Are Gun mounted lights legal in Ga ??
- Thread starter dave2pa
- Start date
This has been brought up before with different answers. I have been told by wardens that you can, and I have been told that you can't. The regs don't come out and specifically say either way.
My recommendation would be to call the office in the area you intend to hunt and get the answer from them. And then write down the name and number of the person telling you.
I've been told yes by a captain, and no by one of his wardens, so although I don't have a light currently mounted to my gun I do have the captains name and number in my wallet with his permission to call if I have any problems.
From all of the different answers it appears this is something that needs to be addressed at the next public forum down here.
My recommendation would be to call the office in the area you intend to hunt and get the answer from them. And then write down the name and number of the person telling you.
I've been told yes by a captain, and no by one of his wardens, so although I don't have a light currently mounted to my gun I do have the captains name and number in my wallet with his permission to call if I have any problems.
From all of the different answers it appears this is something that needs to be addressed at the next public forum down here.
Miz Kiz
New member
Gun-mounted lights appear to be okay for coyotes, but it is unclear as to whether or not they are okay for hogs, etc.
Page 18 of the 2011-2012 GA hunting regs has the following information:
"Legal Hours for hunting are 30 minutes
before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset,
except that alligators, raccoons, opossums,
foxes, coyotes, bobcats and feral hogs may
be hunted at night. Any light used to hunt
raccoons, opossums, foxes, bobcats or feral
hogs shall be carried on the person of a hunter,
affixed to a helmet or hat worn by a hunter,
or be part of a belt system worn by a hunter.
There is no voltage restriction on such lights."
I too have heard of game wardens saying that gun mounted lights are acceptable. However, notice that the portion specific to the type of light does not include coyotes (or alligators), but does include hogs, etc. Thus, it appears that there are NO restrictions as to the type of light to be used to hunt coyotes (or alligators), but there ARE restrictions for lights for hogs, bobcats, foxes, etc. This distinction is part of the source of the confusion.
Further it's arguable that the "belt system" mentioned might be intended to include gun mounted lights that have a battery pack shoulder strap, etc. thus a belt-system(?). However, since it doesn't specifically say "gun-mounted", one wonders. However, since I don't want to find myself in the position of trying that argument in front of a judge, we just don't use gun-mounted lights.
FYI: In Georgia, county sheriff's deputies enforce game laws about as often as do state game wardens, especially now that the state is cutting expenses. As a result of the recent rash of copper theft from irrigation equipment, sheriff's departments and Georgia State Patrol are especially attuned to watching for people shining lights in irrigated agricultural fields at night. (One night Kiz was met at a gate by sheriff's deputy and GSP as he left the field. They were sure they'd caught a copper thief, and I suspect were slightly disappointed when they found it was just the local coyote hunter!)
I believe that the main issue the GA DNR has with people hunting game at night with lights is insuring that they don't hunt with vehicle-mounted lights. (Too bad the regulations don't just come out and say that!)
Page 18 of the 2011-2012 GA hunting regs has the following information:
"Legal Hours for hunting are 30 minutes
before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset,
except that alligators, raccoons, opossums,
foxes, coyotes, bobcats and feral hogs may
be hunted at night. Any light used to hunt
raccoons, opossums, foxes, bobcats or feral
hogs shall be carried on the person of a hunter,
affixed to a helmet or hat worn by a hunter,
or be part of a belt system worn by a hunter.
There is no voltage restriction on such lights."
I too have heard of game wardens saying that gun mounted lights are acceptable. However, notice that the portion specific to the type of light does not include coyotes (or alligators), but does include hogs, etc. Thus, it appears that there are NO restrictions as to the type of light to be used to hunt coyotes (or alligators), but there ARE restrictions for lights for hogs, bobcats, foxes, etc. This distinction is part of the source of the confusion.
Further it's arguable that the "belt system" mentioned might be intended to include gun mounted lights that have a battery pack shoulder strap, etc. thus a belt-system(?). However, since it doesn't specifically say "gun-mounted", one wonders. However, since I don't want to find myself in the position of trying that argument in front of a judge, we just don't use gun-mounted lights.
FYI: In Georgia, county sheriff's deputies enforce game laws about as often as do state game wardens, especially now that the state is cutting expenses. As a result of the recent rash of copper theft from irrigation equipment, sheriff's departments and Georgia State Patrol are especially attuned to watching for people shining lights in irrigated agricultural fields at night. (One night Kiz was met at a gate by sheriff's deputy and GSP as he left the field. They were sure they'd caught a copper thief, and I suspect were slightly disappointed when they found it was just the local coyote hunter!)
I believe that the main issue the GA DNR has with people hunting game at night with lights is insuring that they don't hunt with vehicle-mounted lights. (Too bad the regulations don't just come out and say that!)
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"I believe that the main issue the GA DNR has with people hunting game at night with lights is insuring that they don't hunt with vehicle-mounted lights. (Too bad the regulations don't just come out and say that!)"
That's what the captain told me. The regs are written to eliminate people from hunting from vehicles with lights.
That's what the captain told me. The regs are written to eliminate people from hunting from vehicles with lights.
alphayote
New member
I use an XLR250 mounted on my rifle for a kill light here in central Georgia and the game wardens I've spoken to don't seem to mind at all. Most of them get happy with the thought of someone knocking down a few yotes due to us having so many of them. We travel back and forth to our hunting stands on a golf cart, at times using back country roads that aren't traveled much after hours. We've been pulled over by State Patrol and local Sheriff deputies quite a few times just because we're out and about. They usually get a good laugh when they find out what we're doing and enjoy us explaining all of out neat yote hunting gadgets. We even talked a state patrolman to follow us to a stand site off the main road so that we could use his siren to locate the resident coyotes. He was like "[beeep] yeah, I can do that". Needless to say, we now hunt with the state patrolman on his property from time to time.