DMU Burke, Georgia

Upper Coastal Plain; flat to gently rolling topography. Dominant cover is planted loblolly and longleaf pine with bottomland hardwood drainages (Brier Creek, Savannah River tributaries). Active agriculture — soybeans, corn, peanuts, cotton — provides abundant deer forage edges. Longleaf pine restoration ongoing at Yuchi WMA. Elevation change minimal; wetland pockets common near stream corridors.

Moderate to high on public WMA land, particularly Di-Lane and Yuchi on fall weekends during firearms season. Midweek hunting significantly reduces competition. Private agricultural leases see lighter pressure but are tightly controlled. Green Zone liberal antlerless rules draw hunters statewide to the Upper Coastal Plain. Di-Lane quota hunts self-select for committed hunters and spread pressure.

Burke County is in Georgia's Green Zone (most of the state, primarily south and east of the mountains). Either-sex deer hunting is open for the entire season — antlerless deer may be taken any day of any open season (archery, primitive weapons, firearms). Statewide bag limit: 12 deer per season, no more than 10 antlerless and no more than 2 antlered. One of the two bucks must meet Quality Buck criteria (4+ points one inch or longer on one side, or 15-inch outside spread minimum); the second buck must simply have visible antlers above the hairline. No antlerless-specific tags or doe permits required — the either-sex status is blanket for Green Zone counties throughout the season.

2025-2026 season dates (representative of current structure): Archery — Sept 13 to Oct 10; Primitive Weapons — Oct 11 to Oct 17 (archery equipment also legal); Firearms — Oct 18 to Jan 11. Archery equipment legal during all seasons. Primitive weapons season allows archery, airbows, muzzleloading shotguns (20-ga+), air rifles, and muzzleloaders .30-cal+. Turkey season runs spring (typically mid-March through May) with a fall archery-only option in many counties. Di-Lane WMA managed specifically for bobwhite quail with open fields benefiting both turkey and deer. Small game (squirrel, rabbit) and dove hunting available at WMAs with planted fields.

One of the most accessible public-land deer hunting counties in eastern Georgia, with nearly 17,000 combined WMA acres. Full either-sex status all season under the Green Zone makes doe harvest straightforward with no special tags. Yuchi WMA's longleaf pine restoration creates diverse edge habitat that concentrates deer and turkey. Di-Lane Plantation is a standout multi-species destination — whitetail, turkey, quail, dove, and waterfowl all under one management unit. Agricultural surroundings (corn and soybean fields) provide natural food plot equivalents and support above-average Coastal Plain body weights. Brier Creek bottomlands offer classic Georgia swamp hunting for rutting bucks (rut peaks late November to mid-December in this zone).