Tennessee Canned Hunting Statutes and Regulations

No Ban: Mammals permitted.

Statute

Tennessee statutes specify that "it is unlawful for any person to operate a private wildlife preserve for the purpose of propagating and/or hunting any class of wildlife reared in captivity unless that person obtains the appropriate permit and operates such private wildlife preserve in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated by the commission." T.C.A. §70-4-413(a).

The only species that can be hunted on wildlife preserves are pen-reared and farm-reared animals. Id. at §70-4-413(b). Additional restrictions pertaining to exotic wildlife are contained in Tennessee's captive wildlife regulations. See Id. at §70-4-401 et seq.

Regulation

Tennessee regulations define a "private wildlife preserve" to mean "a privately owned or lease controlled tract of land on which a person, for a fee or otherwise, may hunt artificially propagated or pen-reared wildlife or farm-reared animals." T.W.R. §1660-1-11-.02(1)(a).

"Wildlife" means "all warm-blooded animals normally found in the wild." Id. at §1660-1-11-.02(1)(b). "Pen" or "farm-reared animals" refers to animals who are "domesticated or raised in captivity by (sic) which normally can be found in the wild state." Id. at §1660-1-11-.02(1)(c).

A permit is required to operate a private wildlife preserve. Id. at §1660-1-11-.02(2)(a).

The permit authorizes the release of artificially propagated or pen-reared wildlife or farm-reared animals only of those species listed on the permit. Id. at §1660-1-11-.02(2)(b).

The land area for a shooting preserve "must contain a minimum of 20 acres and may contain a maximum of 640 acres, and this land shall be in one continuous tract." Id. at §1660-1-11-.02(4)(a). On private shooting preserves "where big game mammal species are hunted the boundary shall be marked in addition to the posted signs by a woven wire fence of a minimum of 12-gauge wire and such fences shall be a minimum of 36 inches in height." Id.

Wildlife purchased outside Tennessee intended to be used on private wildlife preserves must be approved by the Wildlife Resources Agency and an importation permit obtained before such wildlife may be legally possessed. Id. at §1660-1-11-.02(3)(a).

Wildlife "indigenous to Tennessee may not be held, released, or hunted on a private shooting preserve unless specifically authorized by the shooting preserve permit." Id. at §1660-1-11-.02(3)(b).

More specifically, "white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and black bear are specifically prohibited from being held, released and hunted under the authority of a shooting preserve permit." Id. However, "game species, excluding black bear, that are naturally occurring within the boundaries of a private shooting preserve may be hunted in accordance with statewide regulations and license/permit requirements." Id.

Each shooting preserve permit holder must provide the Wildlife Resources Agency "with records showing the number and species of wildlife purchased, the name and address of the source of supply, the number and species propagated, the number and species released and the number of species taken." Id. at §1660-1-11-.02(5)(a). 

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