Hunting is big in Tennessee, but it wasn't always that way.  The white-tail deer population had mostly disappeared by the late 1800's, having been hunted to the point of extinction in Tennessee.  By late 1940's there were fewer than 1,000 deer in the entire state.  Fortunately, successful restocking efforts began quietly in the 1930’s through the 1980’s, and protective game laws have now resulted in a deer population with an annual harvest now exceeding 160,000 animals.

Beginning in the 1930’s, several agencies began deer restoration efforts on a few public lands in Tennessee. The Game and Fish Division of the Tennessee Department of Conservation, United States Forest Service, Tennessee Valley Authority, and the United States Navy restocked deer at this time.  Any old timer in Perry County will tell you how amazed they are at the difference in deer around here to hunt.  

The TWRA, known then as the Tennessee Game and Fish Commission, began restocking public lands in 1949 and private lands in the mid-1950’s. Roughly 9,000 deer were released in Tennessee by these agencies from 1940-1985. Deer were brought in from Michigan, Maryland, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Virginia, and Texas. Once adequate populations of deer were built from these initial stockings, in-state deer became the primary source for later restocking efforts.   After the deer population had rebounded sufficiently, the first limited deer hunting seasons were established in the 1940's on select public lands.   Limited private lands hunting began in the 1950's.   By 1990, all counties in the state were open to deer hunting.

Currently, Tennessee has some of the most liberal deer harvest regulations and longest hunting seasons in the United States. TWRA’s restocking and management efforts have been highly successful. Of course, healthy and growing deer populations, which are a boon to hunters, wildlife viewers, and many sectors of the recreation industry, can also be a detriment to others through crop damage, auto collisions, tree/ shrub damage, etc.  And now there is another threat to the deer population, known as deer wasting disease.

Too many deer, crop damage.  Not enough, and hunters are unhappy.  The TWRA attempts to keep everyone happy, but it hasn't always been easy.  And some hunters don't want to abide by the law.  Just remember, it's in everyone's best interest to practice good hunting practices... so no poaching!