Georgia Allows Bear Dogs Only in One Lottery Hunt, and Baiting Is Banned Statewide
November 6, 2026
Bear hunting season in Georgia is split into three zones, and each one runs on its own schedule. The Northern Zone has the long season, the Central Zone gets a single firearms day in December, and the Southern Zone opens on a handful of fall weekends.
Two rules catch hunters off guard. Hounds are legal only in one drawn quota hunt on two North Georgia WMAs, and baiting a bear is illegal everywhere in the state.
This page covers the 2026 dates, zones, license needs, reporting steps and the rules that apply to every hunter. If you also hunt other game, our pages on turkey season in Georgia and rifle deer season cover the overlap.
Bear Hunting Season Dates in Georgia 2026
The Northern Zone runs the longest. Archery runs Sept. 12 to Oct. 9, primitive weapons Oct. 10 to 16, and firearms Oct. 17 to Jan. 10. The same table lists the Central Zone as a firearms hunt on Dec. 19, 2026, with a second day possible in January.
The Southern Zone ran on weekends from Sept. 17 to Oct. 10, so it has already closed for 2026. Those dates come from a regional guide that says it was checked against DNR’s regulations. Confirm them in the DNR guide on Georgia eRegulations before you plan around them.
| Zone | 2026 Season | Status as of November 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Northern | Archery Sept. 12 to Oct. 9; primitive Oct. 10 to 16; firearms Oct. 17 to Jan. 10 | Firearms season open through Jan. 10 |
| Central | Firearms Dec. 19, with a possible second day | Upcoming |
| Southern | Weekends Sept. 17 to Oct. 10 | Closed for 2026 |
Bear Season by Weapon and Method in Georgia: Archery, Muzzleloader and Firearm
Weapon-specific windows exist only in the Northern Zone. Archery opens first, primitive weapons follow, and firearms run through the winter.
During the primitive weapons week, youth under 16 may hunt bear with any legal bear firearm. Adults in that window are limited to primitive arms. In the Central Zone the season is firearms only, and in the Southern Zone you hunt on the listed weekends.
- Archery: first Northern Zone window, Sept. 12 to Oct. 9.
- Primitive weapons: Oct. 10 to 16, with the youth firearm exception.
- Firearms: Oct. 17 to Jan. 10 in the north; one day in December in the central zone.
Spring Bear Season in Georgia
Georgia has no spring bear season. All bear hunting is in the fall and winter windows listed above, and none is scheduled for spring.
If you want spring time in the woods, turkey is the option. Our Georgia turkey season page covers those dates.
Bear Hunting Zones, Units and Management Areas in Georgia
Georgia manages three bear populations, and the zones follow them. The North Georgia population tied to the Appalachians is roughly 4,000 bears, the central population along the Ocmulgee River is about 300, and the southern population near the Okefenokee Swamp is about 800. Those figures come from the Kohl Wildlife Lab, which works with Georgia DNR on bear research, and they are research estimates rather than official counts.
The zone you hunt sets your season, your dog rules and where you can go. The Central Zone bans hunting bears with dogs and bans bear hunting on WMAs. In the Southern Zone, dogs are allowed except in Lanier and Lowndes Counties, where only still hunting is allowed.
Bear Hunting License, Tag and Permit Requirements in Georgia
Georgia does not issue a separate bear tag. You need a hunting license, a big game license, and a free harvest record.
The 2026-27 Georgia hunting guide lists the annual big game license at $25 for residents and $225 for nonresidents, and says the harvest record is free and required for deer, bear, turkey and alligator at any age. Those prices are from that guide’s 2026-27 table, which it says comes from Georgia DNR’s regulations.
Pro Tip: Fill out your harvest record before you move the bear. The Georgia Game Check report is due within 24 hours, so having the record ready saves a scramble.
Bear Permit Draws and Lotteries in Georgia
The only bear lottery is the dog-bear quota hunt. The 2026 application period ran August 1 to 15, 2026, so it is closed for this year.
Applications go through GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com, and the 2026 hunt drew 15 parties. Since the 2021 season, everyone who takes part in the dog-bear hunt has all their priority points for it deducted. The DNR explains the full process on its dog-bear quota hunt page.
Other WMA bear hunts also use quotas. The quota hunt listings show the deer and bear hunts and their application windows.
Nonresident Bear Hunting in Georgia
Nonresidents can hunt bear in Georgia with the same hunting license, big game license and harvest record as residents, at higher prices. The annual big game license is $225 for nonresidents, according to the 2026-27 guide cited above.
Hunter education applies as well. Nonresidents can present a hunter education certificate from their home state if Georgia DNR has approved that state’s course. Check that approval before you buy.
Bear Bag Limit and Harvest Quota in Georgia
The statewide limit is two bears per season. No more than one of those can come from the Central or Southern Zone. Your second bear has to be a Northern Zone animal if the first came from either of the other two.
The dog-bear hunt has its own party limit. The bag limit there is 2 per person or 5 per party. Bears killed on that hunt count toward the statewide bag limit of whoever actually kills the bear.
The Central Zone also works on a harvest quota. A female-harvest trigger decides whether a second day opens. In 2023, a second hunt day opened if fewer than six female bears were taken on the first. The current rule text is in GA Reg. 391-4-2-.22, which the zone listing summarizes.
Baiting Rules for Bear Hunting in Georgia
Baiting is banned. The Georgia regulations state plainly: no hunting bears over bait. That applies in every zone, on public and private land.
