Georgia Captive Hunting Statutes and Regulations

Partial Ban: Fox and coyote permitted.

Statute

Georgia statutes define "commercial shooting preserve" to be "any shooting preserve open to the general public for a fee." G.C.A. §27-1-2(18).

A "private shooting preserve" is "any shooting preserve owned or leased by an individual, partnership, firm, corporation, association, or other entity and used only by the owners, members, and guests." Id. at §27-1-2(54).

A "shooting preserve" means "any area utilized for the purpose of shooting or taking, or shooting and taking, game birds or pen raised game birds." Id. at §27-1-2(66).

Georgia statutes require that a commercial or private shooting preserve license be obtained prior to the release of "pen raised game birds," Id. at §27-3-110(a), and that other conditions be met. Id. at §27-3-110(c)(1-3).

These conditions include the requirement that "the land to comprise the preserve must consist of not more than 1,000 acres and not less than 100 acres..." Id. at §27-3-110(c)(1).

"Game birds" is defined to include "turkey, quail, grouse, and all migratory game birds." Id. at §27-1-2(35).

In addition, "It shall be unlawful for any person to propagate, possess, or release on any shooting preserve any bird or animal except bobwhite quail, chukar or red-legged partridge, coturnix or Japanese quail, pheasant, mallard, and black duck unless that person has received prior written approval from the department." Id. at §27-3-113.

According to the Georgia DNR, "All exotics, referred to as Wild Animals in Georgia law, are protected against hunting under O.C.G.A. §27-5-12 that states: 'It shall be unlawful to shoot, kill or wound any wild animal held under a wild animal license or permit or any farmed deer for enjoyment, gain, amusement or sport.'" But, Georgia does allow game preserves for fox and coyote. §27-2-22.1.

Persons who desire to hold or possess any game animal or game bird for the purpose of propagation or as a pet must obtain a gameholding permit. Id. at §27-2-11. "Game animals" is defined to include "bear, bobcat, deer, fox, opossum, rabbit, raccoon...squirrel, cougar..." Id. at §27-1-2(34).

But, Id. at §27-3- 113 prohibits the possession or release of any of these animals on a shooting preserve.

The department may issue the permit when, "in its discretion, it determines that permit issuance is in the best interest of the game animal or game bird and in the best interest of the wildlife and the citizens of this state." Id. at §27-2-11.

While the statute prohibits any game animals or game birds held under such a permit from being sold, it excludes holders of valid commercial shooting preserve licenses who may charge a fee to users of such preserves who take or attempt to take such species. Id.

Regulation 

Georgia does not have regulations pertaining to the establishment and operation of shooting preserves.

A subsequent letter from the above-mentioned department further states, "Hunting of some species of pen-raised, released game birds is allowed; shooting of animals confined in fences 'under circumstances that virtually assure the hunter of success' is not."

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