Hunting in Tennessee: 3 Things to Know About Hunting on Private Lands

Cotton and beef cattle are two of the most prevalent products in Tennessee, and such agricultural interests demand large swaths of land. Nearly 86 percent of the state is privately owned, and those lands can provide opportunities for hunting in Tennessee.

It can also provide challenges when it comes to gaining permission for access to private lands.

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Here are three things to know about hunting on private land in the state:

1. Check with the Experts:
The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency maintains regional offices throughout the state to assist sport hunters in identifying and contacting landowners. In addition, the TWRA works with the U.S. Department of Agriculture through various landowner programs. Though the focus of these programs is maintaining healthy, environmentally conscious practices, it also encompasses wildlife management and game harvesting in some cases.

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Depending on the type of land program, the private land may be included in whole or in part as state-managed lands. The regional offices will be able to provide interested hunters with proper and current information.

2. Ask First
If hunters are within 100 yards of a visible dwelling, they cannot actively hunt in the area without first obtaining permission, regardless of whether or not they intend to hunt on the landowner’s property. If a hunter is tracking previously wounded game that ventures onto private property, the hunter must obtain permission before retrieving it.

3. Hunting Leases
The TWRA facilitates hunting leases as a means for hunters to acquire exclusive access to private lands for the sole purpose of harvesting game animals. It is the responsibility of the hunter to locate landowners interested in entering into daily, seasonal, or annual leases of this nature.

Hunters must still possess valid hunting permits for the game desired, and may only harvest during the specified season. Hunting leases do not equate to landowner exemption, according to the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service. Only the landowners and their immediate family qualify for such consideration. Hunters and/or hunting parties or clubs interested in this option should be certain to conduct exhaustive research to the property in question to ascertain the viability of potential harvest returns.

This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.

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