The statewide young sportsman hunt March 27-28 will launch the spring turkey hunting season in Tennessee. The regular season will begin the next week, Saturday (April 3) and will continue through Sunday, May 16.
The young sportsman hunt is growing in popularity and several special hunting events are scattered across the state this weekend.
The young sportsman hunt is available for youngsters ages 6-16. One bearded turkey which counts toward the statewide bag limit of four bearded turkeys may be harvested unless taken on a Wildlife Management Area (WMA) where turkeys are designated as bonus birds. Each youth must be accompanied by a nonhunting adult (21 or older) who must remain in position to take immediate control of the hunting device. The adult does not have to be licensed and may call turkeys for the youth.
This spring, the young sportsmen will be out to surpass last year’s mark of 1,066 turkeys harvested during the statewide young sportsman hunt. The top 10 counties for harvest during the 2009 statewide young sportsman hunt were Greene (39), Giles (37), Dickson and Weakley (31), Montgomery (29), Cheatham (28), Robertson (27) Hardin and Hickman (26), and Rutherford (25).
The young sportsmen must possess the appropriate license and permits to participate. Sportsmen 10 or older must possess proof of successfully completing the Tennessee Hunter Education course. If a sportsman 10 or older has not completed the course, a one-time apprentice hunting permit may be purchased that exempts the hunter education provision for one year from the date of purchase.