National Wildlife Refuge · Georgia · FWS Region 4

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge Hunting & Fishing Guide 2026–27

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is located in Charlton County, Georgia, with about 407,038 acres of land owned in fee by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Its lands extend into Florida. For the 2026–2027 season the refuge has 6 mapped hunt units: 4 open with special regulations and 2 closed, covering about 3,821 huntable acres.

4 with special regs2 closedPermit requiredYouth hunts
View hunt map Directions Official hunting page ↗
6hunt units
3.8Khuntable acres
407KFWS-owned acres
5game categories

Okefenokee NWR hunt unit map

Hunt units are colored by 2026–2027 status. Toggle layers for FWS-owned land, the approved refuge boundary and private easements. Use satellite imagery to scout marshes, timber edges and access points.

Loading interactive map…
OpenSpecial regulationsClosedFWS-owned landWPA (public)Refuge boundaryEasement (private) Tip: switch to Satellite or USGS Topo in the layer menu · click the map for GPS coordinates
Take it into the field: KML (Google Earth / onX) GPX waypoints GeoJSON

Hunting at Okefenokee NWR

Hunters can pursue big game, wild turkey, upland birds, small game, and feral & exotic here, subject to state seasons and refuge-specific rules. Fishing is available — freshwater fishing. A refuge permit is required for at least some activities, in addition to your state license. Special youth hunting opportunities are offered.

The beautiful and mysterious swamp of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is one of the best-protected wilderness areas in the southeastern United States.

Youth hunting

The refuge annually offers hunter safety courses and a hunting skills class, open to hunters of all ages.

All refuges with youth hunts →
Big GameWhite-tailed and mule deer, elk, pronghorn, moose, bear and other large mammalsWild TurkeySpring and fall wild turkeyUpland BirdsPheasant, quail, grouse, prairie chicken and partridgeSmall GameSquirrel, rabbit, hare, raccoon, opossum and other small mammalsFeral & ExoticFeral hogs and other non-native species where refuge rules allow

Categories are those listed by USFWS for this station; exact species, seasons and bag limits follow Georgia regulations plus refuge-specific rules.

Hunt units (6)

Acreage by status
Special regulations: 3,821 (1%)Closed: 403,180 (99%)3.8Khuntable acres
  • Special regulations3,821 ac 1%
  • Closed403,180 ac 99%
Units by size (acres)
Closed Area - GA
399,657 ac
Closed Area - FL
3,523 ac
Pocket Unit
1,387 ac
Cowhouse Unit
1,257 ac
Suwannee Canal Unit
620 ac
Chesser Island Unit
557 ac
UnitStatusAcresPermitDetails
Chesser Island Unit
Show on map · Directions		 Special regs 557 Required
Other OMB-Approved Permit		 Lottery with permit at Suwannee Canal for deer and incidental take of feral hogs.
🧒 The refuge annually offers hunter safety courses and a hunting skills class, open to hunters of…
Cowhouse Unit
Show on map · Directions		 Special regs 1,257 Required
Other OMB-Approved Permit		 Lottery with permit at Suwannee Canal for deer and incidental take of feral hogs.
🧒 The refuge annually offers hunter safety courses and a hunting skills class, open to hunters of…
Pocket Unit
Show on map · Directions		 Special regs 1,387 Required
Other OMB-Approved Permit		 Lottery with permit at Suwannee Canal for deer and incidental take of feral hogs.
🧒 The refuge annually offers hunter safety courses and a hunting skills class, open to hunters of…
Suwannee Canal Unit
Show on map · Directions		 Special regs 620 Required
Other OMB-Approved Permit		 Lottery with permit at Suwannee Canal for deer and incidental take of feral hogs.
🧒 The refuge annually offers hunter safety courses and a hunting skills class, open to hunters of…
Closed Area - FL
Show on map · Directions		 Closed 3,523 Required
Other OMB-Approved Permit		 Lottery with permit at Suwannee Canal for deer and incidental take of feral hogs.
🧒 The refuge annually offers hunter safety courses and a hunting skills class, open to hunters of…
Closed Area - GA
Show on map · Directions		 Closed 399,657 Required
Other OMB-Approved Permit		 Lottery with permit at Suwannee Canal for deer and incidental take of feral hogs.
🧒 The refuge annually offers hunter safety courses and a hunting skills class, open to hunters of…

Okefenokee NWR by the numbers

With about 3,821 huntable acres, Okefenokee NWR ranks #4 of 6 refuges and stations with mapped hunting land in Georgia and #282 of 420 nationwide. Roughly 1% of the acreage inside its mapped hunt units is open to hunting in some form.

