# carry handguns on a wma?



## blackbear (Oct 6, 2008)

Can you carry Concelled handguns this year on wma or during bowseason ....if you have a concelled carry permit?I think they changed the law this year?Anyone know the answer?


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## pnome (Oct 6, 2008)

Yes you can, if you've got a Georgia firearms license.


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## Luke0927 (Oct 6, 2008)

Pnome's right just have to have a valid GFL


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## ForestNinja (Oct 6, 2008)

Where do you get the license and how much does it cost?


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## pnome (Oct 6, 2008)

ForestNinja said:


> Where do you get the license and how much does it cost?




Probate court for the county you live in.  Here is some more info for ya:http://www.georgiapacking.org/gfl.php


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## Coastie (Oct 7, 2008)

blackbear said:


> Can you carry Concelled handguns this year on wma or during bowseason ....if you have a concelled carry permit?I think they changed the law this year?Anyone know the answer?



Yes, you may carry a handgun while hunting during archery season on a WMA if you have a Georgia Firearms License. No you cannot use it to protect yourself from coyotes, rattlesnakes or bears. No, you cannot use it to finish a wounded animal on your hunt. The law allows you to carry on WMAs and on State Parks as a personal defense against critters of the two legged variety, not for hunting purposes.


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## blackbear (Oct 7, 2008)

Thanks everyone,I figured the 2 -legged varmints part out...they seem to be everywhere nowdays.....


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## GAMHUNTER35 (Oct 8, 2008)

well i think the regs says no firearms allowed during bow season


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## SWbowhunter (Oct 8, 2008)

GAMHUNTER35 said:


> well i think the regs says no firearms allowed during bow season


Check again...it says except in accordance with OCGA.......


On Corp land they do not honor the policy at all. Including WMA's on Corp property.


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## Arrow-Slinger (Oct 16, 2008)

Yes, you can on wma, just make sure that they are not wma on federal lands. Our permit is for GA, the feds dont care if you have a state permit it is illigal to carry on federal land, that includes army core engineers land also. So just make sure that it is a state land wma.


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## Twenty five ought six (Oct 16, 2008)

> Our permit is for GA, the feds dont care if you have a state permit it is illigal to carry on federal land, that includes army core engineers land also.



That information is not correct.  SWBowhunter has it correct.  National Forests follow state laws, so on any WMA on national forest land, you can carry a gun in accordance with state law, hunting or not.  Corps. of Engineer land and National Park Land, you cannot possess a firearm except in accord with the applicable hunting season.  This restriction also applies to Corp. of Engineer lakes.  So no handguns while waterfowl hunting.

The big mystery question as far as I am concerned is this.  Everyone has focused on handguns.  However, the GFL license is a carry permit for any firearm, it is not limited to handguns.  The law on carrying on WMA's only refers to the GFL law by incorporation.  So if someone wanted to push the envelope, they could carry a rifle with them, and contend that they were doing so pursuant to the provisions of the GFL law.


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## Arrow-Slinger (Oct 16, 2008)

I am not saying you cant carry a CW during bowseason, if your on state land then you can carry it thoughout the whole years no matter what hunting season is in or out. The new law that they passed for the concealed permit allows you to carry on state parks, and it now allows you to carry in a place were drinks are sold, but you cant drink. Anyway, you cannot carry a conc weapon on federal land no matter what, unless you are LEO. I have talked to many ga DRN and they have told me you can carry on state land, but not on federal. I have also talked with federal LEO and it is against the law.


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## Twenty five ought six (Oct 16, 2008)

> I have also talked with federal LEO and it is against the law.
> __________________



They were wrong. (If they said that.)

You are wrong.

As Momma said to me many many times, two wrongs don't make a right.


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## Arrow-Slinger (Oct 16, 2008)

Ok, I not going to go back and forth with this you wrong, I am right. All I'm going by is what the LEO told me. The guy below was asking about carring during bowseason. I say you can, just check with your local LE and make sure. Thats what i did. I do know that if you carry it on a National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) then you will get in trouble. For everthing else I would consult many LEOs.

this is straight out of the current GA regs. for WMA. Just watch the fed. land. they put that at the end for that reason.

It is unlawful to Possess a firearm during a closed hunting
season for an area, except on designated
shooting ranges, unless such a firearm is
unloaded and stored in a motor vehicle so
as to not be readily accessible, *except that
any person possessing a license to carry a
concealed firearm that is valid in this state
pursuant to O.C.G.A.§§ 16-11-126(f) or
16-11-129 may carry such firearm subject
to the limitations of O.C.G. A. §§ 16-11-126
and 16-11-127, except where prohibited by
federal law.*

SO YES YOU CAN CARRY ON A WMA DURING BOWSEASON


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## Twenty five ought six (Oct 16, 2008)

Thank you for underlining that phrase.  Federal law does not prohibit you from carrying a firearm on national forest land, as long as you are complying with state law.

