2008-2009 SMALL GAME
HUNTING and TRAPPING SEASONS

All hunting seasons are closed unless opened by specific Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission proclamation.

Possession limit is twice the daily bag limit except on opening day. Dogs allowed for hunting all small game species, except on specific WMAs where indicated.

Migratory bird seasons are subject to change by federal framework. Proposed seasons are:

Armadillo, beaver, coyote, English sparrow, groundhog, nutria, pigeon, starling, striped skunk -

Open year-round - No Limit

Bobcat*, fox++, mink, muskrat, otter+++, spotted skunk, weasel

Opens - Nov. 21
Closes - Feb. 15
No Limit*

* Except the limit on bobcats is one per day. Bobcat pelts must be tagged with Tennessee U.S. CITES tags in order to be exported from the U. S. Contact your TWRA regional office for instructions.

++ Exceptions to the statewide fox season are: Benton - unlawful to take or kill red foxes; Dyer, Lauderdale, Smith, and Wilson - open year round to hunting and trapping red and gray foxes; Greene and Washington - unlawful to take or kill red and gray foxes.

+++ All river otters harvested must be tagged by harvester with Tennessee U.S. CITES tags. Contact your TWRA regional office for instructions.

BULLFROG HUNTING
All waters of the state are open to bullfrog hunting except waters within state and federal wildlife refuges. The season is open year-round, except on TWRA managed lakes the season is June 1-30. The bag limit is 20 per person, per night. The use of firearms is prohibited for bullfrog hunting on Wildlife Management Areas and TWRA lakes. Only domestically raised bullfrogs or parts thereof may be sold. A hunting license is required to take bullfrogs. No WMA permit is required.

Raccoon and Opossum Hunting

Opossum can be taken during the raccoon hunting season. No Limit.

East Tennessee - Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Loudon, Monroe, Polk, Sevier, Sullivan, Unicoi, Union, and Washington counties:

Opens - Sunset, Nov. 7
Closes - Sunrise, Feb. 15
Bag Limit - 2 per person per night*.

Remainder of the state:

Opens - Sunset, Sept. 19
Closes - Sunrise, Feb. 15
Bag Limit - 2 per person per night*.

* Night is defined as one 24-hour period beginning at sunset.

TRAPPING SEASONS

All trapping devices must be clearly marked with the owner's name. All traps must be inspected every 36 hours or less and animals removed. When trapping on another's property, the trapper must carry on his or her person written permission from the landowner, and make a written report to the owner of any domestic animal caught and pay damages for those animals.

Beaver, coyote, groundhog, nutria
Open year-round - No Limit

Bobcat*, fox ++, mink, muskrat, opossum, otter+++, raccoon, spotted skunk, striped skunk, weasel

Opens- Nov. 21
Closes - Feb. 15
No Limit.

* Bobcat pelts must be tagged with Tennessee U.S. CITES tags in order to be exported from the U. S. Contact your TWRA regional office for instructions.

++ Exceptions to the statewide fox season are: Benton - unlawful to take or kill red foxes; Dyer, Lauderdale, Smith, and Wilson - open year round to hunting and trapping red and gray foxes; Greene and Washington - unlawful to take or kill red and gray foxes.

+++ All river otters harvested must be tagged by harvester with Tennessee U.S. CITES tags. Contact your TWRA regional office for instructions.

Legal Traps & Specific Regulations

Steel leg-hold traps - Steel leg-hold traps (steel-jawed traps) with a jaw spread of 7 and 1/2 inches or less. These must be placed at least 12 inches inside the entrance to a burrow or hole except in the case of a water set. Water sets are defined as traps set in water adjacent to and part of streams, ponds, lakes, wetlands or other water courses, and include floating sets.

Instant-kill traps (with jaw measurements no greater than 10x10 inches and smaller). An instant-kill trap is considered a steel-jawed trap and its use is restricted to that allowed for a steel-jawed trap. Conibear traps are instant-kill traps.

Live traps - Those traps that act as a cage after capture.

Steel cable snares having a minimum cable diameter of 5/64 inch and maximum cable diameter of 3/32 inch. Spring activated snares, except Collarum snares, are prohibited.

Cushion-hold traps - Woodstream Soft-Catch, Butera Cushion Catch traps, Cushion Catch #33, J. C. Conner Coyote "Jake" Trap, Duke Rubber Jaw trap and any legal sized offset jawed traps equipped with "Humane Hold" universal pads by K. G. Enterprises, or Sudden Valley Supply meet the definition of a cushion-hold trap. These traps are the only steel traps legal for trapping in the open and on top of the ground, provided that the trapper has specific written permission from the landowner to use the trap.

Species Specific traps - Egg traps, Coon Cuffs, Lil' Grizz Getrz, Pos-z-loc, Cooncatcher, and Duffer's Raccoon traps are legal for furbearers during the legal trapping season.

DOG TRAINING
Training of bird dogs, rabbit dogs, squirrel dogs, and fox hounds is permitted year-round on private lands. A hunting license is required while training dogs except when a person is competing in recognized field trials. When training on a WMA, a small game permit is required. Refer to specific WMA listings for WMA dog training seasons.

Raccoon Dog Training (No Taking)
Western and Eastern Units - Year-round except where regulated by Private Acts. The following counties are regulated by private acts: Morgan is open for training from July 1 until opening day of the hunting season; DeKalb is open for year-round training except in the portion lying south and west of State Hwy. 96 and U.S. Hwy. 70, where the training season will open 30 days prior to the hunting season. Refer to specific WMA listings for WMA raccoon dog training seasons.