Saturday begins a bonanza of small game seasons opening across the state in what should offer both those hunters who concentrate on small game and those who use the seasons to while away the time until deer season a smorgusboard of hunting opportunities.
The action begins Saturday with the opening of squirrel season across the state. Tennessee, along with neighboring Kentucky, is typically considered one of squirrel hunting's traditional paradises, but the season is among the state's most under-utilized today.
As a result, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has declared Saturday "Free Hunting Day" across the state in an effort to get more hunters, youths and adults alike, interested in the sport. Like the Free Fishing Day each spring, anyone can hunt without a license Saturday only, provided they have a certificate of successful completion of a Hunter Safety Course or have successfully applied for one of Tennessee's new apprentice licenses.
This year's outlook for squirrels should be good, with good mast production the past several seasons providing a good population of squirrels. The season will continue through February 29, with a daily bag limit of 10.
A week later, the Labor Day weekend will be jump-started with the opening of Canada goose season and dove season. Some hunters get in an early goose hunt at daybreak while waiting for the start of legal shooting time for doves, which begins at noon. The goose season will continue through September 15 with a daily bag of five birds, while the dove season continues through September 15 with a daily bag of 15 birds.
While the severe drought conditions across the state have hampered farmers' crop growth, there are no indications that the drought will impact dove season; in fact, TWRA Region IV biologist David Brandenburg told the Knoxville News Sentinel's Bob Hodge last week that it appeared TWRA would have more suitable dove fields to lease this year than last year.
The outlook for Canadian geese due to the drought, meanwhile, might not be as good, according to TnHunting.Com waterfowl specialist David Edgar.
"Resident goose season might be kinda shaky," Edgar said. "Due to the dry summer, the silage fields are not being cut until just the last few days and geese are still in summer family flocks on ponds and lakes.
"When the fields are finally cut they will find them pretty quick, but I hope it is in time for a good opener," Edgar added.
The fall bonanza doesn't end with the September 1 season openers, either. One week after that, the early season for wood duck and teal will open, remaining open for five days before closing September 12. The bag is four birds per day, but no more than two of those per day may be wood ducks.
Edgar is confident about the upcoming season.
"Wood ducks seem to have had a good hatch," he said. "I have been seeing a lot of wood ducks all summer on state lakes and rivers from West to East."
Edgar advised finding a position along a roost area and being in place when the ducks head out of the sloughs on opening day.
"(Do that) and you'll have a good pass shoot hunt, or if you can find a feeding area and set out some decoys, you can have a good in-your-face hunt," he said.
Edgar added that the outlook is good for the teal hunt as well.
"They should start their migration through in a week or so, and with the dry conditions, it is exposing a lot of mud banks, mud flats and sand bars in the rivers and lakes around the state, which teal love to get up on and feed," he said.
"I'd say Tennessee has a good teal hunt come the September woodie and teal hunt," he added.
More information on the upcoming seasons can be found in TnHunting.Com's Small Game section.
