Small Game Hunting and Trapping

Small Game and Furbearer Hunting Season Dates & Regulations

All hunting seasons are closed unless opened by specific Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission proclamations. The possession limit is twice the daily bag limit, except for migratory game birds and except on opening day. Dogs allowed for hunting all small game species, except on specific WMAs where indicated. General Hunting Regulations apply. Opossum can be taken during the raccoon hunting season. For purposes of determination of bag limit, night is defined as one 24-hour period commencing at sunset.

Season Dates

SPECIES	OPENING DATE	CLOSING DATE	DAILY BAG
Squirrel	Aug. 22, 2026	March 15, 2027	10
Spring Squirrel 2026	May 7, 2026 May 8, 2027	June 14, 2026 June 13, 2027	10
Rabbit	Nov. 7, 2026	Feb. 28, 2027	5
Grouse	Oct. 10, 2026	Feb. 28, 2027	3
Quail*	Nov. 7, 2026	Feb. 28, 2027	6
Beaver	year-round		None
Coyote	year-round		None
Coyote Night Season	Sunset Jun. 6, 2026 Sunset Jan 16, 2027 Sunset June 5, 2027	Sunrise Aug. 9, 2026 Sunrise March 14, 2027 Sunrise August 8, 2027	None
Groundhog	year-round		None
Striped Skunk	year-round		None
Armadillo	year-round		None
Fox	Nov. 20, 2026	Feb. 28, 2027	None
Mink	Nov. 20, 2026	Feb. 28, 2027	None
Muskrat	Nov. 20, 2026	Feb. 28, 2027	None
Otter**	Nov. 20, 2026	Feb. 28, 2027	None
Least Weasel	Nov. 20, 2026	Feb. 28, 2027	None
Raccoon Private Lands Only	Year-round		4
Raccoon Taking Season	Sunset Sept. 18, 2026	Sunrise Mar. 15, 2027	4
Opossum Private Lands Only	Year-round		4
Opossum Taking Season	Sunset Sept. 18, 2026	Sunrise Mar. 15, 2027	4
Bobcat * Private Lands Only**	Sept. 26, 2026	Nov. 19, 2026	1
Bobcat*** Statewide	Nov. 20, 2026	Feb. 28, 2027	1
Bobcat Night Private Lands Only	Sunset Jun. 6, 2026 Sunset Jan 16, 2027 Sunset June 5, 2027	Sunrise Aug. 9, 2026 Sunrise March 14, 2027 Sunrise August 8, 2027	1
Bullfrog	year-round	Except state lakes*****	20

* Quail season is November 1, 2026 – January 15, 2027 on wildlife management areas unless otherwise noted.

** All river otters harvested must be tagged with Tennessee U. S. CITES tags. Contact your regional TWRA office for instructions.

*** Bobcat pelts must be tagged with Tennessee U.S. CITES tags before being exported from the U. S. Contact your regional TWRA office for instructions.

**** Bobcats may be harvested with firearms, muzzleloader, or archery during deer season including during the young sportsman deer hunts. Weapons should match the open deer season weapon.

***** Bullfrog season is June 1–30 on TWRA-managed lakes. Firearms are prohibited, but airguns are permitted. No WMA permit is required.

Private Land Season - Open year-round. Bag limit is 4 per person per night. Refer to specific WMA listings for raccoon and opossum hunting seasons.

Trapping Season Dates & Regulations

Trapping Season Dates

SPECIES	OPENING DATE	CLOSING DATE	DAILY BAG
Beaver	year-round		None
Coyote	year-round		None
Groundhog	year-round		None
Opossum	year-round		None
Striped Skunk	year-round		None
Raccoon	year-round		None
Fox	Nov. 20, 2026	Feb. 28, 2027	None
Mink	Nov. 20, 2026	Feb. 28, 2027	None
Muskrat	Nov. 20, 2026	Feb. 28, 2027	None
Otter*	Nov. 20, 2026	Feb. 28, 2027	None
Least Weasel	Nov. 20, 2026	Feb. 28, 2027	None
Bobcat**	Nov. 20, 2026	Feb. 28, 2027	Day - None

When trapping on another's property, the trapper must carry on his or her person written permission from the landowner, and make a written report to the owner of any domestic animal caught and pay damages for those animals.

Furbearer species in Tennessee include:

Beaver, Coyote, Groundhog, Bobcat*, Fox**, Mink, Muskrat, Opossum, Otter***, Raccoon, Spotted Skunk, Striped Skunk, and Weasel.

*Bobcat pelts must be tagged with Tennessee U.S. CITES tags in order to be exported from the U.S. Contact your TWRA regional office for instructions.

**Exceptions to the statewide fox season are:

Benton - unlawful to take or kill red foxes

Dyer, Lauderdale, Smith, and Wilson - open year-round to hunting and trapping red and gray foxes

***All river otters harvested must be tagged by a harvester with Tennessee US CITES tags. Contact your TWRA regional office for instructions.

* All river otters harvested must be tagged with Tennessee U. S. CITES tags. Contact your regional TWRA office for instructions.

** Bobcat pelts must be tagged with Tennessee U.S. CITES tags before being exported from the U. S. Contact your regional TWRA office for instructions.

Hunter Education Licensing

Coyote and Bobcat Night Hunting Season Regulations

Private land only, requires landowner permission (written, text, or email).
Shotgun only, no single projectile. Buck shot and smaller shot allowed.
Spotlights, night vision, and thermal imaging devices allowed. Lights cannot be from or attached to a motorized vehicle or cast from a public road.
One bobcat per night, no limit on coyotes.
Hunting with dogs prohibited.

Dog Training

General

Training of bird dogs and squirrel dogs is permitted year-round on private lands, during daylight hours only.
Training of rabbit dogs is permitted year-round on private lands day and night.
The chasing of foxes with hounds is permitted year-round, day and night.
A hunting license is required while training dogs except when a person is competing in recognized field trials.
When training on a WMA, a small game permit is required. Refer to specific WMA listings for dog training seasons.
See bear regulations for bear dog training.
The taking of animals during dog training is prohibited.

Raccoon Dog Training

Year-round on private lands. Refer to specific WMA listings for WMA raccoon dog training seasons. The taking of animals during dog training is prohibited.

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