Beginning Aug. 15, you can head to the woods in pursuit of ‘ole bushytail as the Georgia squirrel hunting season begins, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD).

“If you have kids that are itching to go on their first hunt, squirrel season is a great idea because you don’t have to be absolutely still or quiet, making it an ideal first hunt opportunity,” said Diana McGrath, Wildlife Biologist with the WRD Game Management Section. “Finding squirrels is typically easy as they occur on nearly every wildlife management area and hunting lease in the state, but they still provide enough challenge to make the hunt exciting.”

Squirrel season is Aug. 15, 2024 – Feb. 28, 2025, and hunters can pursue both gray and fox squirrels. The maximum daily bag limit is 12 per hunter. Please note that all Georgia Wildlife Management Areas (WMA), Voluntary Public Access areas and department managed lands have a fox squirrel bag limit of one per person per day.

New to squirrel hunting? Check out our Squirrel Hunting 101 virtual “class” at GeorgiaWildlife.com/hunting/hunter-resources.

Georgia WMAs offer access to nearly one million acres of hunting opportunity, and squirrel hunting is allowed on WMAs at specified times during the statewide squirrel season (GeorgiaWildlife.com/allwmas). Hunters are advised to check the current hunting regulations for specific WMA dates and info (GeorgiaWildlife.com/hunting/hunter-resources).

Both gray and fox squirrels are found throughout Georgia. The gray squirrel, abundant in both rural and urban areas, is most common. Though mostly associated with hardwood forests, grays also can be found in mixed pine/hardwood forests. Predominantly gray, with white under parts, gray squirrels appear more slender-bodied than fox squirrels, weighing anywhere from 12 ounces to 1.5 pounds. Fox squirrels have several color phases, varying from silver-gray with a predominantly black head, to solid black, to a light buff or brown color tinged with reddish-yellow. Generally larger than grays, fox squirrels range in weight from one pound to nearly three, and are more closely associated with mature pine and mixed pine/hardwood habitats, especially in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions.

Squirrel for dinner? Yes, please. Whether fried with gravy, barbeque style, slow cooker, in a casserole, or any other delicious way, squirrel is a healthy, sustainable source of protein high in iron and B Vitamins, and best of all – it tastes good! Find some tasty recipes for harvested squirrels at GeorgiaWildlife.blog/2018/08/26/5-squirrel-recipes-youll-ever-taste/.  

For more information on the 2024-2025 squirrel hunting season, visit GeorgiaWildlife.com/hunting/hunter-resources.

To renew or purchase a hunting license, visit GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com.