Hunting questions for GA residents

[336A]

Hello folks I've got a couple of questions for our GA residents regarding hunting in this fine state. I just moved here from NY and reading through the GA Hunting Regulation handbook is more confussing than NY beleive it or not, these are my questions.
1. The regulation states that only expanding ammunition may be used while deer hunting pg. 11.
Question: Does this mean that Lead SWC bullets in handguns are illegal for handguns?

2. Feral hogs may be hunted with any deer, bear, turkey or small game firearms. Found on pg. 11.
Question: Is it legal to hunt hogs during small game season with a centerfire firearm other than what is listed for use during small game season? Or must I use only those firearms on hogs that are listed as ok for small game?

Thanks for your help.

 

[NOLAEMT]

1st. any lead bullets are legal for hunting, they are considered "expanding"

2nd. I do not know, but I believe that restriction applies to state lands, not private.

 

[jmr40]

There are several things that are confusing in Georgia hunting regulations. The legislature passes the laws with a purpose in mind, but often the wording is not clear. Partly because many who write the laws, aren't hunters.I don't think you will have any problems with SWC ammo. The purpose of the law is to ban FMJ military ammo.

On the 2nd question, it depends. On private property any firearm is fine for hogs. If you are hunting on a WMA during a big game hunt, then you must use a centerfire that would be legal for deer or bear. If the WMA is closed at the time for large game, but open for small game, then you can only use guns legal for small game. Some of the WMA's have special dates set aside for hog hunts where large game guns can be used.

National Forest land that is not part of a WMA, I'm not sure about. My guess is that it would be the same as private property. It woudn't hurt to call the local DNR office for clarification.

 

[336A]

Thanks for the info folks. I thought that I was god to go with the SWC but needed to be sure. I think that it is absured however using rimfires or shotguns loaded with upland game loads on hogs.

 

[GooseGestapo]

336A;
Info you've been given is accurate.
On the WMA's for small game, the most popular alternative is to use a muzzle loader.

Yeah, it sounds strange, but a muzzle loader is legal for shooting small game. It does however, have more than enough power to put down pigs quickly. I have a CVA inline with a 4x scope that is just dandy on the pigs. I use a cast .45cal bullet in a .50/45 sabot and 80gr of Pyrodex RS or 777. It will completely penetrate a 200lb pig.

I've tried using the .22wmr but can't recommend it for hogs. If, and only IF you can get real close, a FMJ rimfire .22mag will work, but didn't for me.

Any area not WMA is ok to use centerfire for pigs, but make it obvious you're not deer hunting out of season when it's not deer season.

 

[336A]

What exactly constitutes a WMA here in GA...? Is it State Land that is open to the public or something else. In NY everything is broken down into Wild life Management Units (WMU). These come into play mostly when your deciding where you would like to apply for your doe tag. So if you were to choose 6H and you were selected that is the only WMU you can harvest a doe from. Of course there are other things such as varying season dates and what not but for the most part it is very cut and dry. From what I've been reading Benning is not considered a WMA right?

 

[jmr40]

If you have a copy of the current hunting regulations the WMA info starts on page 42. If not you can look at www.gohuntgeorgia.com The game on WMA's is manged by DNR. They plant a few food plots and take care of managing the land. Look on p43 at the Berry College WMA. I live about 15 min from there and hunt on their land often. The WMA is open to any archery hunter from Sept 10 thru Oct 31. If you have a WMA stamp you just have to sign in and go hunt. Same for any of the small game seasons. I primarily hunt archery and small game there. They have a couple of dove hunts as well.

If you want to hunt deer during rifle season there are 2 quota hunts. Nov 2-5 and Nov 30-Dec 3. You have to apply for those hunts and only 1,000 are chosen for each hunt. Only the most popular WMA's have a quota. Most allow you to just show up, sign in and hunt.

I hunt almost exclusively on the North Georgia Mountain WMA's. Regions 1 and 2. In the next few day's I will get out a calendar and mark the calendar with which WMA's are open and when. I spend 3-4 days each week hunting somewhere. sometimes I get up early and drive if it isn't too far. Other times I camp and sometimes backpack into some of the larger areas. But as I get older I do less of the backpacking.

Most of the North GA WMA's are also on National Forest land. The NF land that is not part of a WMA is open to hunting for anyone with a hunting license at any time during the season. I've hunted on some of the NF land at times, but have run across too many undesireable hunters and situations there.

 

[336A]

Ok got it, I was thinking that it was probably something along those lines. Thanks for the help guys.

 

[Oathkeeper1775]

Columbus area

When I was there, I did a fare amount of shotgun hunting with slugs and bird shot, it kind of covered it all.

There are some century old pecan groves along the west bank of the Chattahoochee River, (might be Alabama, I was on FT Benning) man oh man the deer in them woods.