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Latest Hunting Articles
Twenty years ago if you had wild hog problems, some would go through the paperwork hoopla and then hope to shoot a few after dark over bait. Others would find a heavy-duty trap and hope to catch a few more than one at a time. With the invention of net-style traps, like the Pig Brig…
Jonathan Campbell, of Marshallville, has been hunting deer with a bow since he was just 9 years old. Being 38 now, he’s definitely had the time to fine-tune his skills and hunting techniques. The true test of his experience arrived on the evening of Nov. 23, 2024. Jon has been hunting and managing a family…
Oak species are generally divided into two main groups: red oaks and white oaks. While there are many differences between the two, the most important factor for us is mast production—essentially, which oaks will best feed our deer herds. White oaks tend to grab the spotlight because, in general, their acorns are more appealing to…
Jeremy Kendrick, of Lowndes County, may have killed the oldest confirmed deer taken by a hunter in the state of Georgia and possibly tied for the oldest in the country. “Ever since I started hunting that property in Lowndes County nine years ago, I have gotten pictures of this doe,” said Kendrick. “She had an…
VOTES, which stands for Voice Of The Educated Sportsman, is a survey of GON magazine readers that has been around for more than two decades. A question on the survey each and every year is Rate Your Deer Season, which gives us county-specific ratings that can be compared to historical trends. We’d like to hear…
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Deer Hunting
Jonathan Campbell, of Marshallville, has been hunting deer with a bow since he was just 9 years old. Being 38 now, he’s definitely had the time to fine-tune his skills and hunting techniques. The true test of his experience arrived on the evening of Nov. 23, 2024. Jon has been hunting and managing a family…
Jeremy Kendrick, of Lowndes County, may have killed the oldest confirmed deer taken by a hunter in the state of Georgia and possibly tied for the oldest in the country. “Ever since I started hunting that property in Lowndes County nine years ago, I have gotten pictures of this doe,” said Kendrick. “She had an…
VOTES, which stands for Voice Of The Educated Sportsman, is a survey of GON magazine readers that has been around for more than two decades. A question on the survey each and every year is Rate Your Deer Season, which gives us county-specific ratings that can be compared to historical trends. We’d like to hear…
Turkey Hunting
Although Georgia’s turkey season ended more than two weeks ago, it’s still newsworthy when we talk to a guy who killed a gobbler with a 16-inch beard. Milledgeville’s Bobby Day was just about to put an end to his frustration and give up on his morning turkey hunt. The hunting club where he hunts in…
If it comes as a surprise that an annual onion harvest could spawn a week-long festival that has spanned 47 years, you’ve probably never tasted the sweet goodness of a true Vidalia. The 2024 Vidalia Onion Festival was held April 25-28 and featured live music, vendors, rodeo and fantastic food—onions included. The grand finale was…
Jamal Lane, of Chula, is a rugged guy, a man’s man. He’s a landscaper. He farms on the side. He’s a dedicated turkey hunter who gets up before daylight to chase birds before beginning his regular workday. He never dreamed that the sight of a special turkey could bring out a different side of himself.…
Predator Hunting
Bob Chestnutt, of Ludowici, was deer hunting in Long County when a coyote that he shot turned into a moment where he thought he was in the middle of a sci-fi movie. “I shot this coyote on Oct. 29 while deer hunting in Long County,” said Bob. “When I walked up to him, I saw…
When I think about it, I realize the importance of cage traps. Back in the days of our mountain men, the steel leg-hold trap was the trap to own. They didn’t have the selection of traps that we have today. Trap designs and styles have upgraded, and in today’s market, we have a very large…
I have written to GON before about my experiences with the Georgia Trappers Association (GTA), particularly in regards to the annual Convention and Youth Field Trials (both of which are not only free and fun, but will teach you more about trapping than years spent watching YouTube videos), but today I wanted to talk about…
Hog Hunting
Twenty years ago if you had wild hog problems, some would go through the paperwork hoopla and then hope to shoot a few after dark over bait. Others would find a heavy-duty trap and hope to catch a few more than one at a time. With the invention of net-style traps, like the Pig Brig…
Many years ago I went on a hog hunt in south Georgia where the hunting group was chasing them with dogs. We killed two big boars, and after the hunt, the dog handlers skinned and gutted those big boar hogs. I brought one home and took it to my deer processor. Although the boar was…
When the New Year rings in, deer season is winding down on most WMAs, which means many of them are wide open to small-game hunting. In conjunction with small-game season, many WMAs across the state offer the opportunity to hunt hogs. These hunters are allowed to use .22 caliber rimfire rifles, archery equipment and muzzleloaders…
Alligator Hunting
Gator season closed after the first week of October and ended with 408 gators being harvested. That’s the second-best year recorded since WRD started hosting a Georgia alligator season in 2003. The season with the most gators ever taken was in 2023, when 471 Georgia alligators were killed. The biggest recorded gator from the 2024…
Ashley Bowlden first started putting in for her Georgia alligator tags back in 2018, when she got to attend her first gator hunt. She loved it so much that she immediately started putting in for herself and her children every year, as well. Six years later, on the opening weekend of Georgia’s 2024 alligator season,…
Gator season won’t officially close until Oct. 7, but this season has already been highlighted by some really big Georgia alligators and happy hunters. As we always enjoy doing in October, we show off some hunters who took the time to send in pictures and info. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get all of those photos on…
Bear Hunting
Four bears—two males and two females—were killed during the one-day central Georgia bear season, which took place on Saturday, Dec. 21. With only two females taken, a second season will be hosted on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. Central Georgia bear hunting is only offered on private lands in Twiggs, Houston, Bibb and Bleckley counties. No…
