Below you will find a season summary so you can start planning your hunting trips. Please refer to the Hunting and Trapping Guide for the latest detailed hunting dates, bag limits, zones, units, and required licenses and/or permits. Download a PDF Summary.
Turkey hunting is a popular sport in Tennessee, with thousands eagerly awaiting the opening day of turkey season each year. As an avid turkey hunter myself, I’m always looking forward to spring turkey season and planning my hunts. But for beginners, understanding Tennessee’s turkey season dates, limits, and regulations can be confusing. This article will provide you with everything you need to know about when turkey season is in Tennessee.
Overview of Tennessee Turkey Seasons
Tennessee offers both spring and fall turkey hunting seasons across most of the state Here’s a quick overview of the seasons
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Spring Turkey Season – Occurs in April and May each year This is the more popular season with the most hunting opportunities
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Fall Turkey Season – Occurs in October and early November each year. Only male turkeys can be harvested during the fall.
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Young Sportsman Hunt – Special 2-day hunt in early April for youth hunters age 6-16.
Turkey hunters can harvest up to 2 birds per year in Tennessee, with no more than 1 per day. Only 1 bird can be a jake during spring season. Fall turkeys count toward the statewide limit.
When is Spring Turkey Season in Tennessee?
The most exciting turkey hunting happens in the spring during breeding season. Here are the 2025 spring turkey hunting dates for Tennessee:
- Young Sportsman Hunt: April 5-6
- Opening Day: April 12
- Closing Day: May 25
Hunting is allowed 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset each day.
The Young Sportsman Hunt takes place the weekend before opening day and allows youth ages 6-16 to hunt with a non-hunting adult. It’s a great opportunity to introduce kids to turkey hunting before the regular season starts.
Spring season is when you’ll find turkeys vocal and active as they form breeding flocks. The weather is warming up, vegetation is growing to provide food sources, and it’s the optimal time to bag a mature gobbler.
When is Fall Turkey Season in Tennessee?
While more limited than spring, fall turkey season takes place each October and early November in most Tennessee counties. The 2024 fall turkey dates are:
- Archery: September 28 – October 25, 2024 and October 28 – November 8, 2024
- Shotgun/Archery: October 12-25, 2024
Only male turkeys are legal game during the fall season. Hunting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset each day.
Fall is a trickier time to hunt turkeys as their patterns and behaviors change after breeding season. You’ll need to scout for flocks feeding in agricultural fields harvested of grains and corn. Decoy spreads can be effective to draw in juvenile gobblers.
Turkey Hunting Units and Regulations
When planning your turkey hunts, be sure to consult Tennessee’s hunting regulations for the county you’ll be hunting in.
While most counties are open for fall and spring turkey seasons, there are some exceptions:
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Fall: Closed in Crockett, Dyer, Giles, Haywood, Lake, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lincoln, Shelby, Tipton, and Wayne counties.
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Spring: All counties are open, but some public lands have restrictions.
Tennessee divides the state into different turkey management units. You can harvest your two turkeys from any units, but must abide by bag limits of one per day and no more than one jake in spring.
Other turkey hunting regulations include:
- Shotgun must use #4 shot or smaller
- Archery equipment allowed
- Electronic calls prohibited
- Legal hunting hours 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset
Always consult Tennessee’s turkey hunting guides before heading out to ensure you understand the laws.
Tips for Hunting Tennessee Turkeys
With the right preparation and techniques, you can have an excellent turkey hunt in Tennessee:
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Scout early – Start 4-6 weeks before opening day to locate flocks and roosting areas.
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Use turkey calls – Master different calls like yelps, cuts, and purrs to draw in gobblers.
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Conceal yourself – Set up near roost sites before fly-down or productive food sources. Stay hidden and still.
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Be patient – It often takes multiple hunts to finally get a shot on a gobbler. Persistence pays off.
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Check regulations – Double check rules, season dates, bag limits, and permit requirements before hunting.
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Tag immediately – Tag your turkey right after harvesting and fill out the confirmation number to check it in.
With preparation and knowledge of turkey behaviors, you can have an amazing hunt during Tennessee’s spring and fall turkey seasons. I wish you the best of luck in bagging your first turkey or adding another gobbler to your lifetime harvests. Just be sure to thoroughly review Tennessee’s hunting regulations and season dates in advance. Now get out there and enjoy some exciting turkey hunting in the Volunteer State!
Tennessee: 22
Spring turkey season: 6
Fall turkey season: 5
Turkey: 14
Hunting: 11
Gobbler: 3
Jake: 2
Young Sportsman Hunt: 3
Archery: 2
Shotgun: 2
Sunrise and sunset: 2
Scout: 1
Calls: 1
Conceal: 1
Patient: 1
Check regulations: 1
Tag immediately: 1
Sandhill Crane Season Dates and Bag Limits
| SPECIES | STATEWIDE |
SOUTHEAST CRANE ZONE SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 40 AND EAST OF HIGHWAY 56 |
DAILY BAG LIMIT AND POSSESSION LIMIT* |
|---|---|---|---|
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Sandhill Crane |
Dec. 3, 2024 – Jan. 31, 2025 Statewide tags are valid statewide, including the Southeast Crane Zone, except during the three day closure in that zone from Jan. 17– 19, 2025. |
Dec. 3, 2024 – Jan. 16, 2025 Jan. 20 – 31, 2025 |
The daily bag, season bag, and possession limit for sandhill cranes is based on the number of tags awarded to an individual. |
* Each harvested crane must be accompanied by a completed kill tag (each tag allows harvest of one (1) crane) and be checked in by the end of the calendar day of harvest by any Agency approved check-in method. Also, hunters issued sandhill crane tags MUST fill out and return a post-season survey before February 10, regardless of whether they hunted or harvested a sandhill crane. Failure to return the post-season survey may result in hunters not being eligible to apply for a sandhill crane tag in future draws.
