Overview
Known For
Tennessee is known for having world-record whitetail deer. The non-typical whitetail record (47-point, 312-inch) and a unique 191-inch “velvet” buck were both harvested in Tennessee. In addition to whitetail deer, hunters can pursue elk, bear, waterfowl, and various small game.
Terrain
Tennessee’s terrain varies from the Appalachian Mountains in the east, with more than a dozen peaks higher than 6,000 feet, to the flat, fertile plains along the Mississippi River on the western edge of the state. Near the middle is the Cumberland Plateau, made of river valleys and small rolling hills. Much of the land in Tennessee is used for agricultural purposes.
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Tennessee Hunting Seasons
Tennessee Hunting Regulations
Bear
Legal Bear Hunting Equipment
Shotguns (including muzzleloading shotguns) using ammunition loaded with single solid ball or slugs. Rifles and handguns using centerfire ammunition (full metal jacketed ammunition prohibited). Muzzleloading firearms (rifles and handguns) .36 cal. or larger. Pre-charged pneumatic gun which shoots an arrow (special conditions apply). Archery equipment (longbows, recurves, compounds, and crossbows).
Legal Bear
The bear bag limit for any person participating in the statewide or Bear Party-Dog hunt or both shall not exceed one bear per license year. This bear may be either sex.
- Cubs or female bears with cubs at side may not be taken at any time. A cub is defined as a bear weighing 75 pounds or less.
- Bears may be whole or field dressed but must weigh 75 pounds or greater when checked in.
- If bears are quartered or boned out, the total of the meat, hide, etc. must equal or exceed 75 pounds.
Bag Limit
Bear limit: One (1) bear either sex per year
Big Game
Fluorescent Orange
Hunters must wear on the upper portion of their body and head a minimum of 500 square inches of daylight fluorescent or- ange (blaze orange), visible front and back while hunting big game except on archery-only and turkey hunts. A hat and vest fulfills requirements. Blaze orange camo is legal if it contains 500 square inches of fluorescent orange. In those areas where the archery-only deer season dates overlap with another big game gun season (i.e., bear) archers are required to wear 500 square inches of daylight fluorescent orange. Fluorescent orange is required during the August Hunt in Unit CWD.
Hunting Hours
Legal hunting hours are one half-hour before legal sunrise to one half-hour after legal sunset.
Deer
Legal Deer Hunting Equipment
Shotguns (including muzzleloading shotguns) using ammunition loaded with single solid ball or slugs. Rifles and handguns using centerfire ammunition (full metal jacketed ammunition prohibited). Muzzleloading firearms (rifles and handguns) .36 cal. or larger. Pre-charged pneumatic gun which shoots an arrow (special conditions apply). Archery equipment (longbows, recurves, compounds, and crossbows). Muzzleloading firearms are defined as those firearms in which a projectile (rifle) or projectiles (shotgun) must be loaded from the muzzle (front) end of the barrel and the firearm being of design and manufacture that prevents the projectile(s) from being loaded from the breech (rear) end.
Antlered Bag Limits
Antlered Bag Limit: Units A, B, C, D, L – Two (2) antlered deer (one per day, not to exceed 2 for the season). The bag limit of two (2) antlered deer may be exceeded if taken as a bonus deer, Unit CWD – Three (3) antlered deer (one per day, not to exceed 3 for the season). The bag limit of three (3) may be exceeded if taken under the Earn-A-Buck Program in Unit CWD, or if taken as a Replacement Buck
Elk
Legal Elk Hunting Equipment
Shotguns (including muzzleloading shotguns) using ammunition loaded with single solid ball or slugs. Rifles and handguns using centerfire ammunition (full metal jacketed ammunition prohibited). Muzzleloading firearms (rifles and handguns) .36 cal. or larger. Pre-charged pneumatic gun which shoots an arrow (special conditions apply). Archery equipment (longbows, recurves, compounds, and crossbows).
