TWRA Biologists Propose Significant Hunting Changes

Crossbows to be allowed

  • Thursday, April 28, 2005

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has given the Wildlife Resources Commission and the public their first look at the seasons proposed for the 2005/06 hunting seasons. The presentations were made at the TWRC¡¦s regular public meeting in Nashville on Wednesday. The Commission will review the proposals for the next several days, and will take formal action at its next meeting, scheduled for May 18-19 at TWRA headquarters in Nashville. The public is welcome to attend the meeting and comment on any issue relative to seasons and bag limits.

Most of the major season dates will remain the same as last year with no changes proposed for small game or big game species. However, there are proposals to change some bag limits, season dates on certain Wildlife Management Areas, and methods of hunting. Below is a listing of the more significant proposals.

Crossbows - allow the use of crossbows for hunting all species of wildlife when other archery tackle is legal (including archery only deer season). TWRA noted that several states surrounding Tennessee have adopted similar regulations and at least one study has show that allowing the use of crossbows in an effective way of keeping or recruiting older hunters in the hunting .

Spring Turkey Seasons - For 2006, the Agency proposed to increase the statewide bag limit to 4 birds. This proposal is designed to reduce pressure on WMA¡¦s, making those areas more attractive to hunters who have to rely on WMA¡¦s as a place to hunt.

Youth Hunting and Youth only hunts - allow youths 16 years of age or younger to participate in youth only hunts and to hunt on WMA¡¦s. Previously a youth had to be at least 10 years of age to participate in most youth only hunts. TWRA cited that this new language would be applied consistently and would make the regulations relative to youth hunters consistent with existing regulations on regular statewide hunts. Studies have also shown that youth hunters are just as safe as adult hunters. When participating in a youth only hunt, each young sportsman must be accompanied by a non-hunting adult 21 years of age or older, who must remain in a position to take immediate control of the hunting device.

Antlered Buck Limits - The statewide limit would remain the same (3 bucks statewide, no more than 2 of which may come from Unit B); however, seasonal and daily restrictions on antlered bucks would be removed, except in certain instances in Unit B. Hunters would be allowed to harvest their statewide limit during any season and harvest more than one buck in a single day except where in Unit B where restrictions apply.

Deer Units - proposed to move Cannon, Lewis, Madison, Trousdale, Wayne counties to Unit L and move Polk County to Unit B.

Among other changes proposed include raising the antlerless bag limits in Units A and L and increasing the quotas for antlerless hunts in several counties, add several counties to the fall turkey hunting season and increase hunter quotas in some counties, eliminate the Johnson county bear hunt in October in Johnson County, add several new Wildlife Management areas, expand the raccoon bag limit and the beaver season in the eastern part of the state, and clarify regulations relative to hunting on Wildlife Shooting Preserves.

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Major Changes to Proposed 2005/06 Hunting Season Proclamations
Proclamation 05-XX – Manner and Means

Crossbows
· The use of crossbows is now permitted during all seasons including the regular archery season.

Proclamation 05-XX – National Wildlife Refuges
Cross Creeks and Tennessee National
· Added a Canada Goose season. Season will be the same as statewide until the opening of the early wood duck/teal season (Sept. 1 – Sept. 9). Increased the bag limit on all quota deer hunts from two deer to three deer, only one may be antlered. Hunters must harvest antlerless deer before harvesting an antlered deer. Increased season length by ten days on non-quota archery hunt. Season will now be Sept. 24 – November 14.

Tennessee National
· Changed the October 1-2 young sportsmen hunt from quota hunt to non-quota hunt. Increased permits issued on quotas hunts from 310 to 500 quota permits.

Cross Creeks
· Added a young sportsman non-quota hunt on October 29-30, 2005.

Chickasaw and Lower Hatchie
· Close raccoon and opossum hunting during scheduled big game hunts on Chickasaw and Lower Hatchie NWR’s.
Proclamation 05-XX - Furbearer

Beaver hunting and trapping
· Open beaver hunting and trapping seasons in east Tennessee the same as the remainder of the state. Season will be open year round, no limit.

Raccoon hunting
· Increase raccoon bag limit in east Tennessee from one per person-per night to two per person-per night. This will become a standardized statewide raccoon bag limit.
Proclamation 05-XX - Big Game

Youth Hunting
· Expanded the definition of a youth hunter. Youth hunters are now defined as young sportsmen 16 years of age or younger. When participating in a youth hunt, each young sportsman must be accompanied by a non-hunting, adult, 21 years of age or older, who must remain in a position to take immediate control of the hunting device and who must also comply with fluorescent orange regulations, as specified for legal hunters.