The largest huntable unit is Pocket Unit (1,387 acres, special regulations), while the smallest, Chesser Island Unit, covers 557 acres. Every huntable unit requires a refuge permit.

2 units totaling 403,180 acres are closed to hunting (Closed Area - FL and Closed Area - GA). Closed areas often serve as sanctuaries — learn their boundaries before you set up nearby.

Besides 407,038 acres of federally owned land, the station administers conservation easements on about 994 acres of private land. Easement land protects habitat but is not open to public hunting.

When to hunt Okefenokee NWR

Typical U.S. season windows for the game categories offered here. Georgia sets the exact dates, and refuges often open fewer days than the statewide season — use this to plan scouting, then confirm the 2026–2027 dates in the state regulations and the refuge hunt brochure.

Typical season windows — Big Game, Wild Turkey, Upland Birds, Small Game, Feral & Exotic
AugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJun
🦌 Big Game
Archery deerFirearm deer
🦃 Wild Turkey
Spring gobblerFall (some states)
🐦 Upland Birds
Pheasant, quail, grouse
🐇 Small Game
Squirrel & rabbit
🐗 Feral & Exotic
Feral hog (often year-round)

Permits & licenses

Refuge permit

Required

Lottery with permit at Suwannee Canal for deer and incidental take of feral hogs.

Type: Other OMB-Approved Permit

How to get it:

  • ✉️ By mail
  • 💻 Online (FWS)
  • 🏛️ Refuge visitor center / office

You'll also need

  • A valid Georgia hunting license and any required tags or stamps — Georgia Wildlife Resources Division
  • Hunter education certification where your state requires it
  • The current refuge hunt brochure / regulations (often must be signed and carried)

Fishing at Okefenokee NWR

  • 🐟 Freshwater fishing

Fishing season is year-round. The use of live minnows or trotlines is prohibited. Available species include bluegill, redear sunfish, warmouth, flier, catfish and chain pickerel. Limitation for watercraft is 10 hp.

State fishing licenses and regulations apply. Some waters close seasonally to protect wildlife.

How to get to Okefenokee NWR

Navigate

Destination: Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (FWS reference point)

Google Maps Apple Maps Waze
Decimal
30.79611, -82.30321
DMS
30°47′46.0″N 82°18′11.6″W

Download for GPS / onX / Google Earth:KMLGPX

Nearest towns

  • Folkston, GA18 mi W of town
  • Waycross, GA29 mi S of town
  • Jacksonville, FL50 mi NW of town
  • Brunswick, GA54 mi SW of town

Closest airports

  • JAX Jacksonville Intl42 mi
  • SAV Savannah/Hilton Head113 mi

Straight-line distances. Driving routes are longer; many refuge roads are gravel and may close seasonally.

The navigation point is the station reference location published by USFWS — often the headquarters or main entrance. For a specific hunt unit, open its page or click it on the map for coordinates and parking planning.

Sunrise, sunset & shooting hours

Today at Okefenokee NWR

Legal light*–
Sunrise–
Sunset–

*½ hour before sunrise — the standard federal shooting-hour start for migratory game birds. Times in New York local time.