Elk Quota Hunts
Elk harvest is regulated by a quota permit system. The application period for the elk quota hunts is June 15 – July 27, 2022. Applications available at TWRA license agents and online. Fifteen (15) quota permits will be issued in 2022. Each permit holder will be allocated an Elk Hunt Zone (EHZs). One (1) of fifteen (15) quota permits will be issued to a qualifying non-profit wildlife conservation organization with all proceeds benefiting the TWRA’s Habitat Management Program. The permit will be available through an online raffle. To purchase tickets for the raffle, visit the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation website at www.twrf.net. Another one (1) of the fifteen (15) quota permits will be issued to a resident Young Sportsman, who is able to hunt all open EHZs. A Young Sportsman quota permit holder may hunt any EHZ designated open by the TWRA and private lands in designated open counties. Elk permits are valid for designated EHZs on North Cumberland WMA and on private lands in Anderson, Campbell, Claiborne, Morgan and Scott counties. All public land other than North Cumberland WMA is closed to elk hunting. It is the responsibility of elk permit holders to obtain verbal or written permission to hunt on private property. TWRA does not guarantee hunter access on private lands. Landowners are not exempted from this permit requirement and must be drawn for a quota permit to hunt.
Incidental Take of Elk
A legal deer hunter may harvest an elk (either sex) incidental to deer hunting on all private and public lands open to deer hunting except for public and private lands located in Anderson, Campbell, Claiborne, Scott, and Morgan counties and except for Big South Fork River and Recreation Area, Scott State Forest, and Obed National Scenic River Corridor. Only one elk per year may be harvested incidental to legal deer hunting. Elk harvested via incidental take must be reported to the TWRA on the day of harvest by calling 1-800-831-1174 to allow physical checking by TWRA personnel.
Bag Limit
1 antlered elk per permit
Migratory Birds
Snipe – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 8
Rails (Virgina & Sora) – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 25
Crow – Bag Limit
No Limit
Gallinule and Moorhen – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 15
Woodcock – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 3
Doves – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 15
Plugged Shotguns
No person shall hunt migratory game birds, except crows, with a shotgun of any description capable of holding more than three (3) shells, unless it is plugged with a one-piece filler, incapable of removal without disassembling the gun, so its total capacity does not exceed three (3) shells.
Firearms, Hunting Device, and Ammunition
Shotguns (including muzzleloading shotguns) using ammunition loaded with Number Four (4) or smaller shot. Shotguns (including muzzleloading shotguns) using ammunition loaded with T shot (0.20 inch diameter) or smaller. Archery equipment (longbows, recurves, compounds, and crossbows). Waterfowl and sandhill cranes may only be hunted with non-toxic shot of T size or smaller.
Hunting Hours
Crows, doves, ducks, geese, gallinules, rails, turkey, woodcock, and snipe: Shooting hours are one-half hour before legal sunrise to legal sunset, except for dove hunting on opening day when shooting hours will begin at noon.
Small Game
Grouse – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 3
Bullfrog – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 20
Bobcat – Bag Limit
No Bag Limit
Opposum Taking Season – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 4
Opposum Private Lands Only – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 2
Raccoon Taking Season – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 4
Raccoon On Private Lands Only – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit:2
Hunting Hours
Hunting of bullfrogs, raccoons, opossums, the chasing of foxes and rabbits, and the trapping of furbearers is permitted day or night unless restricted by Proclamation. No foxes or rabbits may be shot while chasing/training at night. For all other game species except those listed below, legal hunting hours are one half-hour before legal sunrise to one half-hour after legal sunset. Crows, doves, ducks, geese, gallinules, rails, turkey, woodcock, and snipe: Shooting hours are one-half hour before legal sunrise to legal sunset, except for dove hunting on opening day when shooting hours will begin at noon.
Legal Hunting Equipment
FURBEARER & CROWS:
- Shotguns (including muzzleloading shotguns) using ammunition loaded with Number Four (4) or smaller shot.
