2021 WMA Bow Special

Included in these three pages is a record number of bowhunting stats from Georgia WMAs, PFAs, Tracts, State Parks and VPAs. It’s shocking the number of places someone can take bow or crossbow and get after a deer. 

Every September we publish last year’s WMA bowhunting stat’s simply as a service to our readers. The amount of information you see here can be quite overwhelming, but GON’s WMA Bow Special should help you drill down to make your hunt choices a little bit easier.

Ceylon WMA opened to hunting last year, and here’s a buck that was killed by at the new WMA by Jesse Newsome.

This year we’re able to publish last year’s hunter and harvest stats on 129 different pieces of public land, along with a list of the top-25 most successful places for bowhunter success from the 2020-21 season.

Sapelo Island’s non-quota bowhunting opportunities were the most successful in the state last year. The barrier island offered six different periods that ranged from September to January when hunters could travel and hunt. Across those hunts, only 27 hunters signed in, and they killed 25 deer for a hunter-success rate of 92.6%.

“I would definitely attribute this success to hunters who are familiar with the island,” said Kara Day, WRD biologist. “Most, if not all of these bowhunters have been hunting Sapelo for years. Some may even have full or part-time residences on the island. They are familiar with the woods and have the means/resources to be able to pattern/scout these deer that the average hunter may not have access to.”

Access to the island is not easy either. If you don’t have a residence on Sapelo—or have a buddy who does—you have to provide your own boat transportation over there. 

“These criteria cultivate a very specific type of hunter, unlike sign-in hunts on other mainland WMAs,” said Kara. “Blaine Tyler, WMA manager, has implemented a great deal of habitat management on the island, as well. Prescribed burning acres have increased, new wildlife openings have been established, and hunter access has improved thanks to the hard work and efforts of Blaine and his staff.”

If you decide to take on this adventure, Sapelo’s campground is Moses Hammock. This year’s Sapelo bowhunts will be Sept. 11-Oct. 3 and Nov. 22-Jan. 9. Maps of open bowhunting areas can be found at www.georgiawildlife.com. 

A coastal honorable mention is Richmond Hill WMA. During back-to-back seasons, this WMA has placed No. 8 in GON’s Top-25 WMAs For Bowhunting list. 

This 7,400-acre area offered about a month-long season last year in conjunction with the state archery season. It was plenty of land for the 34 hunters to spread out. They killed eight deer for a 23.5% hunter-success rate.

“I’d attribute the success rate on Richmond Hill to seasoned hunters and good management,” said Kara. “The WMA is broken up into 10 separate tracts, so I believe this unique feature helps hunters narrow down where they want to hunt and concentrate their efforts, which in turn results in success. Roughly 120 acres of wildlife openings are managed and/or manipulated each year, as well, and the property is well-maintained with planting, disking, mowing and prescribed burning when it’s not too wet. Area Manager Eric Esser does a fantastic job accommodating hunter access when possible, to include several mobility-impaired hunting areas and associated blinds.”

Most bowhunts in this state are non-quota, meaning you just sign-in to hunt and enjoy. 

Study the GON WMA Bow Special and take a good look at the new Georgia Hunting Seasons & Regulations booklet. Look for tracts—some of them are small pieces of dirt—that are open outside of the state’s regular archery season. With the proper work, you can find yourself successful in the WMA woods this fall with your bow.