While the majority of people are out enjoying their summer and its warm weather activities, hunters are already gearing up for shorter days and colder weather. The Tennessee and Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) have released the 2023/2024 Hunting Regulations.
For the Tennessee NWR, crow and dove hunting are open 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, called the Duck River Remainder or Hunt Area 4 is 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.
Continuing again this year, Cross Creeks NWR and Tennessee NWR will no longer offer quota hunts for deer and will still remain open to statewide seasons through Nov. 14th for Hunt Areas 1,2,3 and 5. Hunt Area 4, on Tennessee NWR, will continue to remain open for the full statewide season for deer.
The Henry County portion of the Tennessee NWR remains classified as a Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) positive area which requires 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 Big Sandy Unit, Duck River Unit and Busseltown Unit for white-tailed deer, raccoon, wild turkey, squirrel, crow, dove and resident Canada goose. Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge provides hunts for all of 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 have a valid State hunting license and 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. Hunters can purchase these permits through TWRA’s licensing agents online at gooutdoorstennessee.com or on the TWRA mobile app. To purchase a permit through a licensing agent or vendor, it is helpful to know the permit code of “064” for a TNWR/Cross Creeks permit. Youth hunters of 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 Springville refuge headquarters at 731-642-2091.
