Nashville, TN – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces hunt program information for Tennessee and Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge in West Tennessee.
The new hunt brochures for each refuge are now available online and at refuge offices, kiosks and area sporting goods stores.
Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge provides hunting opportunities on all three of its units for white-tailed deer, raccoon, wild turkey, squirrel and resident Canada goose. Cross Creeks provides hunts for all the above species except raccoon.
Hunt brochures have been distributed to sporting goods shops, refuge information kiosks, and are available to download online at the refuge websites for Tennessee at http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Tennessee or Cross Creeks NWR at http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Cross_Creeks.
Refuge hunt brochures may also be picked up at the Tennessee refuge headquarters at 1371 Wildlife Drive in Springville, TN or at the Cross Creeks refuge headquarters at 643 Wildlife Road in Dover, TN, or can be sent to you by mail by calling 731.642.2091 and leaving your name and address.
All hunters must apply for quota hunts online at the individual refuge websites. Tennessee and Cross Creeks quota hunts are two separate lottery draws. A company named RecAccess is being used to conduct these lottery quota hunt draws for each refuge.
Hunters must initially sign-up for an account with RecAccess and be assigned a RecAccess Identification (or RAID) Number before applying the first time. The Tennessee NWR sign-up web address is: www.fws.gov/refuge/Tennessee
The Cross Creeks NWR sign-up web address is: http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Cross_Creeks. Hunters will only have to do this once and can use their account numbers for successive years or at other refuges that use RecAccess. Hunters can immediately sign-up for this free account number by going to the refuge websites. The quota hunt application period now open through August 1st.
When applying for the individual refuge quota hunts, hunters will be charged a $5.00 application fee collected by RecAccess for administering the drawing. There are no refunds on application fees.
The refuge quota hunt draw will continue to be a weighted draw that uses preference points. Hunters can also apply as a party hunt for up to 5 hunters. One hunter will need to apply for each party. You will need the name and RAID number for each hunter in the party. The applying hunter will be charged for all the hunt party’s application fees of $5.00 per hunter. Hunters will NOT be able to go back and add additional hunters to their party after applying. Hunters will be notified of the hunt draw results by email on August 10th.
All quota and non-quota hunters, age 17 and older, must purchase a Refuge Annual Hunting Permit at a fee of $15.00. This permit allows you to hunt on both Cross Creeks and Tennessee NWR. Once again hunters can purchase these permits through TWRA licensing agents, online at gooutdoorstennessee.com, or on the TWRA mobile app.
To purchase a permit through a licensing agent, it might be helpful to know the permit code of “064” for a TNWR/Cross Creeks permit. Youth hunters age 16 and under do not need an Annual Hunting Permit, however the adult supervising them during the hunt is required to have one.
For more information on the refuge hunt program, please contact the Paris refuge headquarters at 731.642.2091.
Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge
2020-2021 Season Dates and Regulations for Refuge Hunts
The hunting of any other species not listed below is not permitted. This includes but is not limited to bobcat, river otter and fox.
All state bag limits, season lengths and weapon regulations apply unless otherwise specified.
| Type | Season dates | Bag limit | Refuge specific regulations |
| Squirrel | August 22 – November 14.
Spring squirrel open with statewide season. Season closed during the weekend quota hunts, refuge youth, statewide youth, and primitive weapons hunts. |
State bag limits apply. | Dogs are permitted. |
| Resident Canada goose | Open during the September statewide season from September 1 through the day before the start of the early wood duck/teal season. | State bag limits apply. | Resident Canada Goose hunt is non-quota.
See separate hunt regulations handout available at the refuge headquarters and at refuge kiosks. |
| Deer (archery only) | Statewide Season – November 14.
Season closed during the weekend quota deer hunts, refuge youth hunt, primitive weapons, and statewide youth hunts. |
State bag limits apply.
Deer taken are counted as part of the statewide bag limit.
|
State tagging requirements apply.
Use kill code 152 for checking at a check station. When checking a deer online use Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge as the location. Scouting during quota hunts, primitive weapons, refuge and statewide youth hunt is prohibited. |
| Primitive Weapons | October 10-11, 2020 | Three deer, only one can be antlered.
Deer taken are bonus deer. |
Hunt limited to Long Bow, Recurve Bow and Side-hammered muzzleloader with iron sites only.
State tagging requirements apply. Use kill code 152 for checking at a check station. When checking a deer online use Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge as the location. |
| Deer – Quota Hunt (gun/archery/ muzzleloader) | October 23-25, 2020
November 6-8, 2020 |
Three deer, only one can be antlered.
Deer taken are bonus deer. Hunters are NOT required to shoot a doe first before shooting a buck. |
Quota hunt permit required.
