---
title: O.C.G.A. § 27-3-12. Unlawful substances and equipment; computer assisted remote hunting prohibited.
collection: code
id: 27-3-12
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 27-3-12 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/27-3-12
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/27-3-12.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/27-3-12/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t27-t30-(v22)-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=3d92bb7f_0#page=65
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/27-3.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/27-3-11.md
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: GAME AND FISH / WILDLIFE GENERALLY / HUNTING / GENERAL PROVISIONS
extraction_warnings:
  - dehyphenation_unverified:explo-sives
---

# O.C.G.A. § 27-3-12. Unlawful substances and equipment; computer assisted remote hunting prohibited.

(a) It shall be unlawful to hunt any wild animal, game animal, or game bird by means of drugs, poisons, chemicals, smoke, gas, explosives, or recorded calls or sounds including, but not limited to, electronically imitated or amplified calls or sounds, except that bobcat and fox may be hunted using recorded calls or sounds. It shall also be unlawful to use electronic communications equipment for the purpose of facilitating pursuit of any wild animal, game bird, or game animal.

(b)(1) As used in this subsection, the term “computer assisted remote hunting” means the use of a computer or other device, equipment, hardware, or software to control remotely the aiming and discharge of a firearm or other weapon so as to allow a person not holding that firearm or other weapon to hunt or shoot a wild animal or any wildlife.

(2) It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, partnership, or association to engage in computer assisted remote hunting or provide or operate a facility that allows others to engage in computer assisted remote hunting if the wild animal or wildlife being hunted or shot is located in this state.

(3)(A) Any person violating the provisions of this subsection shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less than $1,000.00 and not more than $5,000.00, imprisonment for a term not to exceed 12 months, or both such fine and imprisonment.

(B) Any equipment used or intended for use in a violation of this Code section, excluding motor vehicles, is declared to be contraband and shall be forfeited in accordance with the procedures set forth in Chapter 16 of Title 9.

(C) The hunting and fishing privileges of any person convicted of violating this subsection shall be suspended for three years.

## History

Ga. L. 1911, p. 137, § 17; Code 1933, § 45-322; Ga. L. 1949, p. 1005, § 1; Ga. L. 1952, p. 362, § 1; Ga. L. 1955, p. 483, § 62; Ga. L. 1968, p. 497, § 20; Code 1933, § 45-510, enacted by Ga. L. 1977, p. 396, § 1; Ga. L. 1978, p. 816, § 44; Ga. L. 2006, p. 226, § 3/HB 338; Ga. L. 2015, p. 693, § 3-18/HB 233; Ga. L. 2024, p. 429, § 4/HB 244, effective July 1, 2024.

## Editor's Notes

Ga. L. 2024, p. 429, § 11/HB 244, not codified by the General Assembly, provides that, for purposes of promulgating rules and regulations, the amendment to subsection (a) became effective April 25, 2024.

## Amendments

The 2024 amendment, effective July 1, 2024, in subsection (a), inserted “or” preceding “recorded calls” and substituted “including, but not limited to, electronically imitated or amplified calls or sounds, except that bobcat and fox may be hunted using recorded calls or sounds” for “, or recorded and electronically imitated or amplified sounds or calls”. See Editor’s notes for applicability.