- Shotguns (including muzzleloading shotguns) using ammunition loaded with T shot (0.20 inch diameter) or smaller
- Shotguns (including muzzleloading shotguns) using ammunition loaded with single solid ball or slugs
- Rifles and handguns using rimfire ammunition and air guns (.25 caliber or smaller) Rifles and handguns using centerfire ammunition
- (full metal jacketed ammunition prohibited)
- Muzzleloading firearms (rifles and handguns) .36 cal. or larger
- Muzzleloading firearms (rifles and handguns) less than .36 cal. Air guns .35 cal. or larger // Pre-charged pneumatic gun which shoots an arrow (special conditions apply)
- Archery equipment (longbows, recurves, compounds, and crossbows)
ALL OTHER SMALL GAME:
- Shotguns (including muzzleloading shotguns) using ammunition loaded with Number Four (4) or smaller shot
- Rifles and handguns using rimfire ammunition and air guns (.25 caliber or smaller)
- Muzzleloading firearms (rifles and handguns) .36 cal. or larger
- Muzzleloading firearms (rifles and handguns) less than .36 cal
- Archery equipment (longbows, recurves, compounds, and crossbows)
Squirrel & Spring Squirrel – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 10
Rabbit – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 5
Beaver, Coyote, Groundhog, Striped, Skunk, Armadillo, Fox, Mink, Muskrat, Otter, Spotted Skunk, Weasel – Bag Limit
No Bag Limit
Quail – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 6
Beaver – Bag Limit
No Bag Limit
Turkey
Fall Turkey
Open in all counties, except Bledsoe, Bradley, Crockett, Dyer, Giles, Haywood, Lake, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lincoln, Loudon, McMinn, Monroe, Polk, Shelby, Tipton, Unicoi, and Wayne counties are closed to all fall turkey hunting. During the fall turkey seasons a turkey hunter may not be in possession of both archery equipment and shotguns and/or rifles. Any turkey harvested dur- ing the fall season counts toward the county bag limit of one (1). Hunters may hunt in any county they have not filled their fall bag limit.
Legal Turkey Hunting Equipment
- Shotguns using ammunition with No. 4 shot or smaller. No restriction on number of rounds in the magazine.
- Archery equipment (longbows, recurve bows, compound bows, and crossbows).
- Sighting devices including scopes are legal. Night vision, infrared, and other devices using artificial light to locate wildlife are illegal.
- A pre-charged pneumatic gun (Airbow) which shoots an arrow is legal for all hunters to use during statewide turkey gun seasons.
Spring Turkey
Bag limit for spring turkeys is One (1) bearded turkey per day, not to exceed two (2) per season, only one can be a jake. An adult gobbler is defined by having one of the following: wing feathers have white barring all the way to the tip, tail feathers are the same length, beard is longer than 6 inches, or a spur is at least 1/2 inch long. All counties are open to spring turkey seasons, however there are some exceptions on public land. The new Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) Unit consists of Dyer, Lake, Lauderdale, Shelby and Tipton Counties.
Waterfowl
Light Goose Conservation Season (Blue, Snow & Ross’s Geese) – Bag Limit
No limit. The following provisions apply during the Light Goose Conservation Season only:
Unplugged shotguns, electronic calls, shooting from 30 minutes before official sunrise until 30 minutes after official sunset. A free Light Goose Conservation Season Permit is required to hunt during the Conservation Season, available at GoOutdoorsTennessee.com. Hunting is allowed from 30 minutes before official sunrise until 30 minutes after official sunset. There is no daily bag or possession limit. No Federal or state waterfowl stamps are required to hunt during the Conservation Season. Hunters must possess a TN Light Goose Conservation Season Permit and have a valid hunting license, but the license may be from any state. A post-season survey is required.
Brant – Bag Limit
Daily bag limit: 1
White-Fronted Geese – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 3
Canada Geese – Bag Limit
5 in Sept. 3 in all other Phases
Merganser – Bag Limit
5 (only 2 of which may be hooded mergansers)
Coot – Bag Limit
15 a day.
