Deer hunters getting ready to hit the woods again

In a 25-year tradition, deer hunters came to the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter to gear up for the coming season.

The Georgia Wildlife Federation’s annual Buckarama was held, with vendors offering various hunting related equipment and supplies.

A children’s section gave young hunters a chance to lasso live catfish, get a close up look at some snakes, and build a bird house.

Sam Stowe, programs manager for the Georgia Wildlife Federation, said Buckarama attendance was up about 15 to 20 percent this year. He said that is partly due to a continuing trend of more young people getting interested in hunting.

“I think there is a need for them to actually get outside and enjoy the outdoors,” he said.

He also said there has been more effort to secure public land for hunting and expand opportunities for those who don’t have access to private hunting areas.

Among the youngsters there Sunday was Hunter Harrison, 7, who was with his grandfather, Steve Martin of Fort Valley. Martin said he took Hunter into the woods with him last year but he was a little restless.

“We don’t get to stay in the stand for very long,” he said.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources had a booth handing out the new hunting regulations.

Ranger Jeremy Reese said the biggest thing deer hunters need to know this year is that there is a more stringent requirement to report deer kills. In the past hunters had to keep a record when they killed a deer, but many did not report the kill.

Now the state has an smart phone app for reporting kills, called the Outdoors GA app. Kills can also be reported at www.gooutdoorsgeorgia.com, or by calling 1-800-366-2661.

Reese said the change will help the state keep a much better track of how many deer are killed this season.

The bow season starts Sept. 10 and firearms season starts Oct. 22. That’s also different in that the opening dates are statewide, where it had been different dates for different regions. However, doe days vary by county so hunters will need to check that.

This story was originally published August 21, 2016 at 7:36 PM with the headline "Deer hunters getting ready to hit the woods again."