Georgia 2021 Deer Season Wrap-Up

There’s still some deer hunting left—quite a bit if your county has the extended archery-only hunting until Jan. 31. However, it’s time for our GON Hunt Advisors to wrap it up with their final deer season reports. We will hear from our Hunt Advisors again soon during turkey season. 

One of the better bucks we’ve seen in a while from Pickens County, this 205-lb. 10-pointer was killed by John Bryant, of Fairmount, at 8:20 a.m. on Nov. 14.

Riley Wickline scored on her first Georgia buck while hunting in Madison County on Dec. 4. She had recently told her boyfriend that she’d never have a chance of making it into GON. Riley checked off two boxes!

NORTH GEORGIA

Cherokee County: Tim Dangar, of Ball Ground, reports, “As we wrap up another great deer season, may we take time to thank God for keeping us safe and providing meat for the table. 

“Right now I can’t remember going to the woods and not seeing a deer, which has not been the case in years past. It sure helps as we get our grandkids involved in the great outdoors. We have let all does walk this year and have been selective on the bucks that have been taken. We still have the month of January left with our extended archery season going through the end of the month. We have been spending some time on our land in the mountains as seemingly the bears have hit the dens for a while. Cameras went from all bear and no deer, to all deer (some real nice bucks) and no bear. It will be interesting to see if they stay in dens or come back out due to warm weather. Green fields should be the ticket for deer the remainder of season.

“Well, I guess this is a wrap until turkey season. As always, stay calm and hunt on!”

Tyler Goddard, 17, shot this nice Cherokee County 8-point on a Sunday morning hunt Dec. 12 before church.

Christine Davis with a Dooly County buck from Nov. 20. “It’s not often you get to sit with your two daughters and get to shoot a Big Ol’ Buck!” Christine said. “So this is how our morning went! First I saw a shooting star, then lots of chatting, sticker trading and opening Zebra Cakes for breakfast in the tree stand. I looked to the left, and there he was at 7:30 a.m. I sat on Savanna’s lap, my older daughter, and shot out her window! So thankful to share this special moment with them! Yes we were all screaming in the tree stand when we saw him go down! He weighed 240 pounds. SO thankful for this harvest! Girl Power! This is what’s it’s all about! GENESIS 27:3.”

Madison County: Keith Ingram, of Comer, reports, “Well, another deer season is winding down, and it’s been a good one, but not up to last year’s standards. I’ve seen plenty of deer this season, with several promising bucks for the future, but it’s been off from last year. I should have tagged out on bucks Thanksgiving morning, but I let him walk, hoping my son would get an opportunity at him. Kinda been kicking myself ever since, as he was as big or bigger than the one I took back in mid November.

“The rut was nothing like last year either. The morning of Nov. 14, I watched incredible chasing from multiple bucks and was able to take a very nice deer. I thought that was probably a sign of things to come, but it ended up being the only day I saw actual chasing this whole season. 

“I went over to Tugaloo State Park Nov. 30-Dec. 1 on an archery quota hunt, and I was able to take a 6-pointer with my crossbow to help with the population control. You’re not going to see a trophy over there, but it is a fun hunt, and it is a beautiful place to hunt. 

“I’ve enjoyed this season and just being out in the woods, but I’m ready to turn the page. I’ve got a pack of beagles that’s itching to get after some bunnies. 

“Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Stay safe, see y’all turkey season.”

Enslie Padgett, 14, got this wide 8-point buck in Cherokee County.

MIDDLE GEORGIA

Fayette & Meriwether Counties: Jeff Scurry, of Fayetteville, reports, “Overall, I will rate my deer season a seven. I was able to take a nice bow-buck opening week of archery, a buck I let walk from last year. I saw lots of deer this year, but the high doe numbers seemed to keep the mature bucks more locked down in their core areas. They did not have to travel much, bringing the does to them.

“I saw lots of young bucks and lots of yearlings, which showed taking out some predators on my property has helped. The 2.5-year-old bucks I did see will be some nice up-and-comers for the next few years, if they make it. 

