Georgia CommonsHouse · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HB 946: Game and fish; authorize hunting and trapping of feral hogs under certain circumstances
Last action July 1, 2026 · Effective Date
A Georgia House bill would let people trap feral hogs without a hunting or trapping license, drop the old permit system for controlling feral hogs, and allow drones to be used to locate them.
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 currently requires people to get a wildlife control permit before hunting or trapping feral hogs at night, from vehicles, or without a license on their own land. This bill removes that permit system entirely and replaces it with simpler rules written directly into the game and fish laws (O.C.G.A. Title 27). Under the bill, anyone may trap feral hogs without a hunting or trapping license, as long as any hog caught is killed upon capture. Hunting feral hogs from a motor vehicle is now allowed on private property, subject to other existing hunting-from-vehicles restrictions, without needing the old permit. The bill also allows unmanned aircraft systems (drones) to be used to locate feral hogs, as long as their use follows other drone laws. It updates the penalty section so that violators face confinement rather than the word imprisonment, keeping the same fine of at least $250 and up to 12 months.
What the bill does
- Lets people trap feral hogs without first getting a hunting or trapping license, as long as any hog caught is killed on the spot.
- Repeals the wildlife control permit system that previously governed night hunting, vehicle hunting, and unlicensed hunting of feral hogs on family land.
- Allows hunting of feral hogs from motor vehicles on private property, replacing the old permit requirement with a cross-reference to other hunting-from-vehicles rules.
- Authorizes the use of drones (unmanned aircraft systems) to locate feral hogs, subject to other laws governing drone use.
- Replaces the word imprisonment with confinement in the penalty for illegal hunting from boats, aircraft, or vehicles, while keeping the same fine and time limits.
Who it affects
Landowners and hunters dealing with feral hog damage, farmers and livestock owners who previously needed a wildlife control permit, people who trap hogs on their property, and anyone using drones to track feral hog locations on private land.
Why it matters
Feral hogs cause significant crop and property damage in Georgia, and this bill removes a permitting step that previously controlled when, where, and how people could hunt or trap them. Landowners could act more quickly against hogs, while also gaining a new option to use drones to find them.
Key provisions
- Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 27-2-1 to let people trap feral hogs without a hunting or trapping license, provided captured hogs are killed.
- Section 2 repeals paragraphs (2) and (3) of O.C.G.A. § 27-2-31, eliminating the wildlife control permit requirements specific to feral hogs, including night hunting and lease-based permit expiration rules.
- Section 3 amends O.C.G.A. § 27-3-13 to allow hunting feral hogs from motor vehicles on private property, subject to Code Section 27-3-24, instead of requiring a wildlife control permit.
- Section 3 also adds a new subsection (a.1) authorizing the use of unmanned aircraft systems to locate feral hogs, subject to other applicable drone laws.
- Section 3 changes the penalty language from 'imprisonment' to 'confinement' for up to 12 months, while keeping the minimum $250.00 fine and installment payment option for economic hardship.
From the bill
“persons may trap feral hogs without a hunting or trapping license, provided that such hogs shall be killed upon capture”
“Unmanned aircraft systems, as such term is defined in Code Section 6-1-4, may be used to locate feral hogs, subject to all applicable laws and regulations governing the use of unmanned aircraft systems.”
Discussed in meetings (13)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
House Game, Fish & Parks Committee, January 28, 2026
From 0:12:55 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the bill would allow drones to locate feral hogs on private property, responding to a constituent's request and a growing hog problem. The sponsor said DNR's review found that current law prohibited the practice. The chair cited damage to farmland, crops and hunting land. Asked whether the bill affected helicopter hunting, the sponsor said it did not and stressed that drone use would remain prohibited on public land. Another member asked about coordinating with neighboring landowners, and the sponsor said sharing information about hog locations on private land would be allowed. Asked what currently prevents drone use, the sponsor pointed to hunting restrictions the bill would remove. The sponsor said hogs can produce two or three litters annually, with about 12 piglets per litter. Another member raised permission to hunt neighboring property and asked about shooting from a boat on a private farm pond rather than a public lake, but no distinct explanatory answer was captured. The committee approved the bill by voice vote, with no opposition heard.
House Rules Committee, February 2, 2026
From 0:35:20 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 213
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 946 would allow drones to locate feral hogs for hunting on private property. The sponsor said a constituent’s hog problem prompted the proposal and that the Department of Natural Resources supported it after explaining that drones could not currently be used to locate wildlife for hunting. Asked about other states, the sponsor said they had not researched their practices. In response to further questions, the sponsor emphasized that the drones would not be armed, the permission would apply only to feral hogs, and it would not cover state or federal property or deer hunting. The committee later placed the bill on Tuesday’s floor calendar without objection.
