Update From The Georgia Deer Woods

Southwest Georgia brute! Weston Lee, 17, of Blakely, shot this 160-inch velvet 11-pointer with his compound on opening weekend in Early County. He was hunting in a ground blind with Toby Warr, who got the hunt on video.

Rain and swirling winds followed by scorching summer-like temperatures couldn’t dampen opening week of Georgia’s archery season. Hunters are flooding GON with pictures and stories of big bucks—and the season is only getting started.

We have a super group of Hunt Advisors across the state who file reports from their deer woods. Here are their reports on the opening week of archery season, along with how the woods and deer herd are looking for the upcoming gun season.

“What a day, and what a memory!” said Brandon Crowley, of Chatsworth. Pictured is his daughter Addy, who on her first archery hunt got her first buck. Addy and her Murray County 8-pointer are entered in Week 1 of both Truck-Buck and the Youth Big-Buck contest.

NORTH GEORGIA

Chattahoochee National Forest: Tim Dangar, of Ball Ground, reports, “My scouting trips to the north Georgia mountains so far have been great. The autumn olives are abundant down on creek bottoms, and acorns are great with white oaks taking the prize this year. When you see clusters from the middle of a tree to the top, you know it’s going to be a great year. Red oaks are not as good as last year but worth keeping in mind. Already seeing limbs ripped off by bear and claw-marked trees. While we are talking about bear, last year’s abundant mast crop did just what I expected. The bear in north Georgia hit hyper reproduction mode, which results in sows having two and three cubs. My mountain cameras are proof of that. The deer herd in the part of the forest I hunt seems to be in great shape. I think this may be the year we see some nice bucks hit the ground in the mountains. To all my ridge-running buds, we have some great mountain WMA hunts coming up, and most are bonus hunts, which gets you an extra buck tag or two. As always, hunt safe, stay calm and hunt on!”

Cherokee County: Tim Dangar reports, “Looking forward to hearing from all my hunting buds across the state. Opening weekend here in north Cherokee was great weather-wise, with a breeze to keep the bugs away and cooler-than-normal temps. I should be sharing a picture of a nice 8-point, but he lives for another hunt. Proves one thing, you never get too old to get buck fever—that’s all I have to say about that!

“We have an outstanding deer herd with what seems to be a good buck-to-doe balance. We are planning on taking a few does soon as fawns are off milk. As the week progressed, the big, bright full moon came into play and put most of the deer feeding at night.

“We are bad dry and food plots are still dirt. We are in between food sources as the drought has taken away the tender green forage, and acorns are not hitting the ground except what the wind has blown off. There’s an excellent soft mast crop this season with persimmons yet to fall. Due to the in between food cycle, our supplemental feed bill has been high. As we move into October, an abundant acorn crop will come into play and will be the next big change in feeding habits. As soon as this moon goes away and cooler weather moves in, things should pick up again.

“Hope y’all have a blessed season and until next month, stay calm and hunt on!”

Brandon Aaron, of Alpharetta, arrowed this 157-inch Fulton County buck opening day. It was Brandon’s first deer ever. He finished off his first week of hunting with an additional three Fulton County does.

Fulton County: Justin Mizell, of Cumming, reports, “The weather on opening morning was perfect for buck movement. Cool, overcast and spitting rain is a recipe for an excellent hunt. The bucks were still in their bachelor groups and most had already lost their velvet, although a few velvet bucks were taken in Fulton County. One to note was the massive 6-point in velvet that Chase Turner, of Dawsonville, shot in Fulton. The end of Week 1 was the typical 80- and 90-degree September weather that we are used to. The mornings have been cool, but my cameras are still showing better buck movement in the afternoons. The bucks still seem to be following their summer pattens for the most part. They seem to be more aware, with much less midday movement.

“I have certain spots that I focus on early season and certain spots I focus on during the rut. This year my spots that I usually focus on during the rut actually held big bucks in early season. I’ve never seen this before in these areas and figured it was worth mentioning.

