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Unprotected and nuisance
Georgia Groundhog Hunting
Groundhogs are on Georgia’s unprotected list, alongside coyotes, so they have no closed season and no limit. This guide gathers the groundhog calendar, limits, licenses, legal weapons and public land.
Photo: DaPuglet (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Groundhogs are a pasture and hay field animal; there is no season to wait for. A hunting license is still needed for residents 16 and older unless they are on their own or immediate family land. Landowner permission is required on private land, including power line and pipeline rights-of-way.
What WRD prints about groundhogs
- Methods allowed: Unprotected; no closed season.
Groundhog take, day and season
Limits for groundhogs as numbers and as written.
Coyote, armadillo, groundhog, beaver, nutria (unprotected)
No limit.
When groundhogs are open in Georgia
No calendar to track: groundhogs are open year-round.
| Season | Area | From | Through | Days | Open? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year-round (unprotected) | Statewide | Year-round | Year-round |
Groundhog row notes
- Unprotected species: no closed season, no limit.
From the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division 2026-27 season page and the 2026-27 guide (PDF), checked October 13, 2026.
Public land for groundhogs in Georgia
Groundhogs are not a heading in the area listings, so the table shows the 145 with small game seasons.
| Area | Type | Counties | Region | Size, acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests | National Forest | Rabun, Fannin, Union | – | 869,017 |
| Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | Charlton, Ware, Clinch | Brunswick | 407,038 |
| Blue Ridge Ranger District | National Forest Ranger District | Union, Lumpkin, Fannin | Gainesville | 302,238 |
| Chattooga River Ranger District | National Forest Ranger District | Rabun, White, Habersham | Gainesville | 261,439 |
| Conasauga Ranger District | National Forest Ranger District | Murray, Fannin, Gilmer | Gainesville | 188,617 |
| Oconee Ranger District | National Forest Ranger District | Putnam, Jasper, Greene | Thomson | 116,724 |
| Cohutta WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Murray, Fannin, Gilmer | Armuchee | 92,647 |
| Cedar Creek WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Putnam, Jones, Jasper | Thomson | 41,000 |
| Redlands WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Greene, Oglethorpe, Morgan | Gainesville | 37,500 |
| Dixon Memorial WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Ware, Brantley | Brunswick | 35,247 |
| Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | Jones, Jasper | Thomson | 35,000 |
| Townsend WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Long, McIntosh | Brunswick | 34,294 |
| Altamaha WMA | Wildlife Management Area | McIntosh | Brunswick | 31,569 |
| Savannah National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | Effingham, Chatham | Fitzgerald | 30,715 |
| Cooper's Creek WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Union, Fannin | Gainesville | 30,000 |
Other groundhog ground, by size
Paulding Forest WMA (28,183 ac) · Chestatee WMA (27,123 ac) · Dawson Forest WMA (25,658 ac) · Chattahoochee WMA (25,150 ac) · John's Mountain WMA (23,710 ac) · Crockford-Pigeon Mountain WMA (21,895 ac) · Blue Ridge WMA (20,900 ac) · Rich Mountain WMA (20,674 ac) · Chickasawhatchee WMA (19,700 ac) · Sansavilla WMA (19,084 ac) · Swallow Creek WMA (19,000 ac) · Lake Russell WMA (17,300 ac) · Bullard Creek WMA (17,005 ac) · Little Satilla WMA (16,990 ac) · Paulks Pasture WMA (16,066 ac) · Ceylon WMA (16,000 ac) · Warwoman WMA (15,800 ac) · Berry College WMA (15,605 ac) · Ocmulgee WMA (15,475 ac) · Tuckahoe WMA (15,100 ac) · Oaky Woods WMA (13,450 ac) · B.F. Grant WMA (11,400 ac) · Penholoway Swamp WMA (11,177 ac) · Canoochee Sandhills WMA (10,224 ac) · Clarks Hill WMA – East (10,224 ac) · West Point WMA (10,000 ac) · Upatoi Ravines Natural Area (9,500 ac) · Ohoopee Dunes WMA (9,271 ac) · Silver Lake WMA (9,200 ac) · Chattahoochee Fall Line WMA: VPA Tracts (9,048 ac) · Sapelo Island WMA (9,000 ac) · Flat Tub WMA (8,748 ac) · Grand Bay WMA (8,700 ac) · Lake Seminole WMA (8,300 ac) · Di-Lane WMA (8,100 ac) · Chattahoochee Fall Line WMA: Hilliard Plantation Tract (8,089 ac) · Oconee WMA (7,930 ac) · Yuchi WMA (7,800 ac) · Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (7,760 ac) · Allatoona WMA (7,589 ac) · Richmond Hill WMA (7,400 ac) · Horse Creek WMA (7,397 ac) · Big Hammock WMA (7,315 ac) · Treat Mountain WMA (7,260 ac) · Big Lazer Creek WMA (7,200 ac) · Alapaha River WMA (6,870 ac) · Chattahoochee Fall Line WMA: Almo Tract (6,700 ac) · Clybel WMA (6,700 ac) · Sprewell Bluff WMA: West (6,571 ac) · Mayhaw WMA (6,300 ac) · Griffin Ridge WMA (5,975 ac) · Rum Creek WMA (5,800 ac) · Hannahatchee Creek WMA (5,600 ac) · Sheffield WMA (5,556 ac) · Beaverdam WMA (5,500 ac) · plus 75 smaller areas
Areas and species lists from WRD’s 2026-27 area listings, the WRD WMA layers and federal managers, retrieved 2026-10-13. Harvest by area from WRD Game Check.
