Proposed Hunting Regulations

Proposed Hunting Regulations for 2017-2018 and 2018-2019. To share comments you can attend a meeting, comment via email, or with a written statement.

http://georgiawildlife.com/node/4355

Dear DNR,
It is with much disgust that I see that you all are going to extend the deer season to January 14th from here on out.

4 ½ months long is now what the deer season will be. Its like DNRs whole purpose is simply deer management. Forget about any other outdoor activities like running rabbit dogs, coon hunting, predator hunting, squirrel hunting, or squirrel hunting with dogs…………..deer season is in and on until January 14th.

Who does this benefit? The few guys who don’t know when the deer season is over?Certainly not the majority of deer hunters. They will have had since September 9th to kill 2 bucks and 10 does. And I just love how you all have done this…..8 days extra last year, and now 14 days this year. Give it 2 years and you all will extend deer season until January 21st.

Why? You can’t tell me it’s about putting food on the table or population control. Nor is it about landowner’s rights. This is about QDM, deer horns, and selling magazines. Material items…..the stuff anti hunters hate.

Statements like ….oh……yall just gotta find a club that will let you run your dogs during deer season are not realistic. No deer club will let you run dogs during deer season. Also…..rabbit season is over by mid-February (unless you like gutting rabbits with babies in them). So ……..what do we have here……….4 weeks of rabbit hunting?

Oh and the compromise………….make small game hunting coincide with deer hunting on WMAs like on Redlands (which hasn’t produced any user conflicts, really? Like Redlands is some small game meca?) to increase small game hunting opportunities while we literally make it impossible to hunt small game on private land until January 15th…. Just a bad idea………………..Iam not worried about getting shot……….I am worried about my dog getting shot by a Bubba……………they shoot people clad in orange during deer season………….my new pup running a fox or a deer for the first time will surely get shot………..not to mention……….there is no small game management on WMAs any way………….only deer hunting.

But this is all in vain. A waste of a .49 cent stamp. The decision has been made. You all are just going through the motions.
It will be interesting to see what the hunter numbers look like in 20 years. I myself am in 2 deer clubs and neither one has any young hunters to speak of. Probably sitting around somewhere playing on their phone (like on the cover of last year’s regulations). On the horizon, hunting is on the way out. Whether its rabbit hunting, deer hunting, or coon hunting……..numbers are dropping. I have a hard time comprehending why DNR who is charged with regulating and promoting hunting is actually destroying small game hunting as we know it.

This state is changing alot quicker than most of us like. But to push one aspect of hunting over and at the the expense of other outdoor hunting pursuits is misguided and short sighted.

And, I forgot……promoting hunting in general………is not on your agenda……….just promoting deer hunting.

Good luck fellas.

Small game hunters have no chance

Someone from DNR will be along shortly to provide metrics showing the need for the new rules. Small game hunters just have be misguided after all it is the DNR working in the interest of the hunter.

what has the Dnr done for the small game hunters except try to do away with them?

New Regs

Rulo said:

Dear DNR,
It is with much disgust that I see that you all are going to extend the deer season to January 14th from here on out.

4 ½ months long is now what the deer season will be. Its like DNRs whole purpose is simply deer management. Forget about any other outdoor activities like running rabbit dogs, coon hunting, predator hunting, squirrel hunting, or squirrel hunting with dogs…………..deer season is in and on until January 14th.

Who does this benefit? The few guys who don’t know when the deer season is over?Certainly not the majority of deer hunters. They will have had since September 9th to kill 2 bucks and 10 does. And I just love how you all have done this…..8 days extra last year, and now 14 days this year. Give it 2 years and you all will extend deer season until January 21st.

Why? You can’t tell me it’s about putting food on the table or population control. Nor is it about landowner’s rights. This is about QDM, deer horns, and selling magazines. Material items…..the stuff anti hunters hate.

Statements like ….oh……yall just gotta find a club that will let you run your dogs during deer season are not realistic. No deer club will let you run dogs during deer season. Also…..rabbit season is over by mid-February (unless you like gutting rabbits with babies in them). So ……..what do we have here……….4 weeks of rabbit hunting?

Oh and the compromise………….make small game hunting coincide with deer hunting on WMAs like on Redlands (which hasn’t produced any user conflicts, really? Like Redlands is some small game meca?) to increase small game hunting opportunities while we literally make it impossible to hunt small game on private land until January 15th…. Just a bad idea………………..Iam not worried about getting shot……….I am worried about my dog getting shot by a Bubba……………they shoot people clad in orange during deer season………….my new pup running a fox or a deer for the first time will surely get shot………..not to mention……….there is no small game management on WMAs any way………….only deer hunting.

