Georgia Hunting Season Schedules Updated In 2025

*The dates and rules have been updated for the latest 2025-2026 season!

Georgia offers hunting seasons all year round. With diverse landscapes and abundant wildlife in this Peach State, it’s the perfect place to hunt big and small game. To enjoy the traditional activities in Georgia, don’t forget to familiarize yourself with the Georgia 2025 season dates and hunting rules, and get the required licenses and permits.

Here we will list the detailed calendar and information for the hunting season in Georgia, and help you prepare for your hunting trip in advance.

Georgia Deer Season

The deer seasons in Georgia are the same as last year. Seasons last for 4 months, starting in September and ending in January of the next year.

• Archery Season: Sept. 13 – Oct. 10, 2025
• Extended Archery Season: Jan. 12 – Jan. 31, 2026
• Primitive Weapons & Youth-Only Firearms:  Oct. 11 – Oct. 17, 2025
• Firearms Season:  Oct. 18 – Jan. 11, 2026
• Extended Firearms:  Oct. 18 – Jan. 15, 2026

Bag limits:

• The limit is 12 per season.
• Only 2 antlered deer can be hunted, and the rest must be antlerless.
• The deer must have a minimum of four points on each antler, measuring one inch or more, on one side of the antlers or a minimum of 15 inches.

*Note that 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).

Georgia Bear Season

Zone	Weapon	Date	Limits
Northern Zone	Archery	Sept. 13 – Oct. 10, 2025	2 bears per season No more than one bear from the central or southern bear zones
	Primitive Weapons	Oct. 11 – Oct. 17, 2025
	Firearms	Oct. 18 – Jan. 11, 2026
Central Zone	Firearms	Dec. 20, 2025
Southern Zone	Firearms	Sept. 18 – 20, 2025 Sept. 25 – 27, 2025 Oct. 2 – 4, 2025 Oct. 9 – 11, 2025

*Notes:

• No baiting over hunting a bear.
• All bear hunters are required to have a Harvest Record for the current season.
• Hunters must report harvested bears within 24 hours.
• It is not allowed to hunt female bears or bears under 75 pounds.

Georgia Turkey Season

2025 Turkey season

• Private Land: Mar. 29 – May 15, 2025
• Public Land: April 5 – May 15, 2025
• Youth/ Mobility Impaired: Mar. 22 – 23, 2025

2026 Turkey season

• Private Land: Mar. 28 – May 15, 2026
• Public Land: April 4 – May 15, 2026
• Youth/Mobility Impaired Hunt: Mar. 21 – 22, 2026

*The bag limit is one turkey daily and two gobblers in total per season. Notice that the youth turkey season does not apply to the public lands.

Georgia Dove Seasons

Zone: Statewide

Dates:

• Sept. 6 – Oct. 12, 2025
• Nov. 22 – Nov. 30, 2025
• Dec. 19 – Jan. 31, 2026

Limits: 15 per day, 45 in possession

Hours: The shooting hours are 30 minutes from sunrise to sunset.

The dove hunting season in Georgia is split into 3 different periods from September to January, giving more hunters chances to enjoy the hunt at different times.

Dove hunting season’s first period starts on September 6th and lasts until October 12th. This time of year is popular because it marks the start of hunting season for many big game and small game. The weather conditions are also good and improve the overall experience.

Following a break, the second season continues to start on November 22nd and extends through the end of November. The last season of the Georgia dove hunting opens from December 19th to January 31st of the next year. Participating in the hunt during the cold winter season can be quite exciting for many.

Georgia Alligator Season

Dates: Aug. 15 -Oct. 6, 2025

Limits: 1 per quota permit

Georgia Small Games Hunting Season

Species	Zones	Dates	Limits
Crows	Statewide	Nov. 1 – Feb. 28, 2025	No limit
Fox & Bobcat	Statewide	Dec. 1–Feb. 28, 2025	No limit
Grouse	Statewide	Oct. 15 – Feb. 28, 2025	3 per day
Sora & Rails	Statewide	Sept. 16 – 23, 2025 Oct. 15 – Dec. 15, 2025	King & Clapper： 15 per day, 45 in possession Sora & Virginia： 25 per day, 75 in possession
Opossum & Raccoon	Statewide	Private Land： no closed season Public Land： Aug. 15 – Feb. 28, 2026	No limit
Quail	Statewide	Nov. 8 – Feb. 28, 2026	12 per day
Rabbit	Statewide	Nov. 15 – Feb. 28, 2026	12 per day
Snipe	Statewide	Nov. 15 – Feb. 28, 2026	8 per day, 24 in possession
Squirrel	Statewide	Aug. 15 – Feb. 28, 2026	12 per day
Woodcock	Statewide	Dec. 6 – Jan. 19, 2026	3 per day, 9 in possession
Falconry	Statewide	Squirrel: Aug. 15 – Mar. 15, 2026	12 per day
		Rabbit, Quail: Oct. 1 – Mar. 15, 2026	12 per day
		Grouse: Oct. 1 – Mar. 15, 2026	3 per day

Georgia Waterfowl Seasons

Youth, Active Duty Military & Veterans Waterfowl Days:

• Nov. 15 – 16, 2025

Ducks:

Nov. 22 – 30, 2025
Dec. 6 – Jan. 25, 2026

Bag Limits: 6 per day and 18 in total.

