Statewide Duck Season Opens November 28

NASHVILLE --- Tennessee’s 2008-09 statewide duck season opens Friday, Nov. 28 and will continue through Jan. 25, 2009. In the Reelfoot duck zone in the northwest portion of the state, the dates are Nov. 29-Jan. 25.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission sets the state’s waterfowl hunting seasons each year within the framework determined by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Tennessee selected the option of a 59-day duck season in the statewide zone for 2008-09. The Reelfoot duck zone will have a 60-day season. The Reelfoot zone had an opening segment on Nov. 15-16.

At its August meeting in setting guidelines for the 2008-09 season, the TWRC approved the daily bag limit of six ducks that may include no more than four mallards (no more than one female), three wood ducks, two redheads, and one black duck, pintail, and scaup. The daily bag limit of mergansers is five, only two of which can be hooded mergansers.

The major changes in bag limits from last year include: the wood duck bag limit has increased from two to three ducks per day; scaup bag limits have been reduced to one per day; the hen mallard bag limit has been reduced to one per day; and the canvasback season will be closed this year.

The second segment for the Canada goose season also will get underway. The statewide zone is Nov. 28-Jan. 30. The northwest zone dates are Nov. 29-Feb. 8. Federal frameworks for the Canada goose season were extended in the Kentucky Lake Canada goose zone and will allow 72 days of hunting across the state. Tennessee will effectively have only two functional Canada goose zones in the statewide zone and the northwest zone.

Season dates and bag limits for light geese (snow, blue, Ross) are similar to last season with a shift of the calendar. The standard season runs from Nov. 24 through Feb. 8. 

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency would like to remind all waterfowl hunters to make sure all of their safety equipment is in order. Two areas of primary concern are running lights and personal flotation devices (PFDs). All boats operating between sunset and sunrise are required to display the appropriate lights. Boaters should have properly fitting wearable PFDs on board.

For more information about Tennessee’s waterfowl hunting seasons, refer to TWRA’s 2008 Tennessee Waterfowl Hunting Guide available at all license agents or on the TWRA website at www.tnwildlife.org.