At least the Global Positioning System—so now you know what GPS stands for—kens where they are. Even from a couple hundred or so miles skyward, it keeps up, spot-on, with the race. While we, somewhere or other in the vastnesses of the Okefenokee Swamp in Clinch County, can only go from experience in attempting to…
A 16-year-old hunter killed one of the biggest bears ever taken Georgia—the second heaviest ever from north Georgia and the fifth heaviest overall. On Oct. 22, Grayson Collins, of Blairsville, managed to take down the bear of a lifetime. The behemoth weighed 620 pounds on certified scales. Grayson was hunting a few miles from Ball…
Dove Hunting
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, Richard B. Russell Project, will host dove hunts for youth and the general public on Sept. 28 and Oct. 5, 2024, at two fields in Elbert County, and one field in Abbeville County, South Carolina. Youth and public hunts will begin at 2 p.m. The youth hunts start…
It’s hard to believe we’ve only got about a month to go before hunters will file into prepared dove fields in hopes of collecting a limit of 15 birds for the grill. Thankfully, WRD does a really nice job of providing public fields for hunters to shoot. To the right is the latest list of…
The new hunting season is just around the corner as we print GON’s annual Pay Dove Shoots list. Dial these phone numbers, reserve your spots and shoot straight. Dove hunting will legally begin one-half hour before sunrise on opening day, Saturday, Sept. 7. Some of these shoots may wait until the traditional 12 p.m. start…
Duck Hunting
We were only a few minutes into legal shooting time when a shot rang out behind me. “What are you shooting at?” I exclaimed as I whirled around. “A duck,” Easton answers as he slips another shell into his 20-gauge Beretta A390. “Did you hit him?” I ask. “Yes sir,” he replies in a calm,…
Waterfowl hunters can head to their favorite hunting ground for the Georgia duck hunting season when it opens on Sat., Nov. 23, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD). Youth, active military and veterans should take note of an early hunt opportunity Nov. 16-17. “New this year, thanks to the…
Another season of duck hunting will roll around soon, and all duck hunters wonder how the Georgia duck forecast looks. Duck hunting here is dependent on many factors, and at the forefront is bad weather up North. Wet conditions in the spring and summer is good news in the breeding-ground wetlands, and nasty, cold weather…
Squirrel Hunting
“There’s a season for squirrels?” That was the reaction of a young kid when told of the upcoming squirrel season opener on Thursday, Aug. 15. The 2024-2025 squirrel season in Georgia runs from Aug. 15 to Feb. 28 with a daily limit of 12 squirrels per hunter. The simplicity of squirrel hunting and potential for…
Looking for a healthy, sustainable source of protein and a good woodland hike? Squirrel hunting season, which opens Aug. 15, can meet those goals, and get everyone excited about fall hunting seasons, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD). “Squirrel hunting season is a great introduction to hunting,” said Alan…
It had been 23 years since I stepped foot on Redlands WMA in pursuit of critters. A return trip was certainly overdue, and Saturday, Jan. 15 was the perfect opportunity to take a trip down memory lane. The occasion was the 2nd Annual Squirrel Master Classic with a great group of folks who run a…
Quail Hunting
In 2001, the GON team filmed and produced this video for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to profile the state’s Bobwhite Quail Initiative (BQI). For current information on Georgia’s Bobwhite Quail Initiative, go to https://georgiawildlife.com/bobwhite-quail Bobwhite Quail The GAME Lab at the UGA Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources invites you to participate in…
The FDA has approved the use of an anthelmintic drug for parasite control in wild quail populations. The FDA concluded that the drug integrated into a medicated feed is both safe and effective in controlling parasites in wild quail in their natural habitat. Research in Texas has shown that parasites are affecting quail populations. For…
Did you ever wonder what it was that inspired your love of fishing or hunting or just being outdoors? Was it a parent, a friend, a book, or movie? Maybe you can’t put your finger on one person or thing. For me, the answer is crystal clear, my Uncle Suggs. I will soon celebrate my…
Other Georgia Hunting
Hunters can get a jump on the waterfowl season with the upcoming early teal and Canada goose hunting seasons. Early Canada goose season for 2024 is Sept. 7-29, with a daily limit of five geese. The early teal season for 2024 is Sept. 14-29, with a daily limit of six teal. “Teal migrate earlier than…
In the fall of 1999 I had a bad case of the melancholy. My up-and-coming grouse dog had died and had left me feeling down in the dumps. Little Mac, our young Brittany spaniel, had died from what was evidently a brain tumor. Little Mac started having seizures in his second year which progressively became…
In the Southeast, when a person mentions upland hunting, the bobwhite quail is usually the first, and sometimes only game bird that people think about. The late Charlie Elliott named the bobwhite the “prince of game birds.” When you go into the Appalachians, the ruffed grouse enters into the conversation, but the lack of timber…
Georgia Hunters on the Road
By John Holbert Jonah and I both drew either-sex muzzleloader tags for Colorado elk this fall. Neither of us had undertaken such a challenge before, and we were eager to try. We spent all summer researching, preparing, packing and training for the safari. The rut forecast predicted we would have good timing to see some…
Gathering around the campfire at Camp Isilwane (lion) in Matetsi, Zimbabwe we look out at the vlei, which is a prehistoric river bed. The buffalo come into the dying waterhole for that last drink as the day succumbs to darkness. It is the end of the dry season, the last of the water before the…
When I think of exotic animals, I envision animals being created in a lab through experiments and test tubes. However, my husband Paul and I decided to read more and more about exotic hunting ranches and we decided to peruse the Internet for research. Although these animals are not indigenous to North America, they are…