Teal:

• Sept. 13 – 21, 2025
• Nov. 22 – 30, 2025
• Dec. 6 – Jan. 25, 2026

Bag Limits: 6 per day and 18 in total.

Mergansers:

• Nov. 22 – 30, 2025
• Dec. 6 – Jan. 25, 2026

Bag Limits: 5 per day and 15 in total(no more than 2 Hooded Mergansers).

Snow Geese:

• Oct. 11 – 26, 2025
• Nov. 22 – 30, 2025
• Dec. 6 – Jan. 25, 2026

Bag Limits: 5 per day and 15 in total.

Canada Goose:

• Sept. 6 – 28, 2025
• Oct. 11 – 26, 2025
• Nov. 22 – 30, 2025
• Dec. 6 – Jan. 25, 2026

Bag Limits: 5 per day and 15 in total.

Coot

• Nov. 22 – 30, 2025
• Dec. 6 – Jan. 25, 2026

Bag Limits: 15 per day and 45 in total.

Georgia Migratory Birds Seasons

Doves

• Sept. 6 – Oct. 12, 2025
• Nov. 22 – 30, 2025
• Dec. 19 – Jan. 31, 2026

Bag Limits: 15 per day and 45 in total.

Gallinules

• Nov. 22 – 30, 2025
• Dec. 6 – Jan. 25, 2026

Bag Limits: 15 per day and 45 in total.

Sora and Rails

• Sept. 8 – 13, 2025
• Oct. 6 – Nov. 30, 2025

Bag Limits: 25 per day and 75 in total.

Woodcock

• Dec. 6 – Jan. 19, 2026

Bag Limits: 3 per day and 9 in total.

Georgia Falconry Seasons

Squirrel: Aug. 15 – Mar. 15, 2026

Grouse: Oct. 1 – Mar. 15, 2026

Rabbit and Quail: Oct. 1 – Mar. 15, 2026

In the falconry seasons, hunters can harvest 12 squirrels per day, 12 rabbits & quail per day, and 3 grouse per day.

Georgia Hunting Licenses And Permits

To hunt in Georgia, you will need the required license and permits to hunt different prey. Here are the costs of each type of hunting license.

License Type	Resident Price	Nonresident Price
Combo Hunting & Fishing License	$30	$150
Apprentice Hunting & Fishing License	$5	$30
Hunting License (Ages 16-64)	$15	$100
Senior Sportsman’s License (65+)	$7	N/A
Youth Lifetime Sportsman’s License	$600	N/A
Adult Lifetime Sportsman’s License	$750	N/A
Big Game License	$25	$225
Trapping License	$40	$325
Disability Hunting License	$3	N/A
Quota Alligator Harvest Permit	$40	$325
Public Land Access	$30	$60

How to Buy a Hunting License?

There are 3 ways to buy a legal hunting license in Georgia. It is very easy:

1. You can visit the official website and purchase it online: gooutdoorsgeorgia.com.
2. Make a phone call at: 1-800-366-2661.
3. Buy from any agent over the counter. There are lots of them statewide.

Legal Weapon For Georgia Hunting Seasons

For Deer and Bear Hunting:

• Modern Rifles and Handguns: only centerfire rifles and handguns in .22-caliber or higher with expanding ammunition.
• Shotguns: should be at least 20-gauge and loaded with slugs or buckshot.
• Muzzleloaders: must be .30-caliber or larger, or muzzleloading shotguns must be 20 gauge or larger.
• Air Guns: any air rifle with a minimum caliber of .30 or air bow.

For Turkey Hunting:

Legal firearms include shotguns with small shot sizes, muzzleloading firearms, air rifles with a caliber of at least .30, or air bows powered by compressed gas or air. No need to plug shotgun.

For Small Game Hunting:

• Rifles and Handguns: Any firearm that is .22-caliber or smaller and rimfire, any muzzleloading weapon, or any air rifle or air gun of any caliber.

• Shotguns: Any shotgun that uses shot shells 3.5 inches or less in size with No. 2 shot or smaller.

• Shotguns (Waterfowl): Any shotgun that is 10-gauge or smaller and is loaded with nontoxic shot approved by the federal government, with a size of “F” or smaller.

Things You Should Know When Hunting in Georgia

1. A hunting license is not required if you hunt on your own land.
2. Hunters under age 16 are not required to take hunter education courses.
3. In addition to a hunting license, a big game license is also required if you want to hunt big game like deer, bear, or turkey.
4. Hunters are required to report alligator, bear, deer, and turkey harvests within 24 hours through Georgia Game Check.
5. Every hunter must wear daylight fluorescent orange above the waist( at least 500 square).
6. Don’t go hunting if you are under the impact of drugs or alcohol.
7. Hunting deer with dogs is allowed in some counties, but you need to get a permit.
8. No baiting when hunting any game, except for deer and feral hogs, which can be hunted with baiting on private lands.. Or, hunters will be subject to a fine of $5,000.

Conclusion

Georgia’s hunting seasons provide rich and diverse possibilities for hunters. Whether you’re attracted to the challenge of deer hunting, the lure of turkey calls, or the mystery of night hunting, the state has plenty of options.

Remember to stay informed about specific dates, weapons, and limits in each zone with our latest updates. We hope your Georgia hunting adventures will be filled with fun, skill, and respect for the natural world. Good luck with your hunt!

Here is an online season calendar that allows you to check all season dates in Georgia for all big games or small games, and sync the schedule to your Google Calendar: Georgia Current Hunting Seasons Calendar.