Georgia has reached an agreement to permanently protect most of the former Pine Log Wildlife Management Area, bringing 14,640 acres in Bartow and Cherokee counties back toward public access and hunting. DNR plans to reopen the property in time for spring turkey season in 2027.
Georgia hunters are set to regain access to one of north Georgia’s best-known public hunting areas.
On September 24, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources announced an agreement to acquire and re-establish most of the former Pine Log Wildlife Management Area, which DNR managed under a lease for more than four decades before public access ended in 2023.
The new property will be called The Neel Family – Pine Log Wildlife Management Area and encompass 14,640 acres in Bartow and Cherokee counties. According to DNR, it is currently the largest contiguous tract of privately owned forest in north Georgia.
Pine Log Was a Popular Hunting Area for Decades
Georgia DNR leased Pine Log as a WMA from 1977 through 2023, providing generations of hunters with access to a large block of forest within roughly an hour of Atlanta.
The area offered hunting opportunities for white-tailed deer, wild turkey, small game and dove, along with fishing and other outdoor recreation. DNR also previously stocked trout in Stamp Creek while Pine Log operated as a WMA.
When the lease ended in 2023, hunters lost access to an unusually large tract of land in a part of north Georgia facing significant development pressure. DNR says acquiring Pine Log and permanently protecting it has remained one of the agency’s top conservation priorities during the four years since.
14,640 Acres Will Be Protected
The agreement involves the Neel family’s Aubrey Corporation, Georgia DNR, Bartow and Cherokee counties and other partners.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and the state legislature appropriated $15 million toward the acquisition, while Bartow and Cherokee counties are providing matching funds. Approximately 12,000 acres of the new WMA are in Bartow County, according to county officials.
For hunters, the significance goes beyond simply adding acreage to a map. Large, contiguous public hunting properties are particularly valuable near growing metropolitan areas, where development and subdivision can steadily reduce available wildlife habitat and hunting access.
Pine Log also forms part of a larger conservation corridor connecting the Appalachian Mountains with the Dugdown conservation corridor extending across western Georgia toward Alabama’s Talladega National Forest.
When Will Hunters Be Able to Return?
Hunters should not make plans to hunt Pine Log during the current 2026 fall hunting seasons.
Georgia DNR says its Wildlife Resources Division plans to reopen the property to the public in time for the 2027 spring turkey season.
That means turkey hunters could be among the first hunters to return to Pine Log after several years without public access.
Exact hunting regulations, dates and access details for the restored WMA have not yet been announced. DNR says it will develop a long-term management plan covering habitat improvement, ecological protection, water quality and compatible public recreation. Hunters should therefore wait for the agency to publish the new WMA-specific regulations before planning a hunt.
More Than a Hunting Acquisition
Although public hunting access is a major part of the announcement, Pine Log also contains significant wildlife habitat.
DNR says the property supports more than 30 species and habitats identified as conservation priorities in Georgia’s State Wildlife Action Plan. Four federally listed species occur there, including the Cherokee darter, Etowah darter, white fringeless orchid and Tennessee yellow-eyed grass.
The acquisition also protects about 31 miles of headwater streams across four priority watersheds.
For hunters, protecting such a large block of connected habitat can benefit game species as well. Managing thousands of contiguous acres gives wildlife managers more options for prescribed fire, forest and habitat management and other practices that can improve conditions for deer, turkey and small game.
A Significant Public-Land Win for Georgia Hunters
The return of Pine Log stands out because Georgia isn’t simply creating a new WMA—it’s restoring access to land that hunters had already used for decades and then lost.
Once the acquisition is completed and the property reopens, 14,640 acres will once again be available for public recreation, with hunting expected to remain an important use of the property.
For north Georgia hunters in particular, regaining a large WMA close to the Atlanta metropolitan area could provide an important additional option for deer, turkey and small-game hunting.
The next major milestone will be the release of access information and hunting regulations ahead of the planned spring 2027 reopening.
Find Georgia Public Hunting Opportunities With Hunterizer
Public-land opportunities can change as properties are acquired, boundaries change and individual WMAs adopt their own season and hunting regulations.
The Hunterizer app helps Georgia hunters see hunting seasons, zones, legal weapons, bag limits, shooting hours and other important regulations based on where and when they plan to hunt.
As The Neel Family – Pine Log WMA moves toward its expected 2027 reopening, Hunterizer will help hunters keep track of Georgia hunting opportunities and determine what they can legally hunt at their location and on a particular date.
Also read Georgia DNR’s Pine Log WMA announcement: https://georgiawildlife.com/georgia-dnr-partners-announce-deal-restore-beloved-pine-log-wma
