General WMA Regulations

Unlawful Activities on WMAs

• Man-drives during deer hunts. A man-drive is defined as an organized hunting technique involving three (3) or more hunters using a coordinated effort to drive deer or feral swine from cover to another hunter for the purpose of shooting.
• Placing bait or wildlife food and hunting any game species or feral hog over bait.
• Target practicing, except on an authorized shooting range.
• Driving a vehicle around any gate, sign, earth berm, or similar device intended to prevent vehicular access.
• Hunting within 50 yards of any road opened for vehicular access (possession of a loaded firearm within 50 yards of a road opened for vehicular access is considered hunting). See Federal Area Regulations for National Forests.
• Hunting within a posted safety zone or no hunting zone.
• Consuming alcohol except at designated camp sites (this regulation does not apply on National Forest lands).
• Operate any motor vehicle, including off-road vehicles, in a reckless and negligent manner, or in a manner that willfully causes damage to roads, ditches, wildlife habitat, berms, firebreaks, campgrounds or parking areas.
• Using motor vehicles, signage, flagging tape, or any other method(s) to close or restrict access to roads, trails or any other access features.
• Using metal detectors or collecting artifacts.
• Using paintball equipment (this regulation does not apply on National Forest lands).
• Trapping except that special permits may be issued for certain WMAs.
• Possessing alcohol while hunting on National Forest lands.
• Possessing a cocked crossbow in a motor vehicle.
• Possessing a firearm other than a handgun during a closed hunting season for that area, except on designated shooting ranges, unless such firearm is unloaded and stored in a motor vehicle so as to not be readily accessible or to possess a handgun during a closed hunting season for that area unless such person is a lawful weapons carrier as defined in O.C.G.A. Section 16-11-125.1.
• Possessing a loaded firearm (a gun is considered loaded if a shell is in the chamber or magazine, a percussion cap is on the nipple, or powder is present on the frizzen pan) other than a handgun in a motor vehicle during a legal open hunting season for that area or to possess a loaded handgun in a motor vehicle during a legal open hunting season for that area unless such person is a lawful weapons carrier as defined in O.C.G.A. Section 16-11-125.1.
• Hunt any big game species, feral hogs, or coyotes with dogs unless otherwise specified.