Hunters expected to show up in big numbers for turkey season
The 2020 spring turkey hunting season in Tennessee was among the busiest in many years.
Hunters flocked to the woods during the COVID-19 pandemic when so many other activities were shut down. Hunting provided a release. It was an outside activity where social distancing was the norm.
The statewide turkey harvest ended up being 38,232, which was 6,520 more than the average number of turkeys killed in each of the previous five years.
The 2021 spring turkey hunting season opens Saturday in most counties across the state, and wildlife officials say the momentum from last year’s hunting seasons probably will carry over to this year.
“I expect this turkey season we will see another record number of hunters in the woods,” Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency information specialist Barry Cross said.
“I expect to see another harvest somewhere close to what we saw last year,” he said. “There’s still a lot of people out due to COVID and, although we’re getting over it, we’re still in that period of time where there’s not a lot of other things to go and do. So turkey hunting is going to be at the top of most people’s list.”
A total of 37,152 sportsman hunting/ fishing licenses were sold in Tennessee in 2020 compared to 33,384 in 2019, according to the TWRA.
In a change from the past, the hunting season will not open in every county in the state this weekend. In an effort to help the turkey population in specific areas, the season starts April 17 in some counties including Giles, Lawrence, Lincoln and Wayne in Middle Tennessee.
“There’s been breeding already going on, but the first couple of weeks (in April) there’s still a lot of breeding,” Cross said. “By delaying that we’re allowing the turkey population down there to get a lot of that breeding done so that hopefully they’ll have a good hatch this late spring.”
The hunting season will remain open through May 16.
Hunting hours are 30 minutes prior to legal sunrise until legal sunset. Counties with the largest harvests in 2020, according to the TWRA: Maury 1,505, Greene 1,078, Dickson 941, Sumner 881, Giles 859, Rutherford 843, Wilson 840, Montgomery 837, Williamson 827, Robertson 772.
This will be the second spring turkey season where hunters can utilize the “Tag Before You Drag” system where they are able to tag their animal in the field prior to moving it. Hunters are able to use the TWRA on the Go app to e-tag and report their harvest in the field in one step, with or without cellphone service, prior to moving.
Those without a phone can attach one of the temporary transportation tags printed at the bottom of their licenser. They have until midnight on the same day of the harvest (or before leaving the state) to check in their harvest online at Gooutdoorstennessee.com or at a manned check stations.
Temporary transportation tags can also be obtained by logging in at Gooutdoorstennessee.com.
The bag limit is one bearded turkey per day per hunter, not to exceed the new spring season limit of three bearded turkeys.
Legal hunting equipment includes shotguns using ammunition loaded with No. 4 shot or smaller, longbows, recurve bows, compound bows and crossbows.