But this is all in vain. A waste of a .49 cent stamp. The decision has been made. You all are just going through the motions.
It will be interesting to see what the hunter numbers look like in 20 years. I myself am in 2 deer clubs and neither one has any young hunters to speak of. Probably sitting around somewhere playing on their phone (like on the cover of last year’s regulations). On the horizon, hunting is on the way out. Whether its rabbit hunting, deer hunting, or coon hunting……..numbers are dropping. I have a hard time comprehending why DNR who is charged with regulating and promoting hunting is actually destroying small game hunting as we know it.

This state is changing alot quicker than most of us like. But to push one aspect of hunting over and at the the expense of other outdoor hunting pursuits is misguided and short sighted.

And, I forgot……promoting hunting in general………is not on your agenda……….just promoting deer hunting.

Good luck fellas.

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Spot on. This pretty close to the same thing I emailed them and have been screaming on these forums.Its pretty common knowledge that it's best to start new hunters on small game because their are usually multiple opportunities and learning experiences. Thanks to the DNR,insurance companies and the elitist deer hunters we can probably sit back and watch our hunting traditions die. It will happen. During my grandfather's day everybody had a quail dog.....

So true, TH90. I am sure the auto insurance co. lobbyists have had maximum influence on this legislation. Of course our legislators are in touch with the money, not their constituents.

Rulo said:

Dear DNR,
It is with much disgust that I see that you all are going to extend the deer season to January 14th from here on out.

4 ½ months long is now what the deer season will be. Its like DNRs whole purpose is simply deer management. Forget about any other outdoor activities like running rabbit dogs, coon hunting, predator hunting, squirrel hunting, or squirrel hunting with dogs…………..deer season is in and on until January 14th.

Who does this benefit? The few guys who don’t know when the deer season is over?Certainly not the majority of deer hunters. They will have had since September 9th to kill 2 bucks and 10 does. And I just love how you all have done this…..8 days extra last year, and now 14 days this year. Give it 2 years and you all will extend deer season until January 21st.

Why? You can’t tell me it’s about putting food on the table or population control. Nor is it about landowner’s rights. This is about QDM, deer horns, and selling magazines. Material items…..the stuff anti hunters hate.

Statements like ….oh……yall just gotta find a club that will let you run your dogs during deer season are not realistic. No deer club will let you run dogs during deer season. Also…..rabbit season is over by mid-February (unless you like gutting rabbits with babies in them). So ……..what do we have here……….4 weeks of rabbit hunting?

Oh and the compromise………….make small game hunting coincide with deer hunting on WMAs like on Redlands (which hasn’t produced any user conflicts, really? Like Redlands is some small game meca?) to increase small game hunting opportunities while we literally make it impossible to hunt small game on private land until January 15th…. Just a bad idea………………..Iam not worried about getting shot……….I am worried about my dog getting shot by a Bubba……………they shoot people clad in orange during deer season………….my new pup running a fox or a deer for the first time will surely get shot………..not to mention……….there is no small game management on WMAs any way………….only deer hunting.

But this is all in vain. A waste of a .49 cent stamp. The decision has been made. You all are just going through the motions.
It will be interesting to see what the hunter numbers look like in 20 years. I myself am in 2 deer clubs and neither one has any young hunters to speak of. Probably sitting around somewhere playing on their phone (like on the cover of last year’s regulations). On the horizon, hunting is on the way out. Whether its rabbit hunting, deer hunting, or coon hunting……..numbers are dropping. I have a hard time comprehending why DNR who is charged with regulating and promoting hunting is actually destroying small game hunting as we know it.

This state is changing alot quicker than most of us like. But to push one aspect of hunting over and at the the expense of other outdoor hunting pursuits is misguided and short sighted.

And, I forgot……promoting hunting in general………is not on your agenda……….just promoting deer hunting.

Good luck fellas.

Click to expand...

Great letter but you are wasting your time if you don't append it to letters you send to your state representatives.

It's a sad case but yes, the small game hunter in GA is being pushed out and it's all for the love of $$. Any deer hunter seriously interested in trophy hunting would be against killing deer so late in the season that bucks are dropping antlers. The common sense answer would be to shorten deer season (alot) which would mean more deer and better quality while satisfying the small game opportunity at the same time. Key word being "common sense" which is something DNR/WRD refuses to work with.

most of us hound guys deer hunt also....I love deer hunting, go every weekend during bow, muzzy and rifle season....spend thousands on it yearly.....but I normally got the freezer filled with enough meat by thanksgiving.....I was so use to the December break that I don't hunt any after thanksgiving.......in fact I would give the deer hunters the month of January if they would give us back the month of December......it's easier sitting in a deer stand at 70 degrees than stomping brairs at 70 degrees too.....

