2019-2020 Guide To Georgia Hunting Season Dates

The season for hunting squirrels in Georgia opened with a heat index across the state reaching 100 degrees on Aug. 15. Hunting might seem crazy in this heat. But make no mistake, Georgia hunting will be wide open in a matter of just weeks.

It really kicked off with opening day of dove season on Sept. 7, followed the next Saturday morning with the archery opener for deer hunters on Sept. 14.

There are some significant changes to Georgia’s hunting regulations for the 2019-2020 seasons, including:
• Added to the suburban/urban counties with an extended archery deer season until Jan. 31 are Bibb, Chatham, Clarke and Henry counties.
• The single-day bear hunting season for Central Georgia has been moved to the third Saturday in December, which this year falls on Dec. 21.
• Either-sex deer hunting days have changed for gun hunters in several north Georgia counties (see the map below).
• The age restriction (12 years old) has been removed for participation in Georgia alligator hunts.

The official hunting regulations booklet has been released by the Wildlife Resources Division (WRD). If you picked up your copy of the hunting season regs at the Ag-Pro Outdoor Blast, please make note of the following errors that occurred in the printed edition.
• Quail and rabbit seasons open on Saturday, Nov. 16, not on Sunday, Nov. 17 as printed in the regs.
• Bartram Forest WMA, an archery-only area in Baldwin County, has no coyote season. The regs booklet lists a coyote season from May 16-31, which is not correct.
• The either-sex deer hunting dates for Oconee National Forest are Nov. 2-3, Nov. 30 – Dec. 1, and Dec. 28-29. On page 22 of the regs booklet, it says “All National Forest land east of I-75 is closed to antlerless deer hunting, antlered bucks only.” That should reference only Chattahoochee National Forest land east of I-75.
• The WMA locator map on page 46 of the regs booklet has some errors. Click here for a correct map.

Once again, most Georgia counties will experience at least a few days of deer season when only bucks are legal to shoot during firearms season. The map shows the days when hunters can shoot antlerless deer with a firearm. Antlerless deer may be taken statewide with archery equipment from Sept. 14 to Jan. 12.

Also, included below are dates for turkey, bear, migratory birds and small-game species.

The complete 2019-20 Georgia Hunting Season Dates and Bag Limits booklet is available at license vendors and online. Be sure to consult the official regs before heading afield. Hunters are responsible for knowing and abiding by seasons and limits or be subject to charges and fines.

For discussion and comment on season dates, please comment at the end of this article and forum.gon.com.