While archery and primitive weapons season occur first, many hunters anxiously wait until the opening day of firearms season to get into the woods.

That wait is almost over as firearms deer season in Georgia opens Oct. 20 and lasts through Jan. 1 in the Northern Zone and through Jan. 15 in the Southern Zone.

“Regulated hunting is the most cost effective and efficient means of managing the deer herd,” said John W. Bowers, assistant chief of game management for the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division. “In addition, sportsmen and women provide more than $30 million each year to fund wildlife conservation in the state through license fees and self-imposed excise taxes collected on the purchase of firearms, ammunition, archery equipment and fishing equipment.”

More than one million acres of public hunting land is available to hunters in Georgia, including more than 100 state-operated wildlife management areas. In addition to traditional hunts, many special hunts are offered, including ladies-only and adult/child hunts. Dates and locations for these hunts, as well as WMA maps, are available in the 2012-13 Georgia Hunting Seasons and Regulations guide at gohuntgeorgia.com/hunting/regulations.

During the 2012-13 firearms deer season, almost 280,000 licensed deer hunters harvested more than 340,000 deer in Georgia. Through the use of regulated deer hunting, Georgia’s deer herd remains a quality, healthy herd with an estimated statewide population of about one million deer, according to DNR officials.

Hunters may harvest up to 10 antlerless deer and no more than two antlered deer (one of the two antlered deer must have a minimum of four points, one inch or longer, on one side of the antlers).

A valid hunting license is required to hunt deer during firearms season, as is a big game license and a deer harvest record. In most cases, a separate WMA license is required to hunt on a WMA. All deer hunters must wear at least 500 square inches of fluorescent orange above the waist to legally hunt during firearms season, except in archery-only areas.

Where can you get a license? Buy it online or find a list of retail license vendors at georgiawildlife.com/recreational-licenses or buy it by phone at 1.800.366.2661.

For more information on deer hunting seasons and regulations, visit gohuntgeorgia.com/hunting/regulations.