Some folks don't know how to deer hunt that's why they need more time I reckon. I deer hunt and love it but if I wanted to even kill 10 deer I could do it in 1 month. I'm like Chris I kill a couple deer and I go run dogs.

I do not post on here much anymore bc of the bashing etc. I just read posts. I wanted to add to this post though. It has a lot to do with the deer hunting as why small game is getting pushed out. But it also has to do with that you all own dogs. Put them in the woods when deer season is in and you run all the deer out of the block. THAT IS NOT TRUE. But you cannot tell a deer hunter that. I have been a deer doggin fool most of my life. Getting back into it this year also. All of those are a dying tradition because of the way deer hunting is advertised now. Sadly its even happening with our own GON magazine. How many stories do you see about coon hunting, rabbit hunting, deer dogging? Maybe once a year or year and half. I even wrote a letter to GON a while back how the hunters are so divided in this state. My letter never got published. So I never wrote another one but still subscribe to GON. Why, I have no idea. We all need to be united together but as long as we are so called "dog hunters", we will always get the short end of the stick or looked down at.

I don't think most people are aware that "Magenta and Cyan" are colors.

hmmmm....and then theres this idea..........if deer season runs from Sept 09 through January 14th for now,,,,,and then in 2 years changes yet again to January 21st........and its 2 bucks and 10 does............and a whole lotta either sex days..........not to mention that legalized baiting is just over the horizon in the Northern Zone........do we really need a large DNR Law Enforcement presence?

Think about it.......we are on the verge of being basically a "single user"....the "deer hunter" ......... entity with a very very liberal bag limit.............what exactly is DNR Law Enforcement policing?

Keep in mind that every year the number of hunters is dropping throughout the nation.......

If the majority of hunting days are for deer hunting and most of those days are either sex..........what are they (DNR) policing?

And if DNR goes with the trend they are exhibiting ( a single species/pursuit of deer as the primary species that is hunted 90% of the time), then why do we need 40 + new game wardens?

What and who are they going to police?

Man, I don't see what your feathers are ruffled over. Deer hunters lease their own land so why can't you ? Get together, exchange phone numbers, chip in, lease it and go hunt. Why can't you hunt during deer season ? Deer hunters hunt during Small game season. Theres at least one type of small game open from Aug 15 all the way through Feb 28. Theres at least 7 critters you can hunt year round, some even at night. Small game hunters already have the longest season. Its year round. Why can't you hunt with out blaming it on others ?

BowanaLee said:

Man, I don't see what your feathers are ruffled over. Deer hunters lease their own land so why can't you ? Get together, exchange phone numbers, chip in, lease it and go hunt. Why can't you hunt during deer season ? Deer hunters hunt during Small game season. Theres at least one type of small game open from Aug 15 all the way through Feb 28. Theres at least 7 critters you can hunt year round, some even at night. Small game hunters already have the longest season. Its year round. Why can't you hunt with out blaming it on others ?

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I bet that X bow wil nail a squirrel at 5oty

If y'all get a small game lease, can I hunt deer on it. Y'all won't bother me on it. I will work around y'all schedule

I hate to see the extension proposal. Not long ago I saw an article, I believe it was on GON, about the "predator pit" issue in some areas regarding deer fawns and coyotes reaching a point of no return. So part of the solution to protect the herd is to allow more deer kills by extending the season??
Fortunately there are some WMA's that don't allow deer hunting except for managed weekend hunts several times during the season. Small game is allowed whenever the deer hunts aren't scheduled. I suppose we small "gamers" should be grateful for small favors. Gil

The GON magazine and its writers do push the predator and coyote issue hard.

BowanaLee said:

Man, I don't see what your feathers are ruffled over. Deer hunters lease their own land so why can't you ? Get together, exchange phone numbers, chip in, lease it and go hunt. Why can't you hunt during deer season ? Deer hunters hunt during Small game season. Theres at least one type of small game open from Aug 15 all the way through Feb 28. Theres at least 7 critters you can hunt year round, some even at night. Small game hunters already have the longest season. Its year round. Why can't you hunt with out blaming it on others ?

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dang, why didn't we think of that?.....