LEGAL HUNTING DEVICES
All firearms, hunting devices, and ammunition listed in the below table are legal for hunting purposes according to the individual species listed. If a firearm, hunting device, or ammunition is not listed in the below table it is illegal to hunt with within the State of Tennessee. Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) may have restrictions on some legal hunting devices.
PROHIBITED ACTS
- Possession of ammunition except that as specifically authorized is prohibited while hunting.
- The use or possession and/or the accompanying of anyone using or possessing raccoon calls, squallers, weapons, ammunition, or climbers while training dogs is prohibited during training season, except raccoon calls may be used during authorized field trials.
- The use of dogs in taking or attempting to take deer or elk is prohibited. Taking or attempting to take deer being pursued by dog, or dogs, is prohibited.
- Juveniles under the age of eighteen (18) are prohibited from using handguns for the purpose of hunting.
- No person shall make use of bait to take wildlife unless the bait has been removed at least 10 days prior to hunting.
- Possession of firearms prohibited while chasing coyote, fox, and bobcat with dogs from the first Saturday in November through the end of the deer season.
- Use or possession of the following equipment is prohibited:
- Predator calls while night hunting.
- Pod arrows (any pod-type device for holding drugs or chemicals on an arrow) or any drugs or chemicals used in pod arrows while archery hunting.
- Explosive arrowheads while archery hunting.
- Firearms capable of fully automatic fire.
- Firearms or archery equipment with any device utilizing an artificial light capable of locating wildlife.
- Any electronic light amplifying night vision scope or device while in possession of a firearm or archery tackle between sunset and sunrise.
- Electronic calls or live decoys while hunting wild turkey, foxes, and waterfowl (except electronic calls are legal during the Conservation Season for Blue, Snow, and Ross’ geese).
- Rifles or handguns with full metal jacketed ammunition.
- Rifles or handguns with centerfire ammunition between 30 minutes after sunset and 30 minutes before sunrise.
- Any loose shot other than non-toxic (as approved by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) or any shotgun shell loaded with shot other than non-toxic while hunting waterfowl, coots, gallinules, Virginia rails, and sora rails.
LEGAL TRAPPING DEVICES AND DEFINITIONS
- Steel traps may only be used in accordance with TCA 70-4-120. Steel leg-hold traps must have an outside measure of jaw spread that is 9 inches or less, as measured at the widest point. Steel square instant-kill traps must have an exterior jaw measurement 16 inches or less, as measured at the widest point, and steel circular instant-kill traps must have an exterior measurement 12 inches or less, as measured at the widest point.
- Live traps are legal for taking any species of wildlife listed as having a trapping season. Live traps are defined as those traps that act as a cage after capture.
- Steel cable snares having a minimum cable diameter of 5/64 inch and a maximum cable diameter of 3/32 inch are legal for all legal furbearer species during the legal trapping season. All snares shall have affixed a tag bearing the name of the owner. Spring activated snares other than Collarum snares are prohibited.
- Dog-proof traps, also known as species-specific traps are legal for trapping.
- Cushion-hold traps as defined in TCA 70-1-101 with an outside measure of jaw spread that is 9 inches or less, as measured at the widest point, may be used for all sets in accordance with TCA 70-4-120.
- For trapping purposes “water set” is defined to mean traps set in water adjacent to and part of streams, ponds, lakes, wetlands or other water courses and includes floating sets.
LEGAL HUNTING HOURS
- All big game and small game species (except bullfrogs, raccoons, opossums, migratory birds, and the chasing of foxes and rabbits) daylight hours only (30 minutes before official sunrise and until 30 minutes after official sunset) except turkey open only until official sunset.
- Hunting of bullfrogs, raccoons, opossums, the chasing of foxes and rabbits, and the trapping of furbearers is permitted day or night unless restricted by Proclamation. No foxes or rabbits may be shot while chasing/training at night.
- Hunting of migratory birds is to comply with federal regulations for migratory birds, unless restricted by proclamation.
MIGRATORY BIRD REGULATIONS
- Federal regulations relative to baiting, firearms, bag and possession limits, wanton waste, tagging, and methods of hunting are hereby adopted and will be applicable to hunting and/or taking of species listed.
- No person shall hunt migratory game birds with a shotgun of any description capable of holding more than three (3) shells, unless it is plugged with a one-piece filler, incapable of removal without disassembling the gun, so its total capacity does not exceed three (3) shells.
- All persons who hunt migratory game birds are required to have in their possession a valid Tennessee Migratory Bird Permit (TMBP) in addition to other required Tennessee licenses and permits, with the following exceptions:
- disabled veterans
- landowners hunting on their own land
- lifetime license holders
- residents of Tennessee under 13 years of age
- residents of Tennessee who are 65 or older
- Military personnel on leave or furlough
4. Refer to federal regulations 50 CFR Ch. 1 (21.41 and 21.43) for conditions and restrictions applicable to the taking of crows in certain depredation or health hazard situations outside of the crow sport hunting season.
MISCELLANEOUS
- On private property, hunting while in or on an ATV or other vehicle that cannot be licensed to operate on public highways in Tennessee is permitted, provided the vehicle is stationary.
- Hunters who have filled their seasonal or daily bag limit for any species may continue to accompany other hunters provided they are not in possession of any ammunition or any weapon. This person must also comply with all other legal requirements. Access for hunters accompanying may be limited on some WMAs.
- Every game animal, wounded or unwounded by hunting and/or trapping and taken into possession by the hunter or trapper shall be immediately slain and become part of the daily bag limit. No person shall, at any time, or by any means, possess or transport live animals taken under the authority of hunting season proclamations.
- Gigs, angling equipment, archery, rimfire, and air firearms are legal for taking bullfrogs.
- Archery equipment is permitted during the archery, muzzleloader and gun seasons. Muzzleloader equipment is permitted during the muzzleloader and gun seasons.
