CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The 2015 deer archery-only hunting season opens statewide in Tennessee on Saturday, Sept. 26.
The archery season dates in all three of the state’s deer hunting units are Sept. 26-Oct. 30 and Nov. 2-6.
Tennessee is divided into three deer units for better management, A, B, and L. The antlerless deer bag limits are four in Units A and B deer management areas and three per day in Unit L areas. The antlered deer bag limit is a total of two for the entire deer season. A hunter may take his two antlered deer during any season, but no more than one per day.
In addition to the deer archery season, the bear archery season also opens in the state’s five bear hunting zones from Sept. 26-Oct. 23. The bear archery season is open on private lands in these hunting zones. However, dates for public lands, including the Cherokee National Forest, vary.
The bear hunting season on the North Cherokee National Forest does not begin until the first hunt with dogs from Oct. 5-9. The archery only bear season is Oct. 10-23. The limit for any bear hunter is one bear either sex per year, regardless of the hunting equipment used in the harvest.
In addition to deer, archers may harvest wild turkeys of either sex during the archery-only deer season in counties that have a fall turkey hunt. Turkeys harvested during the archery-only deer season count toward the fall turkey county bag limits.
The TWRA makes the recommendation that all archery hunters obtain a 2015-16 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide. The guides are available where hunting and fishing licenses are sold and on the TWRA website, www.tnwildlife.org.
Hunters are reminded that they must possess the appropriate licenses and permits. Any hunter born on or after Jan. 1, 1969 is required to carry proof of satisfactory completion of a hunter education class or be in possession of the Apprentice Hunting License (along with other required licenses), while hunting any species in Tennessee.