Georgia Hunting License: Cost, Online, Big Game & Harvest Record (2026)

Georgia's hunting license year runs March 1 through February 28. The Resident Annual Hunting license costs $15 and covers small game only. To hunt deer, turkey, or bear, hunters must also purchase a Resident Big Game License ($25), for a total of $40. The Resident Sportsman's License ($65) bundles all hunting, fishing, big game, migratory bird, trout, and WMA access into one package — a strong value for active hunters. Non-residents pay $100 for annual hunting plus $225 for the big game add-on ($325 total), or $400 for the NR Sportsman's license that includes all privileges.

Georgia offers some of the most generous youth and senior exemptions in the southeastern US. Residents under 16 hunt absolutely free — no license required — but must be accompanied by a licensed adult. Non-resident youth under 16 also hunt free. Georgia residents 65 and older receive a free honorary hunting and fishing license valid for life — just show a valid Georgia ID. Resident disabled veterans at any percentage of service-connected disability also receive free honorary licenses. These exemptions make Georgia an exceptional destination for family hunting trips and senior hunters.

Hunter education is required for hunters born on or after January 1, 1961. The free online course includes a mandatory in-person skills field day. The WMA License ($19) is required for hunting on Georgia's Wildlife Management Areas and is included in the Sportsman's license. A free Harvest Record is required to be completed for all deer, turkey, bear, and alligator — hunters must check in their harvest via the Georgia Game Check system within 24 hours of harvest. This electronic check-in is mandatory and failure to report is a violation.

Georgia allows 12 deer per season (2 antlered bucks plus 10 antlerless), but deer access still requires the proper hunting license, Big Game license, and free Harvest Record. Antler restrictions require that one of the two antlered bucks must have at least 4 points on one side or a 15-inch minimum outside spread. All deer harvests must be reported through Georgia Game Check within 24 hours.

The Georgia deer firearms season opens October 18 statewide — one of the earliest firearms openers in the Southeast. This early opener allows Georgia hunters to take advantage of pre-rut and rut activity in October and November. The archery season begins September 13, followed by a Primitive Weapons (muzzleloader) season October 11–17, then the long firearms season running October 18 through January 11. Southwest Georgia counties along the Alabama border have an extended season through January 15. Select counties offer late archery season January 12–31 for bonus antlerless harvest.

The Georgia Piedmont and coastal plain regions are particularly known for early-season scrub oak deer hunting and large agricultural areas that concentrate deer at food sources. The Ocmulgee and Oconee river bottom hardwoods produce exceptional mid-rut trophy opportunities in late October. Georgia's public WMA network includes over 100 areas covering more than 1 million acres of public hunting ground. The Flint River, Alapaha, and Suwannee drainages in south Georgia's coastal plain provide classic southeastern swamp hunting with liberal limits. Feral hog hunting has no season, no bag limit, and no license requirements beyond a basic hunting license — making Georgia one of the most permissive hog hunting states.

Georgia manages alligator hunting through a limited quota draw issuing approximately 1,000 permits annually. The alligator season runs September through October. Resident permits cost $75; non-resident permits cost $250. The draw is competitive and conducted through the GoOutdoorsGeorgia licensing system. Alligators are harvested using archery equipment, bang sticks, or snatch hooks — conventional firearms are not permitted for alligator take. Successful hunters must report their harvest and comply with specific tagging requirements. Georgia's alligator population is concentrated in the coastal counties and swamps of south Georgia.

Feral hogs are classified as an invasive nuisance species in Georgia. No license, season, or bag limit restrictions apply — hogs can be taken year-round with any legal weapon, at any time of day or night (night hunting with lights is permitted on private land). Trapping, snaring, and hunting over bait are all legal for hogs. This open-ended feral hog management reflects the state's aggressive stance on controlling a species that causes significant agricultural and ecological damage. Approximately 600,000+ feral hogs inhabit Georgia, concentrated in the coastal plain and river bottom agricultural zones.

Georgia's southwest corner — including the Red Hills region near Thomasville — is home to the finest bobwhite quail hunting in the eastern United States. The Red Hills landscape of longleaf pine savannas and managed quail plantations has been preserved through private stewardship, producing covey densities found nowhere else east of the Mississippi. The Ichauway Plantation and other managed estates in Baker, Grady, and Thomas counties represent the pinnacle of plantation quail hunting tradition. Wild quail populations have declined 75–80% statewide since the 1970s, but the Red Hills region remains a stronghold through careful habitat management. Georgia turkey hunting (March 20–May 15 spring season) produces excellent harvests with one of the earliest spring turkey openers in the Southeast.