DMU Stewart, Georgia

Upper Gulf Coastal Plain with gently rolling to moderately hilly terrain; elevations range from roughly 130 ft along the Chattahoochee River to about 720 ft in the interior. Soils are sandy and erosion-prone, carved into deep red ravines — most dramatically at Providence Canyon, where gullies reach 150 ft deep. Approximately 87 percent of the county's 464 square miles is forested, primarily managed loblolly and longleaf pine plantations that replaced eroded cotton fields after the 19th century. Bottomland hardwoods line Hannahatchee Creek and the Chattahoochee River corridor. Walter F. George Lake (Lake Eufaula) borders the county on the west. Additional interior drainages include Kinchafoonee Creek tributaries in the east.

Low. Stewart County is one of Georgia's least populated counties (~5,000 residents, 100 percent rural) with minimal local hunter density. Large private timber holdings gatekeep most land behind lease arrangements, and Hannahatchee Creek WMA sees only light to moderate weekday traffic. Remote road networks, long drives from metro areas, and the private-land plantation culture keep overall public-land pressure well below the Georgia average.

Statewide bag limit: 12 deer per season, no more than 10 antlerless and no more than 2 antlered. One of the two antlered bucks must be a quality buck (at least 4 points 1 inch or longer on one side, or a minimum 15-inch outside spread); the second may be any legal buck visible above the hairline. Stewart County is not among the 13 counties with restricted antlerless days, so either-sex firearms harvest is permitted throughout the standard firearms season (October 18 through January 11). A new antlerless-only firearms weekend (October 4-5) applies to most counties including Stewart for 2025-2026. No extended southwest-nine archery or firearms restrictions apply here.

Deer: archery opens September 13 (either-sex statewide); youth and primitive weapons October 11-17; firearms October 18 through January 11. Turkey: spring season approximately late March through mid-May statewide; Hannahatchee Creek WMA spring turkey runs April 4 through May 15. Feral hog: no closed season — hogs may be taken during deer, turkey, and small game seasons with legal weapons for that season, plus coyote/hog days May 16-31 at Hannahatchee WMA. Dove: state dove season in September and November; managed fields may be available at Hannahatchee. Small game (squirrel, rabbit, quail, raccoon) hunted under statewide season. Waterfowl opportunities along Chattahoochee River and Lake Walter F. George during federal duck and goose seasons.

Stewart County's near-total rural character (100 percent rural, 87 percent forested) and expansive pine plantation landscape create mature, low-disturbance deer habitat with consistent buck age structure rarely seen on heavily pressured public ground. Hannahatchee Creek WMA is a sleeper public unit that receives a fraction of the hunting pressure of larger southwest Georgia WMAs, yet holds good populations of whitetail, Eastern turkey, and feral hog. The Chattahoochee River corridor and Lake Walter F. George backwaters serve as major deer travel routes and staging areas during the rut. The county's deep plantation heritage — historically quail and now timber-focused — has preserved large, contiguous blocks of habitat. Liberal antlerless limits allow aggressive doe harvest management, and the combination of bottomland hardwood mast and adjacent pine cover gives bucks excellent sanctuary. Hunters willing to put in scouting effort on WMA ground or secure a lease can find a genuine off-the-radar southwest Georgia experience.