Wild Hog Hunting and Fluorescent "Blaze" Orange Requirements

[vontar]

Per Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency - Big Game Hunting

Wild Hogs are Big Game that just does not have to be tagged and checked out.

So it seems we are required to wear our Orange right? ( example if we went hunting them in the middle of summer )

Notice, even archers are required to wear it if archery-only deer season dates overlap with another big game gun season (i. e. bear or boar).

I figure a bit later in the year, it might look strange when I hit the woods in non deer season with my .270 wearing my orange.

I can image that someone calling the game warden. (there is some guy deer hunting)

Game warden comes out to check me out, Buddy what are you doing,

Me., Hunting wild hog.

I suggested to dad we might go hog hunting / scouting for deer sign a few weeks before deer season. If we don't see any good deer sign we won't waste our time there in deer season.

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency - Feral Hog/Wild Boar

for wild hog seasons,

(Feral hog season is open year-round on private lands )

see link for others and details.

[ShaunM]

Not sure but I think the orange only applies to when it is in rifle season for deer. I could be wrong but I will try and read the rules some more.

[vontar]

Edit, unable to sleep tonight.

That is what I always thought, but that section states big game.

I thought it was intended for deer season, but it says big game and big game defined in another section on same page as

Big game animals are deer, turkey, bear, wild hog, and elk. .

The exception seems to be turkey hunts.

(blaze orange), visible front and back, while hunting big game except on archery-only and turkey hunts.

.

So I believe wild Hog requires our Orange year around, unless they change the rule this year.

Edited May 29, 2011 by vontar

[Lumber_Jack]

You are correct, any big game hunting with a gun requires blaze orange.

[ShaunM]

I think I'm going to call them Tuesday and ask. If you have to wear orange year round to kill hogs, well that's just plain dumb.

[DaveS]

I'd like to know the answer to that one too....

[whiskey]

So if gun season for hogs is open year round, and hogs are big game, and we have to wear orange during any big game gun season, then we have to wear orange year round, including turkey hunting and archery season.

[ShaunM]

I found this in the 2010 hunting and trapping guide page 34. Seems like you don't have to wear orange if your on your property. Someone else can help decipher the secret TWRA code ha ha.

Wild hog hunting

Wild hogs are defined as any wild swine

found in Tennessee. They are considered

big game therefore a Big Game license is

required. Blaze orange must be worn at

all times while hunting wild hogs with a

firearm unless hunting on the person’s own

property. Wild hogs are not required to be

tagged or checked in at big game checking

stations. We encourage you to call in any

wild hog harvested to the Wildlife Division

at: (615) 781-6621 to help us monitor their

spread.

Wild hog gun season is open year-round

except as noted. Blaze orange required.

Private land

Public Hunting Areas are considered private

land.

• Season open year-round, 30-minutes

before sunrise to 30-minutes after sunset.

No limit, either sex. No dogs allowed

except as listed in the chart on this page.

Legal Equipment

Any centerfire rifle or handgun, shotguns

with slugs, muzzleloaders (.40 cal. or larger),

and archery equipment.

During Deer and Bear Seasons: A big game

hunter may take a wild hog with whatever

hunting device is legal during the deer and

bear seasons.

During Turkey Season: Wild hogs may be

hunted with any legal hunting device during

the spring turkey season; however, blaze

orange must be worn at all times. Turkey

hunters may take a wild hog with archery

equipment during the spring turkey season.

[whiskey]

Blaze orange must be worn at

all times while hunting wild hogs with a

firearm unless hunting on the person’s own

property.

I would think that sums it up

[mike243]

wild hogs are no longer considered big game,a landowner & 10 people he puts on a permit may kill them a bunch of different ways,just a heads up as the new guide isnt out yet.i have a website name where twra has posted the info if anybody wants/needs it

[Guest GunTroll]

I think the biologist, lawyers ,and reg writers/editors/publishing company need to all get together one day and have a beer and talk to each other with common sense as the main focal point.

In all the states I have ever hunted, I have never hunted in a more confusing, gray area, contradicting, and general lack of common sense state. Sorry you TN natives but you know its true!

[peejman]

I think the biologist, lawyers ,and reg writers/editors/publishing company need to all get together one day and have a beer and talk to each other with common sense as the main focal point.

In all the states I have ever hunted, I have never hunted in a more confusing, gray area, contradicting, and general lack of common sense state. Sorry you TN natives but you know its true!

What they need to do is understand that the average American reads on an 8th grade level. If the regulations aren't clear to a middle-school kid, they aren't clear enough.

[vontar]

Thanks Hunting101

I remember reading that in the hunting guide last year now.

So if gun season for hogs is open year round, and hogs are big game, and we have to wear orange during any big game gun season, then we have to wear orange year round, including turkey hunting and archery season.

Don't you like what I dug up.

except on archery-only and turkey hunts. (A hat and vest fulfills requirements.) Blaze orange camo is legal if it contains 500 square inches of fluorescent orange. In those areas where the archery-only deer season dates overlap with another big game gun season (i. e. bear or boar), archers are required to wear 500 square inches of daylight fluorescent orange (TCA-70-4-124).

Since Wild hog is year around, and archery season over laps a year long wild hog season that means if they want to push it, I guess it means by default archers are required to wear it.

I guess this is one of those things that should have been requested to be fixed.

Edited June 2, 2011 by vontar

[DaveS]

Vontar's cyphering is absolutely correct!

[Guest GunTroll]

What they need to do is understand that the average American reads on an 8th grade level. If the regulations aren't clear to a middle-school kid, they aren't clear enough.

I can't understand what you are saying but it sounds good .

