The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission will set the state’s 2023-24 hunting and trapping seasons at its April 20-21 meeting to be held in Johnson City at the Carnegie Hotel. Commission committee meetings begin Thursday, April 20 at 1 p.m. (EDT), with full Commission proceedings continuing Friday at 9 a.m.
At its March meeting at Buffalo Ridge Refuge, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency proposed changes to the elk hunt proclamation. The Agency recommended the addition of four new permits and two more elk hunting zones. The new zones would be located on the Ed Carter Tract and on the Sundquist tract. If approved, the number of elk zones will be 10 and permits would be 19 total.
Several proposed regulation changes on various wildlife management areas and refuges were also presented, including potential new quota hunt locations. There were no proposed changes to the deer, bear, turkey seasons and small game hunting seasons.
An update will also be presented on human/bear conflict. The Agency has been seeing a rise in conflicts due to increasing human and bear populations as well as urbanization near bear habitats. A review of the tools the Agency is using to address the issues will be given.
The Commission will also consider a proposal from the Fisheries Division to open a 30-mile stretch on the Mississippi River for silver carp and paddlefish commercial fishing and the type of gear allowed for invasive carp on Pickwick Reservoir. A preview of the changes was made at the March Commission meeting.
