Georgia CommonsHouse · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 491: Game and fish; remove an exception for use of air guns to hunt wildlife
Last action July 1, 2025 · Effective Date
A Georgia House bill extends the expiration date for the state's air gun hunting rule from 2025 to 2030 and expands bow-and-arrow catfish fishing to all catfish species in any Georgia waters, not just channel and flathead catfish in the Savannah River.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Enrolled version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Georgia law lets hunters use certain air guns (powered by compressed air or gas rather than gunpowder) to hunt big game during specific seasons, but that permission was set to expire on July 1, 2025 unless lawmakers renewed it. This bill pushes that expiration date back five years, to July 1, 2030, and requires the General Assembly to review the rule again at its 2030 session before deciding whether to keep it. The bill also changes Georgia's bow-and-arrow fishing rules for catfish (O.C.G.A. § 27-4-34). Current law only allows bow fishing for channel catfish and flathead catfish, and only in the Savannah River and its tributaries and impoundments. The bill removes that geographic and species limit, allowing bow-and-arrow fishing for any catfish species in any waters of the state, while keeping existing safety rules such as requiring a fishing license, barbed arrows tied to a recovery line, a ban on poison or exploding arrowheads, and a 150-foot buffer from other people recreating in the water.
What the bill does
- Extends the sunset date on Georgia's air gun hunting authorization from July 1, 2025 to July 1, 2030, keeping air guns legal for big game during primitive weapon and firearm seasons.
- Requires the General Assembly to review the air gun rule again at its 2030 regular session before it can be continued further.
- Expands legal bow-and-arrow fishing from only channel and flathead catfish to any catfish species in Georgia.
- Removes the geographic limit that restricted bow fishing for catfish to the Savannah River and its tributaries and impoundments, opening it to all waters of the state.
- Keeps existing safety and licensing conditions for bow fishing, including a valid fishing license, barbed arrows attached to a recovery line, a ban on poisoned or exploding arrowheads, and a 150-foot distance rule from other recreators.
Who it affects
Hunters who use air guns for big game during primitive weapon or firearm seasons, anglers who fish for catfish with bow and arrow, and the Department of Natural Resources, which enforces Georgia's hunting and fishing laws statewide.
Why it matters
Hunters who rely on air guns would be able to keep using them for five more years instead of losing that option in mid-2025. Bow fishers would gain the ability to target any catfish species anywhere in Georgia's waters, rather than being limited to two species in one river system.
Key provisions
- Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 27-3-4(a)(9), moving the repeal date for the air gun hunting exception from July 1, 2025 to July 1, 2030 and requiring legislative review in 2030.
- Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 27-4-34(d), replacing the channel catfish and flathead catfish, Savannah River-only rule with a statewide allowance for any catfish species.
- Section 2 retains the licensing requirement, barbed-arrow and recovery-line rule, the ban on poisonous or exploding arrowheads, and the 150-foot buffer from other recreational users.
- Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.
From the bill
“Air guns are legal weapons for hunting big game only during primitive weapon hunts, primitive weapon seasons, and firearm seasons.”
“Arrows with poisonous or exploding heads are illegal”
Status timeline
- Effective Date
- Act 268
- House Date Signed by Governor (House)
- House Sent to Governor (House)
- Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub (Senate)
- House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub As Amended (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted As Amended (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
Show full history (19 actions)
- Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
- Senate Tabled (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Johnny Chastain (R, HD-7)
- Trey Rhodes (R, HD-124)
- Jutt Howard (R, HD-71)
- Danny Mathis (R, HD-133)
- Jason Ridley (R, HD-6)
- John Corbett (R, HD-174)
- Drew Echols (R, SD-49)
Votes
- House voteMarch 6, 2025
171 yea, 3 nay (2 not voting, 4 excused)
- Senate voteApril 2, 2025
52 yea, 3 nay (0 not voting, 1 excused)
- House voteApril 4, 2025
170 yea, 0 nay (4 not voting, 6 excused)
- Senate voteApril 4, 2025
52 yea, 1 nay (2 not voting, 1 excused)
Topics
- hunting laws
- air gun hunting
- bow fishing
- catfish fishing
- wildlife regulations