Tennessee Hunting Regulations: Seasons, Licenses, and Tagging

Tennessee hunting regulations require a license on your person for nearly every form of hunting, trapping, or taking of wildlife, plus hunter education if you were born on or after January 1, 1969, species- and weapon-specific supplemental licenses for big game, blaze orange during gun seasons, same-day harvest check-in, and compliance with separate rules on Wildlife Management Areas and National Wildlife Refuges. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) sets seasons, bag limits, and equipment rules by proclamation, so the specifics change year to year and by location.

The License You Need Before You Hunt

Hunting, chasing, trapping, or taking any wildlife without the proper license on you is illegal under Tennessee law.1Justia Law. Tennessee Code 70-2-101 – Taking Wildlife Without License You count as a resident if you’ve lived in Tennessee for at least 90 consecutive days with intent to make it your permanent home, usually shown with a Tennessee driver’s license or state ID. Active-duty military stationed in Tennessee may buy resident licenses regardless of home state. A Social Security Number is required by federal law for any license purchase.2Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. License Structure and Fees

The basic resident combination hunt/fish license is $33 and covers small game and fishing. Deer, bear, elk, or turkey require one or more $33 supplemental licenses tied to your weapon type (big game gun, archery, or muzzleloader). A resident Annual Sportsman license at $165 bundles all supplementals and non-quota WMA permits; seniors 65 and older get the same package for $49. Non-residents pay $305 for an annual all-game license, $214 for a seven-day all-game, $110 for small-game-only annual, or $41 for a Junior All Game annual if under 16.2Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. License Structure and Fees

Licenses are sold through Go Outdoors Tennessee, at TWRA regional offices, at county clerks, and at authorized retailers.

Hunter Education Cutoff

Everyone born on or after January 1, 1969, resident or non-resident, must carry proof of completing a hunter education course.3Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Tennessee Hunter Education Information TWRA offers a free eight-hour classroom course, and hunters age nine and older can finish the course entirely online with no in-person field day. Certifications from other states are accepted.4eRegulations. Hunter Education

Seasons, Deer Units, and Bag Limits

TWRA sets specific season dates for each species and weapon type by annual proclamation. Big game in Tennessee includes white-tailed deer, bear, elk, and turkey. Dates shift every year, so look up the current proclamation before you go.

For deer, the state is split into six Deer Management Units running west to east. Unit 1 covers the western counties from Shelby to Obion; Unit 6 covers the mountainous eastern counties from Blount to Sullivan.5Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Tennessee Deer Hunting The statewide antlered deer limit is two per season with a maximum of one per day. Antlerless limits vary by unit based on herd density, and crossing counties within the same unit does not reset your limit. Specific programs such as Earn-A-Buck can allow a hunter to exceed the two-buck limit in designated units.

Blaze Orange and Visibility

During gun seasons for big game other than turkey, every hunter must wear at least 500 square inches of daylight fluorescent orange on the upper body and head, visible from front and back.6Justia Law. Tennessee Code 70-4-124 – Wearing Daylight Fluorescent Orange A 2025 amendment added daylight fluorescent pink as an acceptable alternative at the same coverage.7Tennessee Secretary of State. Tennessee Code Annotated 70-4-124 – Public Chapter 220 Archery-only and muzzleloader-only seasons follow separate rules set by the statewide proclamation or the specific WMA.

If you hunt big game from a synthetic ground blind during muzzleloader or gun seasons, you must attach a piece of fluorescent orange or pink clothing visible from outside the blind.8Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. TWRA Wildlife Management Areas

Legal Weapons by Season

What you can carry depends on the season. If a weapon or ammunition type is not listed in TWRA’s device table as legal, it is illegal to hunt with it.9Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. General Hunting and Trapping Regulations

Rimfire rifles, rimfire handguns, and air guns of .25 caliber or smaller are prohibited for deer, bear, and elk. Fully automatic firearms are illegal for all hunting. Suppressors are legal if you carry proof of federal ATF registration.

Where You Can Hunt

Private Land

Hunting on another person’s land without the owner’s consent is a Class C misdemeanor and can trigger license revocation.11Justia Law. Tennessee Code 70-4-106 – Permission of Owner of Land If the land is posted “Hunting By Written Permission Only,” you must carry written permission on you and show it on demand.

Baiting on private land is not categorically banned, but bait must be fully removed and any electronic feeder disabled at least 10 days before you hunt that area, with the clock running from removal.9Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. General Hunting and Trapping Regulations Migratory bird hunting is stricter under federal law: an area counts as baited for 10 days after removal, and you can be cited even if you didn’t know bait was present.

Wildlife Management Areas

WMAs are public hunting lands with tighter rules than private land or general statewide regulations, and they require a separate WMA permit on top of your license and any supplementals. Annual Sportsman and Lifetime license holders are exempt from supplementals but may still need a WMA permit for certain hunts.8Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. TWRA Wildlife Management Areas Key WMA restrictions:

  • Placing any food, grain, salt, minerals, or manufactured attractant is prohibited, with no 10-day removal exception.
  • Most hunters cannot enter earlier than two hours before sunrise and must leave by one hour after sunset or legal closing time.
  • Tree stands cannot be attached with nails, wire, screws, or other metal. Portable stands that don’t damage trees are allowed. Stands left unattended more than 24 hours without the area manager’s approval are prohibited, and every stand must be marked with your TWRA ID number.
  • Alcohol is prohibited except in designated camping areas.
  • Hunting within 100 yards of a visible dwelling on public land is illegal without the owner’s permission.

