Citizen Portal
Sign In

Public commenters urge flintlock deer season and changes to turkey season; commissioners note timeline for rule changes

Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission · January 12, 2026

Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts

Subscribe
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Two members of the public urged a state flintlock deer season and changes to turkey seasons, including earlier closing dates and a sellable third turkey tag in high‑population areas; commissioners noted the rule preview and vote schedule (preview in March, final vote in April).

During public comment, Fred Walker and Scott Summers raised proposals and concerns for the commission to consider.

Fred Walker urged the commission to consider a flintlock‑only deer season and described technical and legal nuances associated with muzzleloader firearms and distribution. He offered photographic evidence of target/visibility issues and said the topic merits consideration.

Scott Summers urged changes to turkey‑hunting regulations, suggesting the season not run past mid‑May and proposing the option of selling a third turkey tag in areas with robust turkey populations to both raise revenue and allow localized harvest flexibility. He encouraged regionally differentiated approaches and noted the commission’s timetable: previews in March followed by votes in April for regulatory changes.

Commissioners thanked the speakers and confirmed the timing for next season’s regulatory discussions.