The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission set the state’s 2025-26 hunting and trapping seasons at its two-day April meeting which concluded Friday.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s Wildlife and Forestry Division had presented its recommendations at the TFWC’s March meeting. A year long-process, the recommendations are formed from biological data collection, public input, and compilation and analysis of data (3-and-5-year averages). A public comment period was held following the March meeting.
The Commission approved the recommendations for no changes to deer or turkey season and bag limits. A change was made in Bear Hunt Zone 2 to shift nine days of the December bear hunting season earlier to October.
Two new public hunting areas were established after being introduced at last month’s meeting. They are 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.
Wildlife Management Area (WMA) season recommendations were approved. Notable changes include compliance with the new amendment in state law to allow fluorescent pink to meet the hunter orange requirements and small game hunters to wear 500 square inches of fluorescent orange or pink when hunting during big game seasons.
Individual WMA recommendations changed were to address safety concerns at Big Sandy (Gin Creek) and align South Fork Refuge with Horns Bluff Refuge waterfowl hunting regulations. It was also passed to prohibit all activities in waterfowl impoundments during non-hunting days at Cheatham Lake WMA. Bridgestone Firestone WMA will now follow Unit 4 antlerless bag limits and Catoosa WMA will align spring turkey season opening dates with statewide seasons but only run for four weeks, like their current season length. Increased hunting opportunity or regulation simplifications were proposed for several other WMAs. Complete list of regulations will be in the 2025-26 Tennessee Fishing, Hunting, and Trapping Guide which will be available in July.
Region IV Boating and Law Enforcement’s Emily Posey was recognized as the inaugural recipient of the TWRA’s Dispatcher of the Year. She has served 11 years and played an integral role in the Agency’s efforts during Hurricane Helene last fall.
An emergency rule was approved by the Commission to comply with a recently passed law that removes the requirement that boater safety exams must be proctored. The rule sets the fee and process for administering boater safety exams.
