# river duck hunting laws



## Gut_Pile (Nov 20, 2007)

What are the laws for duck hunting on rivers in GA. Can I float down the river and tie my baot up and hunt? As long as I'm not stepping foot on the bank I'm not trespassing right? Just wandering the law on this. Any info is appreciated.


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## MustangMAtt30 (Nov 20, 2007)

We discuss this a good bit on here.  Any "navigable" river is legal.  I guess "navigable" is defined by the game warden that stops you.


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## ellaville hunter (Nov 20, 2007)

u will get a ticket if you pull up in a slough the gw will call u over to the bank and ask you to press down hard when you sighn cause there will be 2 copies


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## gamallardman (Nov 20, 2007)

Believe the law states that if you go in a slough and the land on both sides is owned by  the same person then the slough also belongs to him even if the slough rises and falls with the river.  That is only state law.  Federal law states if any water rises and falls with the river and is navigable then the area belongs to the state but you would be better off to pay the ticket than to try to get the case to federal court.


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## leeledger (Nov 20, 2007)

*river*

Is the law different for fishing or hunting?
If the DNR has a boat ramp for public use, shouldn't it be legal to hunt down stream of the ramp.


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## Eroc33 (Nov 20, 2007)

how are you supposed to know who owns the property on each side of the slough


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## ramsey (Nov 21, 2007)

If you will archive this you will find many threads on this subject. There are very few historicaly navigable rivers in Georgia. Best not to go to bank unless you know property owner.


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## Rem270 (Dec 2, 2007)

Stick to the boat and don' get out!! If the word "river" is in the title of the body of water and it has a public boat ramp, as long as you keep your distance from roads and structures, you will be fine.  You need to find a river south of atlanta to find water and ducks though.


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## G Duck (Dec 2, 2007)

I think if you stay in the boat, even if you tie up to the bank you will be ok. If you pull your boat into a slough or beaver pond off of the river you may have a problem. I dont think you will have a run in unless someone complains to the gw.


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## Paddle (Dec 3, 2007)

This is what we did, pick the section of river your going to hunt and then call or meet with the local Game Warden. Ask if you can duck hunt that section of river. You can discuss the subject all day long but he's the ONE that will write the ticket so talk to THE MAN. 

  We were told we could hunt the area we ask about so, no problems no worries.  He'll know your there so follow all game laws. At sunset we case up our shotgun's.


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## Boudreaux (Dec 3, 2007)

Paddle said:


> This is what we did, pick the section of river your going to hunt and then call or meet with the local Game Warden. Ask if you can duck hunt that section of river. You can discuss the subject all day long but he's the ONE that will write the ticket so talk to THE MAN.
> 
> We were told we could hunt the area we ask about so, no problems no worries. He'll know your there so follow all game laws. At sunset we case up our shotgun's.


 
This is probably your best advice.  I called the Gainesville office and spoke with Capt. Godfrey.  I was told that if the water runs across private property, the property owner can restrict the use.  While the state owns the water, it does not own the land over which it flows.

The land owner can restrict the access to the land, so long as he does not restrict the flow of the state's water.

Best to inquire before hand.  If I had not, I probably could have been ticketed for the area we wanted to hunt.


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## Twenty five ought six (Dec 3, 2007)

> I think if you stay in the boat, even if you tie up to the bank you will be ok.



Wrong answer.  You can't even anchor "legally" because the anchor is touching the river bed.

HOWEVER as the point has been made in several other threads, the best thing to do is contact the local game warden and see what the local custom is regarding hunting that particular stretch of the river.

The only river that historically is "navigable" above the fall line would be the Savannah between Augusta and the now submerged town of Petersborough, and possibly the Oconee for some distance above Dublin, and the Chatahoochee above Columbus.

"Navigable" as far as Ga. law is concerned doesn't mean that you can run a 12 foot boat with a mud motor over it.


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