Deer Archery Hunting Season Set to Open

NASHVILLE --- The 2014 deer archery-only hunting season opens statewide in Tennessee on Saturday, Sept. 27. The archery season dates in all three of the state’s deer hunting units are the same. The dates are Sept. 27-Oct. 24 and Oct. 27-Nov. 7.

Tennessee is divided into three deer units for better management, A, B, and L. The antlerless deer bag limits are four in Units A and B deer management areas and three per day in Unit L areas. The antlered deer bag limit is a total of three for the entire deer season. A hunter may take his three antlered deer during any season, but no more than one per day.

In addition to deer, archers may harvest wild turkeys of either sex during the archery-only deer season in counties that have a fall turkey hunt. Turkeys harvested during the archery-only deer season count toward the fall turkey county bag limits. (A list of counties and their bag limits are located on page 34 of the 2014-15 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide).

The TWRA makes the recommendation that all archery hunters obtain a 2014 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide. The guide lists the counties and bag limits for each of the different deer management units. The guides are available where hunting and fishing licenses are sold and on the TWRA website, www.tnwildlife.org.

During the opening weekend of the 2013 deer archery-only season, 3,076 were harvested. Recent opening weekend totals have been 3,128 in 2012, 2,811 in 2011 and 2,404 in 2010. 

Hunters are reminded that they must possess the appropriate licenses and permits. Any hunter born on or after Jan. 1, 1969 is required to carry proof of satisfactory completion of a hunter education class or be in possession of the Apprentice Hunting License (along with other required licenses), while hunting any species in Tennessee. 

---TWRA---