OK, I talked to one of the biologists that helps develop the game laws at DNR. It was a very interesting conversation in general and he was a very nice guy. He's where it stands.
1) It is definitely legal to now use centerfire for furbearers, thus hogs and coyotes during furbearer season. This is a new law.
2) You can hunt all furbearers, hogs and coyotes during daylight hours until Feb 28th on any pubic land that follows the state seasons and does not specifically restrict it.
3) You cannot hunt hogs or coyotes at night on public lands. The reason you can hunt furbearers at night is primarily for coon hunting, but the law applies to all animals designated as furbearers, which fox and bobcat are. Hogs and coyotes are not.
4) You can use lights to hunt furbearers at night, HOWEVER....
....the laws concerning the use of lights are so ambiguous he was not sure if you can use a weapons mounted light or even have a light in your hands. It says you can have one on your person, on a hat or helmet, or attached to your belt. It all depends on what "on your person" means. He has referred me to a sergeant at his office that is an avid coon hunter for clarification, but he won't be available until tomorrow.
He also told me we can expect some modification to the laws about centerfire use and furbearers. The new law was passed by the state legislature outside of the normal two year timeframe for game law modification and, apparently, with little consultation with the DNR. The idea is to allow deer hunters to legally take coincidental furbearers with their deer rifles. Before this new law it was illegal to take furbearers anywhere in Georgia with a centerfire. That was public or private lands. Of course, where I hunt it also restricts hunting furbearers at all during deer season, but that is a law that is specific to the WMA I hunt.
His biggest concern is that you now have people out there on public land with centerfire rifles and no requirement for the use of fluorescent orange for anyone because it's outside of deer season. I can understand that.
1) It is definitely legal to now use centerfire for furbearers, thus hogs and coyotes during furbearer season. This is a new law.
2) You can hunt all furbearers, hogs and coyotes during daylight hours until Feb 28th on any pubic land that follows the state seasons and does not specifically restrict it.
3) You cannot hunt hogs or coyotes at night on public lands. The reason you can hunt furbearers at night is primarily for coon hunting, but the law applies to all animals designated as furbearers, which fox and bobcat are. Hogs and coyotes are not.
4) You can use lights to hunt furbearers at night, HOWEVER....
....the laws concerning the use of lights are so ambiguous he was not sure if you can use a weapons mounted light or even have a light in your hands. It says you can have one on your person, on a hat or helmet, or attached to your belt. It all depends on what "on your person" means. He has referred me to a sergeant at his office that is an avid coon hunter for clarification, but he won't be available until tomorrow.
He also told me we can expect some modification to the laws about centerfire use and furbearers. The new law was passed by the state legislature outside of the normal two year timeframe for game law modification and, apparently, with little consultation with the DNR. The idea is to allow deer hunters to legally take coincidental furbearers with their deer rifles. Before this new law it was illegal to take furbearers anywhere in Georgia with a centerfire. That was public or private lands. Of course, where I hunt it also restricts hunting furbearers at all during deer season, but that is a law that is specific to the WMA I hunt.
His biggest concern is that you now have people out there on public land with centerfire rifles and no requirement for the use of fluorescent orange for anyone because it's outside of deer season. I can understand that.