“I usually find a creek that leads to a river or a large block of woods. I’ll follow that creek on the map and look for fingers of woods that are attached to those creeks. Those are the small blocks of woods that typically hold big mature bucks. When the rut hits, the bucks hit the creek and head to the river or large blocks of woods that will be loaded with does to breed.

“This year I noticed something that I hadn’t seen before. The overpopulation of deer in Fulton County has been an issue for years, but I’m now noticing deer eating plants that I have never seen them eat before. This year the deer in Fulton County are eating monkey grass. I’m not a biologist, so please take this statement with a grain of salt, but the deer seem to be quite literally running out of food. Providing an artificial food source is an excellent way to harvest deer in Fulton County. I’ve found that the food blocks work great. They last longer than corn, which is easier on the wallet! I didn’t notice many acorns on the ground prior to the start of the season, but there are quite a few on the ground in Fulton now. On my last hunt, I heard the acorns raining down. If focusing on natural food sources, I would try to find muscadine vines and water oaks (small acorns) on the edge of briar thickets.   

“Over the next few weeks, I plan to focus on travel corridors, creeks and flood plains. I find these to be great areas to focus on during pre-rut. October is a time when my cameras situated on food sources seem to go relatively silent. I’ve always attributed this to the abundance of acorns on the ground. I plan to try a few different things this year… mock scrapes, attractants and situating cameras on pinch points with scrapes.  I think this October will be a great time to harvest a big buck! Bowhunting the rut can be very difficult. It’s tough to get a rutting buck stopped for long enough to make a clean shot. October is a different story… the bucks are on their feet moving around and staging. It’s an excellent time to hunt. My plan is to not focus so heavily on what the cams are showing and getting out there and hunting! I have a hard time remembering that the cameras don’t always catch everything. Good luck to all the hunters out there! Stay safe and hunt hard!”

Scarlet Thiessen, 10, of Jefferson, got her first deer, an 8-pointer, while sitting in a ground blind with her dad and two sisters in Jackson County.

Madison County: Keith Ingram, of Comer, reports, “The 2024 season has been a lot different from previous seasons here in my home grounds. Am I seeing plenty of deer as usual? Yes, but am I seeing very many bucks? No. I have yet to see a real mature buck on camera or out of the stand, and with a number of decent bucks that made it through the season last year, it’s a complete mystery. I did supplemental feeding all spring and summer and had one very pretty 3 1/2-year-old 8-pointer showing up, but we haven’t seen him in close to a month.

“Well, that’s enough whining. I’ve still got high hopes. There are plenty of deer here, and the bucks that are here have been very active making rubs and scrapes since late August. I do think there’s a really good acorn crop this year, but I will continue to feed until the acorns start dropping. The drought is really bad, and I look for the food plots to be toast, as they were planted Labor Day weekend.

“Going into October, I will stay on the food sources, especially the acorns once they start dropping. The bucks are still in bachelor groups, but that should be changing going into October as the pre-rut should crank up, and they get into cruising mode. Safe hunting to everybody this fall.”

McDuffie County produced this bow-buck for Harrison Booker, of Evans.

MIDDLE GEORGIA

Fayette & Meriwether Counties: Jeff Scurry, of Peachtree City, reports, “Lots of deer this year. This season looks very promising from the number of deer seen. Out of four properties I focus on, every one seems to have large numbers of deer, including fawns. What has changed is the number of bucks compared to does. In my areas the ratio of bucks to does is close to one-to-one. I have passed up several 2 1/2-year-old bucks so far this year. One other thing that has helped is reducing predation in the off season. Supplemental feeding has been working great to get a survey of the deer on these properties along with adding much needed nutrition during the spring and summer month. There are lots of muscadines and browse this year, including honeysuckle. Food plots are slow growing due to lack of rain, but they should kick in soon.

“The overall forecast for this season is great. During bow season, focusing on food is No. 1. As October progresses, the pre-rut is a factor. With the increase in the number of bucks seen and a reduction in does, it should put the mature bucks on a road trip, traveling more and in the daylight hours searching for a hot doe.”

