NASHVILLE — Several changes were recommended for the 2007-2008 hunting seasons by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency this week.
TWRA, which presents its proposals for the upcoming seasons to the Wildlife Resources Commission each April, represented changes ranging from deer hunting to turkey hunting to furbearer hunting.
Chief among the changes was a proposal to allow hunters 36 hours to check in big game animals after leaving the field. The agency had studied the phone-in method of checking animals, similar to the Telecheck system used in Kentucky. While it did not recommend implementing a similar system in Tennessee, the 36-hour allowance may be a compromise for hunters who have complained that driving animals to the check-in station the same day of the kill is too time consuming. In Unit L counties, it is possible for deer to be harvested each day of the week, which previously would have required trips to the checking station each day.
The measure is expected to be approved by the Wildlife Resources Commission.
Another change would legalize all shotgun sizes for turkey hunting, including the .410 and less-popular 28 guage. Currently, turkey hunters are limited to shotguns sized 20 guage and larger. The move is made to assist youth hunters who have trouble with the size and recoil of larger guns.
The 2008 spring season would see little change, with the bag limit remaining at four bearded birds, not to exceed one per day. All quota hunts and specially-designated WMA birds would count as a bonus bird. The young sportsman's hunt in 2008 is slated for March 22 and 23, with the regular season opening March 29 and continuing through May 11.
The fall quota turkey hunts would be November 10 through 16 and December 10 through 14. Lewis County would be open during both seasons, while the bag limit would increase from two to three for counties open during the December segment. Counties open during both segments would also have a three-bird limit.
Washington County, with a 50-hunter quota, would be the only county added to the fall hunts this year, and would be open during the first segment only.
Among deer hunting proposals, Unit B hunters will get two additional antlerless days in 2007 if the TWRC accepts the Agency's recommendations. Instead of running through Monday of the first muzzleloader season, the either sex days would run through November 7. The season concludes on November 9.
Another move would see Unit L grow by five counties, as Decatur, Gibson, Houston, McNairy and Stewart counties would move from Unit A to Unit L. Cumberland County would move from Unit B to Unit A.
There were also some changes to the quota antlerless deer seasons in Units A and B.
Other big game proposals include adding Blount and Sevier counties to the Nov. 12-15 and Nov. 29-Dec. 12 feral hog hunts (dogs permitted), and adding two hunts — Oct. 8-9 and Oct. 20-21 — in Monroe County (dogs permitted).
The mid-November bear season in Carter, Cocke, Monroeand Polk (east of Highway 411) counties would be expanded to November 12-15, while the season in Blount and Sevier counties would also be November 12-15. Two hunts — October 8-9 and October 20-21 — would be added for Monroe County (dogs permitted), and three archery hunts would be added in Blount, Carter, Cocke, Greene and Johnson counties (Sept. 22-Oct. 26, Oct. 29-Nov. 2 and Nov. 10-16.
Additional agency proposals would see the pigeon placed on the list of unprotected species, while the river otter hunting and trapping seasons in East Tennessee (Region IV) would be the same as the rest of the state (Friday before Thanksgiving through February 15).
A number of WMA changes were suggested. The most notable would be removing the antler size restrictions (four points on one side of a 15-inch outside spread) at Oak Ridge. The move, opposed by TWRA, is being requested by the Department of Defense in order for more deer to be taken. The bag limit would be reduced from three to two.
The TWRC will vote on the proposals at its May meeting.