“Overall, it was a good year, and with the high deer numbers, I can’t wait till next season.”

Houston Banks, 12, with his 121-inch 8-point buck he killed in Morgan County on Oct. 17. Also pictured is Houston’s dad Lee Banks.

WMA bonus tags pay off! Justin West said, “Tagged out in September, so I went to the Cedar Creek check-in hunt for my first time ever trying public land and was blessed to get it done Nov. 12 in Putnam County.”

Putnam County: Dwayne Britt, of Bishop, reports, “I would have to say this year was fair to good. I saw deer chasing from opening weekend to up to five weeks later, but they were mostly young bucks. Many does had fawns with them through most of November. This was just me personally—as most know, someone sitting several hundred yards away may have had big bucks chasing everywhere. I had several quality bucks on camera early and I’m still hopeful they show back up those last few weeks, if they made it. Food plots did well this year, and acorns were a little less abundant, but still plentiful.

“I’m always looking to improve a stand or area and scouting how to approach the next season while hunting. I like to get in before spring and get any boxes set up, trails cut and lanes cleared, so then it’s just trimming to be done during the spring or summer. I do my best to set up where I don’t have to walk over what I hunt, so I can slip in and out with minimal scent.

“This 2021 deer season has been a struggle with the illness of one of my best hunting buddies. I absolutely love hunting, I love killing big deer, and I can’t deny my times of frustration over stupid things. My best advice to anyone for this upcoming season is to enjoy the moment. Whether you and your buddy are building stands, cutting lanes or planning the next hunt while sitting around the fire or eating supper… Soak it up. Take those kids with you, plan as much as you can to hunt with your friends and family, and make memories. They’ll last a lifetime, and you’ll be thankful for them. 

“God bless and prayers for a blessed New Year.”

GON subscriber Michael Dukes, of Dublin, with his Laurens County 10-point buck that pulled the scales to 233 pounds.

SOUTH GEORGIA

Colquitt County: Adam Childers, of Moultrie, reports, “I think I say this every year, but it’s hard to believe this deer season is nearly finished. For the remainder of the season, I’ll be focused on hunting the hottest food source. It may be a food plot, it may be some of the remaining acorns, or it may be a good ol’ corn pile. If you can make it happen to where all three of the aforementioned snacks are in the same general area, you may be on to something. I like to use cameras to scout several different locations for daylight activity. It usually doesn’t take long to figure out what areas they like this time of year. As usual, the older bucks seem to shy away from these spots during the day. However, as they come off of their rut routine, I’ve seen them hammer the food for a few days, often times in daylight. In my experience, I’ve noticed that a buck can get on a fairly consistent late-season routine that is similar to early September. This can be a great time to finally seal the deal on one that’s been on the move for the last couple months.

“This season has been a good one to me. I was fortunate enough to get not one but two shots at a buck named Scar that I’ve had my eye on for four years. It felt pretty good to finally get my hands on him and close that chapter! However, this was far from the highlight of my season. One day in November a few days after I shot my buck, my daughter Livi Kell started telling me she wanted to go hunting with me. When she saw Scar in person for the first time, it’s like it all finally clicked. You could see the wheels turning in an almost 3-year-old head as she understood the game for the first time. So when she asked to go hunting, we loaded up the juice and snacks and went to the blind! We had as much fun as you could have and even saw a few deer right at dark! Hopefully the hunt that evening lit a fire that will burn in her for the rest of her life. She may or may not have gotten a BB gun for Christmas to start practicing with soon! Only time will tell, but if she enjoys being outside and chasing these critters half as much as her daddy, she’ll be alright!

“The wait for next September is about to begin, but the work has already started. It always seems like bow season will never get here, but there’s plenty to do for the next eight months to keep us busy. Now, let’s get ready to bust a turkey!”

Gage Locke, of Butler, with his big Taylor County buck taken on Nov. 9.

