About 2,400 lucky deer hunters are disappointed today. The Department of Energy has canceled a series of deer hunts this fall on the Oak Ridge reservation because of security fears.
There were 2,400 permits issued through special quota hunt drawings from TWRA.
The Department of Energy has canceled a series of deer hunts this fall on the Oak Ridge reservation because of
security fears.
Some hunting areas are near the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and other sensitive installations.
Officials say because of increased security due to the recent terrorist attacks, having a large number of uncleared individuals on site is risky.
TWRA has finalized plans to handle the Oak Ridge WMA hunt cancellations as follows:
1) All permit holders for the hunts will be notified by the hunts section advising that the hunts have officially been canceled for 2001.
2) Permit holders will be given the option of keeping their permit and using it on the corresponding hunt established next year or returning the permit, receiving a refund of fees submitted and given priority status for next year's WMA drawing. (A deadline date will be included in the letter relative to returning a permit if they choose that option.)
3) Current permit holders will be eligible to apply for quota hunts in 2002 regardless of whether they return their permits for this year or not.
4) Next year's proclamation will establish quota's for Oak Ridge WMA recognizing that 2001 permits are still valid for 2002. There may or may not be additional permits issued through the WMA drawing for Oak Ridge in 2002.
5) Hunt dates for 2002 would be:
Oct 19-20 (corresponds to the Oct 20-21, 2001 hunt)
Nov 9-10 (corresponds to the Nov 10-11,2001 hunt)
Dec 7-8 (corresponds to the Dec 8-9, 2001 hunt)
6) Hunt zones, weapons types, bag limits, etc would remain the same as printed on the hunters existing permit
On Ft. Campbell hunt will continue, but ONLY for individuals who are active duty military, retired military, or Department of Defense civilians, with valid identification. For any questions regarding hunting on Ft. Campbell, contact their Hunting & Fishing Unit at (270) 798-4666.
And as reported here earlier, AEDC hunts are scheduled as normal. However hunters may find some closed gates. You are allowed to walk past the gates to scout or hunter. They are only restricting vehicle access in some areas. And they indicate the current situation is subject to change.