Seasons and bag limits on individual WMAs can differ from statewide rules. Check the posted regulations for the specific area.

National Wildlife Refuges

Several National Wildlife Refuges operate in Tennessee under federal management. Hunting on a refuge requires your state license plus compliance with federal rules under 50 CFR § 32.2.12eCFR. 50 CFR 32.2 – Requirements for Hunting on National Wildlife Refuge System Areas Waterfowl hunters 16 and older must carry the Federal Duck Stamp. Nailing or bolting tree stands is prohibited on all refuges, baiting is banned, and alcohol is not allowed while hunting. Only approved non-toxic shot may be possessed in the field on waterfowl production areas; lead slugs for deer and turkey may be permitted on some refuges unless state law or refuge-specific rules prohibit them. Each refuge publishes its own access rules and special conditions, so contact the refuge before planning a hunt.

Migratory Bird Hunting Extras

Ducks, geese, doves, woodcock, and other migratory birds take three items beyond your base Tennessee license:

  • A Harvest Information Program (HIP) permit, required for every migratory bird hunter each year. You get it during license purchase on Go Outdoors Tennessee by answering a short survey about last season’s harvest. Lifetime license holders still have to complete HIP registration annually.13Go Outdoors Tennessee. Waterfowl Package
  • A $37 state supplemental waterfowl license for residents hunting waterfowl, unless you hold an Annual Sportsman or Lifetime license.2Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. License Structure and Fees
  • The Federal Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp (duck stamp) for all waterfowl hunters 16 and older. The 2025–2026 stamp costs $25 and is valid through June 30, 2026.14USPS. Stamp Announcement 25-22 – Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp

Federal law has banned lead shot for waterfowl since 1991. Use non-toxic shot such as steel or tungsten for ducks, geese, coots, and other waterfowl. Lead shot stays legal for upland birds and most small game unless a specific WMA or refuge prohibits it.

Tagging and Checking In Your Harvest

Tennessee runs on a “tag before you drag” system. Before moving any harvested big game animal, you either check it in on your smartphone or cut out and attach a temporary tag from your license to the carcass.15Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Tag Before You Drag – Game Check In Procedures

The TWRA On The Go app works outside cell signal. It generates a confirmation number on the spot, and your data uploads once you have signal again. You can also check in through Go Outdoors Tennessee online or at a physical check station. Big game must be checked in by midnight on the day of harvest and before being gifted to anyone else or leaving the state.

Your confirmation number stays with the animal through processing. It must accompany any animal taken to a taxidermist or meat processor or gifted to someone else. Processing the animal before you get a confirmation number can result in a citation for illegal possession of wildlife.

CWD Carcass Transport

Chronic Wasting Disease has been detected in Tennessee deer, and TWRA maintains a designated CWD Management Zone with strict carcass movement rules. Whole carcasses may move within the zone but cannot leave it. Only these processed parts may leave:16eRegulations. CWD in Tennessee

  • Deboned meat
  • Antlers, or antlers attached to cleaned skull plates with no meat or tissue remaining
  • Cleaned teeth
  • Finished taxidermy products
  • Hides and tanned products

Whole carcasses, organs, and uncleaned skulls cannot leave the zone. Tennessee residents returning from out-of-state hunts face the same restriction on bringing deer, elk, moose, and caribou parts back into the state. Non-residents who hunt in Tennessee should check their home state’s import rules before transporting a harvest home.

Penalties, Restitution, and Multi-State Revocation

Most general license violations are Class C misdemeanors with a fine between $10 and $25.1Justia Law. Tennessee Code 70-2-101 – Taking Wildlife Without License Illegally killing or possessing big game is a Class B misdemeanor, escalating to Class A for wild elk. A second or subsequent big game conviction carries a mandatory jail sentence that cannot be suspended.17Justia Law. Tennessee Code 70-4-116 – Hunting, Killing

Courts can order restitution to TWRA based on what was taken. Minimum amounts:

  • Turkey or antlerless deer: $1,000 per animal
  • Antlered deer with fewer than 8 points: $1,000 per animal
  • Antlered deer with 8–10 points: $1,000 plus $500 per antler point
  • Antlered deer with 11+ points: $1,000 plus $750 per antler point
  • Bear: $5,000 per animal, plus $5,000 for each cub orphaned
  • Elk: $1,500 base, scaling up with antler points

On top of fines and restitution, a court can revoke your license and suspend all hunting, fishing, and trapping privileges for at least a year after any wildlife conviction. Violating a revocation order carries mandatory jail of 10 days to nearly 12 months. Wildlife officers can seize guns, equipment, and the animal itself as potential contraband.18Justia Law. Tennessee Code 70-6-201 – Confiscation and Disposal

Tennessee belongs to the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, which now includes all 50 states. A revocation in Tennessee is recognized by every other member state, so you cannot cross a state line and buy a new license. The compact also runs the other direction: a wildlife conviction in another state can suspend your Tennessee privileges without a separate prosecution here.