Do not treat a feeder or food plot as a gray area. If food has been placed where you hunt, move.
Hunting Bears with Hounds in Georgia
Hound hunting is allowed in two places only. The first is the Southern Zone, outside Lanier and Lowndes Counties. The second is the drawn dog-bear quota hunt on the Chattahoochee and Chestatee WMAs.
The 2026 hunt runs Oct. 3 to Oct. 11, 2026. A party can have up to 10 hunters, and dog handlers count as party members. You bring your own dogs.
Administrators must check in at the Chattahoochee WMA check station before hunting and attend a pre-hunt meeting. The dog ban in the Central Zone is firm, so no hounds on that December day.
Legal Weapons and Methods for Bear Hunting in Georgia
Legal weapons depend on the season. Archery gear is legal in the archery window, primitive arms in the primitive week, and legal bear firearms in the firearms seasons.
Night hunting is prohibited. The Southern Zone rules bar night hunting and hunting over bait. Georgia’s weapons statute is Code 27-3-4, which sets the legal weapons for hunting wildlife generally.
Legal Bears and Protected Bears in Georgia
Only black bears live in Georgia and only black bears can be hunted. Cubs and family groups are protected.
A regional summary of the rules says it is unlawful to kill a female bear with cubs or a cub weighing less than 75 pounds live weight. Take the shot only after you have a clear look at the animal, because a sow with cubs can be hard to spot in thick cover.
Pro Tip: Wait for the bear to give you a full broadside view and look behind it. Cubs often trail the sow by a few yards.
Youth and Special Bear Hunts in Georgia
Youth get the main special privilege. During the Northern Zone primitive weapons week, hunters under 16 can use any legal bear firearm.
The dog-bear hunt allows youth aged 15 or younger to accompany the party without counting against the maximum of 10. Any bear a youth kills still counts toward the party’s limit of 5 and the youth’s own limit of 2.
Where to Hunt Bear in Georgia: Public and Private Land
Most Northern Zone bear hunting happens in the Chattahoochee National Forest and the WMAs around it. The WMA rules vary by area, so read the listing for the specific property.
The WMA pages show examples like Blue Ridge and Coopers Creek, each with a bear-only firearms window of Sept. 26 to Oct. 2. See the WMA regulations for A to C for those entries.
On WMAs, sign-in is required for all bear, deer and turkey hunts unless a specific area says otherwise. The Central Zone bans bear hunting on WMAs, so private land is the route there.
Best Time to Hunt Bear in Georgia
Early fall is when bears feed hardest, and the archery and primitive windows in September and October fall in that stretch. Mast crops decide where bears feed, so scouting oak and hickory stands pays off.
Cold weather matters less here than food. Once the firearms season is open, hunters often catch bears moving at dawn and dusk near food sources.
| Window | Why Hunters Use It |
|---|---|
| Archery, Sept. 12 to Oct. 9 | Bears are feeding heavily and pressure is light |
| Primitive, Oct. 10 to 16 | Short, low-pressure window |
| Firearms, Oct. 17 to Jan. 10 | Longest window, overlaps deer season |
Bear Hunting Hours, Sunday Hunting and Blaze Orange in Georgia
General hunting hours run from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset, according to Georgia DNR hours summarized by AskHunting. Night hunting for bear is not allowed.
Blaze orange is required in the firearms seasons. The 2026-27 guide says that during primitive weapons and firearms deer and bear seasons, hunters and anyone with them must wear at least 500 square inches of fluorescent orange or blaze pink above the waist.
Georgia does not restrict Sunday hunting on private land for bear in the sources reviewed, but WMA schedules set their own days, so read the area listing before you go.
Tagging, Check-In and Reporting a Bear in Georgia
Report every bear through Georgia Game Check. Harvested bears must be reported through Georgia Game Check within 24 hours. That covers all zones and both public and private land.
Some zones add physical checks. All bears must be presented for collection of biological samples under zone-specific requirements. In the Central Zone, check-in is at the Oaky Woods WMA check station, per GA Reg. 391-4-2-.22.
- Fill out your harvest record at the kill site.
- Report the bear through Georgia Game Check within 24 hours.
- Present the bear for biological sampling if your zone requires it.
- On the dog-bear hunt, check in at the Chattahoochee WMA check station as directed.
For other hunts on your calendar, see our pages on alligator season in Georgia and dove season.
Bear Hunting Season in Georgia 2026: Frequently Asked Questions
When does bear season open in Georgia in 2026?
Northern Zone archery opens Sept. 12. The Central Zone hunt is Dec. 19, and the Southern Zone weekends have closed for 2026.
Is there a bear tag in Georgia?
No. You need a hunting license, a big game license and a free harvest record. StatesLaws notes there is no separate bear tag or bear-specific permit.
Can I hunt bear with dogs in Georgia?
Only in the Southern Zone (except Lanier and Lowndes Counties) and in the drawn dog-bear quota hunt on Chattahoochee and Chestatee WMAs. The Central Zone bans dogs.
How many bears can I take?
Two per season, with no more than one from the Central or Southern Zone.
Is baiting legal?
No. Baiting bears is banned statewide.
How fast do I have to report a bear?
Within 24 hours through Georgia Game Check.
Before you head out, read the current rules in the official Georgia hunting regulations, since zone rules are set each season. For small game outings, our rabbit and quail pages round out the fall calendar.