Quota Hunts
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency realizes that in some areas of Tennessee, the number of hunters needs to be restricted so as not to cause a major impact on the resource. In these areas, the Agency utilizes a quota hunt system. There are bear, deer, elk, sandhill crane, turkey, and waterfowl hunts.
QUOTA HUNT APPLICATIONS can be submitted or viewed in the following ways (applications cannot be accepted by mail)
You can log in to the quota hunt module to apply for a quota hunt. You will also be able to edit a quota hunt application that you have submitted up until the deadline for that hunt. You will be able to see members who are in your quota hunt party.
Transaction ID numbers are issued for all transactions that are completed in the REAL system. That number is your assurance that your application has been accepted into the system. If you have a valid email address on your account, an email is sent immediately after your transaction is complete. If you do not have a valid email address, you can screenshot the "CHECKOUT COMPLETE" page to retain your Transaction ID number or you may click the "Print Application" button located in the top, right corner of the page. If you have questions about your quota hunt application, you MUST have your Transaction ID number.
You will also be able to see the results of your quota hunt drawing as soon as we finish the drawing validation process and release the results to the public. ALL from your customer account.
Tennessee has a priority point system in place for several of its quota hunts. An applicant is awarded one point for each year he/she applies and is not drawn. Each point system is unique and separate for the different quota hunts, i.e., WMA Big Game, Spring Turkey, WMA, etc. Applicants with the highest priority are more likely to be drawn first.
General Application Information Needed
- A $12 application fee and a vendor fee, which varies based on method of submission, is assessed to each application, except for individuals possessing a valid Annual, Lifetime or Senior Sportsman License or anyone applying for the Season Long Waterfowl hunt. Application fees are non-refundable. Receipt and deposit of application fees does not constitute permission to participate in the hunt.
- Verify that all the information on your application is accurate prior to submission.
- Ensure that you have a valid and accurate email address on your GoOutdoorsTennessee.com account. A receipt, which serves as proof of application and hunt choices, will be sent to the email address on your account.
- Once your application is complete, you may review your application (including party members) by logging into your GoOutdoorsTennessee.com account. Applications may be edited until the deadline.
- No applications will be accepted or edited after the deadline.
- No person may apply for a particular quota hunt more than once. Any person violating this regulation is subject to having their permit and/or hunting privileges revoked and may be subject to prosecution.
- Permits are not transferable.
Creating or Joining a Party
- For quota hunts that allow parties:
- Certain quota hunts have party minimums to be considered in the drawing. Please check the requirements for the quota hunt you are applying for in the above table.
- A party must be established by an applicant that acts as the party leader. The party leader selects the hunt choices for the party and ranks them in the order of their preference.
- A party number will be assigned to the party leader once their application has been submitted. The party number can be found on the party leader’s receipt or on their GoOutdoorsTennessee.com account.
- The party leader must share their party number with the applicants they want to join their party. The party members must select the “join a party” option on their application and input the leader’s party number to join their party.
- Party members must join before the application deadline
Priority Points
- Certain quota hunts utilize priority points and have different ways of applying priority points within a party. Please check the above table for the quota hunt you are applying for.
- Point-only applications can only be submitted individually (no parties). Applicants who submit a point-only application will be awarded one priority point after the drawing is finalized, which will be added to their current priority points for that specific quota hunt.
- Applicants cannot submit a point-only application and an application to enter the drawing in the same year.
- If you are successfully drawn, then your priority points will reset to zero.
- Leftover permits do not affect your priority point totals.
- If you apply for a quota hunt that uses priority points and you are unsuccessful, a priority point will automatically be applied to your current total for that quota hunt once the drawing is finalized.
- If a party is unsuccessful, each member’s individual priority total will increase by one.
Drawing Information
All applications are assigned a unique random number by the drawing system. If a quota hunt utilizes priority points, the applications are automatically sorted by priority point groups, from highest to lowest. The lowest random number in the highest priority point group is selected first for review, then each subsequent random number in that priority point group is selected before the program moves to the next priority point group. If the quota hunt does not use priority points, the lowest random number is selected first for review, then each subsequent random number is selected. When an application is selected for review, the hunt choices are compared, in the order they were ranked on the application, to the remaining quota for that hunt; if there is quota available, the application is awarded the hunt. If there is no quota remaining for any of the hunt choices selected on the application when it is reviewed, then the application is unsuccessful. If one member of a party is drawn for a hunt, then the entire party is drawn.
For hunts with multiple drawings, if quota remains for any hunt at the conclusion of the drawing, a vacancy drawing will be conducted using the applicants who chose two drawings. Priority is not considered in the vacancy drawing. The lottery program considers random numbers, from lowest to highest, in the vacancy drawing. The process for reviewing applications is the same as for the regular drawing.
Claiming a Permit
For all the waterfowl quota hunts (Season Long, Early, Mid, Late, and Youth/Military), you are required to claim your permit after the drawing is finalized if you intend to hunt. If no one in a party claims their permit, then that site will go into a leftover drawing. For claim permit dates, please check the WMA Waterfowl Hunts page or the TWRA Hunting Guide.
