Regulations & Hunting with CWD

CWD Hunting Regulations 

However, the fight against CWD remains a top priority and additional harvest opportunities are still available in all CWD positive counties. Please refer to the Management & Incentive Programs webpage for more information on these opportunities. CWD positive counties include Carroll, Chester, Crockett, Decatur, Dickson, Dyer, Fayette, Gibson, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Humphreys, Lauderdale, Lewis, Madison, McNairy, Shelby, Tipton, Wayne, Weakley, and Williamson Counties.

Carcass transportation restrictions will apply within the CWD Management Zone.  

CWD Management Zone For Carcass Transport Regulations

Deer Baiting and Wildlife Feeding

Deer baiting and wildlife feeding is not allowed within the CWD Management Zone or in a CWD-positive county (not allowed in Benton, Carroll, Chester, Crockett, Decatur, Dickson, Dyer, Fayette, Gibson, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Humphreys, Lake, Lauderdale, Lewis, Madison, McNairy, Obion, Shelby, Tipton, Wayne, Weakley, and Williamson Counties).

Deer Bait Privilege License

This license (available August 1, 2026, on GoOutDoorsTennessee.com) allows hunting over bait only for white-tailed deer on privately owned or leased properties.  It must be purchased annually by any individual hunting over bait. There will be no exemption for any hunter regardless of age or licenses exempt status.

Bait Type Specifics

• Allowed: Corn, wheat, grains, natural food substances, or any product exclusively produced or marketed for feeding deer.
• Not allowed: Any processed foods or enhanced/modified products not categorized above (Ex: sugar, honey, syrups, pastries, candies, peanut butter, etc.).
• Scented sprays, powders and salt blocks are not considered bait.

Baiting Methods

• Properties five (5) acres or less can only have one (1) bait site.
• Larger properties can have one (1) bait site per five (5) acres and must be at least 500 yards apart.
• No more than five (5) gallons or twenty-five (25) pounds of bait may be available for consumption at a single bait site during a 24-hour period.
• No open trough style feeders can be used.
• Bait shall be scattered across the ground and not piled.

Other Considerations

• Baiting is prohibited on all public lands, private inholdings bound on all sides by WMAs or PHAs, and within the proclaimed No Feeding Zone in Gatlinburg.
• No other big game species can be harvested within two hundred fifty (250) yards of a bait site. The same applies to deer if you did not purchase a baiting license.
• If baiting creates a public safety concern by concentrating and/or habituating wildlife, the agency can revoke a license.
• Baiting licenses will be valid for the duration of the deer season, even if a new county becomes CWD-positive during the deer season.
• Hunting over normal agricultural practices or wildlife food plots is not considered baiting.

Baiting Considerations and Best Practices

The unnatural congregation of animals through baiting or feeding can have several unintended consequences.

Feeding or baiting can also attract non-target species, causing nuisance issues. Higher raccoon concentrations around bait sites can increase predation risk of nearby turkey nests. Where present, feral hogs can outcompete deer for feed and degrade local habitat. Black bears are actively expanding across the state and will also be attracted to deer bait sites. Unfortunately, this often results in damage to feeders, trail cameras, and blinds. Some hunters may even “discover” that they also have feral hogs and bears in the area once they begin baiting.

Higher rates of direct contact between animals and soil contamination around bait sites increase the risk of disease transmission. This should be strongly considered regarding the spread of chronic wasting disease in deer. Bait sites can also propagate the spread of other diseases, such as bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis, which can be transmitted to humans, livestock, and pets.

Feed quality should also be considered, as grains can be contaminated by a fungus byproduct called aflatoxins, which can be harmful or lethal to wildlife. Wild turkey poults and bobwhite quail are particularly at risk. Grains, especially corn, stored for an extended period or piled in warm, moist conditions, can produce high concentrations of these toxins.

Some use artificial feed during the winter to try to supplement deer nutrition. However, a sudden shift to a high-carb diet, such as grain feed, during this time of year can disrupt their digestive system and cause fatal acidosis.

Responsible baiting practices:

• Regularly clean feeders by removing old food and wiping with a bleach solution.
• Avoid storing feed for extended periods.
• Keep feed as dry as possible and replace it if there is any moisture.
• Avoid placing feed/bait during warm and moist environmental conditions.
• Utilize spread-type feeders.
• Reduce the length of time bait/feed is on the landscape.
• Only use USDA-approved feed that has been tested for aflatoxins. Feed found unfit for livestock due to high levels of aflatoxins is often advertised for wildlife use.
• Do not use grains that are clumping, damaged, or have visible molds.
• Stop baiting or feeding if you see sick or oddly behaving wildlife.

CWD Wildlife Feeding Restrictions

Within the CWD Management Zone and any other CWD-positive county, there can be no placement of grain, salt products, minerals, or other consumable natural and manufactured products for general wildlife consumption unless feed and minerals are:

• Placed within one hundred (100) feet of any residence or occupied building.
• Placed in such a manner to reasonably exclude access by deer.
• Placed as part of a wild hog management effort authorized by the agency.
• Present from normal agricultural practices, normal forest management practices, or crop and wildlife food production practices.

Hunting over feed is not allowed under any of these circumstances.

Urine Lure Restriction

The use or possession of natural cervid urine while hunting is prohibited unless the product is clearly labeled bearing certification from the manufacturer that the urine was produced in a facility that:

• Complies with a federal or a federally approved chronic wasting disease herd certification program and any federal chronic wasting disease protocols and record requirements;
• Does not allow the importation of live cervids;
• Requires that all cervids exported from the facility be tested for chronic wasting disease upon death and the results are reported to the facility;
• Is inspected annually by an accredited veterinarian, including inspection of the herd and applicable records; and
• Maintains a fence at least 8 feet high around the facility and, if the facility is located within 30 miles of a confirmed positive occurrence of chronic wasting disease, is double fenced     to prevent direct contact between captive and wild cervids.
• Requires an accredited veterinarian to conduct a 100% herd inspection at a minimum of every 3 years: and
• Prior to distribution, tests each lot/batch of cervid collected urine used in a scent product via the Real Time Quaking Induced Conversion (RT-QulC) assay for the presence of     Chronic Wasting disease prions.

Important Safety Guidelines

Limit Your Exposure to CWD

There is no scientific evidence that CWD can be naturally transmitted to humans. However, as a general precaution, TWRA refers to the guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which advises hunters to take the following precautions when handling and processing deer or elk in areas known to have CWD. 

• Avoid sick animals. Do not shoot, handle, or consume any animal that appears sick; contact your local wildlife agency personnel.
• Have your animal processed in the area in which it was harvested so high-risk parts can be disposed of properly.
• Wear rubber/latex gloves when field-dressing carcasses.
• Minimize handling of the brain, spinal cord, eyes, spleen, tonsils, and lymph nodes of any deer or elk. Normal field dressing coupled with boning out a carcass will remove most, if not all, of these body parts. Cutting away all fatty tissue will remove the remaining lymph nodes.
• Thoroughly wash hands. Knives and other tools should be washed with warm soapy water to completely remove all visible debris and fat/grease before sanitizing. Sanitize tools by soaking them in a solution of 50 percent household bleach with 50 percent water for 20 minutes. Thoroughly rinse the bleach off. Let air dry.
• While transporting, store all portions of the animal in a container such as a cooler, bin, or bag that will not leak fluids into the environment.
• In CWD affected counties, have your animal tested and do not consume animals that test positive for CWD.

Read more about preventing exposure to CWD through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CWD webpage.

Hunting with CWD Videos