[mike243]

heres a post by the big game guy at twra that he posted on Tndeer.com,hope it pastes close enuf to make heads or tails out of it

BigGameGuy

TWRA Big Game Coordinator

12 Point

Registered: 05-14-2004

Posts: 5529

Loc: Nashville

Offline It's been way too quiet in here...I might as well give you something totalk about...

The following is a summary of the major season setting recommendations as proposed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission on April 14, 2011:

In an effort to keep consistent regulations for the Sportsmen and women of Tennessee and to save considerable amounts of time and money, it is the agency’s intent to not recommend changes in 2012 in the following areas:

o Big Game regulations

o Small Game regulations

o Furbearer regulations

o Manner and Means

o TWRA Managed WMAs

(The TWRC may recommend changing any of the above regulations at any time.)

• Proclamation 11-03 Proclaims Enterprise South Park WMA

o Changes the name of Volunteer Army Ammunition Plant to Enterprise South Park.

• Proclamation 11-04 Statewide Big Game Hunting Seasons

o Deer - Create continuous gun season running from the first Saturday before Thanksgiving to January 1st

o Deer - Increase antlerless opportunities in Benton, Hamilton, Hardin, Monroe, Marion, Perry, Sevier, and Union counties.

o Deer - Create a Red Deer season in a section of Claiborne county (Jan 14-22, 2012)

o Wild Hog - Remove wild hogs from big game and eliminate all wild hog hunting (will be listed in new Nonprotected Wildlife proclamation)

o Black bear – Add 1 bear to the Young Sportsman hunts bag limit (TWRC Recommendation)

o Turkey – Move fall turkey season from December to October and increase the number of days from 12 to 14 (Oct. 15 – 28)

o Turkey – no changes to spring seasons

• Proclamation 11-05 Importation of Cervid Carcasses and Parts

o Add Alleghany County, MD and Hardy County, WV to the list of CWD containment areas

• Proclamation 11-06 Statewide Small Game Seasons

o Close quail season on last day of January to protect the resource

o Remove unprotected animals (placed in new Nonprotectected Wildlife proclamation)

o Small game hunters should get two straight months (Jan.-Feb.) with no big game seasons

• Proclamation 11-07 Statewide Furbearer Hunting and Trapping

o Remove nutria (placed in new Nonprotected Wildlife proclamation)

• Proclamation 11-08 Statewide Nonprotected Wildlife - New

o Add House Sparrow, European Starling, Rock Pigeon, Nutria, and Wild Hog to the list of nonprotected and destructive species

o Create manner and means for landowners to handle nonprotected wildlife

o Includes all legal weapons, live traps with bait (outside of big game seasons), and a process to obtain exemptions which may allow the use of dogs in select areas (Overton, Fentress, Cumberland, Pickett), night-time shooting, and other methods as approved by TWRA

• Proclamation 11-09 Wildlife Management Area Hunting Seasons

o Wild hog hunting closed on all WMAs unless otherwise indicated

o WMA quota permits will be reduced from a $20.00 refundable fee to a $10.00 non-refundable

o Season adjustments on a few select WMAs

 Region I – opens Dry Creek WMA (4,121 acres) to big game, small game

 Region II – add hunts at Williamsport WMA

 Region III – Allow hogs to be taken on S. Cherokee, Bridgestone, and Catoosa during deer hunts and increase raccoon seasons in S. Cherokee (includes Tellico/Ocoee bear reserves). Increase opportunity on Chickamauga waterfowl draw hunts.

 Region IV – allow hogs on hunts in N. Cherokee, North Cumberland, Foothills, and Kyker

• Proclamation 11-10 National Wildlife Refuge Hunting seasons

o Adjust season dates accordingly

o Remove armadillo and wild hog

o Add hunts to Hatchie and Tennessee National

• Proclamation 11-11 Manner and Means of Hunting, Taking, and Trapping

o Create table format for approved weapons for each species

o Remove gauge restrictions for turkey hunting (legalizes .410)

o Change caliber restrictions for muzzleloaders from .40 to .36 for big game

o Remove requirement that broadheads need to be of barbless design

o Add chasing of rabbits during night-time hours to legal hunting activities

• Proclamation 11-12 Taking of Raptors for the Purpose of Falconry

o Add process of drawing a permit to take Peregrines according to Federal Guidelines

_________________________

[DaveS]

W...H...A...T the heck?????!!!!!!

[Guest GunTroll]

I'm down with the two month small game hunting Jan 1 - Feb 28 with no interference from big game hunters! I hate orange. But love my life.

I'm interested in the night hunting as well. Would like to know more about that.

[mike243]

the nite hunting for rabbits is just to run/trane your dog.for hogs it takes a permit & they will be easy for the land owner to get.they will post every thing sone & it wont look so bad to folks.dog hunters are screaming the blues cause it will mean less $ for them to make guiding & providing dogs for the hog hunts.they will still be allowed just handled different

[Guest BEARMAN]

W...H...A...T the heck?????!!!!!!

I agree, wd. Too complicated to figure out in layman's terms. Unfortunately, this will be the LAST sportsmans license I'll purchase.

I'll just hunt my own land for free. The T.W.R.A. has lost their collective minds on the hunting issues.

There needs to be some serious housecleaning done over at the T.W.R.A. in my humble opinion.

They seem to not want to dance with the one's that brought them. FWIW.

[DaveS]

I'm out on a Sportsman license this year also. Not giving the refuge any money either!

[ShaunM]

Well I got my sportsman license.

[DaveS]

I don't really like the proposal on the quaota hunt fee's either!

[Guest GunTroll]

Well I got my sportsman license.

Me too. Hope I'll get to use it for more than this last springs turkey and this upcoming small game.

[mike243]

lifetime here,i dont worry about the $ like i use too.best $1620 i ever spent,had them for 5 seasons now