Georgia Deer Season Opens October 22

That slight nip in the air means that, in Georgia, deer season is almost here.

Firearms deer hunters may take to the woods starting a week from Saturday — on October 22.

Deer season runs through January 8.

"Hunters already know the benefits of having a few deer in the freezer," said John W. Bowers, chief of game management for Georgia's Wildlife Resources Division. "However, we hope that people interested in providing healthier, organic meals for their families take an interest in the pursuit of their own meat.

"Venison is a healthier alternative to most domestic meat, and hunting is an excellent way to enjoy the ‘field to fork’ experience."

Archery deer season in Georgia began on September 10. Primitive weapons enthusiasts will get a week-long head start on everyone else, with their season opening this Saturday.

Last year, more than 302,000 hunters harvested almost 300,000 deer in Georgia during firearms deer season.

Hunters are allowed a harvest of up to 10 antlerless deer and no more than two antlered deer — with one of the antlered deer having a minimum of four points one inch or longer on one side of the antlers.

To hunt deer in Georgia, all hunters must have a valid hunting license, a big game license and a current deer harvest record.

Licenses can be bought online at www.gohuntgeorgia.com/licenses-permits-passes, by phone at 1-800-366-2661 or at a license agent.

All deer hunters must wear at least 500 square inches of fluorescent orange above the waist to legally hunt during firearms season, except on archery-only areas.

The Wildlife Resources Division has rolled out a couple of new features this year.

• A new interactive map has been created for Georgia hunters allowing them to see the opportunities available for the counties they hunt. More info is available at www.georgiawildlife.com/hunting/deer-opportunities.
• Georgia Game Check: While deer hunters have utilized a deer harvest record in the past (to record the date and county of kill), beginning this deer season, all hunters on both public and private lands must record their deer on the harvest record and report their harvest using Georgia Game Check. All deer must be reported within 72 hours of harvest. More info at www.georgiawildlife.com/HarvestRecordGeorgiaGameCheck.

Georgia hunters have access to more than one million acres of public hunting land across the state, including over 100 state-operated wildlife management areas.

In addition to traditional hunts, a number of special hunts are offered, including ladies-only and adult/child hunts. Dates and locations for these hunts, as well as WMA maps, can be found in the 2016-2017 Georgia Hunting Seasons and Regulations Guide at www.gohuntgeorgia.com/hunting/regulations.

Georgia’s deer rut map can be found at www.georgiawildlife.com/rut-map . For more information on deer hunting seasons, regulations, licenses and WMA maps, visit www.georgiawildlife.com/hunting.