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Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Seasons Dates

Please refer to the 2020-21 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide for the latest detailed hunting dates, bag limits, zones, units, and required licenses and/or permits.   Check out our Google calendar for season dates that you can add to your personal calendar. Below you will find a season summary so you can start planning your hunting trips.  

G = Gun • M = Muzzleloader • A = Archery • S = Shotgun

Antlered Statewide Bag Limit: Two (2) antlered deer (one per day, not to exceed 2 for the license year). The statewide bag limit of two (2) antlered deer may be exceeded if taken as a bonus deer, if taken under the Earn-A-Buck Program in Unit CWD, or if taken as a Replacement Buck. 

An Antlered Deer is a male or female deer with at least one (1) antler that is a minimum of three (3) inches in length.  An Antlerless deer is a male or female deer with no antlers or with antlers that are less than three (3) inches in length. 

Season Type

Antlered Deer

Antlerless Bag Limits

Units A, B, C, and D

Unit L

Unit CWD

Unit A

Unit B

Unit C

Unit D

Unit L

Unit CWD

August1

Aug. 27 – 29, 2021

Closed

Archery (A)

Sep 25 - Oct 29, 2021, and Nov. 1 – 5, 2021

4

4

4

4

3/day

Young Sportsman2 (G/M/A)

Oct. 30 – 31, 2021, & Jan. 8 – 9, 2022

2

2

2

2

3/day

Muzzleloader/Archery (M/A)

Nov. 6 – 19, 2021

none3

2

2

1

1

3/day

Gun/Muzzleloader/Archery (G/M/A)4

Nov. 20, 2021 – Jan. 2, 2022

Nov. 6, 2021 – Jan. 2, 2022

2

1

1
(Nov. 20 – Dec. 5, 2021, only)

1
(Nov. 20 – Dec.. 6, 2021 only)

3/day

Private Lands Only5
(G/M/A)4

Closed

Jan. 3 – 7, 2022

Closed

3/day

1 Private lands only and archery only, except in Unit CWD where guns and muzzleloaders are allowed and select public lands are additionally open for hunting. See Region 1 WMA regulations to see which public lands are open during this hunt. Fluorescent orange required in Unit CWD.

2 Youths 6-16 years of age may participate. Participating youth can use gun, muzzleloader, and archery equipment (G/M/A). Young sportsmen must be accompanied by a nonhunting adult, 21 years of age or older, who must remain in a position to take immediate control of the hunting device and who must also comply with fluorescent orange regulations, as specified for legal hunters. Multiple youths may be accompanied by a single qualifying adult Antlerless bag limits for Units A, B, C and D are not to exceed a total of 2 antlerless deer for the four days combined.

3 Unit CWD begins gun season (G/M/A) on Nov. 7 and therefore does not have a muzzleloader only (M/A) season.

4 A Type 094 permit is required to hunt antlerless deer during this season except for landowners hunting under the landowner exemption (as described in T.C.A. 70-2-204) and Sportsman License holders. A Type 094 permit is required for all ages.

5 Hunting is allowed on all privately owned lands in Unit L and Unit CWD (including leased land and lands owned by individuals). It is the responsibility of all hunters to obtain verbal or written permission to hunt on privately owned lands. No public lands or WMAs are open during this period. No antlered deer may be taken during this period in Unit L. Antlered deer may be taken during this period in Unit CWD (statewide bag limit still applies).

ELK   (QUOTA HUNT)

A                  Sep. 25 - Oct. 1, 2021; 7 permits, 1 antlered elk/permit

G/M/A        Young Sportsman (resident only, ages 13-16) Oct. 2 - 8, 2021; 1 permits for 1 antlered elk

G/M/A        Oct. 9 - 15, 2021; 7 permits, 1 antlered elk/permit

Black Bear

Bag limit: 1 per license year. Cubs under 75 lbs. are prohibited.

