DMU Greene, Georgia

Greene County lies entirely within Georgia's Piedmont physiographic region, featuring rolling hills and narrow valleys at elevations of roughly 400–800 feet, underlain by metamorphic and igneous rock. Land cover is a mix of planted pine, mixed pine-hardwood, and hardwood stands interspersed with agricultural fields and residential development. Lake Oconee — a 19,000-acre reservoir impounded by Wallace Dam on the Oconee River — dominates the county's eastern and central portions, creating miles of river-bottom and riparian edge habitat. Smaller tributaries drain westward into the Apalachee and Oconee river systems.

Moderate to moderately high on public land. Redlands WMA draws hunters from the greater Atlanta metro and Athens corridors and operates quota hunts during peak periods; Oconee WMA receives similar pressure from nearby population centers. Vast private holdings around Lake Oconee are tightly controlled by resort developers and wealthy landowners, concentrating public hunters onto WMA acreage. Compared to the Georgia statewide average, Greene County public-land pressure is moderate-high, while private-land hunting is exclusive but can yield trophy-class bucks.

Statewide limit is 12 deer per season: maximum 10 antlerless and 2 antlered; at least one antlered buck must meet Quality Buck criteria (4 points one inch or longer on one side, or a minimum 15-inch outside spread). 2025–2026 season structure: archery Sept. 13–Jan. 31; antlerless-only firearms Oct. 4–5; youth and primitive weapons Oct. 11–17; statewide firearms Oct. 18, 2025–Jan. 11, 2026. WMA-specific quota hunts may apply at Redlands and Oconee WMAs.

Deer: archery Sept. 13–Jan. 31, primitive weapons Oct. 11–17 (and during firearms season), statewide firearms Oct. 18–Jan. 11; antlerless-only firearms weekend Oct. 4–5. Turkey: private land opener March 28, public land April 4, season closes May 15, 2026; youth/mobility-impaired weekend March 21; Piedmont region recorded 1.9 poults per hen in 2024, indicating strong gobbler populations. Feral hogs: year-round on private land with no bag limit; on WMAs limited to open big-game seasons plus a dedicated feral hog and coyote season May 16–31. Squirrel, dove, and rabbit seasons also open in Greene County under standard statewide frameworks.

Greene County punches above its size thanks to two large WMAs — Redlands and Oconee — providing tens of thousands of acres of mature Piedmont pine-hardwood habitat under Georgia's liberal 12-deer annual limit. The Redlands WMA, entirely on USFS land, delivers a traditional big-timber hunting experience with quality deer just minutes from Greensboro. Lake Oconee's 19,000-acre reservoir creates an exceptional network of river-bottom edges and flooded timber that concentrate deer movement. The surrounding plantation-country heritage means trophy-class genetics circulate on neighboring private lands, keeping herd quality respectable even on public ground. Spring turkey hunting benefits from the Piedmont's consistently strong gobbler populations, and year-round hog hunting adds off-season opportunity on private land.