The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has announced the application period for the 2024 Early Season Wildlife Management Area (WMA) Waterfowl Hunt is open Sept. 25 through Oct. 15.
Applications can be made online at quotahunt.gooutdoorstennessee.com, the TWRA mobile app, TWRA regional offices, or any TWRA license agent. Mailed applications will not be accepted. Applicants must be at least 16 years old. Detailed application instructions, WMA locations, and general waterfowl quota hunt information are available on the TWRA website on the Quota Hunts page. The deadline for applications is Oct. 15 at 11:59 (CDT).
A person may only submit one application, that can include up to 48 unique hunt choices; hunt choices may not be repeated. Qualifying parties must have at least four members, with a maximum of eight.
A party must be established by a party leader who will select the hunt choices for the entire party. A party number will be assigned to the leader after the application has been submitted. The leader informs the person(s) wishing to join the party of the party number. The members will choose “join a party” on their application and input the leader’s party number onto their application.
TWRA’s priority drawing system gives one priority point to applicants each year they apply and are not successful for any hunt. Applicants who were successful last year will start over with a priority of zero. If applicants in a party have varying priority points, the party will assume the point status of the highest point of the party. If a party is unsuccessful, each party member’s individual priority will increase by 1 point.
A successful applicant may bring up to seven additional hunters (guests) of their choice, each day of the hunt. The number of adults in a blind or pool may not exceed eight, one of which must be a permit holder. No additional party members can be added after the drawing. Permits are nontransferable.
Successful applicants will receive an email with instructions to log-in and must claim their permit before Oct. 28. Each party member must claim their own permit. Permits will be available to print after the permit has been claimed. Individuals in the party that fail to claim their permit forfeit their individual permit but may still hunt with a permit holder in attendance at the blind. If no one in a successfully drawn party claims their permit, the party forfeits that site, and the site will be allocated through an in-person leftover drawing.
The leftover drawings will be held Monday, Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. local time. The drawing locations are listed on page 85 of the 2024-25 Tennessee Fishing, Hunting, and Trapping Guide
