(a) It shall be unlawful to hunt the following game species at any time during the periods set forth below:

Game Species Closed Season

------------ -------------

(1) Quail March 16 -- Oct. 31

(2) Grouse March 1 -- Oct. 14

(3) Turkey May 22 -- March 14

(A) Gobblers

(B) Hens All year

(4) Deer Jan. 16 -- Sept. 7; except

that the closed season may

be Feb. 1 -- Sept. 7 in

those counties specified as

having an extended

archery-only open season in

paragraph (4) of subsection

(b) of this Code section

(5) Bobcat March 1 -- Oct. 14

(6) Opossum March 1 -- Oct. 14, for that

area north of and including

Haralson, Paulding, Bartow,

Cherokee, Forsyth, Hall,

Banks, Franklin, and Hart

counties

(7) Rabbit March 1 -- Oct. 31

(8) Raccoon March 1 -- Oct. 14, for that

area north of and including

Carroll, Fulton, Gwinnett,

Barrow, Clarke, Oglethorpe,

Taliaferro, Wilkes, and

Lincoln counties

(9) Squirrel March 1 -- August 14

(10) Bear Jan. 16 -- Sept. 7

(11) Sea turtles and their eggs All year

(12) Cougar (Felis concolor) All year

(13) Alligators Nov. 1 -- March 31

(14) Migratory game birds March 11 -- August 31

(b) It shall be unlawful to hunt the following game species at any time during the period set forth below, except that it shall not be unlawful to hunt the following game species during such periods or portions thereof, and in such number not to exceed the following numbers, as may be designated by the board as open seasons and bag limits for such species:

Game Species Maximum Open Season Maximum Bag Limits

Daily Season

------------ ------------------- ------- ------

(1) Quail Nov. 1 -- March 15 12 No limit

(2) Grouse Oct. 15 -- Feb. 29 3 No limit

(3) Turkey March 15 -- May 21 3 3

gobblers

(4) Deer Sept. 8 -- Jan. 15; except The daily limit

that there may be also an shall be ten

extended archery-only open antlerless deer and

season Jan. 1 -- Jan. 31 in two antlered bucks.

the counties of Clayton, The season limit

Cobb, DeKalb, Forsyth, shall be ten

Fulton, Gwinnett, and antlerless deer and

Rockdale due to the extra two antlered bucks.

need for herd reduction in Only one antlered

that urban and suburban area buck may have less

of the state than four points

one inch or longer

on one side of the

antlers.

Up to two deer per

managed hunt may be

allowed on wildlife

management areas

without complying

with the state-wide

bag limit

(5) Bobcat Oct. 15 -- Feb. 29 No limit No limit

(6) Opossum (A) Oct. 15 -- Feb. 29, for No limit No limit

that area north of and

including Haralson,

Paulding, Bartow, Cherokee,

Forsyth, Hall, Banks,

Franklin, and Hart counties;

and

(B) Jan. 1 -- Dec. 31 for No limit No limit

the remainder of the state

(7) Rabbit Nov. 1 -- Feb. 29 12 No limit

(8) Raccoon (A) Oct. 15 -- Feb. 29, for No limit No limit

that area north of and

including Carroll, Fulton,

Gwinnett, Barrow, Clarke,

Oglethorpe, Taliaferro,

Wilkes, and Lincoln

counties; and

(B) Jan. 1 -- Dec. 31 for No limit No limit

the remainder of the state

(9) Squirrel Aug. 15 -- Feb. 29 12 No limit

(10) Fox Jan. 1 -- Dec. 31 No limit No limit

(11) Migratory Sept. 1 -- March 10 Subject to limits

game birds set by the federal

government and

adopted by the board

(12) Bear Sept. 8 -- Jan. 15 2 2

(13) Alligators April 1 -- Oct. 31 Subject to limits

adopted by the board

(c) In accordance with subsection (b) of this Code section and as may be appropriate, based on sound wildlife management principles, the board is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations establishing open seasons on a state-wide, regional, or local basis and establishing daily and season bag limits.

(d) In accordance with subsection (b) of this Code section and in accordance with the framework of open hunting season dates for migratory game birds established by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and as may be appropriate based on sound wildlife management principles, the board is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations establishing methods of taking, daily and season bag limits, and open seasons for migratory game birds on a state-wide, regional, or local basis. The board is specifically authorized to promulgate such rules and regulations without complying with Chapter 13 of Title 50, the "Georgia Administrative Procedure Act"; and all rules and regulations promulgated by the board pursuant to this subsection shall be effective immediately upon adoption by the board.

(e) It shall be unlawful for any person to possess more than the daily bag limit or more than the aggregate of the daily bag limits while in the field or while returning from the field to one's automobile or principal means of land transportation or to one's permanent abode or temporary or transient place of lodging or to a commercial storage facility or to a post office or to a common carrier facility.

(f) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this Code section, it shall be unlawful to take the species designated below, except squirrels, by means of falconry at any time during the period March 16 through September 30; but it shall not be unlawful to take the species designated below, except squirrels, by means of falconry during the period October 1 through March 15. It shall be unlawful to take squirrels by means of falconry at any time during the period March 16 through August 14, but it shall not be unlawful to take squirrels by means of falconry at any time during the period August 15 through March 15 in such number not exceeding the bag limits for each such species as follows:

Game Species Maximum Bag Limits

Daily Season

(1) Quail 12 No limit

(2) Grouse 3 No limit

(3) Rabbit 12 No limit

(4) Squirrel 12 No limit

(g)

(1) The department shall report to the General Assembly on or before the fifth day of February of each year the estimated number of deer killed, by sex, in the immediately preceding season.

(2) Upon completion of its annual analysis of data from the immediately preceding season, the department shall report to the General Assembly on the same day that it reports to the Board of Natural Resources each year the actual number of deer killed, by sex, in the immediately preceding season.