2024-2025 Quick Guide To Georgia Hunting Season Dates

Don’t let the heat and humidity lull you into thinking hunting seasons are not right around the corner—we’re only six weeks from the start of squirrel season in Georgia!

Here is a quick reference to the 2024-2025 Georgia hunting seasons.

Most Georgia counties are either-sex for deer—meaning antlerless deer can be taken—during the entire deer season. However, there are exceptions, particularly in north Georgia. As always, make sure to check the regulations and either-sex days before you pull the trigger on an antlerless deer. 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. 14, and the statewide gun season opens Oct. 19. This year’s deer season will close statewide on Sunday, Jan. 12. A significant recent change to Georgia’s deer season is in eight southwest Georgia counties, which now close on Jan. 15 each season. That’s only three days 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.

Turkey hunters will for the fourth straight season have a later opening day—March 29 on private land and April 5 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 2024-25 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.

2024-25 Georgia Hunting Season Dates

Deer Seasons

Archery Sept. 14 – Jan. 12

Extended Archery* Sept. 14 – Jan. 31
Extended Archery (ONLY for 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) *Buck only for the first two weeks (Sept. 14-27) in Baker, Decatur, Early, Grady, Miller, Mitchell, Thomas and Seminole counties.

Youth Firearms Week Oct. 12-18

Primitive Weapons Oct. 12 – Jan. 12

Firearms Oct. 19 – Jan. 12
Firearms deer hunting is not allowed in Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton (north of GA Highway 92), and that portion of Glynn County lying within Jekyll Island. In the portion of Forsyth County south of GA Highway 20, only shotguns and muzzleloaders may be used (no other firearms allowed).

Extended Firearms SW GA (Baker, Decatur, Early, Grady, Miller, Mitchell, Thomas and Seminole counties) Oct. 19 – Jan. 15

National Forest Deer Hunting
Chattahoochee National Forest firearms deer season (outside of WMAs): Oct. 19 – Jan. 1. West of I-75, follow county either-sex days. East of I-75, entirely closed to antlerless deer hunting seasons, buck-only including during archery and primitive-weapons dates. Oconee NF firearms deer: Oct. 19 – Jan. 12. Either-sex days on Oconee NF (outside of WMAs): Nov. 2-3, Nov. 30 – Dec. 1, Dec. 28-29.

Waterfowl Seasons

Early Teal Sept. 14-29

Canada Geese  Sept. 7-29; Oct. 12-27; Nov. 23 – Dec. 1; Dec. 7 – Jan. 26

Duck   Nov. 23 – Dec. 1; Dec. 7 – Jan. 26

Youth/Military Waterfowl Nov. 16-17

Bear Seasons

Bear Northern Zone
Archery Sept. 14 – Oct. 11
Primitive Weapons Oct. 12-18
*During the northern zone primitive weapons season, only youth may use any firearm legal for deer.
Firearms Oct. 19 – Jan. 12

Bear Central Zone
Firearms Dec. 14
**A second day may be offered in the Central Bear Zone; details after December 23, 2024.

Bear Southern Zone
Firearms Sept. 19-21;
Sept. 26-28; Oct. 3-5; Oct. 10-12

2025 Turkey Seasons

Kids, Mobility Impaired: March 22-23
Private-Land: March 29 – May 15
Public-Land: April 5 – May 15
* Two gobbler per season limit; one-gobbler-per-day restriction.

Alligator

Zone & Quota Limited Aug. 16 (sunset) – Oct. 7 (sunrise)

Dove Statewide

Sept. 7 – Oct. 13; Nov. 23 – Dec. 1; Dec. 19 – Jan. 31

Opossum & Raccoon (No Limit)

Private-Land: No Closed Season
Public-Land: Aug. 15 – Feb. 28

2024-2025 Small Game & Other Seasons

Crow: Nov. 2 – Feb. 28

Fox & Bobcat: Dec. 1 – Feb. 28

Grouse: Oct. 15 – Feb. 28

Quail: Nov. 9 – Feb. 28

Rabbit: Nov. 16 – Feb. 28

Snipe: Nov. 15 – Feb. 28

Squirrel: Aug. 15 – Feb. 28

Woodcock: Dec. 7 – Jan. 20