HB491: HB491 Game and fish; remove an exception for use of air guns to hunt wildlife

Georgia law lets hunters use certain air guns (powered by compressed air or gas rather than gunpowder) to hunt big game during primitive weapon and firearm seasons, but that permission was set to automatically expire, or 'sunset,' on July 1, 2025 unless the General Assembly voted to keep it. House Bill 491 pushes that expiration date back to July 1, 2030, meaning the legislature will not need to revisit the air gun rule again until then. The bill also rewrites the state's rules on taking catfish with a bow and arrow. Previously, the ban and its exceptions applied statewide to channel catfish and flathead catfish specifically. The bill narrows the geographic scope to the Savannah River, its tributaries, and impoundments within the Savannah River Basin, but broadens the covered species to any catfish. The existing safety conditions, such as requiring a fishing license, barbed arrow tips, and a 150-foot distance from other recreational users, still apply.

• Extends the automatic expiration ('sunset') date for the air gun hunting exception in O.C.G.A. § 27-3-4 from July 1, 2025 to July 1, 2030.
• Requires the General Assembly to review the air gun exception again at its 2030 session instead of 2025 to decide whether to keep it.
• Narrows the catfish bow-and-arrow rules in O.C.G.A. § 27-4-34 from applying statewide to applying specifically within the Savannah River, its tributaries, and impoundments in the Savannah River Basin.
• Broadens the catfish species covered by those bow-and-arrow rules from just channel catfish and flathead catfish to any catfish species.
• Keeps existing conditions for bow-and-arrow catfishing, including a valid fishing license, barbed or harpoon-style arrow points, and a ban on shooting arrows within 150 feet of other recreational users.

Hunters who use air-powered rifles, pistols, or crossbows for big game hunting, anglers who fish for catfish with bow and arrow in the Savannah River Basin, and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, which enforces hunting and fishing rules statewide.

Hunters can keep using air guns for big game through 2030 without a new law being required sooner. Anglers who bow-fish for catfish will see the rules apply specifically to the Savannah River Basin rather than statewide, and those rules will now cover all catfish species instead of just two.

• Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 27-3-4(a)(9), moving the sunset date for the air gun hunting exception from July 1, 2025 to July 1, 2030.
• Section 1 also shifts the General Assembly's mandatory review of the air gun rule from its 2025 session to its 2030 session.
• Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 27-4-34(d), limiting the catfish bow-and-arrow provisions to the Savannah River, its tributaries, and impoundments within the Savannah River Basin.
• Section 2 expands the species covered by these bow-and-arrow rules from channel catfish and flathead catfish specifically to any catfish.
• Section 2 keeps the existing conditions: a valid fishing license, barbed or harpoon-style arrow points with retrieval lines, a ban on poisonous or exploding arrowheads, a 150-foot buffer from other recreational users, and permission to fish by bow and arrow day or night using a light.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-05-14Effective Date 2025-07-01
2. 2025-05-14Act 268
3. 2025-05-14House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-10House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-04-04Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub (Senate)
6. 2025-04-04House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub As Amended (House)
7. 2025-04-02Senate Passed/Adopted As Amended (Senate)
8. 2025-04-02Senate Third Read (Senate)

• Johnny Chastain (R, HD-007)Primary sponsor
• Trey Rhodes (R, HD-124)
• Jutt Howard (R, HD-071)
• Danny Mathis (R, HD-133)
• Jason Ridley (R, HD-006)
• John Corbett (R, HD-174)
• Drew Echols (R, SD-049)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 6, 2025

   171 yea, 3 nay (2 not voting, 4 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #224

2. PassedSenate voteApril 2, 2025

   52 yea, 3 nay (0 not voting, 1 absent)

   Passage As Amended: Senate Vote #424

3. PassedHouse voteApril 4, 2025

   170 yea, 0 nay (4 not voting, 6 absent)

   Agree To Senate Am As Amended By House: House Vote #424

4. PassedSenate voteApril 4, 2025

   52 yea, 1 nay (2 not voting, 1 absent)

   Agree To House Amendment To Senate Amendment: Senate Vote #487

• hunting laws
• air guns
• fishing regulations
• catfish
• Savannah River