Jasper County: Tim Zech, of Monticello, reports, “The deer herd in Jasper County looks healthy. The summer cameras show we have larger racks and heavier bucks than normal. This spans across five properties I own or manage in Jasper County. One mature buck we like to call ‘Wowbrow’ has some unique features. He has been a regular at several cameras all summer. He will most likely be our main target buck. That being said, we have four other bucks that look to be mature enough to be on the list.

“Bow season started a little slow for us. The deer were hard to come by opening weekend with four of us only seeing a few does and fawns. The full moon during opening week seems to have more nocturnal movement, as expected. Things changed for the better by the second weekend. Saturday evening, Sept. 21, all of us saw deer.  My son Luke Zech had several deer in range and nearly connected with a mature buck.

“Sunday morning Sept. 22 we were at it again with my adopted grandson Bodee Smith. While we didn’t see many deer, we did see one nice 8-point, and Bodee made a great shot on his first deer with a bow.  The 28-yard shot proved fatal and a short tracking job ended with some great memories and photos. I truly enjoy getting the young and new hunters on some deer. My wife Suzanne has a bow now, and we will be working to get her first archery deer, as well. I think our chances are good.”

Bodee Smith, pictured with Hunt Advisor Tim Zech, holds the rack of his first deer with a bow, a nice Jasper County 8-point buck.

“Please be safe as you hunt this year. There are already stories of folks falling from tree stands, with one fatality and many injuries. There are many products out there now to help avoid such tragedies. Please use them while you enjoy the great outdoors.”

It’s a family celebration for GON subscriber Connor Dickerson, of Jackson, around his Butts County 11-pointer.

Lamar County: Adam Andrews reports, “The first few weeks of bow season have shown little to no daylight movement of mature bucks, with similar behavior of does and fawns. All activity from mature bucks in my area has been just after sunset. What little movement I have observed has mostly been directly to feeders at dusk. With occasional sightings of deer completely bypassing feeders to browse on natural vegetation and new growth from clear cuts. Of course, any naturally growing fruit trees or vines would be a main focus if available. The one persimmon tree accessible on my hunting property has continuous activity. But what fruit is available on the ground and from lower branches is quickly consumed.

“As far as strategies go, I learned to minimize my morning hunts due to always bumping deer from bedding in field edges and along access routes. Evening hunts are my main focus with extreme caution not to apply too much pressure. With recent clearing and development around the property, I’ve set up from a distance to observe and plan on closing the distance once I see more consistency in their travel routes.

“I have hunted all my life with what I consider more success than I deserve. My main focus now is getting my kids and the family youth started hunting. With that being said, I’m putting in the effort and trying to focus on the best plan for opening weekend of youth firearms season in October.

“My deer herd and population seem to be healthy with plenty of fawns this year. I have seen an unusually higher number of smaller bucks as compared to years past. I would estimate it at a one-to-one ratio, if not a two-to-one buck to doe. Things can get hectic and frustrating even for those who love hunting as much as I do. I recommend everyone remembering to enjoy God‘s beautiful creation, and the blessing it is to live in a free country where we get to enjoy this lifestyle. Good luck everyone!”

Putnam County: Dwayne Britt, of Bishop, reports, “It’s been hot, but cooler temps seem to be on the way and the mornings have been good. The heat hasn’t seemed to make a difference with deer movement. Lots of early morning, midday and evening movement. Lots and lots of deer. The herd is healthy, including around my house where I counted in just one evening nine fawns. I’m seeing several quality bucks this year, but most of the more mature ones have been after dark.

“We planted plots mid September and hopefully the heat doesn’t kill them before the rain and cooler weather moves in. The deer are at the feeders throughout the day and hitting the early white oak acorns. As the acorns begin falling, that’s where I’ll be looking for those bucks.