White-tailed Deer
· Statewide Deer Units:
Ø Unit A – Lost 6 counties (Cannon, Lewis, Madison, Polk, Trousdale, Wayne).
Ø Unit B – Gained 1 county (Polk)
Ø Unit L – Gained 5 counties (Cannon, Lewis, Madison, Trousdale, Wayne).
Ø Removed the archery only restriction in Blount county (west of 411 and east of 129)

· Antlered Buck Limits – The statewide limit remains the same (3 bucks statewide, no more than 2 of which may come from Unit B); however, seasonal and daily restrictions on antlered bucks has been removed. Hunters may now harvest their statewide limit during any season and may now harvest all their bucks in a single day except where Unit B deer restrictions apply.

· Seasonal Bag Limits:
Ø Unit A – Archery Season– Increased bag limit from 4 deer to 4 antlerless deer.

Muzzleloader Season– Increased bag limit from 4 deer to 4 antlerless deer.
Ø Unit L – Archery Season– Increased bag limit from 6 deer to 3 antlerless deer/day.
Muzzleloader Season– Increased bag limit from 6 deer to 3antlerless deer/day.

· Antlerless Hunting – Special Season:
Ø
Ø Increased quota hunts in the following counties: Anderson, Blount, Chester, Franklin, Gibson, Grainger, Houston, Knox, Smith, Sullivan, Warren
Ø Added quota hunts in the following counties: Crockett, Dyer, Greene, Hamblen, Lake, Lauderdale, Sevier, Van Buren, White.

Feral Hog – No changes

Black Bear
· Eliminated the Johnson county still hunt.
· All harvested bears are now required to weigh 75 pounds or greater at the check station regardless of whether or not it is whole or field dressed.

Fall Turkey Season
· Fall quota hunts:
Ø Increased quota hunts in the following counties: Cheatham, DeKalb, Dickson, Greene, Hawkins, Hickman, Houston, Lewis, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Maury, Montgomery, Robertson, Trousdale, Warren, Wayne, Williamson, Wilson.
Ø Added quota hunts in the following counties: Davidson, Fayette, Fentress, Morgan, Overton, Pickett, Scott, Union, White.
Ø Eliminated the Moore county quota hunt.

Proclamation 05-XX – WMA
· Added five WMAs: Maple Springs (Coffee County), Mingo Swamp (Franklin County), Owl Hollow Mill (Franklin County), Shelton Ferry (Montgomery County), and Volunteer Army Ammunition Plant (Hamilton County)
· Removed one WMA: Lovell Field (Chattanooga Airport property, Hamilton County)

· Youth Hunting: On all “Young Sportsman Hunts”, youths 16 years of age or younger may participate but must be accompanied by an adult, 21 years of age or older, who must remain in a position to take immediate control of the hunting devise. Adults cannot hunt except as indicated otherwise.

· Deer Bag Limits - Added the wording to listed WMAs:
Ø (bonus deer) for quota and other specified hunts
Ø Deer count toward statewide bag for areas open with statewide deer seasons or as specified otherwise
· Bogota: Added seasons for recently proclaimed WMA
· Chickamauga - Candies Creek, Rogers Creek, Yellow Creek, Johnson Bottoms Units: Close waterfowl hunting at 12:00 noon.
· Chuck Swan State Forest - Prohibited the use of horses, ATVs, ORVs, bicycles, non-licensed passenger vehicles, and motorcycles on the Main Forest Road.
· Haynes Bottom - Alternate quail and rabbit hunting days:
Ø Quail: Wed and Sat
Ø Rabbit: Thur and Sun
· Percy Priest Unit I: Closed to all activity from sunset to sunrise, except for raccoon, opossum and bullfrog hunting.
· Volunteer Army Ammunition Plant: Added two 2-day deer archery hunts (150 quota) Oct 22-23 and Nov 12-13.
· Wolf River: Reworded and clarified the small game seasons
Ø Rabbit: Nov 12 – Jan 31
Ø Quail: Dec 1 – Jan 31
· Added fall turkey to deer archery quota hunts to Cheatham, Cheatham Lake (Pardue Pond and Dyson Ditch Refuges), Chuck Swan, Jackson Swamp, and Yuchi at Smith Bend.

Proclamation 05-XX – Controlled and Commercial Shooting Preserves
New Proclamation: Amending out of the Small Game Proclamation the Controlled and Commercial Shooting Preserves section and inserting it in the new proclamation.

Proclamation 05-XX – Spring Turkey
Youth Hunting
· Expanded the definition of a youth hunter. Youth hunters are now defined as young sportsmen 16 years of age or younger. When participating in a youth hunt, each young sportsman must be accompanied by a non-hunting, adult, 21 years of age or older, who must remain in a position to take immediate control of the hunting device and who must also comply with fluorescent orange regulations, as specified for legal hunters.

Spring Turkey
· Seasonal Bag Limit:
Ø The seasonal bag limit shall be one bearded turkey per day, not to exceed four per season, only two of which may come from a WMA.
Ø All birds taken off of WMA Quota hunts shall be considered “bonus” birds.
· Season Dates:
Ø
Ø Spring turkey: April 1 through May 14, 2006
Ø
Ø Spring youth hunt: March 25-26, 2006
WMA’s – Various regional changes.

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