Firearms deer season opens tomorrow

Firearms deer season opens statewide Saturday. In the Northern Zone, the deer hunting season runs through Jan. 1, 2002. In the Southern Zone, the deer hunting season runs through Jan. 6.

Last year, more than 284,000 firearms hunters harvested 333,000 deer. Approximately 97 percent of sportsmen and women use a modern firearm when pursuing deer, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD).

"This year, hunters in many Georgia counties can look forward to a significant increase in either sex days," says WRD Assistant Chief of Game Management Dan Forster. "This increase will hopefully allow hunters more flexibility to harvest either sex deer during the liberal deer hunting season."

Georgia deer hunters have many places to choose from when deciding where to pursue game. WRD manages more than 70 wildlife management areas (WMA), encompassing more than one million acres, that provide a variety of hunting options, including archery, primitive weapons, modern firearms, adult-child hunts, ladies-only hunts and hunts for the physically disabled.

Sportsmen and women also can hunt on open National Forest land, in accordance with state regulations and county restrictions. If hunting on a WMA that lies on National Forest land, WMA regulations apply. Hunters using private land must get written permission from the landowner prior to hunting.

All hunters should check the 2001-2002 Georgia Hunting Seasons and Regulations, available in a guidebook or on the WRD website at www.gohuntgeorgia.com, for any special regulations for the counties that they plan to hunt, including either-sex days and antler restrictions.

Archery and muzzleloader deer hunters can continue to pursue game during firearms deer season. However, they are required to adhere to the same hunting regulations as firearms hunters with the exception that archery hunters can take deer of either sex during the entire deer season.

education course. Hunters can call the Central Reservations System (CRS) 1-800-864-7275 to register by phone or go to the WRD web site at www.georgiawildlife.com to register.

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