Deer hunters are finding it a little harder these days to kill their game. Their competition: coyotes.

They’ve been killing young deer across the state. It kept a lot of hunters from scoring a kill.

And this year’s hunting season is just getting started.

“Hunting season is already open in Georgia. Archery season came in mid-September,” said Lindsay Thomas Jr., Director of Communications for the Quality Deer Management Association.

But starting this weekend, hunters can use muzzle-loading rifles instead of just a bow and arrow. They’re single-shot guns, and other rifles will become eligible starting on the 19th.

“When deer hunters talk about ‘opening day’ they’re generally talking about the opening day of gun season,” said Thomas. 

We won’t know until the end of the hunting season if the coyotes are still causing problems. According to the 20-13 stats released by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the number of deer kills is down seven percent.

But the number of bucks killed is actually higher, and the number of hunters in Georgia is up nearly 20%.

Thomas told me that for now he thinks we may be getting back to normal. 

There’s plenty of time to get a hunting license if you want to join in. Visit www.gohuntgeorgia.com for more information.