Posts by Daryl Kirby
Poole Back As State Duck Calling Champ
Three past Georgia state champions, a South Carolina state champ, the two-time Florida champion and the current World Live Duck Champion… Those are just a few of the titles held by the amazing group of competition duck callers that came to Macon to compete during GON’s Outdoor Blast. Up for grabs were state-championship titles…
Read MoreDeer Baiting Bill Passes
Legislators passed House Bill 277, “The Baiting Bill,” but they did little to silence the divide and emotional debate among hunters over the issue. HB 277 legalizes baiting for deer in the Southern Zone while keeping it illegal to hunt deer within 200 yards of bait in the Northern Zone. HB 277 will become law…
Read MoreNesting Hens Give Hope For Late-Season Gobblers
As is typical for turkey season in Georgia, opening weekend saw a flurry of activity by hunters and plenty of once vocal birds slung over shoulders not long after fly-down time. Also typical is hunting pressure that wanes as the weekends pass — just as more and more hens are going to nest earlier in…
Read MoreBaiting Bill Introduced
It’s usually good news when fewer proposed laws and law changes are introduced during a Georgia legislative session. So far this year it’s been a quiet session as budget concerns have dominated the scene. However, for hunters, a significant piece of legislation has dropped. HB 277 would legalize hunting deer and hogs near food or…
Read MoreWMAs, Wardens On Cut List
The Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) is again being asked by the Governor’s office to reduce its budget. Fewer personnel — law-enforcement officers, game and fish biologists and technicians — would have to do their jobs with less funding. Budget cuts could also mean fewer acres of leased Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs). Budget cuts for state…
Read MoreBill To Legalize Deer Baiting Active In Legislature
It’s usually good news when fewer proposed laws and law changes are introduced during a Georgia legislative session. So far this year it’s been a quiet session as budget concerns have dominated the scene. However, for hunters, a significant piece of legislation has dropped. HB 277 would legalize hunting deer and hogs near food or…
Read MoreDNR Proposes Fees for Non-hunters on Some WMAs – Public Meetings Start Jan. 3
We’re not going to rename state-managed hunting areas as recreational areas, but other users of some Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) will have to purchase a stamp or short-term pass called a GORP. Those are the recommendations of a DNR steering committee that looked at WMA uses and users. When revealed last May, both proposals drew…
Read MoreFee System For Non-hunters On Some WMAs
We’re not going to rename state-managed hunting areas as recreational areas, but other users of some Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) will have to purchase a stamp or short-term pass called a GORP. Those are the recommendations of a DNR steering committee that looked at WMA uses and users. When revealed last May, both proposals drew thousands…
Read MoreWilliams New DNR Commissioner
Georgia now has a die-hard hunter heading up the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). On Dec. 8, Mark Williams, of Jesup, took the helm of an agency that began almost a century ago, funded by sportsmen, to protect and enhance wildlife. DNR’s days of being the Game & Fish Commission may be history, but to…
Read More18-Point Booner From Worth County
In this age of instant information from emails and text messages, it’s common for the folks at the GON office to receive lots of photos of giant bucks supposedly killed in Georgia. Most are photos we’ve seen dozens of times of bucks actually from Kansas, Texas or some other state. We don’t get overly excited…
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