(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

(A) Gobblers May 22 -- March 14

(B) Hens All year

(4) Deer Jan. 16 -- Sept. 14

(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. 14

(11) Sea turtles All year and their eggs

(12) Cougar All year (Felis concolor)

(13) Alligators Nov. 1 -- March 31

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

(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. 15 -- Jan. 15 8 8 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 -- No limit No limit Feb. 29, for that area north of and including Haralson, Paulding, Bartow, Cherokee, Forsyth, Hall, Banks, Franklin, and Hart counties; and

(B) Jan. 1 -- No limit No limit Dec. 31 for the remainder of the state

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

(8) Raccoon (A) Oct. 15 -- No limit No limit Feb. 29, for that area north of and including Carroll, Fulton, Gwinnett, Barrow, Clarke, Oglethorpe, Taliaferro, Wilkes, and Lincoln counties; and

(B) Jan. 1 -- No limit No limit Dec. 31 for 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 set by the federal birds government and adopted by the board

(12) Bear Sept. 15 -- Jan. 15 1 1

(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.