As announced at the April meeting of the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is now soliciting comments for its 2015-16 hunting seasons’ regulations proposals. This is an opportunity for the public to share ideas and concerns about hunting regulations with TWRA staff.
At the April meeting, agency staff presented the TFWC Wildlife Management Committee with recommendations including increased deer hunting opportunities in Claiborne and Rhea counties. The Wildlife Committee passed a motion directing TWRA staff to develop a proclamation for a two-buck limit; which allows for public discussion and comment on this potential change in deer harvest regulations. An increase in elk zones from 5 to 7 with no increase in permits issued was proposed to reduce harvest pressure on certain zones.
There was also a recommendation to change turkey regulations on bottomland Wildlife Management Areas in West Tennessee by moving 14 WMAs from quota hunts to non-quota hunts and five WMAs from statewide regulations to non-quota hunts. Fall turkey hunting in Middle Tennessee was proposed to be closed in four counties and reduced in 16 others due to hunter concerns over population levels in the specific counties.
A date change to the bear dog training season and a zone expansion to include all of Hamilton County were proposed. New regulations were recommended for the recently acquired 1,800 acre Happy Hollow WMA in Hickman County. Several other minor WMA regulations were proposed and a copy of all the regulation proposals can be found on the TWRA website, www.tnwildlife.org.
Public comments will be considered by TWRA’s Wildlife Division staff and may be presented as proposals for regulation changes. Comments may be submitted by mail to: 2015-16 Hunting Season Comments, TWRA, Wildlife Management Division, P.O. Box 40747, Nashville, TN 37204 or emailed to twra.comment@tn.gov. Please include “Hunting Season Comments” on the subject line of emailed submissions.
The comment period concerning the 2015-16 proposed hunting seasons regulations will be open until May 18.