NASHVILLE, Tenn (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Tennessee residents will be allowed to hunt without a license on Saturday, August 24, which coincides with the opening day of squirrel season.
Free Hunting Day is an annual event provided by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) in hopes of increasing interest in hunting. Squirrel hunting is one of Tennessee’s oldest traditions. The day serves as an excellent opportunity for people to experience the sport.
The TWRA encourages regular hunters to introduce friends and family members, both young and old, to the outdoor sport. Free Hunting Day is also an excellent opportunity for people who have not been hunting in a while to be reintroduced.
On Free Hunting Day, state resident hunters are exempt from hunting license and WMA permit requirements. Many Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) are open to hunters seeking public access on Aug. 24. Hunters are asked to check the 2019-20 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide to see which WMA’s are open. Sportsmen are reminded to ask for permission to hunt on private lands.
Hunter education requirements are not waived for Free Hunting Day. Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1969 is required to have successfully completed a hunter education course. There is an exemption for hunter ed in the form of an apprentice license available for purchase.
Hunters are allowed to harvest up to 10 squirrels a day from the opening day of squirrel season through Feb. 29, 2020 with each hunting day beginning a half-hour before sunrise and ending a half-hour after sunset.
In addition to squirrels, those species that have a year-round season will be open as well. The year-round species include armadillos, beavers, coyotes, groundhogs, and striped skunks.
For more information about hunting in Tennessee, visit TWRA’s website or contact your nearest TWRA regional office.