Despite the heat, many hunters are thinking ahead to cooler weather and the fall hunting season. The Tennessee and Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) have released the 2022/2023 Hunting Regulations and there are some changes to note.
For Tennessee NWR, crow and dove hunting are now open the same as statewide seasons not to extend past Nov. 14th on all areas of the refuge, except Hunt Area 4. That area of the refuge, Duck River Remainder or Hunt Area 4 is now open for the full statewide season for deer, squirrel, dove, crow, raccoon and opossum. Hunters will note that all hiking trails will remain open during hunt seasons, so caution is urged and shooting from a hiking trail is prohibited.
Another change to the hunt program for both Cross Creeks and Tennessee refuges, they will no longer offer quota hunts for deer, but will be going to statewide seasons through Nov. 14th, except for Hunt Area 4 on Tennessee NWR.
The Henry County portion of the Tennessee NWR is now classified as a Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) positive area which require restrictions to deer carcass transportation and disposal. See www.tn.gov/twra/hunting/cwd for more information.
The new hunt brochures for each refuge are now available online and at refuge offices, kiosks and area sporting goods stores. Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge provides hunting opportunities on all three of its units for white-tailed deer, raccoon, wild turkey, squirrel, crow, dove and resident Canada goose. Cross Creeks provides hunts for all the above species except raccoon, crow and dove.
Hunt brochures have been distributed to sporting goods shops, refuge information kiosks, and are available to download online at the refuge websites for Tennessee at http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Tennessee or Cross Creeks NWR at http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Cross_Creeks. Refuge hunt brochures may also be picked up at the Tennessee refuge headquarters at 1371 Wildlife Drive in Springville, TN or at the Cross Creeks refuge headquarters at 643 Wildlife Road in Dover, TN, or can be sent to you by mail by calling 731-642-2091 and leaving your name and address.
All hunters, age 17 and older, must purchase a Refuge Annual Hunting Permit at a fee of $15.00. This permit allows you to hunt on both Cross Creeks and Tennessee NWR. Once again hunters can purchase these permits through TWRA licensing agents, online at gooutdoorstennessee.com, or on the TWRA mobile app. To purchase a permit through a licensing agent, it might be helpful to know the permit code of “064” for a TNWR/Cross Creeks permit. Youth hunters age 16 and under do not need an Annual Hunting Permit, however the adult supervising them during the hunt is required to have one.
For more information on the refuge hunt program, please contact the Paris refuge headquarters at 731-642-2091.