Full season calculator →

2026–2027 season sun table

DateShooting lightSunriseSunsetDaylight
Tue, Sep 1, 20266:35 AM7:05 AM7:54 PM12h 49m
Tue, Sep 15, 20266:42 AM7:12 AM7:36 PM12h 24m
Thu, Oct 1, 20266:51 AM7:21 AM7:15 PM11h 54m
Thu, Oct 15, 20267:00 AM7:30 AM6:58 PM11h 28m
Sun, Nov 1, 20266:13 AM6:43 AM5:42 PM10h 59m
Sun, Nov 15, 20266:25 AM6:55 AM5:32 PM10h 37m
Tue, Dec 1, 20266:39 AM7:09 AM5:27 PM10h 19m
Tue, Dec 15, 20266:49 AM7:19 AM5:29 PM10h 10m
Fri, Jan 1, 20276:56 AM7:26 AM5:37 PM10h 11m
Fri, Jan 15, 20276:57 AM7:27 AM5:48 PM10h 21m
Mon, Feb 1, 20276:51 AM7:21 AM6:03 PM10h 42m

Computed for 30.796, -82.303 (EDT / DST-aware). Check state rules — big game hours vary.

7-day hunting weather

Loading National Weather Service forecast…

Forecast from the National Weather Service. Wind direction matters — plan your approach downwind of where game beds.

Guides for hunting Okefenokee NWR

Deer Hunting on National Wildlife Refuges: Quota Hunts, Archery Units and Stand Rules

How refuge deer hunts work — lotteries and quota permits, archery-only and muzzleloader units, tree-stand rules…

Turkey Hunting on Wildlife Refuges: Lotteries, Pressured Birds and Safety

How spring and fall turkey hunts work on National Wildlife Refuges, how to scout and call public-land gobblers, and…

Pheasant and Upland Bird Hunting on Waterfowl Production Areas

Why WPAs are some of the best walk-in pheasant ground in the Midwest, how to hunt them early and late in the season…

Your First Public-Land Hunt: A Step-by-Step Checklist for New Hunters

Hunter education, licenses, choosing a first species, gear, practice, scouting with maps and what to expect on your…

Feral Hog Hunting on National Wildlife Refuges

Why many refuges allow — and encourage — feral hog hunting, how refuge rules handle hogs, safe shot placement, disease…

Fishing National Wildlife Refuges: Licenses, Seasons, Boats and Where to Go

What to know before fishing a National Wildlife Refuge or fish hatchery — state licenses, seasonal closures that…

Okefenokee NWR FAQ

Is hunting allowed at Okefenokee NWR?

Yes. Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge offers hunting in 4 units (3,821 acres) during 2026–2027 for big game, wild turkey, upland birds, small game, and feral & exotic. Seasons follow state regulations plus refuge-specific rules in 50 CFR Part 32.

Do I need a permit to hunt Okefenokee NWR?

Yes — Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge requires a refuge permit for some or all hunting. Permit type: Other OMB-Approved Permit. Permits can be obtained mail, online through fws, or visitor center. You also need the appropriate state hunting license and, for waterfowl, a Federal Duck Stamp.

Can you fish at Okefenokee NWR?

Yes. Fishing is permitted (freshwater fishing). State fishing licenses and regulations apply along with refuge rules.

Where is Okefenokee NWR located?

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is in Charlton County, Georgia, about 18 miles W of Folkston, GA (straight-line). GPS: 30.79611, -82.30321.

What are legal shooting hours at Okefenokee NWR?

Migratory game bird shooting hours are generally one-half hour before sunrise to sunset; big game and other seasons follow state rules. See the sunrise/sunset table on this page and confirm in the refuge hunt brochure.

Nearby refuges & public land

Banks Lake NWR

Lanier County, GA · 51 mi W

1 closed
🎣

Wolf Island NWR

McIntosh County, GA · 69 mi NE

1 closed
🎣

Blackbeard Island NWR

McIntosh County, GA · 81 mi NE

1 special1 closed
🦌🐗🎣

4.6K huntable acres

Harris Neck NWR

McIntosh County, GA · 84 mi NE

1 special1 closed
🦌🦃🐇🐗🎣

2.5K huntable acres

Welaka NFH

Putnam County, FL · 102 mi SE

1 closed
No hunting listed

Lower Suwannee NWR

Dixie County, FL · 107 mi SW

4 special1 closed
🦌🦆🦃🐇🐗🎣

49.6K huntable acres

All refuges in Georgia →

Data: USFWS National Hunt Units 2026–2027, Hunting & Fishing Opportunities, Realty Boundaries & Tracts. Page updated October 28, 2026.