Georgia DWR Welcomes Muzzleloaders for 2021 Season

The Georgia Wildlife Resources Division announced some preliminary data on muzzleloading hunters to usher in their early “Primitive Weapons” deer season.

According to the Georgia DWR, 27,000 hunters took their muzzleloaders hunting last year, bringing in 7,000 deer.

“Whether you hunt it with a flint lock, inline muzzleloader, crossbow, or long bow, the primitive weapons season is a great way to get a jump on deer season,” said Charlie Killmaster, state deer biologist with the WRD Game Management Section. “White oaks will be dropping and mid-October is a great time to be in the woods. Youth hunters get a special opportunity during primitive weapons season, as they can use centerfire rifles during the entire week.”

Over one million acres of public hunting land is available to hunters in Georgia, including more than 100 state-operated wildlife management areas.  Many areas offer special hunts throughout the season, including primitive weapons hunts. Dates and locations for hunts are available in the 2021-2022 Georgia Hunting Seasons and Regulations guide (http://www.eregulations.com/georgia/hunting/).

Youth, under 16 years of age, may hunt deer with any legal deer firearm during Primitive Weapons Season, including during any wildlife management area primitive weapons hunts.

I’m not sure how this 27,000 muzzleloading hunters breaks down in terms of type of muzzleloader used or hunter age, but it would be great to see a comparison for the 2020 numbers with some previous years numbers to see if Georgia is seeing the increase in muzzleloading interest much of the industry is seeing this year.

For more information on the muzzleloading season in Georgia, the DWR has a few links you can check out. We’ve included them below -

To pursue deer in Georgia, hunters must have a valid hunting license, a big game license and a current deer harvest record. Licenses can be purchased online at www.GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com, by phone at 1-800-366-2661 or at a license agent (list of agents available online).

All deer hunters must report their harvest using Georgia Game Check within 24 hours of harvest. Deer can be reported on the Outdoors GA app (which works regardless of cell service), at gooutdoorsgeorgia.com, or by calling 1-800-366-2661.

For more on deer hunting, including finding a game processor, reviewing regulations, viewing maps (either sex day or the rut map), visit https://georgiawildlife.com/deer-info.