You can look that up, cut and paste it too.


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## blackbear (Oct 21, 2008)

So what federal land do we have in Georgia?I know cumberland island is federal right?What about cohutta?What about the whole chattahoochee national forest?B.F.Grant?etc.anyone know them all?Eufala nwr?Kennesaw mountain i bet is federal land?etc....where else?okeefenookee/stone mountain park,Iam trying to remember all of the Georgia federal propertys but dont think i know all of them by heart?


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## Twenty five ought six (Oct 21, 2008)

> So what federal land do we have in Georgia?I know cumberland island is federal right?What about cohutta?What about the whole chattahoochee national forest?B.F.Grant?etc.anyone know them all?Eufala nwr?Kennesaw mountain i bet is federal land?etc....where else?okeefenookee/stone mountain park,Iam trying to remember all of the Georgia federal propertys but dont think i know all of them by heart?
> Reply With Quote



You have well illustrated the point that there is no one rule that applies to "federal lands".  "Federal lands" are owned by different landowners as surely as you and you neighbors own different houses.

Among the federal landowners in Georgia:

The Department of Agriculture, through the U.S. Forest Service, owns National Forests.

The National Wildlife Refuges and National Parks are owned by the Department of the Interior.  Cumberland Island is a national seashore, which is the same thing as a national park, so it is owned (mostly) by the Department of the Interior.

The Corps of Engineers, part of the Department of Defense, owns many of the large lakes in Georgia, and surrounding lands.

SO, there is no one answer for "federal lands", which are owned by three cabinet level departments, and innumerable agencies within those departments.  For each "federal property" you will have to determine the governing agency and applicable rules.


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## Branchminnow (Oct 21, 2008)

Coastie said:


> Yes, you may carry a handgun while hunting during archery season on a WMA if you have a Georgia Firearms License. No you cannot use it to protect yourself from coyotes, rattlesnakes or bears. No, you cannot use it to finish a wounded animal on your hunt. The law allows you to carry on WMAs and on State Parks as a personal defense against critters of the two legged variety, not for hunting purposes.



Coastie....you are no fun at all.......


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## contender* (Oct 21, 2008)

This problem could be made a nonproblem if the corresponding agencies would get their poop together. There is really no reason those of us, after jumping through the hoops that are required to get our "permit" to carry, should not be allowed to carry from state line to state line.


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## mikeyd499 (Oct 21, 2008)

I think after jumping through the hoops and being checked out by a federal agency, we should be able to carry from sea to shining sea.


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## Slingblade (Oct 21, 2008)

There is no way I would trust what a LEO tells me the law is concerning firearms carry in this state.  Too many of them just tell you what they think it should be and it's nothing close to the actual law.


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## Twenty five ought six (Oct 22, 2008)

> Too many of them just tell you what they think it should be and it's nothing close to the actual law.
> __________________



AMEN to that.

We had an incident about a year ago where the LEO's were about to arrest a teacher at school for having a "weapon on schools grounds" because everyone knows it is illegal.  Had her in the office, ready to go to jail, when the combined half dozen LEO's actually read the applicable statute.  Guess what? The LAW specifically provides that she can have a gun on school property in a locked glove box, which is what she had.

None of the combined assembly, representing who knows how many hours of training, and including a full time school security force, had ever read past the first paragraph.

Uh-Oh.


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## Huntinfool (Oct 24, 2008)

So then the answer on Federal Land for most of us is this....NO.

Not because it is not legal.  But because it is too much trouble to figure out whether you can or cannot carry on any particular piece of federal property.


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## Cromag (Oct 24, 2008)

I'm still confused, but I believe there is ongoing dispute about this issue in the courts, and if you were on Fed land yet had a Ga carry permit and had an incident where you fired and were retained, you might end up fresh meat in the judicial system.  And the Feds play rough.  They have a higher conviction rate than the locals and states.  That said though it's better to be judged by 12.


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## Twenty five ought six (Oct 24, 2008)

> Not because it is not legal. But because it is too much trouble to figure out whether you can or cannot carry on any particular piece of federal property.



For the average hunter/fisher, that is probably a fair statement.


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## BassWorm (Oct 27, 2008)

FYI, the Ga Firearms License "is not a concealed carry permit only". It is either concealed or open carry. Whichever way you want to carry is legal with the GFL.


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