Hunting Seasons Proposals Presented at March Fish and Wildlife Commission Meeting

HUMPHREYS COUNTY, Tenn. --- The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency presented its recommendations for the 2025-26 hunting and trapping seasons at the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission’s March 21 meeting held at Buffalo Ridge Refuge in Humphreys County. 

The hunting and trapping season setting process is a year-long process. It includes biological data collection, public input, compilation, and analysis of data (3-and-5-year averages). There were no proposed changes for deer, turkey, and elk seasons.  There is a recommendation in Bear Hunt Zone 2 to shift nine days of the December bear hunting season earlier to October. 

Federal regulations are requiring two changes to duck seasons and bag limits.  The September wood duck and teal season will be five days with no extended teal-only days.  During the regular duck season, the daily bag limit will increase to three for pintails.

Wildlife Management Area (WMA) season recommendations were also presented. Notable changes include compliance with a likely amendment in state law to allow fluorescent pink to meet the hunter orange requirements. 

Individual WMA recommendations were to address safety concerns at Big Sandy (Gin Creek) and align South Fork Refuge with Horns Bluff Refuge regulations.  It was also proposed to prohibit all activities in waterfowl impoundments during non-hunting days at Cheatham Lake WMA. At Bridgestone Firestone WMA, it will follow Unit 4 antlerless bag limits and align spring turkey season with statewide seasons on Catoosa WMA. Increased hunting opportunity or regulation simplifications were proposed for several other WMAs.

Two new Public Hunt Areas were introduced, the 6,500-acre Scott’s Gulf Centennial State Park in White/Van Buren counties and the 5,500-acre Wolf River State Forest in Fayette County. All Hunting and Trapping season proposals are currently open for public comment.

TWRA Wildlife Forester Damon Hollis was recognized and introduced to the Commission for receiving the Joe Kurz Wildlife Manager of the Year Award during the recently held National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) Convention. Named in honor of a former Georgia Department of Natural Resources wildlife chief for the vital role he played in improving wildlife management, this award annually recognizes a wildlife manager for exceptional stewardship of wild turkey populations and habitat.

Sumner County Wildlife Officer Montana Michelson was recognized and introduced to the Commission. He was the recipient of the NWTF Wildlife Officer of the Year recently and announced as the annual Shikar Safari Officer Award winner. The annual award from the conservation-based organization honors the officer who displays outstanding performance among TWRA law enforcement personnel.

The Commission welcomed four new appointees who attended their first meeting. The new commissioners are Hanes Torbett (Johnson City) for Commission District 1, Rosemary McIlhenny (Nashville) Commission District 5, and John McCarty (Collierville) for Commission District 9. Steve Jones (Clinton) returns to serve statewide. He previously served 2019-23.

---TWRA---