Where can you find the latest Georgia hunting information? You can find it online, on the app, and in print because the 2021-2022 Georgia Hunting Seasons and Regulations Guide is now available, announces the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division. 

This guide provides important information on season dates, bag limits, hunting licenses, wildlife management areas (WMAs), quota hunts, youth opportunities and much more. 

View the guide (or download) online at http://www.eregulations.com/georgia/hunting/ or on the Go Outdoors GA app. Pick up a printed copy at Wildlife Resources Division offices and license vendors throughout Georgia.   

Some of the major changes to the hunting regulations this year include:

·       Antler Restrictions: Statewide, the antler restriction on one of the two bucks is: One of the two antlered bucks must have a minimum of 4 points, 1-inch or longer, on either antler or a minimum 15-inch outside antler spread to be legal. In counties with county-wide antler restrictions (except Dooly & Macon Cos.), both antlered bucks must meet one of these two requirements to be legal.

·       Bear Harvest – Reporting & Season: All Northern Zone bear hunters are required to have a bear harvest record and to report their harvest using the Georgia Game Check system within 24 hours of harvest. Youth (under 16 years of age) may hunt bear with any legal bear firearm during the Primitive Weapons season (Northern Bear Zone).

·       Dove Season: The statewide dove season has changed by expanding the first season into early October, opening the December segment later, and changing opening day hours from noon-sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise-sunset.

·       Extended Archery Season: Extended archery season has been added to the following counties: Barrow, Cherokee, Columbia, Decatur, Douglas, Fayette, Hall, Muscogee, Paulding, and Seminole.

·       New Public Hunting Opportunities: Cedar Grove VPA (Laurens co.) – 294 acres, Scotland Road VPA (Laurens co.) – 199 acres, Tallapoosa River VPA (Haralson co.) – 3,053 acres, Treat Mountain VPA (Polk co.) – 5,087 acres

·       Turkey Season & Bag Limit: Statewide turkey season is shifted to open one week later on April 2, 2022. On WMAs, VPAs, and National Forests, the turkey season opens 2 weeks later on April 9, 2022. The season still closes on May 15. The statewide bag limit has been reduced to 2 gobblers per season with a 1 gobbler daily bag limit. Additionally, the bag limit on WMAs, VPAs, and National Forest lands (outside WMAs) is 1 gobbler per area.

·       WMA Small Game: On most WMAs, small game may be hunted any time a small game species statewide season is open except during area specific quota hunts or as otherwise specified for that area.

Members of the Board of Natural Resources enact hunting regulations by acting on recommendations made by the Division’s professional wildlife biologists.  Georgia’s game and fish laws are enacted by the elected members of the General Assembly.

For more information on hunting in Georgia hunting, visit https://georgiawildlife.com/hunting/hunter-resources or contact a local Wildlife Resources Division office (http://georgiawildlife.com/about/contact).