Duck Season Dates and Bag Limits
| Early Application Dates: Sept. 25 – Oct. 15, 2024 Includes hunt days: Nov. 30 – Dec. 1, 2024 & Dec. 5 – 22, 2024 | Mid Application Dates: Oct. 23 – Nov. 12, 2024 Includes hunt days: Dec. 23, 2024 – Jan. 12, 2025 | Late Application Dates: Nov. 13 – Dec. 3, 2024 Includes hunt days: Jan. 13 – 31, 2025 | Season Long Application Dates: June 26 – July 17, 2024 Tier 1 Blind Hunt Dates: Nov. 30 – Dec. 1., 2024 & Dec. 5, 2024 – Jan. 31, 2025 | ||
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SPECIES |
STATEWIDE |
DAILY BAG LIMIT |
POSSESSION LIMIT |
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Wood Duck & Teal |
Sept. 14 –18, 2024 |
The daily bag limit of ducks is 6 and may include no more than 2 wood ducks. |
The possession limit is three (3) times the daily bag limit, except on opening day and the second day of the season when the possession limit is one (1) and two (2) times the daily bag limit, respectively. |
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Teal |
Sept. 19 – 22, 2024 |
The daily bag limit is 6 of any teal species. |
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Ducks, Coot & Mergansers |
Nov. 30 – Dec. 1, 2024 Dec. 5, 2024 –Jan. 31, 2025 |
Coot: 15 Ducks: The daily bag limit of ducks is 6 birds/day which may include no more than 4 mallards (no more than 2 of which may be a female), 3 wood ducks, 2 canvasbacks, 2 redheads, 2 black ducks, 1 pintail, and 1 mottled duck. The daily bag limit for scaup is 1 scaup from Nov. 30 – Dec. 1, 2024 and Dec. 5 – 17, 2024 then 2 scaup from Dec. 18, 2024 to Jan. 31, 2025. Mergansers: 5 (only 2 of which may be hooded mergansers) |
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| Youth Sportsman Waterfowl Hunting Season* |
Feb. 1 and 8, 2025 |
Same as regular season daily bag limits. |
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| Veterans and Active Military Personnel** |
Feb. 2 and 9, 2025 |
Same as regular season daily bag limits. |
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* Only youth hunters from ages 6–16 years may harvest coot, gallinule, moorhen, ducks, mergansers, and geese during the Youth Waterfowl hunt days. Youth aged 16 are still required to possess a valid Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (Federal Duck Stamp). Non-hunting adults at least 21 years of age shall accompany the youth hunter(s) into the field during the youth waterfowl season and must remain in a position to take immediate control of the hunting device. Multiple youths may be accompanied by a single qualifying adult; however, adults and other persons accompanying youths shall not hunt during these youth waterfowl hunts. Adults not accompanied by youths 6–16 may still harvest geese during those dates. Geese, coot, gallinule, moorhen, and ducks may be taken by youths during the Youth Waterfowl Season. WMAs with special closing times are open all day, each day of the Youth Waterfowl Season. ** Veterans (as defined in section 101 of title 38, United States Code) and members of the Armed Forces on active duty, including members of the National Guard and Reserves on active duty (other than for training), may participate and harvest coot, gallinule, moorhen, ducks, mergansers, and geese. During the Veterans and Active Military Personnel waterfowl season, non-veteran or non-active duty personnel may be present; however, only veterans or active military persons may hunt. When other migratory gamebird seasons are open during the Veterans and Active Military Personnel waterfowl season, any properly licensed youth or adult not accompanied by veterans or active military may harvest legal game. |
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BIG Changes for Tennessee’s 2023 Spring Turkey Season
FAQ
When can you hunt turkeys in Tennessee?
| Statewide | Season Dates | Bag Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Archery Only | Sept. 28 – Oct. 25, 2024 Oct. 28 – Nov. 8, 2024 | One (1) male turkey. No bearded hens allowed. |
| Shotgun/Archery | Oct. 12 – 25, 2024 | One (1) male turkey. No bearded hens allowed. |
Can I hunt on my own land without a license in Tennessee?
- Landowners, their spouses, and children
- Resident grandchildren and great-grandchildren under 16 who hunt on their grandparents’ or great-grandparents’ land
- First cousins who jointly own farmland, and their children
- Residents born before March 1, 1926
- Military personnel on leave with leave papers
What hunting seasons are open in Tennessee?
- Archery: The fourth Saturday in September
- Muzzleloader: The third Saturday before Thanksgiving
- Gun: The Saturday before Thanksgiving
- Young Sportsman: The last Saturday in October
- 2024–2025 Gun, Muzzleloader, and Archery: November 23, 2024–January 5, 2025
What counties in TN have fall turkey season?
Fall Turkey Season Dates & Limits
One (1) male turkey. No bearded hens allowed. Open in all counties, except Crockett, Dyer, Giles, Haywood, Lake, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lincoln, Shelby, Tipton, and Wayne counties are closed.