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Unprotected and nuisance in Georgia
Georgia Feral Hog Hunting
Georgia does not treat feral hogs as game: on private land there is no closed season and no limit, and they may be hunted day or night, over bait with written permission. 2026-27 hog dates, limits and public areas in Georgia.
Photo: USDAgov (Public domain)
Drones may be used to find hogs on private land, though never on public land and never for game. On WMAs and the national forest, hogs may be taken only with the weapon legal for whatever season is open there, plus a WMA coyote and hog season, May 16 to May 31, 2027, where the area allows it. Moving a live hog takes a Georgia Department of Agriculture permit; a trapped hog without one must be killed before it leaves the property.
The guide’s summary for feral hogs
- Weapons: Private land: any legal weapon, day or night, over bait allowed, drones may locate hogs. Public land: weapons legal for the open season, no night hunting or baiting.
- Also: Not a game animal; no closed season on private land. Live transport requires a Georgia Department of Agriculture permit.
Georgia limits on feral hogs
Hog limits from the 2026-27 guide.
Feral hog
No limit.
Every hog segment on the 2026-27 calendar
From the first hog opener to the last close, the year holds 1 segment.
| Segment | Applies to | First day | Last day | Length | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private land | Statewide private land | No closing date | Year-round | ||
| WMAs and National Forest | WMAs and National Forest lands | No closing date | Year-round | ||
| WMA coyote/hog season (where allowed) | WMAs (unless area listing says otherwise) | May 16, 2027 | May 31, 2027 | 16 |
What WRD attaches to these hog rows
- Night hunting and hunting over bait allowed on private land; drones may be used to locate hogs subject to O.C.G.A. 27-3-24.
- Taken with the weapons legal for whatever season is open on the area (archery, primitive, firearms deer, turkey, small game); no night hunting, no baiting; no limit.
- On WMAs where hogs may be taken during the May 16-31 coyote season, any legal weapon may be used; orange or blaze pink required; no dogs unless specified; no night hunting or baiting.
From the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division 2026-27 season page and the 2026-27 guide (PDF), checked October 13, 2026.
Mapped public land for feral hogs
The map pins the 56 areas that list feral hog; the table starts with the 15 largest.
| Tract | Type | County | Region | 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 |
| 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 |
| Chestatee WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Lumpkin, White | Gainesville | 27,123 |
| Dawson Forest WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Dawson | Gainesville | 25,658 |
| Chattahoochee WMA | Wildlife Management Area | White, Union, Towns | Gainesville | 25,150 |
The rest of the hog list
Blue Ridge WMA (20,900 ac) · Chickasawhatchee WMA (19,700 ac) · Sansavilla WMA (19,084 ac) · Swallow Creek WMA (19,000 ac) · Lake Russell WMA (17,300 ac) · Paulks Pasture WMA (16,066 ac) · Tuckahoe WMA (15,100 ac) · Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge (11,184 ac) · Penholoway Swamp WMA (11,177 ac) · Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge (10,053 ac) · Ossabaw Island WMA (9,000 ac) · Sapelo Island WMA (9,000 ac) · Flat Tub WMA (8,748 ac) · Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (7,760 ac) · Big Hammock WMA (7,315 ac) · Sprewell Bluff WMA: West (6,571 ac) · Griffin Ridge WMA (5,975 ac) · Hard Labor Creek State Park (5,804 ac) · Hannahatchee Creek WMA (5,600 ac) · Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge (5,591 ac) · Beaverdam WMA (5,500 ac) · Clayhole Swamp WMA (5,242 ac) · Lanahassee Creek WMA (4,440 ac) · River Bend WMA (3,670 ac) · Alligator Creek WMA (3,086 ac) · Chattahoochee Bend State Park (2,910 ac) · Fishing Creek WMA (2,900 ac) · Allatoona Lake (2,777 ac) · Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge (2,755 ac) · Sandhills WMA: West (2,500 ac) · Flint River WMA (2,400 ac) · Cochrans Creek WMA (2,057 ac) · Mistletoe State Park (1,920 ac) · Elmodel WMA (1,600 ac) · Lower Broad River WMA (1,500 ac) · Cumberland Island National Seashore · Fort Eisenhower · Fort Stewart & Hunter Army Airfield · Okefenokee NWR – Cowhouse Unit · Okefenokee NWR – Pocket Unit · Okefenokee NWR – Suwannee Canal Recreation Area Unit
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.
What Georgia law says about feral hogs
Licenses, hours, orange, bait and the other WRD rules that apply to feral hogs.
Paperwork
| Permit | Resident | Nonresident |
|---|---|---|
| Hunting License | $15.00 | $100.00 |
| Sportsman's License | $65.00 | $400.00 |
When to hunt
Night hog hunting is a private land privilege; public land closes at the normal end of legal light.
