What's the law?

[gadeerwoman]

What's the law now about how close you can hunt to an occupied dwelling? don't see it in the regs any longer and someone asked me a couple weeks ago. Sent JB a pm but no answer. Anyone know?

 

[huntnnut]

I'm not sure on the State reg's, though in Heard County you can't bow hunt within 150 yards or gun hunt within 300 yards of any occupied dwelling and must remain at least 50 yards from any property line.

 

[huntfish]

Only information I can locate iin the regulations

:
Hunt within 200 yards or within sight of a baited area, unless bait has been removed completely for 10 or more days.

Hunt or shoot from or across a public road.

Discharge a firearm within 50 yards of a public road.


In my opinion, hunting near an occupied dwelling also raises some concern about safety. Don't always know where they are and who is playing where. Definitely want to pay attention to down range. :speechles

 

[JBowers]

What's the law now about how close you can hunt to an occupied dwelling? don't see it in the regs any longer and someone asked me a couple weeks ago. Sent JB a pm but no answer. Anyone know?

Sorry I had not gotten back with you Sandra.

There is no law in the Game and Fish Code specific to any dwelling, occupied or not. However, that doesn't preclude some other law or county/city ordinances regarding discharging firearms within certain distances of occupied or unoccupied dwellings or structures.

There is no Department of Natural Resources, Wildlfie Resources Division regulation specific to any dwelling, occupied or not that prohibits hunting with the exception of reference to safety zones, which are usually established with respect to the issue.

Although there is no Game and Fish law or regulation, this is one of those circumstances where we should expect hunters to reasonably understand the implications and act accordingly. Lest we do otherwise, the results are of our own making.

 

[gadeerwoman]

Thanks guys. County in question is Greene and I'm not aware of any county ordanance. Question has come up with regard to a narrow piece of property that has a house off one side. Property is about 200 yds wide and has an oak line along the far property side where the guy wanted to hunt. But he didn't want to get into problems with the folks who own the adjoining property which has the house. I knew come city municipalities had specific laws and I think the state used to have something like a 200-300 yard reg but I couldn't find anything in the past 2 years regs. Since he will be shooting downward and on the far property line from the house he should be okay but you never know.

 

[Toliver]

State law (16-11-103 O.C.G.A)specifies that you can not discharge a firearm within 150 feet (50 yards) of any public highway or street.

Also, 16-11-108 O.C.G.A., covers the misuse of firearm or archery tackle while hunting.

You can check all the Georgia laws out by doing a search for Georgia Law. Good thing the law prohibiting the discharging of firearms on Sunday doesn't count for hunting!

 

[JBowers]

State law (16-11-103 O.C.G.A)specifies that you can not discharge a firearm within 150 feet (50 yards) of any public highway or street.

Sandra's question sopecifically dealt with dwellings not roads. However, we can discuss that one, too.

You forgot to include the important clause, "without legal justification" that is a part of 16-11-103.

It is legal to hunt according to law when hunting season is open; thereby providing a argument for legal justification. However, with regards to hunting, 27-3-10 makes it unlawful for anyone to hunt from or discharge a firearm, while hunting, from or across any public road in this state. In a sense, 27-3-10 could be suuplement to 16-11-103. However, 27-3-10 doesn't address the area from the physical road out to 50 yards. So, it may that ones can legally hunt or discharge a firearm, while hunting, within that area.

On the other hand, when hunting on a WMA there is a specific law 27-3-1.1 that prohibits hunting within 50 yards of any road which receives regualr maintenance for the purpose of public vehicular access. So, this serves as a stricter supplement to 27-3-10.

 

[Toliver]

Sandra's question sopecifically dealt with dwellings not roads. However, we can discuss that one, too.

Yeah, I guess I was just making note that the common "non hunting related" law didn't mention dwellings, just roadways so I guess it would be a hunting reg that covered dwellings if anything did.

The game warden did get me one time when I was a teenager for shooting squirrels too close to someone's house. (I could see into their kitchen window) But I think, even though I was in the woods on my hunting lease, the issue was the fact that it was the judge's house!! :speechles

 

[Timberman]

I got a GON from last year that shows a buck in it killed from inside a house through an open window while the fellow was watching a Georgia game. He didn't get arrested so I'm gonna guess you're OK.

 

[BassWorm]

I've never seen anything mentioning a required distance from dwellings, but I would hope that common sense and courtesy would prevail. Now look how folks practice common sense and courtesy on the road and I wonder why being in the woods would be any different for some. Lord help us.