House floor session, February 3, 2026 (legislative day 11)
From 1:22:09 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 215
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 946 would remove barriers to controlling destructive feral hogs and had support from the Department of Natural Resources. The sponsor said residents and nonresidents could trap and kill feral hogs without hunting or trapping licenses, and the bill would remove a wildlife control permit requirement. The sponsor also said it would allow hunting feral hogs from vehicles on private property without that permit and allow drones to locate, but not kill, hogs on private property. One member asked about annual farm damage of $150 million, which the sponsor affirmed. In a later answer, the sponsor attributed that estimate to UGA Extension in 2020. Members described damage to crops, native wildlife nests and sea turtle nests. One member said their family farm faced recurring damage and removal costs. The sponsor said rapid reproduction made established populations difficult to eliminate and clarified that the bill concerned feral hogs, not pets or farm-raised hogs. The House passed the bill. The chair announced one opposing vote, but the spoken affirmative count is unclear.
Senate Natural Resources and the Environment Committee, March 2, 2026
From 0:17:44 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said constituents’ requests to locate feral hogs with drones exposed a legal restriction that DNR wanted corrected. The sponsor said HB 946 would remove hunting restrictions, allow shooting from motorized vehicles, including helicopters, and permit personal drones to locate hogs on private property, not federal land or wildlife management areas. Asked about weapons on drones, the sponsor confirmed drones could only locate animals. The sponsor cited a 2020 UGA Extension estimate of $150 million in annual damage and said conversations suggested $200 million to $250 million was more accurate. A committee member said some southwest Georgia farmers had replanted three times because of hog damage. Members asked about expanding the proposal to coyotes and armadillos. A DNR wildlife official said drones could help locate coyotes and that broader invasive-species language could cover additional animals. The official said armadillos already could be taken year-round without limits and questioned drones’ usefulness for finding them. The sponsor welcomed adding coyotes. Rather than adopt an amendment, the chair asked the sponsor and DNR to refine the language, consider other damaging invasive species, and return. No vote was taken.
Senate Natural Resources and the Environment Committee, March 17, 2026
From 0:54:10 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: Returning after an earlier hearing, the sponsor said HB 946 would remove several restrictions on hunting feral hogs. The sponsor said no license would be required, shooting from a motor vehicle would be allowed, and personal drones could be used on personal property to locate hogs for removal. The sponsor explained that members had previously asked about expanding the bill to other species, but the Department of Natural Resources preferred keeping it limited to feral hogs because of differences among species. The sponsor suggested broader changes could be considered in a later year. The chair also reported agency concerns about expanding the bill and supported leaving it unchanged. No public testimony was given, and the committee approved the bill unanimously.
Senate Rules Committee, March 19, 2026
From 0:34:02 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the bill would remove restrictions on hunting and killing feral hogs and allow private drones on private property to locate them. The sponsor cited a 2020 University of Georgia Extension estimate of $150 million in annual damage, while saying others believed losses were closer to $250 million. Asked whether drones could shoot hogs, the sponsor clarified that the bill allowed locating hogs, not arming drones. The sponsor said the Department of Natural Resources supported the proposal. The committee later unanimously included it in the floor calendar.
Senate floor session, March 20, 2026 (legislative day 35)
From 4:10:33 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Third Read)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HB 946 would allow drones to locate feral hogs so hunters could reduce damage to farms and other private property. The clerk also described hunting and trapping changes and repeal of wildlife-control permit provisions for feral hogs. No substantive questions or opposing speeches followed. The Senate passed the bill 46-0.
- Read aloud: House floor session, January 13, 2026 (legislative day 2), 0:48:53
- Read aloud: House floor session, January 14, 2026 (legislative day 3), 0:53:22
- Read aloud: House floor session, January 29, 2026 (legislative day 9), 1:02:47
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, February 4, 2026 (legislative day 12), 0:24:33
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 18, 2026 (legislative day 33), 0:32:42
- Read aloud: Senate floor session, March 19, 2026 (legislative day 34), 0:44:09
Status timeline
- Effective Date
- Act 479
- House Date Signed by Governor (House)
- House Sent to Governor (House)
- Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Third Read (Senate)
- Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
- Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
Show full history (15 actions)
- Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
- House Passed/Adopted (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Rob Clifton (R, HD-131)
- Trey Rhodes (R, HD-124)
- Jason Ridley (R, HD-6)
- Trey Kelley (R, HD-16)
- Chas Cannon (R, HD-172)
- Clint Crowe (R, HD-118)
- Lee Anderson (R, SD-24)
Votes
- House voteFebruary 3, 2026
163 yea, 1 nay (4 not voting, 9 excused)
- Senate voteMarch 20, 2026
46 yea, 0 nay (0 not voting, 8 excused)
Topics
- feral hogs
- hunting laws
- wildlife management
- drone use
- agricultural pest control