2012 - 2013
Late-Season Migratory Bird
Seasons & Regulations
Federal Regulations
In addition to State regulations, Federal rules apply to the taking, possession, shipping, transporting, and storage of migratory game birds. Each hunter should also consult actual Federal Regulations, which may be found in: Title 50, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 20. View, download and print at: www.gpoaccess.gov or www.gohuntgeorgia.com.
Closed Season: No person shall take migratory game birds during the closed season.
Shooting or Hawking Hours: Shooting or hawking hours for all migratory species listed herein will be 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset (see table).
Importation: For information regarding the importation of migratory birds killed in another country, hunters should consult 50 CFR 20.61 through 20.66.
Migratory Bird Harvest Information Program License (H.I.P.): This is required for any person who possesses a license and hunts migratory birds (doves, ducks, geese, woodcock, snipe, coots, rails or gallinules). This license is free. This license is valid only for a single hunting season and expires at the end of February each year.
Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp: The law requires that each waterfowl hunter 16 years of age or over must carry on his person a valid Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (duck stamp) and the Georgia Waterfowl Conservation License. The Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp must be signed in ink across the face. Dual Violation: Violation of State migratory bird regulations is also a violation of Federal regulations.
Caution: More restrictive regulations may apply to National Wildlife Refuges open to public hunting. For additional information on Federal regulations, contact Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 75 Spring Street, S.W., Atlanta, GA 30303. (404) 679-7057
Non-Toxic Shot: Any 10-gauge or smaller loaded with federally approved nontoxic shot of size "F" or smaller. No lead shot may be in possession while hunting waterfowl.
Special Regultions
Complete details at www.gohuntgeorgia.com.
Special restrictions apply for hunting waterfowl on Lake Lanier.
No hunting is allowed within 1,000 feet of a dock, house, structure, bridge, road, boat ramp, marina or open recreation area. Contact the WRD Game Managementoffice in Gainesville at (770) 535-5700 or USACE at (770) 945-9531 for further details on the hunting of closed campgrounds & day use recreation areas on Lake
Lanier.
Georgia Power Lakes
The following Georgia Power lakes will be open for duck and goose hunting: Lake Burton, Lake Seed, Lake Rabun, Tallulah Falls Lake, Lake Tugalo and Lake Yonah. A Georgia Power permit is required and can be obtained by calling (706) 782-4014. No hunting is allowed within 300 feet of any dock, house, boat ramp, marina, or open recreation area without permission from the lessee or property owner. Contact the WRD Game Management office in Gainesville at (770) 5355700 for additional information Georgia Power lakes.
Additional Restrictions
No hunting is allowed on portions of Lake Walter F. George in Georgia within 600 feet of a dock house structure, bridge, road, boat ramp, marina or open recreation area. No hunting on Lake Oconee, Lake Seminole and Lake Sinclair is allowed within 300 feet of these structures
Band Reporting
Please report bird bands. Call 1-800-327-BAND. The operator will want to know the band number and how, when and where it was recovered. You will receive a Certificate of Appreciation with information about the bird. The band is yours to keep.
You may also report bird bands via the internet at: http://www.reportband.gov
2012 -2013 Season & Bag Limits
YOUTH WATERFOWL DAYS: Nov. 10-11 Only youth 15 years of age or less may hunt ducks, coots, gallinules, mergansers, sea ducks, Canada geese and snow geese on these days. An adult at least 18 years of age must accompany the youth into the field but may not hunt.
Early TEAL Season: Sept. 8-23
Daily bag limit is 4 teal (any combination of blueand green-winged teal; 8 in possession).