State tagging requirements apply. Use kill code 152 for checking at a check station. When checking a deer online use Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge as the location. |
| Youth Deer (gun/archery/ muzzleloader) | October 3-4, 2020
Also open during statewide youth hunt, October 31-November 1, 2020. |
Deer taken during statewide youth hunt will be counted as part of the statewide bag limit. Three deer, only one can be antlered. Deer taken are bonus deer during refuge youth hunt October 3-4, 2020.Deer taken during statewide youth hunt will be counted as part of the statewide bag limit October 31 – November 1, 2020. |
A Refuge Annual Hunt Permit is not required for a youth hunter, but it is required for the supervising adult.
Use kill code 152 for checking at a check station. When checking a deer online use Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge as the location. Multiple youth may now be accompanied by a single non-hunting adult. The adult must remain in a position to take immediate control of hunting device. |
| Deer (muzzleloader) | November 9-14, 2020. | State bag limits apply.
|
State tagging requirements apply.
Use kill code 152 for checking at a check station. When checking a deer online use Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge as the location. |
| Raccoon | Opens the same as statewide season – October 2, October 5-9, 12-22, 26-30, November 2-5, 2020. | State bag limits apply. | Dogs are permitted.
Hunting begins at sunset on first day of each hunt and ends at sunrise on last day of each hunt. |
| Turkey (shotgun/ archery) | Spring and fall turkey season open during statewide season, including youth hunt. | State bag limits apply.
Turkeys taken are counted as part of the statewide bag limit. |
Calling or attempting to call turkeys on the refuge
is prohibited from March 1 until opening of spring turkey season. |
Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge
2020-2021 Season Dates and Regulations for Refuge Hunts
The hunting of any other species not listed below is not permitted. This includes but is not limited to bobcat, river otter and fox.
All state bag limits, season lengths and weapon regulations apply unless otherwise specified.
| Type | Season dates | Bag limits | Refuge specific regulations |
| Squirrel | August 24 – November 14. Spring squirrel hunt open with statewide season.
Season closed during the weekend quota hunt, refuge and statewide youth hunts. |
State bag limits apply. | Dogs are permitted. |
| Resident Canada Goose | Open during the September statewide season from September 1 through the day before the start of early wood duck/ teal season. Goose hunting is allowed in fields and water in hunt areas 1 and 2 only. | State bag limits apply. | We permit the use of dogs to retrieve geese. Hunting from an agricultural field that is not harvested is prohibited with the exception of winter wheat. Shooting across any public use road is prohibited. It is illegal to cut corn stalks or other vegetation on the refuge. You may use only portable blinds, and you must remove all boats, blinds, and decoys from the refuge at the end of each day’s hunt. Permanent and/ or pit blinds are prohibited. |
| Deer/Turkey (archery only) | Statewide season through November
14. Season closed during the weekend quota deer hunt, refuge and statewide youth hunt. |
State bag limits apply. Turkey and deer taken are counted as part of the statewide bag limit. | State tagging regulations apply. Use kill code 104 for checking at a check station. When checking deer online use Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge. Scouting during quota hunt and refuge and statewide youth hunts is prohibited. |
| Deer-Quota Hunt (gun/ archery/ muzzleloader) | October 16-18, 2020 | Three deer, only one can be antlered. Deer taken
are bonus deer. |
Quota Hunt Permit required. State tagging regulations apply. Use kill code 104 for checking at a check station. When checking deer online use Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge. Scouting during quota hunt, refuge and statewide youth hunts is prohibited |
| Youth Deer (gun/archery/ muzzleloader) | October 3-4, 2020 Also open during statewide youth hunt, October 31-November 1, 2020 | Three deer, only one can be antlered. Deer taken are counted as bonus deer during the Refuge youth hunt. Deer taken during statewide youth hunt will be counted as part of the statewide bag limit. | A Refuge Annual Hunt Permit is not required for a youth hunter, but is required for the supervising adult. State tagging regulations apply. Use kill code 104 for checking at a check station. When checking deer online use Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge. Scouting during quota hunt and refuge and statewide youth hunts is prohibited. Multiple youth may be accompanied by a single nonhunting adult. The adult must remain in a position to take immediate control of the hunting device. |
| Deer (muzzleloader/ archery) | November 7-14, 2020 | State bag limits apply. Deer taken are counted as part of the statewide bag limit. | State tagging regulations apply. Use kill code 104 for checking at a check station. When checking deer online use Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge. Scouting during quota hunt and refuge and statewide youth hunts is prohibited. |
| Turkey (shotgun/ archery) | Spring and fall turkey season is open during statewide season, including youth hunt. No fall turkey gun hunt. | State bag limits apply. Turkeys taken are counted as part of the statewide bag limit. | A Refuge Annual Hunt Permit is not required for a youth hunter, but is required for the supervising adult. Calling or attempting to call turkeys on the refuge is prohibited from March 1 until the opening of turkey season. |
