NASHVILLE --- Tennessee residents will be able to hunt without a license on Saturday, Aug. 22, which also marks the opening day of squirrel season. Free Hunting Day is an annual event provided by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) in hopes of increasing interest in hunting.
NASHVILLE --- The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission will return to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s Region II Ray Bell Building in Nashville for its Aug. 20-21 meeting. The committee meetings begin Thursday, Aug. 20, at 1 p.m., with full Commission proceedings continuing Friday at 9 a.m. To watch both days of the meeting, visit the TWRA YouTube Channel.
NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is announcing that leftover permits will be available for the 2026 Wildlife Management Area (WMA) big game fall quota hunts and season-long waterfowl blind permits.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is temporarily closing the access road leading into the Forks of the River Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and the Will Skelton Greenway beginning at sunset on Sunday, Aug. 16. This closure is necessary to repair several potholes and reinforce the roadway, which has experienced heavy year round use.
NASHVILLE --- The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is reminding Tennesseans and visitors to take part in the 2026 wild turkey summer observation survey. The survey is open to the public and continues through Aug 31.
NASHVILLE --- The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is finalizing a process to develop a statewide Black Bass Management Plan and is inviting the public to provide input on the Tennessee Black Bass Management Plan. This plan builds on the work of previous plans and incorporates all stakeholders' values. The Tennessee Black Bass Management Plan is designed to provide broad guidance on policies for addressing the complex management challenges and issues related to producing desirable bass fishing experiences in Tennessee.
NASHVILLE --- The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is seeking fields to lease for the upcoming 2026 dove hunting season. The first segment of dove season opens at noon on Tuesday, Sept. 1.
NASHVILLE --- The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) and Campbell County have completed the installation of a new courtesy dock at the Davis Cemetery Access Area. The partnership is the conclusion of a project that has been in the works for several years.
NEWPORT, Tenn. — Rankin Access Area on the French Broad River is temporarily closed while crews repair the parking lot. Repairs are expected to continue through Aug. 7, weather permitting.
CAMPBELL COUNTY, Tenn. — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) has reopened a section of Flatwoods Road on North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area (NCWMA) following repairs to a washed-out culvert near the Thirteen Hollow trailhead.
NASHVILLE — Chris Wood, Program Director of the Center for Avian Population Studies at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Director of eBird, has been selected as the keynote speaker for the 2026 Tennessee Biodiversity Summit. Over the past two decades, Chris has helped build eBird into one of the world's largest biodiversity data resources, with more than two billion bird observations contributed by over one million participants worldwide.
NASHVILLE --- The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation (TWRF) has compiled outstanding prize packages for its annual Wildlife Conservation Raffle. This year’s raffle has increased from 10 to 15 packages. The TWRF is a partner of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) and proceeds from the raffle fund important conservation projects such as public land acquisition and habitat management.
NASHVILLE — The new Deer Bait Privilege License will be available on GoOutdoorsTennessee.com and in the TWRA On the Go App, starting July 22, 2026. The cost will be $50 for a resident of Tennessee and $100 for a non-resident. Public Chapter No. 444, allowing hunting over bait for white-tailed deer, was initiated by the General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Bill Lee in the 2025 Legislative Session.
NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is seeking public comments on the 2027-28 fishing regulations. This comment period, open from Wednesday, July 15, through Thursday, August 16, 2026, allows anglers and stakeholders to share feedback and suggestions with TWRA staff. Proposed regulation changes will be presented at the December meeting of the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission (TFWC).
FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) has reopened the public access area on the Elk River where the former Harms Mill Dam once stood.