Crisp County: Jodi Manders, of Cordele, reports, “Hopefully everybody has had a good season. We have had a fair one. The deer sightings have been way down from last year and even down from the beginning of this season. It started off looking like it was going to be very promising, but it quickly went downhill. The deer just quit moving in the daylight except for an occasional doe or a yearling. The rut was almost non-existent. I’ve talked to others in our area, and they have had the same luck, while others have had a very good year. Deer are strange at times. 

“We are still holding on to the chance of getting a shot on a couple for the freezer. We still have some great-looking food plots, and we hope to see one in them in the daylight. Maybe next year will be lots better. Looking forward to turkey season! Hunt safe, God Bless!”

Harris County: Jimmy Harper, of Hamilton, reports, “As we get set to close out another Harris County deer season, I’d definitely rate the one we’re about to wrap up as good, just like most of the recent seasons we’ve had here. I’ve long since stopped basing how any hunting season went or should be rated based solely, or even primarily, on how many animals I killed or the size of the critters I put on the ground. Rather, as I’ve gotten older, I’m now much more focused on the memories I go home with and the smiles I enjoy seeing on the faces of my fellow hunters, especially when those grins are on the mugs of my family members and close friends. 

“Last season, I got to enjoy my youngest son, Jake, killing two beautiful mature bucks within a period of less than two weeks. So this season, Jake and I both shared our personal stands with Jake’s brother-in-law, Lucas Law, and got to enjoy the thrill of this college student killing his first two deer, both mature, wall-hanger bucks. Our hunting club also continued to welcome the children and grandchildren of our members to hunt with us, and several of those young hunters killed their first deer on one of our leases this season. So, although I didn’t fire an arrow, bolt or bullet this season myself, I saw plenty of good, healthy deer of all age classes, and that caused me to already start looking forward to future deer seasons. Additionally, seeing our hunting tradition being passed on to future generations first-hand was more than enough to make this a very good season for me!

“On the Harris County lands where we hunt, we have very close to a 1:1 buck-to-doe ratio, and we work extremely hard, and keep detailed written records—herd surveys, hunt records, harvest records, harvested deer stats like age, weight, size, etc.—year-round in order to maintain that balance. We also shoot every coyote that we see, in or out of deer season, but these invasive critters continue to negatively impact deer numbers, so our doe harvest has been scaled back in recent years to avoid possible over-harvest. 

“Over the last several seasons, we’ve been shooting very close to the same number of does as we have bucks, and we’re under a QDM program with a 120-inch minimum for bucks to be killed by adult club members, while youth hunters can kill any buck. Overall, our deer herd continues to be healthy and stable with a good age structure, both on our properties specifically and throughout the majority of Harris County in general. So, deer hunting in our area, and at least in the foreseeable future, should continue to be some of the best in the state.

“This is the issue when your Hunt Advisors get the opportunity to share suggestions for changes we’d like to see made to the hunting regulations. My first suggested change is one which I ask for every year, and I plan to keep asking as long as GON allows me to write these reports. The current bag limit of 10 antlerless deer, especially with the negative impact coyotes are having on our fawn population, is simply way too high and needs to be significantly lowered. Studies have shown in Georgia right now it’s taking more than two does just to recruit one fawn into the fall breeding season population. On a localized basis, our deer herd can’t support hunters killing 10 does each. I hope very few, if any, hunters are actually doing that, but we need regulations to prevent it in case they are. Bring the antlerless deer limit down to a common sense number that will conserve this resource for future generations.

“My second suggested change is not new or original; it’s already being done in Tennessee, and I’d like to see Georgia adopt this same expanded archery hunting opportunity. There are many archery hunters, myself included, who have a strong desire to shoot a quality buck in velvet. But with the Georgia archery season starting as late as it does—the second Saturday in September—the majority of the bucks most years have already shed their velvet when our deer season opens. Tennessee has a special two-day, archery only, quality buck only ‘season’ the last weekend in August that gives their hunters a much better opportunity to harvest a velvet buck. Georgia could do the same thing, or even begin our archery season on the first Saturday in September of each year instead of on the second one as it does currently. I believe this minor regulations change would increase both interest from bowhunters and revenue for DNR due to increased participation and license sales. Isn’t this something that could be undertaken, at least on a trial basis?

