One of these WMA island hunts takes place on Ossabaw Island, located about 25 miles southeast of Savannah. This 8,996-acre island routinely posts a 97 percent hunter success rate on whitetails, with nearly 20 deer killed per square mile; that's nearly double the per-square-mile population of deer on most other public lands. Approximately 31 percent of the bucks killed on Ossabaw are at least 2 1/2 years old. The hunts get underway every year with archery season from October 29 to 31, followed by primitive weapons from November 5 to 7; any-weapon youth hunts from November 26 to 28; and a two-part general firearms season from December 3 to 5 and December 17 to 19. All hunts are for either-sex deer, with a bag limit of two deer. Feral hog hunting is also allowed during deer hunts, with a limit of two. Permits for all of the above hunts are issued by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources by lottery, with 100 permits issued for the three main deer hunts, and 75 permits issued for the youth hunt. There is no fee to apply, so as you might expect the state receives more applications than it has permits. In fact, there is no chance of drawing a permit the first year you apply, but unsuccessful applicants get first shot at permits the following year if they apply again; the odds of drawing in this second year are 47 percent.
As regards getting to Ossabaw Island, boat shuttle service is available for hunters who have drawn a permit through Kilkenny Marina in Richmond Hill. Limited docking space is........(continued)
