Tennessee 2022 Winter Hunting Season Primer
2022 Hunting Season Changes & Updates – Tennessee:
- The type 094 license is no longer needed to hunt antlerless deer on private property. The type 094 is required for all WMA nonquota big game hunts.
- Changes to Turkey hunting:
- Turkey bag limit reduced to 2 birds. Only one jake allowed to be harvested during spring. See Turkey Regulations for details.
- Turkey season will open statewide on April 15, 2023, two weeks later than prior years.
- Young Sportsman’s turkey hunt will be on April 8-9, 2023 statewide.
- New turkey regulations on select WMAs. Check each WMA you hunt.
- Fanning or reaping turkeys on WMAs now prohibited. See Wildlife Management Area General Regulations.
- Buck limit increased in Unit CWD to 3 antlered deer per season.
- In Unit CWD, One antlerless deer harvested now earns a buck for the Earn-a-Buck Incentive program. See CWD in Tennessee.
- Definition of muzzleloader updated. Muzzleloading firearms are defined as those firearms in which a projectile (rifle) or projectiles (shotgun) must be loaded from the muzzle (front) end of the barrel and the firearm being of design and manufacture that prevents the projectile(s) from being loaded from the breech (rear) end. See Manner & Means.
- Boundaries of Bear Hunt Zones 3, 4, and Traditional have changed and/or expanded. See Bear Seasons & Bag Limits.
- Submission of a tooth from harvested bears is now mandatory. See Bear Regulations.
- Bobcat season extended on private lands. See Small Game Seasons & Bag Limits.
- Bag limit for raccoon and opossum increased to 4 for the statewide season. See Small Game Seasons & Bag Limits.
- Additional Tier 1 duck blind locations added. See tnwildlife.org for details.
- There is no longer a separate waterfowl hunting zone for Reelfoot Lake.
- Changes to the NOI process for waterfowl hunt locations. See Wildlife Management Area General Regulations.