A                 No dogs: Sep. 25 - Oct. 22, 2021

                    Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, Transitional

G/M/A        Dogs allowed: Oct. 9 - 12, 2021 & Oct. 15 - 17, 2021         Zone 2

G/M/A        Dogs allowed: Oct. 2 - 3, 2021 & Oct. 9 - 15, 2021              Zone 3

G/M/A        Dogs allowed: Oct. 2 - 4, 2021 & Oct. 9 - 10, 2021              Zone 1

G/M/A       No dogs, Young Sportsman

                    (ages 6-16): Oct. 30 - 31, 2021                                                 Zones 1, 2, 3

G/M/A        Dogs allowed: Nov. 1 - 5, 2021                                                Zones 2, 3

G/M/A        Dogs allowed: Nov. 8 - 15, 2021                                              Zone   1

G/M/A        No dogs: Nov. 20 - 23, 2021                                                     Zones 1, 2, 3

G/M/A        Dogs allowed: Nov. 29 - Dec. 12, 2021                                 Zone 3

G/M/A        Dogs allowed: Nov. 29 - Dec. 15, 2021                                 Zone 1

G/M/A        Dogs allowed: Nov. 29 - Dec. 23, 2021                                 Zone 2

G/M/A        Dogs allowed: Dec. 30, 2021 - Jan 2, 2022                          Zone 3

 

FALL TURKEY

Bag Limit: 1 bearded turkey, per county, only in counties open to fall turkey hunting.  

A            Sep. 25 - Oct. 29, 2021, Nov. 1 - Nov. 5, 2021

S            Oct. 16-29, 2021

SPRING TURKEY

S/A                Young Sportsman (ages 6-16): Mar. 27-28, 2021* Daily bag: 1 bearded bird per day. Counts toward spring season bag of three (3).

S/A                April 3 - May 16, 2021*: Bag limit: 3 bearded birds. No more than 1 per day.

*Some west and southern middle Tennessee counties have shortened seasons and reduced bag limits. See the Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide for more information.

GAME BIRDS

Grouse            Oct. 8, 2021 - Feb. 28, 2022: Daily bag 3

Quail                Nov. 5, 2021 - Feb. 28, 2022: Daily bag 6

MIGRATORY BIRDS

Mourning Dove                Sep. 1-28, 2021: Daily bag 15 | Oct. 9 - Nov. 1, 2021: Daily bag 15 | Dec. 8, 2021 - Jan. 15, 2022: Daily bag 15

Woodcock                          Nov. 14 - Dec. 5, 2021: Daily bag 3 | Jan. 10 - Jan. 31, 2022: Daily bag 3

Snipe                                    Nov. 14, 2021- Feb. 28, 2022: Daily bag 8

Canada Goose                  Sep. 1-20, 2021: Daily bag 5

Wood Duck/Teal              Sep. 11-15, 2021: Daily bag 6, not to exceed 2 wood ducks/day

Teal-only                            Sep. 16-19, 2021: Daily bag 6

Ducks, Coots, and Mergansers - Bag limit is 6 ducks per day.

Reelfoot Zone                   Nov. 13-14, 2021 Nove 27-28, 2021

Statewide Zone               Dec 4, 2021 -Jan 20, 2022

Young Sportsman          Feb. 5, 2022, and Feb. 12, 2022: All zones, ages 16 and under

See the Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide for more information on these seasons, as well as sandhill crane and other goose seasons.

SMALL GAME

Squirrel                Aug. 28, 2021 - Feb. 28, 2022, Daily bag 10

Spring Squirrel  May 13, 2021 - June 12, 2021, Daily bag 10

Rabbit                   Nov.  5, 2021 - Feb. 28, 2022, Daily bag 5

Bullfrog                 Year-round (except on TWRA Managed Lakes June 1-30 2021, 20 per person per night

RACOON

Private Land                Sunset July 1, 2021 - Sunrise Sep. 17, 2022, Nightly Season bag 1.  Closed in Scott, Morgan, Roane, Rhea, Hamilton, and all other counties east of those counties.

Statewide Season      Sunset Sep. 17, 2021 - Sunrise Feb. 28, 2021: Nightly bag: 2

Training Season         Year-round, except where prohibited by local ordinances. No, take permitted.

 

Download a PDF copy of the Hunting Season Summary