Deer hunting season is back, and once again, Oglethorpe County is one of the most active counties in the state.
More than 1,300 deer have been processed at Nature’s Harvest this season, owner Todd Smith said. Last year, the total number of deer processed by Nature’s Harvest at season’s end was 2,500.
Hunters could pursue deer by bow and arrow starting Sept. 14 and by firearm starting Oct. 19.
There have been 1,420 reported deer harvested in Oglethorpe County through Nov. 11, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources dashboard. The season ends Jan. 19.
“We’re right on pace with last year,” said Phillip Nelson, a game warden who patrols Oglethorpe County and surrounding areas.
While harvest numbers for 2024 look strong, Nelson noted a hiccup throughout October. Dryness in the county compromised the breeding process, subsequently posing a challenge to hunters.
“The whole month of October, we didn't have any rain,” Nelson said. “I think that was a part of the factor because when it gets that dry, it makes it hard for the deer to smell.”
Without a viable sense of smell, bucks are more conservative in their pursuit of mates, however, as of late, Nelson said conditions have returned to normal. The beginning of November signals the most lively breeding period of the calendar year, otherwise known as the rut.
While Nelson said Olgethorpe County’s deer population was stable, he implored local hunters to avoid hunting younger deer to preserve the population's long-term health.
“If there was a way to get people to stop shooting 2- to 3-year-old deer, I think Oglethorpe County could really have something,” he said. “People see them and they shoot them, instead of giving them a chance to grow.”
Each hunter can kill a total of 12 deer during the season, a number that hasn’t changed from last year. Of those 12, no more than 10 can be antlerless and no more than two can be antlered.
For many in the county though, deer hunting is much more than a number’s game.
At Nature’s Harvest, Smith has repeatedly seen the ripple effect of long-standing tradition.
At least once a week, Smith says he hears stories about young hunters getting their first kill using firearms that have been passed down generations.
“Hunting is about more than just killing a deer,” he said. “It’s about food, but it’s also about family.”