The top WMAs in this area show the difference between deer herds here and further south. Dukes Creek has the best hunter success rate, 10.1 percent, followed by Coosawatee, 9.8 percent, and Rich Mountain, 6.9 percent -- far below the success rates farther south, but the best in this region.

DMU 2
Cutting across North Georgia from the Alabama line to the South Carolina border, DMU 2 includes the steeper, rolling hills south of the mountains. A more productive area with some excellent spots within it, it spans two game management units; it's much wider on its west end.

Adam Hammond, a game biologist who covers part of the DMU, reported that the habitat varies a lot from north to south, especially in the western end. Generally, the more-southerly counties are better for deer. A good bit of hunting pressure falls on public lands in this region, but deer populations hold steady.

The success rates at WMAs in this area vary quite a lot, ranging from a high success rate at tiny J.L. Lester of 43.8 percent, to Berry College's 23.3 percent success rate and Crockford/Pigeon Mountain's 11.1 percent.

Paulding Forest, another WMA in this area, has only sign-in hunts, so specific records on success rates are unavailable. It has a solid deer population and is a promising area to hunt.

DMU 3
Within the urban deer zone surrounding Atlanta, lots of deer roam any area that still retains natural habitat, but hunting access is very restricted, with much of the unit limited to archery hunting only. No WMAs are in the area. Some counties have an extended archery season running into January to try to keep the numbers of deer down.

Clayton County on the southern edge of the unit is probably your best bet for deer. If you can find some undeveloped land and get permission to hunt, and if you like using a bow, you may be surprised at how concentrated the deer can be.

DMU 4
Many of the west-central Georgia counties making up this unit are excellent for numbers of deer. Rolling hills and creek bottoms abound in the area, and the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers run through this region, creating much promising bottomland. The many acres of farmland still found her give deer the kind of habitat they favor. Historically, this DMU has the highest number of deer killed each year.

Biologist Charlie Killmaster pointed out that this region's herd is stable -- not much changed in population from last year. The highest numbers of deer are in the more-urbanized counties: plenty of habitat, but hunted lightly. Some counties in this area have Quality Deer Management regulations, which also affects the numbers of deer you're likely to see.

Rum Creek, the only WMA with detailed records in this area, has a 28.7 percent success rate. Killmaster said that other likely WMAs here include Joe Kurz and Big Lazer Creek; all have strong deer populations, and success rates are high, even though not documented like the ones with check-in hunts.

DMU 5
The east-central part of Georgia above the fall line is also very productive for numbers of deer, usually ranking right behind DMU 4. It too has rolling hills, extensive creek bottoms and farmlands that are excellent deer habitat. A considerable number of public hunting areas will be met with in this region, including state and federal lands.

Vic VanSant, the regional supervisor for the GMU that covers most of this DMU, noted that populations are still steady here, but suggested that if the drought that started several years ago continues, it will badly affect the deer herd. Although hunting pressure is high in the region, its large numbers of deer can support it.

Cybel, the only WMA maintaining check-in records, put up a 19.3 percent success rate. Other worthwhile WMAs in the area, VanSant said, include Redlands and Oconee, which should have similar success rates.

DMU 6
The flat, sandy land of the southwest corner of Georgia is part of the Coastal Plain region. Vast pine forests and swamps cover much of the unit, and some big farms are present. Farmland is good for deer production, but some of these farms are so big that, though they make lot of food available, they offer relatively little cover.

Julie Robins, the game biologist for this area, said that most of the unit has a stable deer population. Some of the historically productive counties in the region have seen a slight decrease in the herd, probably as a result of hunting pressure. Also, the planted pine forests on the increase in the area don't constitute optimal deer habitat.

Chickasawhatchee is a big WMA that offers worthwhile hunting, with a 39.3 percent success rate -- one of the highest in the state. River Creek, one of our newest WMAs, had a 22.2 percent success rate.