Autumn in Georgia means it’s time to cheer on the Dawgs and chase down some game.
Dove season began on Sep. 2 and deer season will open in stages with archery hunting starting today, primitive (muzzle-loaded) weapons on Oct. 14 and rifle hunting on Oct. 21.
According to Kyle Kervin, game warden for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, interest in the sport of hunting has risen noticeably in the past few years.
“We saw a spike during the pandemic when people were looking for ways to get out of the house and since then interest has only grown,” Kervin said.
More people hitting the woods with weapons, however, increases the risks of accidents.
Last year there were 11 injuries reported with two of those incidents resulting in fatalities. All licensed hunters must take a hunter safety course and Kervin says that those participating in the sport need to take the information they learn in the safety training to heart.
“You absolutely have to know for sure not only what you are shooting at, but also what is behind it,” Kervin said.
Some hunters still believe that wearing an orange safety vest defeats the purpose of trying to be hidden with camouflage, but deer are blind to the color orange and so wearing the vest will only make the hunter stand out to other hunters.
Also, hunters should always use a safety harness when hunting from a tree stand. One of the fatalities reported last year was due to loss of balance and the hunter fell out of the stand when trying to take aim.
Footwear is an important part of a hunter’s gear as well. Athletic shoes should never be worn in the field for several reasons. Hunters need to be equipped with boots that have heavy tread and are impervious to snake bite.
In Georgia, the months of October and November are when young copperheads are active and eating as much as they can before the extreme cold sends them underground. Juvenile copperheads do not have the venom control of adults and almost never deliver a dry bite.
The sportsman (or sportswoman) should always have a game plan and let others know where they are going to hunt, when they are leaving and when they plan to return. Cell phone reception can be spotty in the wilderness and phones should never be considered a reliable lifeline in the case of an emergency.
It is always a good idea to carry emergency roadside flares in the kit should an injury such as a broken ankle occur.
Game hunting can be a wonderful way for parents to bond with their children in the great outdoors and while children do not have to have a license to accompany a parent unarmed into the field, Kervin says it is still a good idea to have kids take the hunter safety program as well.
This year, in Georgia, hunters can legally bag a total of 12 deer, two bucks and 10 does; however, if hunting in one of the many Georgia Wildlife Management Areas (WMA), two additional bonus tags are available. Georgia DNR has the “go outdoors GA” app that provides tons of information.
It is always a good idea to check the app before planning a trip as some WMAs, such as Spirit Creek, only allow archery hunting.
“Hunting is not only a great way to experience the outdoors, but it also helps control the deer population and we want everyone to have a fun and safe time enjoying the hobby,” Kervin said.
Scott Hudson is the Senior Investigative Reporter and Editorial Page Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
