The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is offering an Introduction to Turkey Hunting Class at the John Sevier Hunter Education Center in Knoxville 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, March 18.
The course will equip attendees with basic knowledge and skills to help them harvest a bearded turkey this spring. Topics to be covered include turkey history, identification, basic biology, scouting, locating gobblers, gear, strategies, calling, and more. Attendees will also get the opportunity to learn and practice calling with experienced turkey hunters.
Hunters are also invited to bring a shotgun for patterning onsite following the classroom session. Target load ammunition will be provided, or participants may bring their own.
The course is free for hunters possessing a current Tennessee Small Game Hunting and fishing license and an additional Big Game Gun hunting license. Lifetime or Sportsman licenses are also valid for the event. Attendees without an active license will need to purchase a daily range permit (Type 222) for March 18, 2023. The range permit may also be purchased onsite on the day of the event, but attendees should plan to arrive early to complete the transaction before the class begins. Licenses and range permits are also available for purchase online at GoOutdoorsTennessee.com.
John Sevier Hunter Education Center
Spring turkey season opens April 8-9 for the Young Sportsman (ages 6-16) hunt and for all ages April 15 -May 28, 2023. The bag limit is two bearded turkeys per season, only one may be a jake; no more than one bearded bird per day. Adult gobbler must have at least one of the following: a beard longer than six inches, tail feathers are all the same length, wing feathers have white barring all the way to the tip, and a spur that is at least 1/2 inch long.
For more information about the event, contact TWRA Outreach and Communications Coordinator Matt Cameron at 423-522-2473 or Matthew.Cameron@tn.gov.
