DMU Screven, Georgia

Screven County sits at the boundary of Georgia's Upper and Lower Coastal Plain, making it a transitional zone with elevations ranging from roughly 40 feet along the Savannah River to 320 feet near Sylvania in the west. The landscape is predominantly flat to gently rolling, covered by loblolly and longleaf pine plantations, mixed hardwood-pine uplands, and bottomland hardwoods along river and creek corridors. The Savannah River forms the eastern county line, the Ogeechee River borders the southwest, and Brier Creek drains the interior. Wetland pockets, beaver swamps, and hardwood drains provide classic Coastal Plain deer habitat between large blocks of planted pine.

Moderate. Tuckahoe WMA attracts hunters from across the Coastal Plains region thanks to its size and Savannah River frontage, with pressure peaking during the firearms opener and rut weeks in late October and November. Hiltonia is small enough that it receives lighter use. The county's sparse population, rural character, and abundance of private timber leases absorb significant hunter numbers off public ground, keeping overall pressure below that seen at larger, more accessible WMAs closer to population centers.

Screven County follows statewide Georgia deer regulations. Season bag limit is 12 deer total — no more than 10 antlerless and no more than 2 antlered. One antlered buck must be a quality buck (at least 4 points one inch or longer on one side, or a minimum 15-inch outside antler spread); the second antlered deer may be any legal buck with antlers visible above the hairline. Antlerless deer may be harvested every day of the firearms season — Screven is not among the small group of counties with antlerless restrictions. A new 2-day antlerless-only firearms season (Oct 4–5, 2025) preceded the main opener. WMA-specific bag limits or season structures may apply at Tuckahoe and Hiltonia; check annual WMA regulations before hunting public ground.

Deer: Archery Sept 13 – Jan 11; primitive weapons Oct 11–17; statewide firearms Oct 18 – Jan 11 (2025–2026 season). Turkey: Youth and mobility-impaired season March 21–22; private land opens March 28, WMAs open April 4, all seasons close May 15. Season limit 2 gobblers, 1 per day, bearded birds only during spring season. Feral hog: Year-round on private land with no bag limit, legal to hunt at night with a light and over bait; on WMAs a specific feral hog and coyote season runs May 16–31 (no night hunting on public land). Small game including rabbit and squirrel are present; dove and waterfowl opportunities exist along agricultural fields and river sloughs. Quail occur on Hiltonia WMA in small numbers.

Tuckahoe WMA is the centerpiece — 15,100 acres of Savannah River bottomland, hardwood swamps, planted pines, and food plots give public-land hunters genuine big-woods deer and turkey hunting in the Deep South tradition. The county's position at the Coastal Plain transition zone concentrates deer movement between upland pine blocks and river-bottom mast corridors. Large private timber tracts throughout the county hold huntable hog populations and offer lease hunting for those seeking private-land access. Georgia's generous statewide bag limits (up to 10 antlerless deer per season) and liberal doe days make Screven an excellent county to fill the freezer while pursuing a quality buck. Turkey hunting on Tuckahoe's river swamps and longleaf pine edges can be exceptional in spring.