Running pointers on public land for grouse

I've contacted the wrd office and could not get a direct specific answer on this. Twofold question.
First, wma's that have the bird dog training, am I correct in assuming these are the same as hunting in season? When I contacted the office they kept telling me that you could train dogs on the designated dog training areas, but would not specifically answer my question about hunting with pointers during small game season.
Secondly, my purpose for this post is that I want to try my hand at grouse hunting. We've run hundreds of quail and Some pheasant and want to take to the mountains in search of grouse. Are there any public lands that will allow me to run my gsp's on grouse during small game season. If the answer is no, would anyone please point (lol) me to someone that has or knows of land up there where I can come run these dogs on grouse.
Thank you very much

I don't see why it would be illegal to run a bird dog on public land while bird hunting. People hunt birds, coons, rabbits, and squirrels all the time with dogs on public land. The dog training is a separate thing, I would think.

Yes you can run a bird dog during small game hunts on wma lands. The dog training areas are for using released quail to train. Any of the mountain wma's should have a few grouse, but they are few and far between, and its extremely tough hunting.

Thanks guys.
@Drawedback, yea I know they're tough and not that many here. Just want to try our hand

See page 69 of the regs:

TRAINING DOGS ON WMAS
& NATIONAL FORESTS

...

All dogs must be confined or kept on a leash except when hunting or training during designated seasons or on designated areas. Hunters must remove their dogs upon departure. Review specific area listing for seasons and restrictions.

It would be a good idea to go to the eregulations on the internet for full understanding of what is required. For instance, the dog must have your name, address and phone number on it. There is also specific information regarding differences between when one can train dogs on WMA's and National Forest lands that aren't WMA's. As noted above, page 69 on the current regs.
http://www.eregulations.com/georgia/hunting/

drawedback said:

Yes you can run a bird dog during small game hunts on wma lands. The dog training areas are for using released quail to train. Any of the mountain wma's should have a few grouse, but they are few and far between, and its extremely tough hunting.

Click to expand...

^^^this. Released vs wild. Doubt you'll be "releasing" grouse.

I had this same question last year because i wanted to take my dog to a wma to quail hunt. Called the local game warden since I work with him a good bit and he wasn't sure because there's nowhere in the regs that openly says you can run your dogs for birds. It only hits on dogs for hogs, bear, and deer. We got in contact with one of the much higher ups and he said its legal.

As a small game hunter public land is your land too.

Small game hunting is not allowed on some WMAs during big game hunts. Check the regs. Those hunts are generally not long in duration and the rest of the time you can hunt away with your dogs.

Just check the individual regs for the WMA you want to hunt.

If you are on the National Forest and see a place you want to hunt, as long as you're licensed and in season, pull over, put the dog out and have at it. Don't block gates and park far enough off the road so that you don't impede traffic.

You can hunt NF land without regard to big game seasons, but when the deer season is in I'm aware of that and try not to hunt places that get pounded by the wood goat crowd. Get an administrative map of the Chattahoochee NF from a FS office or a store, or order one. It'll show FS ownership. Pretty much anything that's green you can hunt.

It really is pretty much that simple. A buddy and I hunted a place last year where we parked in a church parking lot and crossed a state highway with the dogs to hunt NF land.

Again, it's your land as much as it is anybody else's. It was only 40-50 years ago that small game predominated in this state. It's amazing how the culture has changed and now we small game hunters act like we're on hind CensoredCensoredCensored--some would say we're treated that way. The fact that a DNR office could not answer even a basic question like that says a lot.

Don't accept it! Get a license and a copy of the regs and have fun with your dog!