BY THE NUMBERS
4 WMAs hosting coyote hunts in March
40 Average weight in pounds of an adult coyote
60,895 Acres of WMA land open to coyote hunting in March
Most Georgia hunters have entered a lull period for the shooting sports. The deer and small-game seasons are past, and it still is another month before turkey hunting begins.
There is, however, an often overlooked opportunity for some action on public land in the northwest portion of the state right now. Some wildlife-management areas in this quadrant of the state host coyote hunts in March.
Coyotes are not native to Georgia and are considered an unwelcome invasive species by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. These wild canines have spread to the point that their yips and howls in the night can now be heard in every county in the state.
Coyotes also are becoming a problem for the whitetailed-deer herd in Georgia. Adult deer usually can escape, but fawns all too often fall prey to coyotes. That type of predation has been particularly severe in the northern counties of the state.
Additionally, coyotes are noted for preying on domestic dogs and cats.
Coyotes are not considered game animals, and it is legal to shoot them throughout the year on private lands. Now some WMAs also are offering special hunts to control their numbers.
Crockford-Pigeon Mountain in Walker County, J.L. Lester in Polk County, Paulding Forest in Paulding and Polk counties and Pine Log in Bartow and Cherokee counties are WMAs hosting such hunts this month.
Hunters are required to sign in at the check stations for these hunts. Hunting is limited to daylight hours. Individuals must have a regular hunting license and wildlife-management-area license to participate.
Small-game weapons are legal for this hunting. No high-powered rifles are allowed. There are no limits on the number of coyotes that can be taken.
More information on the hunt dates, along with maps of the four WMAs are available at georgiawildlife.com/hunting.
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