The public is invited to attend the special called meeting of the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission (TFWC), which will be held via conference call on Friday, Aug. 1 at 12:00 noon (EST). The only item on the agenda is in regard to early migratory bird hunting seasons.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) approved the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s and the Mississippi Flyway Council’s request to increase the early wood duck and teal hunting daily season bag limit from 4 to 6 (no more than two wood ducks) and also allow the addition of teal-only hunting days to this season. The approval came at a meeting of the USFWS in late June.
The TFWC will vote whether or not to approve the agency’s and flyway council’s recommendation.
Interested members of the public and media representatives wishing to attend the conference call or provide input should be seated by 12:00 noon (EST) in the auditorium of the TWRA’s Region 4 office in Morristown located at 3030 Wildlife Way.
The request was made in response to the high blue-winged teal populations and similar recent expansions in states with September teal-only hunting seasons.
The TWRA staff worked for months with the Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways and the USFWS to bring this request forward. The request is based on biological information in a 2013 report made available to the flyway councils. These changes would be experimental for three years.
The TFWC’s next regular meeting will be held Jackson on Aug. 28-29, at the West Tennessee Research and Education Center.