“Putnam seems to have some early chasing by middle to late October as they are checking does at food sources, as well as running those rub lines and scrapes. Don’t rule out hunting late morning even with warmer weather if you got the right winds. I am getting a couple mature bucks on camera coming out between 12 noon and 3 p.m. in areas with heavy cover Good luck and be careful in those stands.”

Walton County: Xane Bennett, of Monroe, reports, “Deer season is finally upon us! I have noticed an influx of fawns this year around the county, which is a positive sign in regard to predators and the buck population. Over the last week, some of the bucks have began to bust up and change their daily pattern. From this point on, it is important to move quietly and not spook any deer looking to establish residence on your tract. Planning and preparation matters a lot more than the hours spent in a stand.

“The summer drought this year really put a damper on some of my early season food plots, so I’m focusing on white oaks early on. Their acorns are beginning to fall, and the deer quickly take notice. Try a setup in thicker hardwoods during the early season. Deer forage their heaviest early morning and late evening. Best of luck to everyone and have a great safe season!”

Chandler Darby, of Augusta, with his massive 12-point buck he killed with a bow on Come Away Plantation in Warren County. The buck weighed 248 pounds.

SOUTH GEORGIA

Cook County: Josh Blackston, of Adel, reports, “Deer season in Cook County started off with very nice weather. I hunted opening evening and had a herd of does come in. As I sat in the the stand, I could hear the red oaks and water oaks raining acorns. I prefer evenings this time of year because I feel it is so hard to hunt food in the morning without blowing the deer out trying to access the stand.

“As the days get shorter and the bucks switch thought patterns from food to does, I’ll begin to choose some ‘perfect’ mornings to ease closer to my favorite spots. The deer herd looks pretty promising this year, and as always, me and the boy are looking forward to sharing the woods and making memories. If he kills every buck he’s laid claim to, he’s going to have a great year.”

Crisp County: Jodi Manders, of Cordele, reports, “Hello everyone! It’s finally deer season, and we are ready to get out in the woods and enjoy the outdoors. Bow season seemed to get off to a slow start. It rained here all day opening day, but it didn’t keep some from hunting. I saw a few good bucks and does at our local processors, so the rain didn’t keep the deer from feeding. Our scouting and trail cameras have been showing us that they are feeding after dark, and we have seen a few early morning. We always have a good crop of persimmons and some have already ripened, so the deer are feeding on those. We managed to get our food plots planted just before a good rain, so they are looking really good. Anticipating the early October hunts where the deer are still in those daytime feeding patterns in the early mornings. The deer herd seems to be down a little from the last couple of years. We haven’t seen as many 1- or 2-year-olds as last year. We have seen several fawns but also captured a picture on trail camera of a coyote carrying a fawn in its mouth. Definitely not what you want to see. So we are ready to get in those stands and see some deer and maybe a coyote or two.

“I’m hoping you all have a great season. Hunt safe and God Bless!”

Harris County: Jimmy Harper, of Hamilton, reports, “Opening weekend of archery season in Harris County was mostly a wash-out due to the lingering remnants of Hurricane Francine. Very few hunters ventured out, but those who did had to sit through waves of rain varying from light to heavy. Still, daytime deer movement was good all weekend, and a few deer started to take rides in the backs of pick-up trucks. Personally, I don’t like hunting in the rain with archery equipment, simply due to the difficultly of following a disappearing blood trail, if I’m lucky enough to get a shot with my bow.

“Although it wrecked havoc on my opening weekend deer hunting plans, the rain was very welcome. We hadn’t had significant rainfall on any of our Harris County properties in months, so that moisture softened the ground enough for us to be able to disc up our food plots. Tilling and planting of those cool-season plots will be done as soon as the next round of rain passes through.