Sandhill Crane – Bag Limit
The daily bag, season bag, and possession limit for sandhill cranes is based on the number of tags awarded to an individual.
Duck – Bag Limit
The daily bag limit of ducks is 6 birds/day which may include no more than 4 mallards (no more than 2 of which may be a female), 3 wood ducks, 2 canvasbacks, 2 redheads, 2 black ducks, 1 pintail, and 1 mottled duck. The daily bag limit for scaup is 1 scaup from Nov. 26-27 and Dec. 5-17 then 2 scaup from Dec. 18 to Jan. 31.
Plugged Shotguns
No person shall hunt migratory game birds, except crows, with a shotgun of any description capable of holding more than three (3) shells, unless it is plugged with a one-piece filler, incapable of removal without disassembling the gun, so its total capacity does not exceed three (3) shells.
Legal Shot
All federally approved non-toxic shot (bismuth-tin, steel, tungsten-bronze, tungsten-iron, tungsten-matrix, tungsten-nickel-iron, tungsten-polymer, tungsten-tin-bismuth or tungsten-tin-iron-nickel) are legal for waterfowl and sandhill crane hunting. A complete list is available at www.FWS.gov/birds/ bird-enthusiasts/hunting/nontoxic.php Possession or use of any loose shot other than non-toxic shot or any shotgun shells other than non-toxic while hunting waterfowl, sandhill cranes, coots, gallinules, Virginia rails and sora rails is prohibited.
Legal Waterfowl Hunting Equipment
Shotguns (including muzzleloading shotguns) using ammunition loaded with Number Four (4) or smaller shot. Shotguns (including muzzleloading shotguns) using ammunition loaded with T shot (0.20 inch diameter) or smaller. Archery equipment (longbows, recurves, compounds, and crossbows). Waterfowl and sandhill cranes may only be hunted with non-toxic shot of T size or smaller.
Hunting Hours
Crows, doves, ducks, geese, gallinules, rails, turkey, woodcock, and snipe: Shooting hours are one-half hour before legal sunrise to legal sunset, except for dove hunting on opening day when shooting hours will begin at noon.
Blue, Snow, and Ross’s Geese (Light Geese) – Bag Limit
Daily Bag Limit: 20
*Season dates and regulation data provided by 
Tennessee Licenses, Permits, and Regulations
Tennessee hunting licenses, permits, and regulations for resident and non-resident hunters can be purchased on the official website of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Click below to view the website.
Hunting GPS Maps
Every Tennessee hunter should have hunting GPS maps on hand. Tennessee hunting maps are available from onX Hunt. With a paid membership you can access Satellite, Topo, or Hybrid Basemaps, over which you can view maps of hunting units, along with State, Forest Service, and other public and private property boundaries. You can view trails and roads, and even download maps to the Hunt App for use offline. Click below to get onX Hunt for Tennessee.
Wildlife Management Units and Hunting Zones
Tennessee is broken into six different deer hunting units, including Unit A, Unit B, Unit C, Unit D, Unit L, and the CWD Unit in the lower western portion of the state. Each unit allows for the harvest of either two or three antlered whitetail bucks per season. Click below to view Tennessee’s hunting units in more detail through an interactive map.
Hunting Layers
TN Private Lands
Over 2,900,000 parcels mapped by the onX team, this layer helps you know who the property owners are in Tennessee. Tap any parcel to learn more info about the owner and acreage.
TN Gov Lands
onX has the most accurate maps of Gov Lands, covering over 2,700,000 acres in Tennessee. Not all Gov Lands offer access opportunities, check regulations before recreating.
TN Possible Access
onX has mapped 630,000 acres of possible access lands in Tennessee including timber companies and land conservation groups. Research rules on these private lands before recreating.
TN Game Mgmt Units
Tennessee Game Management Units
Includes 2 Sublayers
- Deer Mgmt Units
- Elk Hunt Zones
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