DMU Lowndes, Georgia

Lowndes County lies entirely within Georgia's Lower Coastal Plain, in the Wiregrass physiographic region. The terrain is flat to gently rolling with elevations generally 150-250 feet above sea level. Sandy loam soils support managed loblolly and longleaf pine plantations, row-crop agriculture (corn, peanuts, soybeans), and extensive wetland swamp. The 18,000-acre Grand Bay wetlands complex — one of the largest Carolina bay systems in Georgia, second only to Okefenokee Swamp — dominates the southern portion of the county with cypress-bay swamp and wet flatwoods. Major waterways include the Withlacoochee River along the eastern border and the Little River to the northwest, both draining toward the Suwannee basin.

Moderate to high on public land. Grand Bay WMA draws consistent pressure from the greater Valdosta metro area. Private land access is competitive, with hunting clubs and corporate timber leases accounting for most deer harvest. Public acreage is limited relative to county size and local population. The county's inclusion in Georgia's CWD Management Area since fall 2025 has added regulatory visibility without significantly reducing hunting participation. Lowndes is not among Georgia's top trophy-buck counties but holds solid deer numbers driven by agricultural food sources.

Statewide bag limit is 12 deer per season: up to 10 antlerless and no more than 2 antlered bucks. One buck must meet Quality Buck criteria (minimum 4 points 1 inch or longer on one side, or 15-inch outside antler spread). Green region bonus antlerless-only firearms hunt October 4-5, 2025. Lowndes County is either-sex throughout the firearms season. Archery: September 13 - October 10, 2025. Primitive weapons: October 11-17, 2025. Firearms: October 18, 2025 - January 11, 2026. Deer testing positive for CWD through a DNR-approved test do not count toward the bag limit.

Deer: archery September 13-October 10, primitive weapons October 11-17, firearms October 18-January 11 (either-sex all season in Lowndes). Spring turkey: youth/mobility-impaired March 21-22, 2026; private land statewide March 28-May 15, 2026; WMAs April 4-May 15, 2026; bag limit 1 gobbler per day, 3 per season; no electronic calls. Lower Coastal Plain reported 2.37 poults per hen in 2024. Feral hogs: no closed season or bag limit on private land; legal to hunt at night with lights and over bait; WMA hog season May 16-31 on Grand Bay. Waterfowl hunting at Grand Bay WMA wetlands. Small game includes dove, quail, rabbit, and squirrel.

Grand Bay WMA anchors public access within an 18,000-acre wetlands complex — among the largest Carolina bay systems in Georgia, second only to Okefenokee Swamp — offering a rare swamp hunting experience in the deep South. Liberal antlerless harvest (up to 10 does) and productive agricultural landscapes (peanut and corn fields) support solid deer densities. Lowndes County is part of Georgia's first Chronic Wasting Disease management zone (detections began January 2025); DNR offers free CWD testing at participating processors and taxidermists. South Georgia's plantation and timber-tract culture dominates private land, with hunting clubs providing access to large contiguous blocks. Year-round feral hog hunting on private land provides off-season opportunity, and Lower Coastal Plain turkey habitat is consistently productive.