Feral hogs and hog hunting in Georgia

Feral hogs in Georgia: where they are

Feral hogs are a statewide problem in Georgia. Outdoor Life's coverage of the 2026 hog law put the population at about 600,000 wild hogs in all 159 counties and agricultural damage at more than $150 million a year. With hogs in every county, they turn up everywhere from the row-crop farms of the coastal plain to the Piedmont pastures outside Atlanta and the hardwood hollows of the North Georgia mountains.

The Legislature responded in 2026. HB 946, sponsored by Rep. Rob Clifton of Evans, passed the Senate 46–0 and was signed by Governor Brian Kemp. It removed several hurdles for landowners and trappers (details below). During the same session, the House's budget proposal set aside money for a feral hog eradication incentive program and a state-run management pilot. Check with the Georgia Department of Agriculture for what was funded in the final budget.

Georgia DNR's Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) lists feral hogs as a non-native species with no limit and no closed season. The Georgia Department of Agriculture regulates live hogs. Releasing a trapped or transported hog into an area that isn't fenced to hold it is a misdemeanor under the Feral Hog Control Act, because every illegal release seeds a new sounder somewhere else.

If you're wondering whether a "wild boar in Georgia" is a different animal from a feral hog, it isn't. Our guide to wild boar vs. feral hog explains why.

Feral hog status	Est. ~600,000 in all 159 counties (2026 reporting)
Season / bag limit	No closed season, no limit (Georgia DNR WRD)
Hunting license	Required, except on your own private land
Trapping license	Not required on private land if hogs are killed upon capture (HB 946, 2026)
Drones	May be used to locate hogs; armed drones prohibited (HB 946)
Night hunting	Check with Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division
Live transport	Only with a Georgia Dept. of Agriculture feral hog transport permit

Hog hunting and trapping rules in Georgia

As of 2026, hog hunting in Georgia is split between two agencies. Georgia DNR's Wildlife Resources Division handles hunting and trapping, and the Georgia Department of Agriculture regulates moving and holding live hogs.

What HB 946 changed

According to reporting on the bill, Georgia's 2026 hog law: - lets you trap feral hogs without a hunting or trapping license, provided the hogs are killed upon capture (trapping previously required a commercial or landowner license); - allows drones to locate feral hogs on your property, while armed drones stay illegal; - allows hog hunting from motor vehicles on private land.

Hunting

Residents and nonresidents still need a Georgia hunting license to hunt hogs, except when hunting their own private land. There's no closed season and no bag limit. We couldn't confirm Georgia's current night-hunting and baiting rules for hogs against an official source, so check the current Georgia Hunting Regulations or call WRD before you hunt after dark. Wildlife management areas set their own hog dates and methods, so read each WMA's listing before you go.

Moving live hogs

Under O.C.G.A. § 2-7-201, you may not transport a live feral hog without a feral hog transport permit from the Georgia Department of Agriculture, carried on you. The department says permitted hogs can go only to an approved slaughter facility, a licensed Feral Hog Facility, or premises for immediate personal consumption, unless the state veterinarian grants a written exemption before transport. Permit holders must keep records of every hog moved, and the annual permit fee is $15.

If you're setting traps under the new law, our trapping guide covers corral traps that catch a whole sounder at once, so you're not educating the survivors.

Cooking wild hog, Georgia style

In Georgia, barbecue usually means pulled pork with a bowl of Brunswick stew on the side. That's the thick tomato stew of smoked meat, corn and butter beans that Georgia (and Virginia) both claim as their own. Wild boar makes a deeper-flavored version.

Smoke a shoulder roast over hickory until it passes 160°F (71°C) and shreds easily. Pull half for sandwiches with a tangy tomato-vinegar sauce. For the stew, chop the rest and add it to a pot of stew meat browned first for body. Wild hog is lean, so stir a spoonful of bacon fat or butter into the stew, and wrap the shoulder once the bark sets. Leftover pulled boar freezes well for game-day sliders.

Wild boar meat delivery to Georgia

We ship wild boar from our plant in Hubbard, Texas to every part of Georgia — frozen, vacuum sealed and packed with dry ice. Estimated transit: 3 days by ground; 2-day air recommended (estimate), including Atlanta, Columbus, Augusta, Macon and Savannah. Orders over $199.00 ship free; smaller orders ship for a flat $39.95.

Transit is an estimate from Hubbard, TX; actual carrier times vary by ZIP code.

Feral hogs in Georgia: FAQ

Sources

1. Outdoor Life — Georgia legalizes drones for wild hogs (HB 946)
2. Capitol Beat — Feral hogs can't catch a break in Georgia (March 2026)
3. Georgia Department of Agriculture — Feral hogs
4. O.C.G.A. § 2-7-201 — Transport of live feral hogs; permit required
5. Georgia HB 475 (2015), Feral Hog Control Act — enrolled text
6. Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division — Non-native & invasive species
7. USDA APHIS — Feral swine distribution maps

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