% | — | 576 | |
| Crawford | 0% | — | 1,398 | |
| Fulton | 0% | — | 1,310 | |
| Sumter | 0% | — | 1,726 | |
| Taliaferro | 0% | — | 1,275 | |
| Fayette | 0% | — | 562 | |
| Brooks | 0% | — | 785 | |
| Jefferson | 0% | — | 2,208 | |
| Gwinnett | 0% | — | 725 | |
| Catoosa | 0% | — | 610 | |
| Dade | 0% | — | 846 | |
| Early | 0% | — | 1,453 | |
| Carroll | 0% | — | 1,857 | |
| Worth | 0% | — | 1,677 | |
| Douglas | 0% | — | 824 | |
| Pickens | 0% | — | 666 | |
| Peach | 0% | — | 651 | |
| Johnson | 0% | — | 927 | |
| Glascock | 0% | — | 759 | |
| Randolph | 0% | — | 1,737 | |
| Candler | 0% | — | 786 | |
| Atkinson | 0% | — | 487 | |
| Spalding | 0% | — | 657 | |
| Forsyth | 0% | — | 1,054 | |
| Chattahoochee | 0% | — | 829 | |
| Echols | 0% | — | 333 | |
| Clarke | 0% | — | 485 | |
| Schley | 0% | — | 764 | |
| Pike | 0% | — | 1,120 | |
| Terrell | 0% | — | 1,337 | |
| Clayton | 0% | — | 180 | |
| Lamar | 0% | — | 850 | |
| Henry | 0% | — | 836 | |
| Cobb | 0% | — | 455 | |
| Ben Hill | 0% | — | 612 | |
| Turner | 0% | — | 638 | |
| Bacon | 0% | — | 513 | |
| Tift | 0% | — | 442 | |
| Grady | 0% | — | 708 |
huntablePct = GA WMAs + national forest as a share of the county (GADNR GIS + PAD-US, EPSG:5070); deer = GADNR reported total deer harvest by county. Turkey = GADNR Game Check spring gobbler harvest by county (2024), reconciled to the published statewide total (11,570). National & state parks, military land, and permit-only refuges are computed but shown as the “mix,” not counted huntable; confirm the specific tract with the state agency.
Georgia — best of, ranked