2023-2024 Quick Guide To Georgia Hunting Season Dates

Here is a quick reference to the 2023-2024 Georgia hunting seasons.

There are rather significant changes for Georgia deer hunters with the upcoming 2023-2024 season, particularly when it comes to either-sex days. As always, make sure to check the regulations before you pull the trigger on an antlerless deer. While most of the state is now either-sex during all of gun season, there are certain dates that are buck-only in some counties. See the doe-day map below.

Georgia’s archery season for deer opens Sept. 9, and the statewide gun season opens Oct. 21. This year’s deer season will close statewide on Sunday, Jan. 14. A significant new exception is for eight southwest Georgia counties, which will now close on Jan. 15 each season. That’s only one day of difference this year, but based on how the calendar falls, it could be up to six additional days some seasons.

Those eight southwest Georgia counties also join a growing list of suburban counties that allow archery-only deer hunting until Jan. 31. The following counties allow either-sex, archery-only hunting for deer until Jan. 31: Baker, Barrow, Bibb, Chatham, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Columbia, Decatur, DeKalb, Douglas, Early, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Grady, Gwinnett, Hall, Henry, Miller, Mitchell, Muscogee, Paulding, Richmond, Rockdale, Seminole and Thomas counties.

Antlerless deer may be taken statewide with archery equipment any open date for deer hunting, except on National Forest lands (see National Forest Deer Hunting).

Turkey hunters will for the third straight season have a later opening day—March 30 on private land and April 6 on public land—and the season limit is again two gobblers, and there’s again a one-gobbler-per-day restriction. Make sure you’re not feeding deer—lots of turkey-baiting cases are made.

The complete 2023-24 Georgia Hunting Season Dates and Bag Limits will 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.

 

2023-24 Georgia Hunting Season Dates

Deer Seasons

Archery Sept. 9 – Jan. 14

Extended Archery* Sept. 9 – Jan. 31

(*Suburban counties & SW GA)

Youth Firearms Week Oct. 14-20

Primitive Weapons Oct. 14 – Jan. 14

Firearms Oct. 21 – Jan. 14

SW GA (8 counties) Oct. 21 – Jan. 15

National Forest Deer Hunting
Chattahoochee National Forest firearms deer season (outside of WMAs): Oct. 21 – Jan. 1. West of I-75, follow county either-sex days. East of I-75, entirely closed to antlerless deer hunting. Oconee NF firearms deer: Oct. 21 – Jan. 14. Either-sex days on Oconee NF (outside of WMAs): Nov. 4-5, Nov. 25-26, Dec. 30-31.

 

 

Waterfowl Seasons

Early Teal Sept. 9-24

Canada Geese  Sept. 2-24; Oct. 14-29; Nov. 18-26; Dec. 9 – Jan. 28

Duck   Nov. 18-26; Dec. 9 – Jan. 28

Youth/Military Waterfowl Nov. 11-12

 

Bear Northern Zone

Archery Sept. 9 – Jan. 14

Primitive Weapons Oct. 14 – Jan. 14

Firearms Oct. 21 – Jan. 14

Bear Central Zone

Firearms Dec. 16

Bear Southern Zone

Firearms Sept. 21-23;

Sept. 28-30; Oct. 5-7; Oct. 12-14

 

2024 Turkey Seasons

Kids, Mobility Impaired: March 23-24

Public-Land: April 6 – May 15

Private-Land: March 30 – May 15

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

 

Alligator

Zone & Quota Limited Aug. 18 – Oct. 2

 

Dove Statewide

Sept. 2 – Oct. 8; Nov. 18- 26;

Dec. 19 – Jan. 31

 

Opossum & Raccoon (No Limit)

Private-Land: No Closed Season

Public-Land: Aug. 15 – Feb. 29

 

2023-2024 Small Game & Other Seasons

Crow Nov. 4 – Feb. 29

Fox & Bobcat Dec. 1 – Feb. 29

Grouse Oct. 15 – Feb. 29

Quail Nov. 18 – Feb. 29

Rabbit Nov. 18 – Feb. 29

Snipe Nov. 15 – Feb. 28

Squirrel Aug. 15 – Feb. 29

Woodcock Dec. 9 – Jan. 22