The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s Wildlife and Forestry Division will present recommendations for the 2025-26 hunting and trapping seasons to the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission for review and approval at its April 24-25 meeting. Committee meetings begin at 1 p.m. on April 24, with full Commission proceedings April 25 starting at 9 a.m. in the TWRA Region II Ray Bell Building.
A preview of the Agency’s recommendations was made at the Commission’s March meeting. Division Chief Joe Benedict will present an overview of public input since the preview.
No changes to deer or turkey regulations are being proposed, two new hunting areas were proposed to be established, and several statewide and individual WMA regulations were proposed.
The Fisheries Division will present a revision to correct an error to the sportfish regulations concerning the crappie limit on Lake Halford. The TFWC voted to set the crappie limit to a 20 fish daily creel limit with only five over 12 inches per day. This approved change was inadvertently left off the sportfish proclamation, officials said.
The TWRA is creating an emergency rule to comply with a recently passed law that removes the requirement that boater safety exams must be proctored. The rule will set the fee and process for administering boater safety exams.