Outreach and Education
Fishing, Hunting, Boating, and Wildlife Educational Resources
Outdoor Skills Program for Women
The weekend-long event is held once a year. A registration link will be added to the event calendar in the spring of each year. Registration for the workshop is on a first-come, first-served basis. However, two weeks' priority will be given to first-time participants. The cost of the workshop will include meals and camping.
For additional information, contact Daniel Musselwhite at Daniel.P.Musselwhite@tn.gov
TWRA Hunting Education Courses and Certification
Tennessee’s Hunter Education courses work. Since 1975, when a formal hunter education program was introduced, the number of hunting and firearm-related accidents in Tennessee has declined dramatically. We know that Tennessee’s Hunter Education programs have reduced hunting accidents and saved lives.
Tennessee Code Annotated 70-2-108 became law in 1985 and states: (a) Every person born on or after January 1, 1969, before hunting, shall possess, in addition to all other licenses and permits required, proof of satisfactory completion of an agency-approved hunter education course. Those under 10 years of age do not need a Hunter Education certificate but must be accompanied by an adult at least 21 years of age, who must remain in a position to take immediate control of the hunting device.
Many states require hunter education certification regardless of age. Parents who do not wish to become certified typically find the class to be both informative and enjoyable.
Shooting Ranges and Hunter Education Centers
TWRA offers several shooting ranges and hunter education centers throughout the state for public use. In addition, we partner with federal and other archery ranges. Make sure to check with each range and center to see what is offered and what permits you need.
Tennessee Wildlife Federation’s Hunting and Fishing Academy
Tennessee Wildlife Federation’s Hunting and Fishing Academy provides hands-on instruction in the art of being an outdoorsman to hunters and anglers of all ages, races, and genders. No matter your skill level or phase of life,
Hunting and Fishing Academy has a way for you to get outside with confidence. Never hunted or fished before? No problem. The Academy’s highly trained, lifelong sportsmen and women lead participants through essential skills, giving them all of the basic skills and knowledge needed to go out again on their own.
The TWRA offers many resources to learn how to fish the waters available in Tennessee. You can take advantage of our agents vast knowledge as well. If you see an officer in the field, feel free to stop and chat about how the fishing is going or to ask any questions.
Tennessee has one of the most diverse assemblages of fish in North America, with at least 320 species. 285 species are considered native to Tennessee, such as invasive carp. The non-native species found in Tennessee were either intentionally introduced for food, bait, sport fishing, vegetation control, or accidentally introduced by an angler’s bait bucket release, boat and trailer, aquarium release, or movement from surrounding states.
The waters of Tennessee offer opportunities for anglers of all ages, experience, and interests. A place to fish is just a stone's throw away, with 29 major reservoirs, 19,000 miles of warm and cold water streams, and thousands of smaller lakes and ponds, so all anglers in the Volunteer State have places to wet a line year-round. The TWRA has a state access map to get you started.
If practicing catch and release, follow these steps to ensure the best chance of survival:
- Land the fish as quickly as possible. Do not play the fish to exhaustion.
- Use shallow landing net with soft, knotless mesh or rubber netting.
- Keep fish in water when handling & removing hooks.
- If deeply hooked, cut the line. Do not pull hook out.
- Release fish only after it has recovered. If necessary, gently hold the fish facing upstream in slow moving current.
Mandatory Boat Operator Safety Certification
Any Tennessee resident born after January 1, 1989, must show the TWRA-issued wallet Boating Safety Education Certificate as proof of successful completion of the TWRA Boating Safety exam. No other certificate will be accepted as meeting the requirements of the law.
The Tennessee mandatory boating education law is similar to the driver’s license law. You acquire the study materials, study, and then take an approved boating safety exam administered by an approved representative of the TWRA. The certification is not required if there is an adult (18 years old or older) who was born before January 1, 1989. Any boat operator born after January 1, 1989, must have the boating education certification.
You must purchase a permit, which will allow you to take the Boating Safety Exam online, or you can attend an Instructor-led class, which will prepare you to take the exam. Detailed information can be found on the TWRA Boating Education webpage.
Out-of-State Boaters
If you were born after January 1, 1989, TWRA will accept any NASBLA-approved boating safety certificate.
Wildlife Classroom Educational Resources
Environmental Education in Tennessee, also referred to as EEinTennessee.org, is a comprehensive resource for locating outdoor programs, groups, workshops, and classroom activities/ideas in Tennessee.
Flying WILD is a program that promotes learning about birds by bringing students, teachers, and communities together to celebrate Migratory Bird Day.
Project WILD is a wildlife-focused conservation education program for K-12 educators and their students.
Project WET Water Education projects
Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a page with exercises to Celebrate Urban Birds. Free stuff!!
In October of 2011, an idea was conceived for the children who would attend the 2012 Crane Days, and so began the Tennessee Ornithological Society (TOS) sponsored Discover Bird Activity Book.
Wildlife Education Center Permits & Resources
Wildlife that cannot be rehabilitated for release back into the wild can be authorized and licensed for use at facilities for wildlife education. Most wildlife species can be authorized for use in education programs. However, white-tailed deer and black bears are not eligible for such authorization. The programs provided by these facilities are performed at no cost. An individual who provides such programming must have a minimum of 200 hours of experience in handling and care of the species to be used in educational programs.
Facilities utilizing raptors for programs must also have permits from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