SPECIES
Ducks
Canada Geese (includes White-fronted Goose during regular season)
Snow Geese
Mergansers
Sea Ducks (Scoters, Eiders, Long-Tailed Duck)
Falconry
Sora & Rails (King, Clapper, Virginia)
Woodcock
Common (Wilson's) Snipe
Gallinules & Coots
SEASON
Nov. 17-25 Dec. 8 - Jan. 27
Sept. 1-30 Nov. 17-25 Dec. 8 - Jan. 27
Nov. 17-25 Dec. 8 - Jan. 27
Nov. 17-25 Dec. 8 - Jan. 27
Nov. 17-25 Dec. 8 - Jan. 27
Sept. 1-30 Nov. 17-Feb. 1
Sept. 14 - Oct. 31 Nov. 10 - Dec. 1
Dec. 8 - Jan. 21
Nov. 15 - Feb. 28
Nov. 17-25 Dec. 8 - Jan. 27
SPECIES BAG LIMITS
Ducks 6 (12 in possession)* *of which not more than 3 wood ducks (6 in possession); 4 mallards (8 in possession) of which 2 may be hens (4 hens in possession); 4 scaup (8 in possession); 2 redheads (4 in possession); 2 pintail (4 in possession); 1 black duck or mottled duck (2 in possession combined for both species); 1 fulvous whistling duck (2 in possession); 1 canvasback duck (2 in possession). The season is closed for harlequin ducks.
Canada Geese & White-fronted Geese Snow Geese Mergansers
5 (10 in possession)
5 (10 in possession) 5 (10 in possession) of which not more than 2 hooded mergansers (4 in possession).
Sea Ducks** (Eiders,Long-Tailed Duck, Scoters)
7 (14 in possession) of which not more than 4 scoters ( 8 in possession).
**NOTE: Sea ducks count towards the total bag limit of 6 ducks except in the sea duck zone, which is defined as any tidal waters greater than 1 mile offshore.
Falconry King & Clapper
3 (6 in possession) 15 (30 in possession) Rails singly or in combination
Sora & Virginia
25 (25 in possession) Rails singly or in combination
Woodcock
3 (6 in possession)
Common Snipe
8 (16 in possession)
Gallinules
15 (30 in possession)
Coots
15 (30 in possession)
Sunrise/Sunset Table for Georgia
Zone A - Eastern Standard Time for 2011-2012
(Times already compensate for Daylight Savings Time when in use)
SEPT
NOV
DAY RISE SET RISE SET
1
700 748 741 634
2
701 747 742 633
3
701 745 743 632
4
702 744 644 532
5
702 743 645 531
6
703 741 646 530
7
704 740 647 529
8
704 739 647 529
9
705 738 648 528
10
705 736 649 527
11
706 735 650 527
12
707 734 651 526
13
707 732 652 525
14
708 731 653 525
15
709 730 654 524
16
709 728 655 524
17
710 727 655 523
18
710 726 656 523
19
711 724 657 522
20
712 723 658 522
21
712 722 659 522
22
713 720 700 521
23
713 719 701 521
24
714 718 702 521
25
715 716 702 520
26
715 715 703 520
27
716 714 704 520
28
717 712 705 520
29
717 711 706 520
30
718 710 707 520
31
DEC RISE SET 707 520 708 520 709 520 710 520 711 520 711 520 712 520 713 520 714 520 714 520 715 521 716 521 717 521 717 521 718 522 718 522 719 523 720 523 720 523 721 524 721 524 722 525 722 525 723 526 723 527 723 527 724 528 724 528 724 529 725 530 725 531
JAN
FEB
RISE SET RISE SET
725 531 718 559
725 532 717 559
725 533 716 600
726 534 716 601
726 534 715 602
726 535 714 603
726 536 713 604
726 537 713 605
726 538 712 606
726 538 711 607
726 539 710 608
726 540 709 608
726 541 708 609
725 542 707 610
725 543 706 611
725 544 705 612
725 545 704 613
725 546 703 613
724 547 702 614
724 547 701 615
724 548 700 616
723 549 659 617
723 550 658 618
722 551 657 618
722 552 656 619
721 553 655 620
721 554 654 621
720 555 653 622
720 556
719 557
718 558