Deer Season Opens August 23-25 for Private Lands/Archery Only and Special Unit CWD Deer Hunt

August 21, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Tennessee’s statewide three-day archery private lands only/antlered only deer season will be held Aug. 23-25. In addition, a newly-created muzzleloader/archery, antlered only hunt for the new Unit CWD for private lands and selected public lands will take place.

Unit CWD hunting regulations only apply to CWD positive counties of Fayette, Hardeman, and Madison and CWD high-risk counties of Chester, Haywood, McNairy, Shelby, and Tipton. Deer taken in Unit CWD have the option for voluntary CWD sampling. If a hunter wants a deer tested, he/she may visit a processor or submit a head in a drop off freezer location. The processors and freezer locations can be found at CWDinTennessee.com.

The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission voted last year to establish the 3-day season to give hunters an opportunity to harvest a buck with velvet-covered antlers. Outside of the CWD Unit, The hunt is not open on any Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s wildlife management areas. A list of the Unit CWD public lands open for the hunt is available online at http://www.eregulations.com/tennessee/hunting/unit-cwd/ or on page 35 of the 2019-20 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide.

The annual bag limit for antlered deer is two, no more than one per day. Deer taken during this three-day hunt will count toward the bag limit.

August 20, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Tennessee residents are allowed to hunt without a license on Saturday, Aug. 24 which coincides with the opening day of squirrel season as well as being during the August private lands, archery only deer season.

Free Hunting Day is an event the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency annually provides in hopes of increasing interest in hunting. Squirrel hunting is one of Tennessee’s oldest and favorite traditions. The day serves as an excellent opportunity for people to experience the enjoyment of the sport.

The TWRA encourages regular hunters to introduce friends and family members (young and old) to the outdoor sport. It is also an excellent opportunity for people who have not been hunting in a while to be reintroduced to the sport.

On Free Hunting Day, state resident hunters are exempt from hunting licenses and WMA permit requirements. Many of the WMAs are open to hunters seeking public access on Aug. 24. Hunters are asked to check the information for particular WMAs in the 2019-20 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide. Sportsmen are reminded to ask for permission to hunt on private lands.

The TWRA offers a reminder that hunter education requirements are not waived for Free Hunting Day. Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1969 is required to have successfully completed a hunter education course. There is an exemption for hunter ed in the form of the apprentice license available for purchase.

Hunters are allowed to harvest up to 10 squirrels a day from the opening day of squirrel season through Feb. 29, 2020 with each hunting day beginning a half-hour before sunrise and ending a half-hour after sunset.

In addition to squirrels, those species that have a year-round season will be open as well. The year-round species include armadillos, beavers, coyotes, groundhogs, and striped skunks.

For more information about hunting in Tennessee, visit TWRA’s website at www.tnwildlife.org or contact your nearest TWRA regional office.

August 19, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

The DCHS Fighting Tiger band is fine tuning this week for its first public performance of the season Friday night during halftime of the DeKalb/Warren County Football game in McMinnville.

DCHS Band preparing for season from dwayne page on Vimeo.

The band, under the direction of Tracy Luna, is scheduled to perform at each football game this fall. Their first competition will be the second week of September.