Bird hunting in North Georgia

I am new to bird hunting but was hoping to get some advice. My granddad had pointers and hunted quail a lot around our home in Cherokee County but that was before my time.

I have always hunted deer/squirrels but have recently just become interested in bird hunting. I went on my first dove shoot last year and loved it. Besides paid plantations with released birds, what bird hunting opportunities exist in north Georgia, say above I-20? I'm not opposed to driving to South Georgia occasionally but cannot do this regularly.

Are doves just as plentiful in North Georgia?
Are there any woodcock in North Georgia?
Is grouse hunting worth even considering?
What public options, besides Di-Lane are there, even in South Georgia that might be reasonable? I'm definitely willing to drive for public access opportunity.
Thanks,
Jed

First and foremost, welcome to the addiction. Doves are plentiful all over the state, and you can find pay fields, as well as wma opportunities. Your best bet at finding good upland bird hunting is gonna be woodcock. We have a pretty decent migration every fall, and you can usually find a few spots to scratch out a few birds. Look for wet, thick areas without a whole lot of leaf cover on the ground. Beaver swamps are usually a good bet. Grouse are few and far between, but there are a few folks around who know how to find them, but its some tough hunting, and you can expect to be skunked quite often. Quail are much the same, there are some birds around, but the coveys are spread pretty thin.

Woodcock hunting sounds fun. Do they show up in North Georgia? If so, when do they appear?

Really?

dawgvet said:

Woodcock hunting sounds fun. Do they show up in North Georgia? If so, when do they appear?

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Yes they show up. The season is short, like mid December till end of January. The migration is according to weather as much as anything, they could be here before the season starts, or come in towards the end, just according to when the ground starts freezing up in there northern range. You have to have your HIP permit, because they are migratory.