Tennessee Bear Season Dates, Regulations, and Information

Submission of a tooth from harvested bears is now mandatory.  Learn More.

• Bear limit: One (1) bear either sex per license year.
• 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 of either sex.
• Cubs or female bears with cubs at the 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.

Legal Hunting Equipment

See General Hunting Regulation

Bear Dog Training Season

The following bear hunt zones (BHZ’s) are open for a bear dog training season during daylight hours only. No bears may be taken or attempted to be taken and no bait may be utilized. (Bear reserves closed to dog training):

• BHZ1 and BHZ2: Aug. 20, 2022- Sept. 25, 2022
• BHZ3: Sept. 7 - 16, 2022
• BHZ 4 and Transitional: Closed.
• North Cherokee: Sept. 6, 2022 - Oct. 1, 2022
• South Cherokee: Sept. 7 - 16, 2022

Bear Zones

For the purpose of these hunting regulations and better wildlife management, the State of Tennessee is hereby divided into five (5) bear hunt zones (BHZ’s) as follows:

BHZ1: Carter, Cocke (North of I-40), Greene, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, & Washington counties.
BHZ2: Blount, Cocke (South of I-40), Jefferson (East of Hwy 411), Sevier counties.
BHZ3: McMinn (East of Hwy 411), Monroe, Polk counties, excluding South Cherokee WMA.
BHZ4: Anderson (west of I-75 and north of Old Lake City Hwy and north of Dutch Valley Rd.), Campbell (north of Hwy 63 and west of I-75), Claiborne (west of 25E and north of Hwy 63), Cumberland, Fentress, Morgan, Overton (east of Hwy 111) Pickett, Putnam (east of Hwy 111), Scott, Van Buren (east of Hwy 111), White (east of Hwy 111) counties.
Transitional: Anderson (east of I-75 and south of Old Lake City Hwy and south of Dutch Valley Rd.), Bradley, Campbell (south of Hwy 63 and east of I-75), Claiborne (east of 25E and south of Hwy 63), Grundy, Marion, Hamblen, Hamilton, Hancock, Hawkins, Grainger, Jefferson (west of Hwy 411), Knox, Loudon, McMinn (West of Hwy 411), Sequatchie, Union counties.

Andrew Johnson Bear Reserve

The Cherokee Wildlife Management Area and private inholdings lying southwest of Hwy. 70 east of Hwy. 107 and north of Hwy's. 25-70.

Kettlefoot Bear Reserve

The Cherokee Wildlife Management Area and private inholdings lying north of Hwy. 421, east of South Holston Lake, south of the Tennessee-Virginia state line, and west of Hwy. 91.

Laurel Fork Bear Reserve

The Cherokee Wildlife Management Area and private inholdings lying south of Hwy. 321, west of Poga Road, west of the Tennessee-North Carolina state line, and north or Hwy. 19E.

Unicoi Bear Reserve

The Cherokee Wildlife Management Area lying west of U.S. Hwy. 23, and the Devils Fork Road, north of the Tennessee/North Carolina state line, east of the Horse Creek Road to Hwy. 107 and south of Hwy. 107 to Erwin.

Ocoee Bear Reserve

The Cherokee Wildlife Management Area and private inhodings bounded on the north by the Ocoee Lake and Ocoee River, on the south by the Tennessee/Georgia state line and on the east and west by the National Forest Boundary.

Tellico Bear Reserve

The Cherokee Wildlife Management Area in Monroe County that lies north of the Tellico-Robbinsville Road, east of Forest Service Road 35, south of the Forest Service Road 26 and west of the ridge running from Farr Gap through Little Fodderstack to Big Fodderstack and following the North Carolina state line to the  Tellico-Robbinsville Road.