TWRA upgrades regulation guides
The TWRA has announced that it is undertaking a full redesign of the official hunting and trapping, fishing and waterfowl hunting regulation guides for 2007/2008. The publications, which have traditionally been printed on newsprint, will be completely redesigned. The new layout and design will result in an easier to read publication with a high quality look and feel. The new publications will be printed in full color on a high quality magazine stock paper. This improvement makes Tennessee one of a handful of wildlife resource agencies in the country working to deliver a higher quality publication to its sportsmen.
?The new improved regulation approach is actually saving the TWRA money because the effort is being supported by advertising revenue and we felt that our sportsmen deserved something more user friendly than our existing guides,? said TWRA Chief of Information and Education Don King. ?I’ll admit that over time our regulations have become pretty complicated. One of our goals with this effort is to make the information easier to understand. We are excited about the opportunity to provide a higher quality, more valuable publication while at the same time saving the agency money.?
While the TWRA has introduced improvements to the hunting and fishing regulation guides in recent years, including editorial sections in areas such as statewide deer harvests and deer outlooks, this new approach will be a complete overhaul, which will include more articles of interest to state anglers and hunters. The new design of the guides is intended to provide an easier format for finding necessary rules and regulations, as well as information to help sportsmen be more successful during the fishing and hunting seasons.
Working with the conservation publisher, J. F. Griffin Publishing, LLC, the TWRA will be introducing the new look with the hunting regulation guides available in late July. J. F. Griffin Publishing, LLC has won national awards for its work with fish and wildlife agencies, and is a leader in the production of high quality regulation guides supported through advertising revenue. The company will be accepting advertising reservations for the TWRA Hunting & Trapping Guide until June 19. Reservations in the Waterfowl Hunting Guide will be accepted through July 6, 2007 and in the Fishing Guide through December 2, 2007. For additional advertising information in the TWRA regulation guides, contact J. F. Griffin Publishing at 1-413-884-1001.
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WILDLIFE COMMISSION REVIEWS PROPOSALS FOR COMING YEAR
On April 19, 2007, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission (TWRC) was presented the following recommendations for the 2007-08 hunting/trapping seasons:
MANNER AND MEANS ? Legalize all shotgun sizes for hunting turkey, which includes 28 gauge and .410.
SMALL GAME ? Put the pigeon (rock dove/rock pigeon) on the list of unprotected species.
FURBEARER ? Expand the river otter hunting and trapping seasons in East Tennessee (Region IV) to be the same as the rest of the state-Friday before thanksgiving to February 15.
BIG GAME
Deer
Add Cumberland County to Unit A.
Add Decatur, Gibson, Houston, McNairy, and Stewart counties to Unit L.
Add 2 more days of either-sex deer hunting to the first segment of the Unit B muzzleloader season so season will be Nov. 3-7. Nov. 8-9 remains antlered only.
Make hunter quota changes in the special season antlerless deer seasons in units A and B.
Feral Hog
Add Blount and Sevier counties to the Nov. 12-15 and Nov. 29-Dec. 12 hunts (dogs permitted).
Add two hunts, Oct. 8-9 and Oct. 20-21, in Monroe County (dogs permitted).
Black Bear
Expand mid-Nov. bear season in Carter, Cocke (entire county), Monroe, Polk (E. of Hwy 411) counties to be Nov. 12-15. Season in Blount and Sevier counties will also be Nov. 12-15.
Add two hunts, Oct. 8-9 and Oct. 20-21, in Monroe County (dogs permitted).
Add three archery hunts (no dogs) in Blount, Carter, Cocke, Greene, Johnson, Monroe, Polk, Sevier, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington counties–Sept. 22-Oct. 26, Oct. 29-Nov. 2, and Nov. 10-16.
Wild Turkey
Turkey Season for Fall 2007: Nov. 10-16 and some counties also open Dec. 10-14.
Add Washington County to fall turkey hunting–Nov. 10-16, hunter quota 50.
Lewis County to be open during both hunting seasons.
WMA bag limits clarified and defined for each WMA.
Counties open during the both seasons (i.e., Nov. 10-16 and Dec. 10-14) to have 3 birds, either sex, per permit.
2008 Spring Turkey Season
Bag Limit ? One (1) bearded turkey per day, not to exceed four (4) per season. Turkeys taken on all quota hunts and specially designated WMAs are bonus birds. Young Sportsman hunt — One (1) bearded turkey. Turkey counts toward the statewide bag unless taken on a WMA where turkey is listed as a bonus bird.
Young sportsmen hunt March 22-23, regular season March 29-May11.
Big Game Tagging and Check-out Requirements
All animals harvested must be accompanied by one tagged animal and must be taken together to the nearest big game checking station by the most reasonably direct route within thirty-six (36) hours of last kill where one new temporary kill tag will be issued. Evidence of species and sex must be available for inspection by wildlife officer or Agency designated personnel prior to issuance of permanent game tag.
5. WMA
1. Waterfowl hunting from temporary blinds ? no blinds, blind materials, boats, or decoys left overnight unless otherwise specified by rule or proclamation.
2. On all WMAs open to the late duck season, the statewide Youth Waterfowl Season is open, unless exception is noted. On all WMAs, the legal hunting hours during the Youth Waterfowl Season comply with federal regulations for migratory birds (30 minutes before official sunrise to sunset), unless exception is noted.
3. Tellico Unit of the South Cherokee — Add an additional bear/boar party dog hunt.
4. Tellico and Ocoee units of the South Cherokee — Make concurrent hunt dates to also correspond to same hunts in the county off the WMA.
5. Chickamauga WMA — Make a 3:00 p.m. waterfowl hunting closure on the Candies Creek, Rogers Creek, Yellow Creek, and Johnson Bottoms units.
6. Open the Bomprezzi Unit of Eagle Lake Refuge to specified small game and to waterfowl, deer, and turkey hunting. The area is opened to shotgun and archery equipment only.
7. Edgar Evins State Park — Add deer Safety Zone (Archery Only) hunt, Oct. 9-10. Hunter quota is 200. There will be a hand held-drawing at Park Office at noon on Sept. 12.
8. North Chickamauga Creek — Dove is same as statewide season. No dove hunters or hunting equipment on field prior to 7:00 a.m. on opening day of the first segment. Waterfowl hunting closes at 3:00 p.m.
9. Oak Ridge WMA — Reduce bag limit from 3 to 2, and remove the antler restriction (4 points on one side or a 15? outside spread).
10. Bear Hollow Mountain, Williamsport, and Yanahli — Add special regulations for horseback riding and the prohibition of alcoholic beverages.
The TWRC will vote on the above recommendations at its annual season setting meeting on May 23-24 at the TWRA Region II Office.