“Even with the drought that we had during late summer—which seems to be a yearly occurrence lately—soft mast crops of muscadines and persimmons still produced well. The verdict is still out on what our hard mast crop of white and red oak acorns will look like this year. From what I’m seeing thus far, it appears acorns of both types may end up being in short supply on our Harris County properties. But I’ve been wrong so many times when predicting acorn production early in the season that I now wait until the acorns actually start to fall—or not—before I’ll make definite hunting plans based on the acorn drop. I’ve also found that the acorn drop can vary significantly from one property to another, and even from a ridgetop to a bottom on the same property, so my advice is to definitely do your own in-season scouting on your hunting property, then adjust your tactics and stand locations on what you personally observe. There are just too many variables involved to productively do otherwise, unless you want to possibly waste valuable hunting time sitting in a ‘dead zone.’

“As we move into and through October, daylight buck movement should increase as the month goes on, especially as we get closer to the week of Halloween. I’ll continue to hunt almost exclusively in the late afternoons, focusing heavily on primary food sources, early in the month. However, once we reach the last seven to 10 days of October, I’ll begin to hunt both mornings and afternoons, basically switching to hunt the same way I do throughout the month of November. During this period, I’ll be sitting in stands overlooking pinch points, travel corridors, saddles and creek crossings. And, since bucks will be on the move looking for love, as long as I play the wind correctly and there is hot, fresh deer sign nearby, I won’t have any problem sitting in the same stand, or at least in the same general area, multiple days in a row.

“I’m retired now, but when I was working I always took vacation off to hunt during the first 10 days of November. But since I’ve been retired, I’ve been able to spend more time hunting other days during our Georgia deer season, and I’ve started to like hunting during the last week of October more and more. In fact, since I’ve retired, I’ve killed as many mature bucks during the last 10 days of October as I have the first 10 days of November. So, if you have a few extra vacation days saved up, you might want to consider using a couple of them during late October, especially if the temperature is cooler than normal. Obviously, nothing in deer hunting is guaranteed, but it sure is nice to be able to deliver a buck to your taxidermist before anyone has a chance to say Trick or Treat!”

Macon County: David Keene, of Oglethorpe, reports, “We have a good crop of live-oak acorns dropping now, and the deer are feeding on them well. Our food plots are doing well after the rains we received a couple of weeks ago, but we need some more rain to keep them going.                                                        I have been seeing several does and small bucks, and I had a mature buck come in Saturday evening, but it was too dark for the bow site. We still have some wild grapes dropping, but they are almost all gone. Plenty of honeysuckle left with the rains we have been getting. I’m seeing some nice bucks on my cameras and hope to connect with one soon. Good luck and be safe.”

Twiggs County: Richie Green, of Jeffersonville, reports, “Here we go again! Another deer season has made it to Georgia, and I’m getting rained on as I write this, but at least it’s not hot. It’s shaping up to be a good one if one of the three bucks I want to shoot comes by and I can hit him. This bow is getting hard to pull back for some reason. Maybe I need a new one for old men.

“I only saw mommas and babies opening day and haven’t seen anything or heard anyone talking about shooting any. My cameras are showing movement but nothing with horns. I did see a little buck on the morning of the 16th that was no bigger than a button head but has two spindly horns about 8 inches, so he might be a giant one day.

“The white oaks are sparse around here, but water oaks always show up somewhere. Food plots look good now with the hurricane rain we got, so things should be good for September. Luckily we got a new seed store in town—Farmers Best Fertilizer came to Twiggs County from Laurens, so we’ve got somewhere to get corn and seed without traveling miles away.

“Most of my cameras are showing late evening to middle of the night deer movement, with hardly any daylight or early morning. So that means hunting with the heat and skeeters. But we all know what’s coming our way in late October and early November. If you’re lucky enough to have cotton or bean fields, then you probably have more deer than you can count, but the woods hunters aren’t so lucky yet. We have small plots and acorn trees that we hope make every year.

“I hope everyone has a great season, and if you’re like me you’re looking for those bucks you let go last year that will ‘be a good one next year.’ I have some good ones on camera from July and August, but where they went only the Lord knows. Y’all be safe out there and please vote for your grandkids future in November. Good hunting to you.”