HCWA Hunting Season Registration to close soon

(McDonough, GA – Sept. 15, 2025) The Henry County Water Authority (HCWA) is preparing for its 2025 Hunting Season, which features two Youth Hunts and a Veteran’s Hunt again this year. But time is running out for residents to apply for the lottery selection of participants for these events.

The 2025 HCWA Youth Hunts, which are open to Henry County youth between the ages of 10 to 17, will be held on the Saturdays of Oct. 25 and Nov. 22, with this year’s Veteran’s Hunt scheduled for Saturday Nov. 8. Admission is free, as the Authority hosts these events to provide outdoor recreational opportunities for the public, while managing the deer population on its Walnut Creek LAS property, according to oversight provided the Georgia Department of Natural
Resources (DNR).

Applications for the two Youth Hunts must be submitted by 4:00 p.m. on Friday Oct. 3. Registration for the Veteran’s Hunt closes at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday Sept. 30. The blind draw for selecting youth to participate in the two Youth Hunts will be held on Oct. 7, while the selection of veterans to hunt in the Veteran’s Hunt will be held on Oct. 2.

The 2025 HCWA Hunting Season applications can be found on the Authority’s website (www.hcwa.com) events page.

Applications for the Youth Hunts also can be picked up in person at the HCWA Cubihatcha Outdoor Education Center (100 Collins Road in Locust Grove, across the street from the Noah’s Ark Animal Sanctuary), during operating hours. Applications for the Veteran’s Hunt can be picked up in person as well, during operating hours at the HCWA Walnut Creek LAS facility located at 1682 N. Ola Road in McDonough. The Walnut Creek LAS facility is the
site of all HCWA hunts this season. 

Applications for HCWA hunts must be accompanied by a driver’s license or HCWA water bill of a youth’s parent or the applying veteran, to provide proof of residence. Applicants also must sign a release form, and those selected must confirm their reservation and complete an orientation and safety briefing prior to their respective hunt.

To qualify for the HCWA Youth Hunts, youth must be Henry County residents and accompanied by a parent or adult. The HCWA Veteran’s Hunt is open to all Henry County veterans who have been honorably discharged, or who are active duty or reservists.

HCWA 2025 Hunting Season applications can be returned via email to Jeff Scott at jeffrey.scott@hcwa.com. Applicants can also submit their registration information in person – at the Cubihatcha Center for the Youth Hunts or at the HCWA Walnut Creek LAS facility for the Veteran’s Hunt.

For more information on the 2025 HCWA Hunting Season, or other outdoor education and recreation events, please visit the Authority’s website at www.hcwa.com or the Cubihatcha Center Facebook page.




Jeff Scott (center), HCWA Naturalist, provides hunting and firearms safety instructions for two youths during a Hunter Safety course held at the Cubihatcha Center in July.









The HCWA hosted a Hunter Safety course at the Cubihatcha Center in July, with another scheduled for October, prior to the start of the HCWA Hunting Season.









Todd Bracken (left), HCWA Safety and Risk Unit Supervisor, instructs hunters on basic firearms during the Hunter Safety course held at the Cubihatcha Center in July.