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Duck Hunting
Georgia's 2023-2024 Waterfowl Hunting Dates
Early Teal Sept. 9-24
Canada Geese Sept. 2-24; Oct. 14-29; Nov. 18-26; Dec. 9 – Jan. 28
Duck Nov. 18-26; Dec. 9 – Jan. 28
Youth/Military Waterfowl Nov. 11-12
Duck Species Daily Bag Limits: 1 Black or Mottled Duck, 2 Canvasback, 1 Fulvous Whistling Duck, 2 Mallards (only 1 mallard may be a hen), 1 Pintail, 2 Redheads, 1 Scaup, 3 Wood Ducks. Possession limit is three times the daily bag limit.
Duck hunters in states that make up the Atlantic Flyway, including Georgia, South Carolina and Florida, will see the daily limit for mallards cut to two birds per day next season, according to recommendations from biologists. The current limit is four mallards a day. The mallard limit will change to two birds (one hen) with…
Those record fall flight numbers from the feds don’t mean much for most Georgia duck hunters. It’s going to be wood ducks if it’s a successful morning in the swamp. Still, with record numbers of mallards, gadwall and teal heading south, maybe a flock will stray off and migrate right to my duck hole. The…
If you’ve been to Lake Juliette recently, you may have found the waterways, banks and boat ramp a little cleaner. On a Sunday in March, 14 duck hunters came together with seven boats. In just four hours, they collected 43 large bags of trash, a boat full of miscellaneous junk and an old picnic table…
In my hunting career, I’ve hunted almost every critter the state of Georgia has to offer. From the Blue Ridge mountains to the Okefenokee Swamp, if it runs, hops or flies, I’ve likely gone after it at some time or another. However, last month I tried something I’ve never done. As the sun broke over…
As Saturday approaches, duck hunters across the state are busy preparing boats and decoys for the upcoming early duck season that will take place from Nov. 18-26. Georgia’s WRD waterfowl biologist Greg Balcom was enthusiastic about the upcoming season as a whole. “The numbers of birds we’re seeing right now is a little on the…
If you haven’t seen the oddest-looking duck in Georgia yet, grab a pair of binoculars or a shotgun and get outdoors. Black-bellied whistling ducks have expanded their range and are now a documented breeding species in several Georgia counties. Often referred to as “tree ducks” due to their peculiar habit of perching on tree branches…
Editor’s Note: The following contributed to this article: Jeff Watkins, a regular member of the Boone & Crockett Club, Gino D’Angelo, assistant professor of deer ecology and management at UGA’s Warnell School and Dale Greene, dean at Warnell. Hunters who are fortunate enough to harvest a big deer or bear in Georgia automatically think…
Georgia duck hunters know the sound all too well… the heart-thumping roar of wings slicing through the crisp, winter air followed by the skidding-splash of feathered bottoms landing on water. Some have even described it as sounding like a plane is taking off right above your head. These are the sounds of ring-necked ducks in…
The reports are good—duck numbers remain high, as they have been for several years in a row now. So Georgia duck hunters may be wondering, when do we get to see high numbers of ducks in the Peach State? The reality is that Georgia isn’t part of a major migration flyway like Arkansas. We’ll never…
In his book, “Life Among the Apaches,” John C. Cremony describes an interesting method used by Apache hunters to take ducks found in water holes across the Southwest. These native hunters would find where ducks were coming to water and throw gourds into the water. After a bit of an adjustment period, the ducks became…
Duck Recipes
Roast Duck With Wild Rice Dressing No hindsight ip unit displayed. 1 wood duck, dressed giblets 1 cup cooked wild rice 4 tbsp. butter black pepper seasoning salt 2 oz. jar pimentos 2 oz. jar mushrooms 2 tbsp. chopped bell pepper 1 celery stalk, washed 1 medium onion, chopped 1/4 cup chicken broth 1 apple…
Barbecue Wild Duck Ingredients 2 wild ducks, halved 1 cup ketchup 1/2 cup lemon juice 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon hot sauce Mix sauce ingredients in saucepan. Heat to a low boil and simmer for about 5 minutes. Place duck halves…