Starting this month, Georgia residents who have a boat registered with the state can fish on their birthday and for two days after as part of their boat registration fee.

It’s a three-day  bonus for the state’s some 300,000 resident boat owners. This offer from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources also covers use of some DNR shooting ranges, plus some other sporting privileges. To take advantage of it, boat owners just have to get outdoors. 

Whether its bream fishing on a family ski trip to Lake Oconee, bass fishing at Paradise Public Fishing Area, birding at Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area or shooting at the Yuchi WMA range, you can join more than 2.75 million Georgians who fish, hunt, shoot or take part in other wildlife-related recreation.

The birthday bonus is a three-day resident combination license that not only allows Georgians 16 and older who own a vessel and have a valid, current registration to fish in fresh and saltwater for three consecutive days (starting on their birthday), it covers many other recreational opportunities. These include fishing at public fishing areas, accessing state lands where a Georgia Outdoor Recreational Pass is otherwise required, hunting small game and feral hogs on private land, and using shooting ranges where a WMA stamp or GORP is needed. 

The license is good for the primary boat owner’s birthday during the three years the boat registration is valid. 

Boat owners must carry a Georgia ID, such as a driver’s license, and their plastic vessel registration card to show proof of a valid vessel registration. Activities like trout fishing, big-game hunting and hunting on WMAs require additional paid licenses. Saltwater fishing and migratory bird hunting require additional permits, which are free. Learn more at www.georgiawildlife.com/licenses-permits-passes. 

For more information, go to http://georgiawildlife.com/node/3383