2022-2023 Quick Guide To Georgia Hunting Season Dates

Here is a quick reference to the 2022-2023 Georgia hunting season dates. Georgia’s archery season for deer opens Sept. 10, and the statewide gun season opens Oct. 22. If that firearms opener seems late, it is. But it is just a quirk of the calendar.

“Deer season is set to open on a Saturday each year, so we have a set rule of thumb in regulation to account for the calendar shift each year,” said Charlie Killmaster, State Deer Biologist with DNR’s Wildlife Resources Division. “The firearms deer season always opens the first Saturday after Oct. 15. Because Oct. 15, 2022 is a Saturday, the first Saturday afterwards is Oct. 22.”

As always when deer hunting in Georgia, make sure to check the regulations before you decide to pull the trigger on an antlerless deer. During gun season, there are certain dates that are buck-only for much of the state, and then there are either-sex days, also known as “doe days.” See the map below. 

This year’s deer season will close statewide on Sunday, Jan. 8. The only exception is the suburban archery-only counties open to bowhunting until Jan. 31. Antlerless deer may be taken statewide with archery equipment from Sept. 10 to Jan. 8.

Also note the spring turkey season. We have another later opening day—on April 1 on private land and April 8 on public land—and the season limit is again two gobblers, and there’s a one-gobbler-per-day restriction.

The complete 2022-23 Georgia Hunting Season Dates and Bag Limits will soon be available at license vendors and online. Hunters are responsible for knowing and abiding by seasons and limits or be subject to charges and fines.

2022-23 Georgia Hunting Season Dates

Deer Seasons

Archery: Sept. 10 – Jan. 8
Extended Archery*: Sept. 10 – Jan. 31
(*Suburban counties only, listed below)

Youth Firearms Week: Oct. 15-21

Primitive Weapons: Oct. 15 – Jan. 8

Firearms: Oct. 22 – Jan. 8

Extended Archery Season
The following counties allow either-sex, archery-only hunting for deer until Jan. 31: Barrow, Bibb, Chatham, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Columbia, Decatur, Dekalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall, Henry, Muscogee, Paulding, Rockdale and Seminole counties.

National Forest Deer Hunting
Chattahoochee NF firearms deer season (outside of WMAs): Oct. 22 – Jan. 1. West of I-75, follow county either-sex days. East of I-75, closed to antlerless deer hunting. Oconee NF firearms deer season: Oct. 22- Jan. 8. Either-sex days on Oconee National Forest (outside of WMAs): Oct. 29-30, Nov. 26-27, Dec. 31 – Jan. 1.

Note: On the map below, Hall County is correctly in the Magenta-colored group of counties with doe-days Oct. 22 – Jan. 8. An earlier map showed Hall County incorrectly in another color group.

Waterfowl Seasons

Early Teal: Sept. 10-25

Canada Geese:  Sept. 3-25; Oct. 8-23; Nov. 19-27; Dec. 10 – Jan. 29

Duck:   Nov. 19-27; Dec. 10 – Jan. 29

Youth/Military Waterfowl: Nov. 12-13

Bear Northern Zone

Archery: Sept. 10 – Jan. 8

Primitive Weapons: Oct. 15 – Jan. 8

Firearms: Oct. 22 – Jan. 8

Bear Central Zone

Firearms: Dec. 17

Bear Southern Zone

Firearms: Sept. 22-24;  Sept. 29 – Oct. 1; Oct. 6-8; Oct. 13-15

Turkey

Kids, Mobility Impaired: March 25-26

Public-Land: April 8 – May 15

Private-Land: April 1 – May 15

* Two gobbler per season limit; one-gobbler-per-day restriction.

Alligator

Zone & Quota Limited: Aug. 19 – Oct. 3

Dove Statewide

Sept. 3 – Oct. 9; Nov. 19- 27;  Dec. 19 – Jan. 31

Opossum & Raccoon (No Limit)

Private-Land: No Closed Season

Public-Land: Aug. 15 – Feb. 28

Small Game & Other Seasons

Crow: Nov. 5 – Feb. 28

Fox & Bobcat: Dec. 1 – Feb. 28

Grouse: Oct. 15 – Feb. 28

Quail: Nov. 12 – Feb. 28

Rabbit: Nov. 12 – Feb. 28

Snipe: Nov. 15 – Feb. 28

Squirrel: Aug. 15 – Feb. 28

Woodcock: Dec. 10 – Jan. 23