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Tennessee Hunting Seasons Summary

Please refer to the 2019-20 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide for 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.

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

DEER

Statewide bag limit: 2 antlered deer. No more than 1 per day. See the 2019-20 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide for deer units, county listings, and the new definition of antlered deer.

A                  Aug. 23-25: Private land, antlered deer only | Sep. 28 - Oct. 25, Oct. 28 - Nov. 8: Antlerless bag | Units A, B, C, D=4; Unit L=3/day, no season limit.

G/M/A        Young Sportsman (ages 6-16) | Oct. 26-27, Jan. 11-12, 2020: Antlerless bag: Units A, B, C, D=2; Unit L=3/day

M/A            Nov. 9-22: Antlerless bag. Units A, B=2; Units C, D=1; Unit L=3/day

G/M/A        Nov. 23 - Jan. 5, 2020 Antlerless bag: Unit A=2; Unit B=1; Unit L=3/day; Unit C=1 (Nov. 23 - Dec. 8 only); Unit D=1 (Nov. 23-29 only)

G/M/A        Unit L - private lands - Jan. 6-10, 2020: Antlerless only: 3/day, no antlered deer

Unit CWD Deer

Season Type Season Dates Equipment Antlered Bag Limit Antlerless Bag Limit
AugustA Aug. 23 – 25 Muzzleloader, Archery Statewide limit of 2 0
Young Sportsman Oct. 26 – 27 Gun, Muzzleloader, Archery 3/Day (no season limit)
Jan. 11 – 12
Archery Sept. 28 – Oct. 25 Archery
MuzzleloaderB Oct. 28 – Nov. 8 Muzzleloader, Archery
GunC Nov. 9 – Jan. 5 Gun, Muzzleloader, Archery
Unit CWD Private Lands Hunt Jan. 6 – 10 Gun, Muzzleloader, Archery

A.  Private lands and the following public lands may be hunted during the August season:

  1.  Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park and State Natural Area;
  2.  Eagle Lake Refuge;
  3.  Wolf River Wildlife Management Area and Ghost River State Natural Area;
  4.  Chickasaw State Forest Wildlife Management Area;
  5.  Gray’s Creek Wildlife Management Area;
  6.  Oak Dain Portion of Whiteville Lake State Fishing Area;
  7.  Big Hill Pond State Park
  8.  Tull Bottom Wildlife Management Area;
  9.  South Fork Refuge;
  10.  Spring Creek Wildlife Management Area;
  11.  Colonel Forest V Durand Wildlife Management Area;
  12.  Fort Ridge Wildlife Management Area; and
  13. Lower Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge (the portion lying within Tipton County).

B Any deer taken in Chester, Haywood, Madison, McNairy, Shelby, or Tipton County on the first weekend of the Muzzleloader season must be checked in at a physical check station. Locations found at CWDinTN.com.

C Any deer taken in Chester, Haywood, Madison, McNairy, Shelby, or Tipton County on the opening weekend of the Gun season must be checked in at a physical check station. Locations found at CWDinTN.com.

D The statewide bag limit of two (2) antlered deer may be exceeded within Unit CWD if:

  1.  Taken under the Earn-A-Buck Program; or
  2.  Taken under the Replacement Buck Program.

 

ELK (QUOTA HUNT)

A                  Sep. 28 - Oct. 4: 7 permits, 1 antlered elk/permit

G/M/A        Young Sportsman (resident only, ages 13-16) Oct. 5-11: 1 permit for 1 antlered elk

G/M/A        Oct. 12-18: 7 permits, 1 antlered elk/permit

BLACK BEAR

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

A                  No dogs: Sep. 28 - Oct. 25, 2019; Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, Transitional

G/M/A        Dogs allowed: Oct. 12-18 Zone 2

G/M/A        Dogs allowed: Oct. 5-13 Zone 3

G/M/A        Dogs allowed: Oct. 5-7, 12-13 Zone 1

G/M/A        No dogs, Young Sportsman (ages 6-16): Oct. 26-27 Zones 1, 2, 3

G/M/A        Dogs allowed: Oct. 28 - Nov. 1 Zones 1, 2, 3

G/M/A        No dogs: Nov. 23-26 Zones 1, 2, 3

G/M/A        Dogs allowed: Dec. 2-15 Zone 3

G/M/A        Dogs allowed: Dec. 2-21 Zone 1

G/M/A        Dogs allowed: Dec. 2-26 Zone 2

G/M/A        Dogs allowed: Dec. 26-29 Zone 3

FALL TURKEY

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

A            Sep. 28 - Oct. 25 | Oct. 28 - Nov. 8

S            Oct. 12-25

SPRING TURKEY

S/A                Young Sportsman (ages 6-16): Mar. 28-29, 2020 Daily bag: 1 bearded bird per day. Counts toward spring season bag of four (4).

S/A                April 4 - May 17, 2020: Bag limit: 4 bearded birds. No more than 1 per day.

GAME BIRDS

Grouse            Oct. 12 - Feb. 29, 2020: Daily bag 3

Quail                Nov. 2 - Feb. 29, 2020: Daily bag 6

MIGRATORY BIRDS

Mourning Dove                Sep. 1-28: Daily bag 15 | Oct. 12 - Nov. 3: Daily bag 15 |  Dec. 8 - Jan. 15, 2019: Daily bag 15

Woodcock                          Nov. 9 - Dec. 1: Daily bag 3 | Jan. 10 - Jan. 31: Daily bag 3

Snipe                                    Nov. 14 - Feb. 28, 2020: Daily bag 8

Canada Goose                  Sep. 1-22: Daily bag 5

Wood Duck/Teal              Sep. 14-18: Daily bag 6, not to exceed 2 wood ducks/day

Teal-only                            Sep. 19-22: Daily bag 6

Ducks, Coots, and Mergansers - Bag limit is 6 ducks per day. Reelfoot Zone Nov. 9-10 | Dec. 5 - Jan. 31, 2020

Statewide Zone              Nov. 29- Dec. 2 | Dec. 7 - Jan. 31, 2020

Young Sportsman          Feb. 1 and Feb. 8, 2020: All zones, ages 15 and under

See the 2019-20 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide for more information on these seasons, as well as sandhill crane and other goose seasons.

SMALL GAME

Squirrel                 Aug. 24 - Feb. 29: Daily bag 10 | May 9 - Jun. 14: Daily bag 10

Rabbit                   Nov. 2 - Feb. 29: Daily bag 5

Private Land Season:  Sunset July 1 - Sunset Sep. 18: Nightly bag 1. Closed in Scott, Morgan, Roane, Rhea, Hamilton, and all other counties east of those counties.

Statewide Season:  Sunrise Sep. 19 - Sunrise Feb. 29, 2020: 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