Time to speak your mind
By Tom Wiest | (wiest.tom@gmail.com)
Change is inevitable. Our hunting regulations change regularly — hopefully for the better. Now is your chance to input your ideas on better hunting regulations. For better or worse, this is the time to speak your mind.
This past year saw an increase in hunting opportunities for deer with a longer season and greater bag limit, a longer bear season, a fall turkey season expanded by seven counties and a greater bag limit, and a lengthened quail season.
In 2011 the gun deer season went from two segments to one continuous session, wild hogs lost their big game status and their open hunting season, and fall turkey season moved from December to October.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is ready for input from the public to help their wildlife biologists make improvements in the 2013-2014 fall hunting seasons. Suggestions are welcome on many issues, including season dates, bag limits and other regulations for big game and small game.
Your suggestions can be sent via e-mail as well as surface mail, but no phone calls. All proposed changes need to have justifications with them. The final recommendations will be previewed by the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission at its April meeting and voted on at its May meeting.
Public comments will be considered by TWRA’s Wildlife Division staff and may be presented as proposals for regulation changes. Comments may be submitted by email to http://twra.com (ment@tn.gov) or by U.S. mail to: 2013-14 Hunting Season Comments, TWRA, Wildlife and Forestry Division, P.O. Box 40747, Nashville, TN 37204. Include “Hunting Season Comments” on the subject line of emailed submissions. The deadline is Feb. 25.
Comments on the 2013 fishing season have been processed and will be announced soon; changes in regulations will go into effect on March 1, the beginning of the “new year” for sportsmen.
• Young artists and teachers: Listen up. The 15th annual State Fish Art Contest is underway, sponsored by Wildlife Forever. Students in grades K through 12 are eligible and can win prizes and national recognition while learning about state fish species, aquatic habitats, and conservation.
The State Fish Art Contest applies art to children’s imaginations while teaching them about the outdoors. Entries must be postmarked by March 31.
Get the details at http://www.StateFishArt.org . As the nonprofit conservation arm of the North American Hunting Club and North American Fishing Club, Wildlife Forever represents the conservation interests of 1.3 million members. Learn more at: http://www.WildlifeForever.org .
Tom Wiest welcomes questions and comments. Contact him at (wiest.tom@gmail.com)
