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Deer Season Primitive Weapons/Youth Week Opens This Saturday
The Georgia deer woods will hear the first sounds of gunfire Oct. 12 as youth firearms and muzzleloader hunters take to the woods.
GON Staff | October 9, 2024
Braylan Schofield, 15 at the time, of Sautee Nacoochee, took advantage of the youth rifle opener in 2022 when he took this nice Habersham County buck.
After four weeks of archery deer hunting, Georgia’s 2024-2025 deer season makes a transition on Saturday morning, Oct. 12, as primitive-weapons hunting opens statewide. Also, kids 15 and younger can hunt with rifles as the Youth Week opens in conjunction with the primitive-weapons season. The general firearms deer season for all hunters opens next Saturday, Oct. 19.
Last year during primitive-weapons week, nearly 7,000 deer were harvested by 22,000 hunters, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD).
“The primitive-weapons season offers deer hunters an opportunity to harvest game prior to the opening of the modern firearms season,” said Charlie Killmaster, state deer biologist with the WRD Game Management Section. “We are dramatically expanding the reach of the Hunters for the Hungry program this season with the Georgia Wildlife Federation, making this season a great time to take an extra doe to donate.”
A hunter under 16 years of age may hunt deer with any legal deer firearm during primitive-weapons season. During the primitive-weapons season, hunters may use archery equipment, air bows, muzzleloading shotguns (20 gauge and larger) and air rifles and muzzleloading firearms that are .30 caliber or larger. Scopes and other optical sighting devices are legal for muzzleloading firearms and archery equipment.
Hunting Need-to-Know:
• Dates/Harvest Limit: State law allows hunters to harvest up to 10 antlerless deer, and no more than two antlered deer (with one of the two antlered deer having a minimum of four points, one inch or longer, on one side of the antlers or a minimum 15-inch outside antler spread). For most hunters in the state, the deer season ends on Jan. 12. For counties with extended firearms or archery season, review the Georgia Hunting and Fishing Regulations 2024-25 guidebook at GeorgiaWildlife.com/hunting/hunter-resources. Deer of either sex may be taken with archery equipment at any time on private land during the primitive weapons and firearms deer season.
• Licenses: Georgia deer hunters must have a hunting license, a big game license and a current deer harvest record. Licenses can be purchased online at GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com, by phone at 1-800-366-2661, or at a license agent (list of agents available online).
• Report Harvest: All harvested deer must be reported through Georgia Game Check within 24 hours. Deer can be reported on the Outdoors GA app (which works regardless of cell service), at GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com, or by calling 1-800-366-2661.
“We continue to ask hunters to help protect the Georgia deer herd from Chronic Wasting Disease, or CWD, a fatal disease affecting deer. This disease has not been detected in our state and you can be instrumental in keeping it out,” says Killmaster. “Do not bring live deer, whole carcasses or heads into Georgia, know what parts you can bring back from an out-of-state hunt, and report deer with any disease symptoms. You can find more info at GeorgiaWildlife.com/cwd.”
For more on deer hunting, including finding a game processor, viewing regulations, maps (either sex day or the rut map), visit GeorgiaWildlife.com/deer-info.
Muzzleloader Safety Tips
WRD encourages hunters using muzzleloaders during primitive-weapons season should review important safety information first. Primitive weapons, such as muzzleloaders, have specific safety use rules beyond general firearms safety, and these should be reviewed each year. WRD offers the below recommendations to ensure a safe experience:
• Never smoke in the proximity of a muzzleloader.
• Use an intermediate device, such as a measure, to pour powder into a barrel.
• Keep flask and powder containers away from flames and sparks to prevent an accidental explosion.
• Use only powders specific to each muzzleloader and recommended by that firearms manufacturer.
• Place percussion cap on nipple only when ready to shoot.
• A muzzleloader is safely unloaded only after removing the bullet, powder and percussion cap. If using a flintlock muzzleloader, remove the bullet and powder, and un-prime the flash pan.
• Use the recommended loading materials, the correct powder charge, the right diameter and weight bullet and the correct lead material.
• Treat a misfire as though the gun could fire at any moment.
• Make sure the projectile is firmly seated on the powder before capping and firing.
• Never blow down the barrel of a muzzleloader to clear or extinguish sparks.
• Keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
• Read the owner’s manual and be familiar with its operation before using a muzzle-loading firearm.
• Handle every gun as if it was loaded.
• Make sure the gun is unloaded before attempting to clean it.
• Do not use alcohol or drugs while handling a firearm.
For more information on hunting safety, visit GeorgiaWildlife.com/hunting/huntereducation.
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