2008-2009 GEORGIA HUNTING REGULATIONS AVAILABLE
Hunting Regulations Now Online - Printed Copy Coming Next Month
Fall Alligator Hunting Season; Quota Applications Online by July 31

The 2008-2009 Georgia Hunting Seasons and Regulations Guide now is available online announces the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD).  This guide provides information on season dates, bag limits, hunting licenses, wildlife management areas and much more and is available on the WRD website, www.gohuntgeorgia.com .  This important guide will be available soon at license agents beginning August 1, 2008.
  "The popular guide is designed to help hunters understand the laws and regulations for hunting in Georgia," says WRD Assistant Chief John Bowers.  "We encourage all hunters annually to review the popular guide and note any changes to their favorite hunting areas, seasons or activities."
  Members of the Board of Natural Resources set hunting regulations by acting on recommendations made by WRD's professional wildlife biologists and field personnel.  Georgias game and fish laws are set by the elected members of the General Assembly.
  Major changes for the upcoming season include:
  --Dove Season:  Based on input from dove hunters, the dove season has changed as follows - the October season will shift to one week later and provide full day hunting on opening day of the October season (as opposed to half-day hunting in past years).
 --License Changes: Beginning later this year, hunters will be able to take advantage of a new and improved licensing system, which provides options to purchase a license on-line, by phone and at select vendors. A service charge is associated with this new system.
  --License Revocation Policy: Beginning Sept. 1, 2008, individuals who egregiously or habitually violate Georgias game and fish laws and regulations are subject to having their hunting and fishing privileges revoked or suspended.  Additionally, their ability to obtain a license may be suspended for up to two years and may also affect the privilege to hunt or fish in Wildlife Violator Compact member states.
  --New areas available for hunting:  Silver Lake WMA (Decatur County) and Oliver Bridge WMA (Bulloch County) will provide deer, turkey and small game hunting opportunities.  Additionally, two state parks -- F.D. Roosevelt State Park and Chattahoochee Bend State Park -- will offer hunting opportunities.
   For more information on Georgia hunting seasons and regulations, visit www.gohuntgeorgia.com , contact a local WRD Game Management Office or call the WRD Hunter Services Office at (770) 761-3045.

FALL ALLIGATOR HUNTING SEASON SET
Hunters Must Submit Quota Applications Online by July 31

   Georgia remains a popular destination for alligator hunters given the available healthy population of more than 200,000 gators. For the past six years, thousands of applicants have competed for a chance to participate in a quota hunt, and the number of applicants continues to grow each year. The deadline for this year's applications is July 31. For those selected, the season runs Sept. 6-Oct. 5, 2008.
  "Georgia's alligator population is monitored annually. It remains a renewable natural resource that has shown it can sustain a regulated harvest on an annual basis," says WRD Assistant Chief of Game Management John Bowers. "This is a unique hunting opportunity in Georgia that also allows hunters to provide additional funding for wildlife conservation through the purchase of hunting licenses and associated hunting equipment."
  Interested hunters must complete a quota hunt application online at www.gohuntgeorgia.com before midnight July 31 (the application period opened June 1, 2008). Hunters receive their selection status by e-mail and those selected get a temporary harvest tag and information packet by mail in early August. All hunters may attend a voluntary training session. During these sessions, wildlife experts provide information on safety, capture and handling techniques, processing and more.
   Last fall, 553 permitted hunters harvested 140 alligators. Introduced in 2003, alligator hunting continues to gain interest, with nearly 4,400 applications submitted last year, a 42 percent increase from 2006.
   WRD Biologists conduct annual surveys enabling the agency to monitor populations and make management decisions. Since the inception of this hunting opportunity (2003), the population has remained stable, suggesting additional flexibility in the areas that can be hunted and the number available for harvest.
  In Georgia, alligators typically live south of the fall line (which roughly connects the cities of Columbus, Macon and Augusta), occupying a variety of wetland habitats in the wild including marshes, swamps, rivers, farm ponds and lakes. They also occasionally inhabit ditches, drainage canals, golf course ponds and swimming pools. Male alligators grow up to 16 feet in length, while female alligators rarely surpass 10 feet. Large alligators weigh more than 800 pounds. Opportunistic carnivores, they eat aquatic insects, crayfish, frogs, fish, turtles, water birds and more.
  For more information on the 2008 alligator hunting season, visit www.gohuntgeorgia.com , contact a WRD Game Management Office or call (229) 426-5267.