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Under Review - Answer Pending
Under Review - Pending
The meat is either processed and kept by the hunter/homeowner or donated to feed the hungry.
The DNR through these community-led archery hunts, were able to donate 1,000+ pounds of venison (~4,600 meals) to families in need in January 2026 alone. You can find plenty of info online for venison donation groups, but here are two the DNR worked with last season:
Hunters for the Hungry https://gwf.org/ghfth/
The Venison Project https://www.instagram.com/thevenisonproject/?hl=en
Deer culling is typically restricted to the official hunting seasons established by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GADNR). Bow hunting for deer is only allowed during specific seasons set by the GADNR; typically the season begins in mid-September and runs through mid-January, with special extended seasons often ending January 31.
Yes, alternatives may include contraception, relocation, fencing, and community education on reducing attractants. However, these methods can be costly, less effective, or impractical for addressing the immediate impacts of overpopulation.
In Berkeley Lake, only individuals who possess the proper state-issued (bow) hunting licenses and adhere to the new city ordinance are permitted to cull deer. This includes licensed hunters and authorized wildlife management personnel.
The city ordinance only allows bowhunting during the hunting season. The city ordinance does not allow firearms to be discharged within city limits.
Refer to Georgia DNR website for specific details.
There are various illnesses that can be caused by deer and the ticks that they carry. These include Alpha GAL Syndrome, Lyme disease, Chronic Wasting Disease, Giardia, Leptospirosis, Anaplasmosis, and many others.
https://dph.georgia.gov/epidemiology/zvbd/tbd
Option 1: Landowners may grant recreational archery hunting access to local hunters (check local ordinances first). We recommend this is done via written agreement between the landowner and hunter, and includes permission given, the property address, names/contact info for both parties, and signatures from both parties. A landowner may only grant hunting access to their property. If a deer is hit and runs across property lines (very common in urban areas), the hunter must get permission to recover the deer from the owner of the property the deer dies on. If the property owner denies the hunter access to recover his/her harvest, that property owner will then be responsible for removal.
Although archery hunting is statistically the safest and most effective management technique we have in our urban areas, there are cases where hunters injure themselves by not using proper safety equipment. Many landowners choose to add liability waivers or sections where a hunter can provide proof of private insurance info to the hunting agreemente as an additional layer of protection in the event the hunter is injured during hunting activities. To this point, Georgia has some of the strongest liability protections for landowners in the country via the GA Recreational Property Act, but many folks don't seem to know it exists, so landowner agreements are very common when granting hunting access. There's plenty of info on the GA Recreational Property Act you can find via Google, but here's a general run-down: https://gatrialattorney.com/georgia-recreational-property-act/
Option 2: Community-led deer management. This is a new approach that allows a community to collaborate with GADNR to structure and conduct a larger scale archery hunt that is acceptable to the community and is supervised from start to finish by GADNR biologists and law enforcement (upon request). We will then ensure all harvests are donated to local food banks to feed families in need.
Although this approach is still in the experimental phase, there has been a lot of success early-on, which has been very encouraging. This approach aims to address and mitigate all of the concerns communities typically have with granting hunting access to the general public. Here community leaders, with help from the GADNR, determine dates/times for management events, a selection process for hunters, what properties will be used, etc. This is generally done on HOA property only, but if a private landowner wants to assist by offering their property for hunting, we can work with them as well, provided their lot is large enough to safely hunt. GADNR biologists will then collect biological data and disease samples to conduct herd health analysis from all deer harvested before donating the meat to charity.
If a wounded or dead hunted dear ends up on your property, the bow hunter is responsible for retrieving it. If the bow hunter was not hunting on your property, he will ask for your permission to enter your property to remove the animal. If you do not give him permission to retrieve it, then you, the home/property owner, are responsible for removing the dead or wounded deer from your property.
The City of Peachtree Corners, coordinating with GA DNR, conducted a field study in 4Q25 which found that the current deer population is eight (8) times more than what is ecologically sustainable. DNR concurred these findings would be representative for adjacent communities, inclusive of Berkeley Lake.
For further details, refer to the full report in the documents area.
No… Even with the recent Berkeley Lake ordinance change, no bowhunting or hunting of any kind is allowed in the Greenspace. It is managed by the Georgia Piedmont Land Trust (GPLT), which has strict control over what can or cannot happen in the Greenspace.
High deer numbers can lead to increased vehicle collisions, damage to gardens and landscaping, and the spread of tick-borne disases such as Lyme disease. Deer can also pose a serious threat to pets in yards. These issues can create safety concerns and economic impacts for residents.
Only with written permission and a waiver from the home/property owner.
Suburban cities like Berkeley Lake often experience a significant rise in deer populations due to reduced natural predators, decreased natural habitats from development, and abundant food sources in residential areas. This overpopulation can lead to various challenges, prompting local governments to consider culling as a management strategy.
Pending —- Under Review
All deer culling must comply with Georgia state hunting laws, which include restrictions on hunting methods, required permits, and reporting procedures.