Lick Creek Bottoms WMA - Joachim Bible Refuge

Greene County • 1,400 acres

Nontoxic shot approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is required for small game (including dove) hunting.

Same as statewide seasons, except as noted. All small game hunting and dog training (excluding raccoon and opossum) closes at 4 p.m. 500 square inches of blaze orange required by small game hunters during big game muzzleloader and gun hunts (excluding spring turkey).

 Quail - Open to training only. Training open only during the statewide quail season.

 Rabbit Dog Training - Oct. 1 - Oct. 31.

 Dove - Sept. 1 youth/adult only, Sept. 2 isyouth/adult only until noon, beginning at noonthe field is open to all hunters for the remainderof the season.

Entire Mohawk dove field is non-toxic shot.

Early Waterfowl Seasons Wood Duck/Teal, Teal Only, Canada Goose

Same as statewide seasons.

Late Waterfowl Seasons South Mohawk, Skinner, and Foxgate Units:

Open only on Tuesdays and Saturdays as well as the closing day of the season. Hunting closes at noon. Waterfowl hunting will be allocated by hand-held bi-weekly drawings. Every other Saturday, a hand-held drawing will be conducted at 1 p.m. to determine the following two weeks Tuesdays and Saturdays hunters. The final drawing of the season will also include closing day. The drawing will be held at the Joachim Bible Refuge Maintenance Facility and hunters must be present and have all applicable licenses/permits to enter drawing. Hunting will only be allowed from designated staked positions and/or pools. Hunters drawn may bring up to 3 guests. Note: Drawn hunter must accompany these guests. After the youth/veteran waterfowl seasons, goose seasons to coincide with statewide seasons. No stake/pool restrictions or drawings.

During the late waterfowl seasons, access to the South Mohawk, Skinner, and Foxgate Units is restricted to hunters actively pursuing game and any waterfowl hunters possessing a valid permit for an upcoming waterfowl hunt. Permits are valid from the issue date until the end of the waterfowl hunt listed on the permit. Drawn waterfowl hunters must have their permit in their possession when scouting/hunting. During big game muzzleloader/gun hunts, all scouting hunters must wear 500 square inches of blaze orange on the body and head.

Goose season is closed on the area at the end of late waterfowl season. Goose season is open to youth/veteran only during the youth waterfowl seasons. Goose season is open to adults after the youth/veteran waterfowl seasons.

Remainder of Area: Same as statewide seasons. No staked positions/pools.

Youth Waterfowl Hunt

Closes each day at sunset.

South Mohawk, Skinner, and Foxgate Units: Same as statewide dates. First come first serve at designated stakes and pools as posted.

Remainder of Area: Same as statewide seasons. No staked positions/pools.

For all seasons, no permanent blinds. All decoys, temporary blinds, blind materials and boats must be removed at the end of legal hunting hours.

Joachim Bible Waterfowl Refuge Unit

(that portion of Lick Creek Bottoms WMA between Murray Bridge Road, Bibles Chapel Road, and South Mohawk Road)

Closed to all forms of use and trespass from Nov. 15 - last day of Feb. except in designated observation areas. Closed to waterfowl hunting.

Same as statewide, except as noted. All small game hunting and dog training (excluding raccoon/ opossum) closes at 4 p.m. Closed to quail hunting. Nontoxic shot approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service required for small game (including dove) hunting as posted. All small game hunting is Adult/Youth only. Youths must be accompanied by a licensed adult who may also hunt.

 Dove - Sept. 2 youth/adult only the entire season.

 Rabbit - Nov. 1–14. Bag limit 2 rabbits/day.

 Dog training - Rabbit and Quail - Oct. 1 - 31. All other: March 1 - Oct. 31.

Site Description: Lick Creek Bottoms (1044 acres)/Joachim Bible Refuge (470 acres) is 1,514 acres in western Greene County owned and managed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.  It lies along Lick Creek a few miles southwest of Mohawk and features old fields, moistsoils, wetlands, and thickets managed primarily for small game and waterfowl.

Lick Creek Bottoms is part of The Blue Ridge Conservation Opportunity Area (COA)

Wildlife to Watch: For the birdwatcher Lick Creek Bottoms is one of the best places in east Tennessee area from fall through spring for a large variety of hawks, sparrows, neotropical migrants and, depending on water conditions, waterfowl, wading birds and shorebirds. Examples of some of the species known to exist at Lick Creek Bottoms: Accipiter straitus (Sharp-shinned Hawk), Ammodramus savannarum (Grass. Sparrow), Ardea alba (Great Egret), Asio flammeus (Short-eared Owl), Calidris himantopus (Stilt Sandpiper), Calidris mauri (Western Sandpiper), Caprimulgus carolinensis (Chuck-will's-widow), Caprimulgus vociferus (Whip-poor-will), Certhia americana (Brown Creeper), Circus cyaneus (Northern Harrier), Coccyzus americanus (Yellow-billed Cuckoo), Contopus virens (Eastern Wood-pewee), Dendroica discolor (Prairie Warbler), Egretta caerulea (Little Blue Heron), Empidonax minimus (Least Flycatcher), Empidonax traillii( Willow Flycatcher). Icterus spurius (Orchard Oriole), Lanius ludovicianus (Loggerhead Shrike), Melanerpes erythrocephalus  (R.h. Woodpecker), Oporornis formosus (Kentucky Warbler), Protonotaria citrea (Prothonotary Warbler), Spiza americana (Dickcissel), Troglodytes troglodytes (Winter Wren), Tyto alba (Barn Owl), Vireo griseus (White-eyed Vireo)

The majority of Tennessee's ducks and geese have been found here in winter, along with Bald Eagles

Note: Please refer to TWRA Hunting Guide about hunting seasons and public access dates.