“I have a third and final suggestion that’s related to a change to the deer baiting regulations. Specifically, I’d like to see it required that corn, if used at any time as bait or supplemental feed, be placed in covered feeders off the ground. This is necessary in order to prevent any type of mold, fungus, etc, from growing on older, wet corn and then being ingested by turkeys, quail, deer or any other animals that could potentially be harmed by it. I still use a few spin-cast feeders myself, along with several covered trough feeders, but as the turkey population continues to decline, I’m getting more and more concerned that ‘tainted’ corn may be having at least some impact on the death and overall decline of these majestic birds. While we’re doing so many other things in an attempt to restore Georgia’s wild turkey population, isn’t it worth it to make this minor change to how we feed our deer, too? I know I’d be willing to give up all of my spin-cast feeders to potentially have more turkeys, but it would take all of us doing it and not just a few folks! Nobody would have to stop baiting or putting out supplemental feed; we’d all just have to do it a little differently. I think it would be worth it to increase the odds that future generations could turkey hunt like we can now, and to know that the way we feed deer today didn’t have a hand in destroying that turkey hunting opportunity for them tomorrow. Happy New Year!”

Twiggs County: Richie Green, of Jeffersonville, reports, “Well, another year is in the books, and as I get older they come and go a lot faster than I want them to. If you read all of GON from cover to cover like me, we were just reminded that we all have a first and a last deer. I want my last hunt to be my last day on Earth at say 99 years old maybe.

“The year has been good to a lot of people and great to a few like Chad Green, who’s on the cover last month.  That’s the kind of buck we all dream about.

“Me and four of my cousins hunted the Oaky Woods WMA bonus hunt, and it was one of the great ones. First, we all got a buck, and second, my cousin Blake Floyd and his son Cooper doubled up on two great bucks while sitting side by side. Coop is 10 and has already killed bigger deer at that age than most of us. On Dec. 3 they found one of those big cypress trees that you could drive a car through and made a blind with some green bushes in front and settled in. About 9 o’clock, two bucks came walking toward them, so Coop gets his gun up waiting for the first one to turn. He keeps walking straight toward them and literally walks up like he’s going to eat the bushes they put out. Coop can only see a blur in the scope, he shoots and the deer drops. Blake gets up and shoots the other buck that ran off and stopped. That’s a hunt that little guy or dad will never forget. Both bucks were 8-points and were run down from the rut so much their spines we’re showing.”

It’s an Oaky Woods WMA father-son double! Blake Floyd and his 10-year-old son Cooper were sitting against a big cypress tree when they doubled up on these public-land 8-point bucks.

“This has been a good year for the freezer for a lot of people and a great year for the wall for others. Mine was looking pretty bad for the freezer until Oaky Woods, but now it’s full and I’m happy. There’s some awesome hunting on public land. If you go to the right spot, you can have it pretty much to yourself. You have to put in the work.

“If you don’t have any meat yet, the best bet now is green plots and thick cover, but it will happen at the end of the season. Just look in the GON this month to prove it. The fawn distress will call the does in this time of year if you’re not scared to blow it in the quiet woods.

“Merry Christmas to y’all, and I hope to see you at the Outdoor Blast in July.”

GON subscriber Carl Shiver, of Camilla, with his 21 1/2-inch-wide 9-point buck he killed in Mitchell County on the Flint River on Dec. 12.

“Unfortunately, I let my subscription lapse, otherwise I would certainly have a Truck-Buck entry,” said Alan Marshall, of Senoia. Alan shot this huge main-frame 8-pointer that also has three sticker points while hunting in Taylor County on Nov. 4. They taped the rack at 165 total inches.

Will Myrick is going to have a new listing in GON’s Georgia Deer Records when his Calhoun County bow-buck is officially scored. Will arrowed the buck on Oct. 20 at 7:06 p.m.