Orange
Hog hunters wear 500 square inches of orange or blaze pink whenever primitive weapons or firearms deer or bear seasons are open, and during the WMA coyote and hog season.
Bait
Corn or feed is fine for feral hogs on private ground with a signed permission; never on public ground.
Sunday rule
No Sunday ban applies to feral hogs in Georgia.
Live hog penalties
Loss of hunting privileges up to 3 years and fine of $1,500-$5,000.
License for hogs
Residents 16+ need a hunting license to hunt feral hogs except on land owned by them or immediate family in the same household; nonresidents need a nonresident hunting license.
Hog Down Awards
WRD lists a "Hog Down Awards Program" among feral hog resources; no details printed.
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.
Guns, bows and methods for feral hogs
Weapon rules change with the season, so match the row to the segment you hunt.
| Season | Allowed | Not allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Feral hog | Private land: any legal weapon, day or night. WMAs/NF: only the weapons legal for the season open on the area; any legal weapon during WMA May 16-31 coyote/hog season where allowed. | Centerfire on WMA small game dates; night hunting on public land. |
| Crossbows | Legal for any game or feral hog in any season where archery is legal; no draw, length or safety restrictions. | Possessing a cocked (loaded) crossbow in a motor vehicle on WMAs. |
| Suppressors | Lawfully possessed suppressors may be used for hunting unless otherwise specified; landowner permission required on private land. | – |
Other hog method rules
Baiting deer and feral hogs
Deer and feral hogs may be hunted over or near bait on private land in all counties with written landowner permission; baiting or hunting over bait prohibited on any state or federally managed land.
Drones
Unlawful to use a drone to locate any game species on public or private land. Drones may be used to locate feral hogs on private land subject to O.C.G.A. 27-3-24; not on public land.
Feral hog transport
Live hogs may not be transported without a GDA permit; processors of hogs for a fee need a GDA Meat Inspection license.
Night hunting
Alligators, raccoons, opossums, foxes, coyotes, bobcats and feral hogs may be hunted at night; lights for raccoon/opossum/fox/bobcat carried on body, hat/helmet or belt. No night hunting of hogs or coyotes on WMAs/National Forests.
2026-27 guide (PDF) and the hunting information page, checked October 13, 2026.
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Feral Hog questions and answers
Do I need a license to hunt hogs in Georgia?
Residents 16+ need a hunting license to hunt feral hogs except on land owned by them or immediate family in the same household; nonresidents need a nonresident hunting license.
Can I hunt hogs at night on a WMA?
No. Night hunting for hogs is limited to private land; WMAs and the national forest allow daylight only.
Can I move a live hog in Georgia?
Transport of live feral hogs requires a Georgia Department of Agriculture permit; hogs captured alive without a permit must be killed before transport; release only into GDA-compliant fenced areas.
Can I bait hogs in Georgia?
Deer and feral hogs may be hunted over or near any bait on private land in all counties, provided the hunter has written permission from the landowner. Never on state or federal land.
How many feral hogs may I keep in Georgia?
No limit.
When do feral hogs open and close in Georgia?
Feral hogs: wma coyote/hog season (where allowed) May 16 to May 31, 2027 (WMAs (unless area listing says otherwise)).
Where can I hunt feral hogs without private access?
56 areas, among them Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Blue Ridge Ranger District (Chattahoochee National Forest).
Do hog hunters need anything beyond a hunting license?
Resident licenses for feral hogs: Hunting License ($15.00); Sportsman's License ($65.00).
Do feral hogs fall under the orange rule?
Hog hunters wear 500 square inches of orange or blaze pink whenever primitive weapons or firearms deer or bear seasons are open, and during the WMA coyote and hog season.
When can hog hunters start in the morning?
Night hog hunting is a private land privilege; public land closes at the normal end of legal light.
Is Sunday hog hunting legal in Georgia?
No Sunday ban applies to feral hogs in Georgia.
Is hunting feral hogs near bait legal?
Corn or feed is fine for feral hogs on private ground with a signed permission; never on public ground.
Which weapons may I use on feral hogs?
Feral hog: Private land: any legal weapon, day or night. WMAs/NF: only the weapons legal for the season open on the area; any legal weapon during WMA May 16-31 coyote/hog season where allowed.
Feral Hog: final checks
Pair this hog guide with the area listing for the WMA you plan to hunt; quota and sign-in rules live there.
Other photos on this page: Flappy Pigeon (CC BY-SA 4.0); GA-Kayaker (CC BY 2.0); USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0); Joe K Gage (CC BY-SA 2.0); davidwilson1949 (CC BY 2.0); Michael Fraley (CC BY 2.0).