Tennessee's statewide spring turkey season begins Saturday and runs through May 25. This follows the Young Sportsman Hunt held the previous weekend. The season will be open in all 95 counties, though there are some restrictions on public lands that hunters should be aware of, as per the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency release.
Regulations allow hunters to harvest one male turkey per day, with a limit of two for the entire season. A male turkey is defined by physical traits such as the length of the beard or spurs. Hunting hours are from 30 minutes before legal sunrise until legal sunset.
Due to lower reproduction in 2023, this spring's harvest may be below average, though the western part of the state has shown signs of improvement in recent years.
According to the same release, the "Tag Before You Drag" system is in effect, requiring hunters to report their harvest using the "TWRA on the Go" app or attach a temporary transportation tag before moving their turkey. All harvests must be reported, regardless of cell phone signal availability.
Hunters are permitted to use shotguns with No. 4 shot or smaller, longbows, recurve bows, compound bows, and crossbows. Sighting devices are allowed, except those that use artificial light to locate wildlife. Full regulations can be found in the Tennessee Fishing, Hunting, and Trapping Guide.