Legal requirements for groundhogs
The groundhog rules below come from the guide’s license, hunting information and definitions pages.
Licenses
| What to buy | Resident | Nonresident |
|---|---|---|
| Hunting License | $15.00 | $100.00 |
| Sportsman's License | $65.00 | $400.00 |
Daily hours
Shooting light for groundhogs opens half an hour before sunup and closes half an hour after sundown.
Orange or blaze pink
If a WMA firearms deer hunt is on, groundhog hunters there need 500 square inches of orange or blaze pink.
Hunting over bait
Only deer and hogs are exempt from the bait rule on private land, so groundhogs cannot be hunted over bait.
Sunday status
Sundays are open for groundhogs under the statewide seasons; a WMA listing can set its own days.
From the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division 2026-27 guide, licenses and fees and hunting information, checked October 13, 2026. Georgia hunting laws · License guide.
Groundhog weapons and methods
The guide’s general rules that reach groundhogs.
Field rules for groundhogs
Trespass and permission
Landowner permission required, including on power line, gas line, railroad and other rights-of-way; written permission required if land is posted. Hunting from a stand attached to a transmission tower is trespassing.
Vehicles, boats and aircraft
Unlawful to hunt from a vehicle, plane, or boat under power; unlawful to hunt or shoot from or across a public road or discharge a firearm within 50 yards of a public road.
Closed areas
Counties or parts not opened by law or regulation are closed; Morgan Falls Lake (Bull Sluice) in Fulton County and Willeo Creek closed to all hunting.
2026-27 guide (PDF) and the hunting information page, checked October 13, 2026.
Groundhog questions, answered from the guide
Is there a season on groundhogs in Georgia?
No closed season and no limit; groundhogs are unprotected under the 2026-27 guide.
How many groundhogs can one hunter take in Georgia?
No limit.
Can groundhogs be hunted all year in Georgia?
All year; area listings can limit public land days.
What public ground in Georgia has groundhogs?
145 areas on our list qualify; the largest are Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Blue Ridge Ranger District (Chattahoochee National Forest). Those areas list a game category that covers it.
Which permits apply to groundhogs?
Groundhog hunters need (resident price): Hunting License ($15.00); Sportsman's License ($65.00).
Do groundhog hunters have to wear orange in Georgia?
If a WMA firearms deer hunt is on, groundhog hunters there need 500 square inches of orange or blaze pink.
What time does legal light end for groundhogs?
Shooting light for groundhogs opens half an hour before sunup and closes half an hour after sundown.
May groundhog hunters go out on Sundays?
Sundays are open for groundhogs under the statewide seasons; a WMA listing can set its own days.
Is baiting legal for groundhogs?
Only deer and hogs are exempt from the bait rule on private land, so groundhogs cannot be hunted over bait.
Before the groundhog trip
WRD’s guide is the final word on groundhogs; this page was checked against it on October 13, 2026.
Other photos on this page: grendelkhan (CC BY-SA 2.0); Dave Williss (CC BY 2.0); USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0); PierreSelim (CC BY 3.0); bgautrea (CC BY-SA 2.0); Gunn Shots ! (CC BY 2.0).