New Proposed Georgia Hunting Regulations
I don’t know about you, but even as a lifelong Georgia deer hunter I often have to refer back to the hunting regulations book before heading into the woods.
Recently, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) has made some proposed regulations for the next two hunting seasons, and they want your input!
According to Brad Gill from Georgia Outdoor News, a few of the proposed regulations include:
- An increase in doe days
- Changes to the one-day central Georgia bear season
- New rules for waterfowl on Lake Blackshear
- Establishing additional counties for alligator hunting
- New times for hog and coyote hunting on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs)
- Changes to youth big-game hunts on WMAs
- Legalizing the use of suppressors on WMAs
- Required sign-in for WMA small-game hunts
- An increase in small-game hunting on WMAs
You can read more about each proposed change above at gon.com/news/more-doe-days-wma-changes-proposed.
Luckily, there’s still time to make your voice heard. A public hearing will be held on Thursday, April 13 at 7 p.m. at the Sports Complex and Civic Center located at 786 Austin Avenue East, Pearson, GA.
The WRD will also be taking feedback via survey, mail or phone until 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 21, 2017.
You can submit your comments by:
- Calling the WRD at (770) 918-6404
- Mailing to:
Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division
2067 US Hwy 278 SE
Social Circle, GA 30025
The WRD will collect all feedback from phone calls, letters, public hearings, and surveys and will present it to the DNR Board on May 24, 2017.
In my opinion, providing input on these changes is kind of like voting for your local, state, and federal officials. You can’t argue with the outcome if you don’t make your stance known or take the time to vote.
I’d love to hear your feedback on these changes. Please feel free to email me at csmith@nationalland.com or leave a comment on our social media!