When is Turkey Season in Georgia? A Complete Guide to the 2024 Spring Turkey Hunt

As a Georgia hunter, there’s nothing I look forward to more than spring turkey season. The thrill of hearing that first morning gobble gets my heart racing every year. But when exactly is turkey season in Georgia in 2024?

In this complete guide, I’ll cover everything you need to know about Georgia’s upcoming spring turkey hunt including season dates, bag limits, top counties, and tactics for success. Let’s get started!

Georgia Turkey Season Dates for 2024

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has set the 2024 spring turkey dates as follows

• March 23-24: Special youth-only and mobility-impaired hunt on private lands
• March 30: Opening day on private lands
• April 6: Opening day on public lands
• May 15: Season closes statewide on public and private land

So those are the key dates to mark on your calendar, Turkey season in Georgia spans about 7 weeks total if you include the special 2-day youth season

Note that the season opens a week earlier on private land compared to public. This was a change made in recent years by the DNR to help ease hunting pressure on Georgia’s public land.

Georgia Turkey Bag Limits

Hunters are allowed a total of two gobblers for the 2024 spring turkey season in Georgia. However there are daily and seasonal restrictions

• You may only harvest one bearded turkey per day
• In total, you can kill two birds between March 30 and May 15
• On public lands, the total limit is one gobbler per hunter, period

The DNR recently lowered the aggregate limit from three birds down to two. This was another measure aimed at rebuilding turkey populations in the state.

Best Counties for Killing a Georgia Gobbler

While turkeys can be found statewide, some regions of Georgia produce better harvests year after year. The northwest corner of the state consistently tops the list for total turkeys killed.

According to 2023 harvest data, these five counties yielded the highest turkey numbers:

1. Polk County – 258
2. Floyd County – 249
3. Burke County – 244
4. Bartow County – 240
5. Gilmer County – 206

So if you don’t have access to private land, focusing your hunts in this area of northwest Georgia is a smart play.

However, even if you live elsewhere, public land opportunities abound statewide.

Top Public Lands for Turkey Hunting

Georgia offers over 1 million acres of public land for hunting turkeys and other game. While too numerous to list here, some of the best include:

• Chattahoochee National Forest (174 turkeys killed in 2023)
• Fort Stewart (58 turkeys)
• Oconee National Forest (32 turkeys)
• Paulding Forest WMA (32 turkeys)
• Pine Log WMA (30 turkeys)

I highly recommend researching public land options in your region and applying for quota hunts each spring. Focus on lesser-known WMAs to avoid hunting pressure.

Georgia Turkey Hunting Season Tips

Here are a few quick tips to set you up for success this turkey season:

• Scout early – Locate birds and patterns weeks before opening day
• Use decoys and calls – Employ tactics like a jake/hen duo to pull in wary gobblers
• Stay mobile – Be ready to move if you’re not hearing gobbles early on
• Be patient – Don’t give up too quickly; stay all day if possible

Ultimately, the most important thing is spending as much time as you can in the Georgia woods this spring. The more days you hunt, the better your odds of bagging a gobbler.