Hunters in the State of Georgia have the pleasure of having over 1800 locations available to them that sell Georgia Hunting Licenses. But, even though there are so many location available, there is one group of hunters who cannot buy a license at one single location if they have not successfully completed a hunter education program prior to applying for this privilege. This group of hunters are those born either on January 1, 1961 or after this date who wish to purchase a seasonal hunting license and will be hunting on property not owned by themselves or their immediate family.
The Georgia Hunter’s Education Program is important for the future of hunting in Georgia as it teaches hunters the safe way to hunt, transport and store firearms plus other important topics. These other topics generally include wildlife management, wildlife conservation, wildlife identification, ammunition, survival skills and first aid. These topics are all important to the future of hunting in Georgia as well as any other state that these hunters may visit and should be taken seriously, even though hunter safety is probably the most important. As with other states, Georgia has seen a remarkable decrease in the number of hunting accidents which makes this a positive program.
The State of Georgia has rules for most hunters, beginning with hunters under 12 years old. These very young hunters are not required to have completed a hunter’s education program, but they must be within hearing range or within site of a licensed hunter who is at least 18 years of age. The licensed, adult hunter is responsible for ensuring that this rule is adhered to. Georgia Wildlife Management Areas and National Wildlife Refuges may have different restrictions and should be researched further by hunters wishing to hunt these areas with their young hunters. The next group of hunters is the ones who are between the ages of 12 and 15. These hunters must have successfully completed a hunter’s education program if they wish to hunt out of the hearing range or site of a licensed, adult hunter. As with the very young hunters, the licensed, adult hunter responsible for this group of hunters is responsible for adhering to this rule and there may also be other restrictions at Georgia Wildlife Management Areas. The next group of hunter is the ones who are 16 to 25 years old. These hunters must have successfully complete a hunter’s education program before they can buy a season hunting license and must keep their hunting license an hunter’s education certificate with them while they are hunting. The last group of hunters who have to successfully complete a hunter’s education program are hunter that are over 25 years old and who have birthdays after January 1, 1961. These hunters must successfully complete a hunter education program but they do not have to present their certificate when purchasing their seasonal hunting license and they do not have to have it while they are hunting. For more information on the Georgia Hunter’s Education Program, visit the Georgia Department of Natural Resources website.
