This Saturday, August 24th, 2024 Tennessee residents are allowed to hunt without a license. It’s also the opening day of squirrel season, one of Tennessee’s oldest traditions.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency provides this Free Hunting Day annually with the hopes that more people will find interest in hunting. The TWRA encourages regular hunters to introduce friends and family members (young and old) to the outdoor sport.
In addition to opening of squirrel season, the three-day archery only for antlered deer hunt on private lands and selected wildlife management areas (WMAs) is set for Aug. 23-25. Check individual WMAs for regulations. Due to the removal of Unit CWD, guns and muzzleloaders will no longer be allowed during the August season.
According to TWRA, on Free Hunting Day, 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 specific WMAs in the 2024-25 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide. Sportsmen are required to ask for permission to hunt on private lands they do not own.
Hunters can harvest up to 10 squirrels a day from the opening day of squirrel season through March 15, 2025. Each hunting day begins a half-hour before sunrise and ends a half-hour after sunset.
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. An apprentice license is required for those born on or after Jan. 1, 1969, if the hunter education course has not been completed. This license exempts the hunter from the mandatory hunter education law for one year from the date of purchase but may only be purchased for up to three consecutive years during the lifetime of the hunter. Those under 10 years of age do not need a Hunter Education certificate but must be accompanied by an adult at least 21 years of age who must remain in a position to take immediate control of the hunting device.
For more information about hunting in Tennessee, visit TWRA’s website at www.tnwildlife.org or contact your nearest TWRA regional office.
