As hunters look ahead to deer season, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Wildlife Officer Dusten Moffitt shares the importance of hunting and offers tips for making safe, lasting memories with friends and family.

Dusten serves as a TWRA wildlife officer, commonly known as a game warden, in Davidson County. He joined the agency in 2024 in Cannon County before transferring to Davidson County. The assignment fulfilled a lifelong dream for Dusten, who returned to college at age 30 to pursue the vocation.

While the Nashville area might not seem like one of Tennessee’s wildest places, public lands such as Percy Priest Lake and its adjoining Wildlife Management Area, Old Hickory Lake, and the Cumberland River offer opportunities for boating, fishing, water sports, and hunting, including waterfowling, he says.

“Tennessee offers hunters throughout the state a wide variety of hunting styles and topography,” says Dusten, who grew up in Wilson County and hunted on private land in Wilson and Sumner Counties. “The mountains in East Tennessee, the lowlands in West Tennessee, and Middle Tennessee’s mixture of both provide public-land opportunities across the state, along with some draw hunts.”

Dusten says Tennessee’s deer population is healthy and well-managed, with liberal doe harvest limits in Middle Tennessee reflecting the herd’s strength. He expects the unusually wet year to produce larger antlers and more fawns as rainfall drives the vegetation and crop growth that support antler development.

The biggest news this season may be the new Deer Bait Privilege License, available since July 22, which allows hunters to use bait for white-tailed deer only on privately owned or leased properties. Anyone hunting over bait must purchase the permit annually.

“There are still lots of questions from hunters about baiting,” he says. “Hunters need to read the regulations and adhere to them carefully. It’s been allowed in Kentucky and Texas and other states for some time.”

Some hunters are excited about the opportunity, he says, while others are skeptical.

“I think there’s an opportunity to generate excitement for younger hunters or those who haven’t hunted before,” Dusten says. “But this is not going to be the end-all, be-all. Deer will be taken over bait, but it won’t replace good techniques such as scouting, watching for signs, and learning the woods.”

Baiting is permitted only on private land and is prohibited in counties within the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Management Zone and CWD-positive counties. It requires a separate permit for each person hunting over bait, regardless of age or license type. Each bait site is limited to no more than five gallons or 25 pounds of feed, which must be dispersed rather than piled, and placed at least 500 yards from other bait sites. No big game other than deer may be harvested over bait, and hunters without a baiting permit cannot harvest deer within 250 yards of a bait site. Dusten cautions that mature bucks are likely to become nocturnal once bait is established, tempering expectations for consistent daytime harvests.

Dusten emphasizes that baiting may help keep new and younger hunters engaged, but he stresses the importance of teaching traditional hunting skills so the next generation can hunt effectively regardless of whether baiting remains available. He also notes hunters’ role in conservation, including population management, disease prevention, and providing meat to families in need.

Dusten stresses that hunters should follow basic safety procedures to make sure the memories they create are good ones. Check that your license is valid. If you plan to hunt over bait, make sure you have the required permit. Verify permission with the landowner and always follow firearm safety rules.

Above all, he says, hunters should share their plans with friends or family.

“Let everyone know where you are going and what you plan to do,” he says. “Please wear a safety harness because we don’t like getting calls that someone has fallen from a tree.

“Check the expiration date on your safety harness, too. Like a child’s car seat, they do expire.”

He also advises checking tree stands, even if they have been stored in a garage, and inspecting the welds.

“Rainwater gets in there, freezes, and can bust the welds,” he says. “We see that almost every year.”

“It all revolves around safety,” adds Dusten. “We want everyone to go home at night.”

Dusten encourages hunters to use TWRA resources, including TNWildlife.org and the TWRA On the Go app. Hunters and anglers can buy licenses and permits online and review fishing, hunting, and trapping guides, rules, and regulations.

“The app keeps track of harvest records, past licenses, boating registration, and nearly anything else you can think of,” he says. “Even with poor or no cell service, go ahead and hit submit. As soon as your phone connects, it will submit for you. You’re supposed to tag before you drag.”

“I could talk all day about hunting,” Dusten adds. “Enjoy it while it’s here because you never know when something might happen, and you may not have an opportunity like this again. Don’t take the day for granted. Get out there, get in the stand, make memories, and thank God you have the opportunity and a place to hunt.”

Hear the full interview with TWRA Wildlife Officer Dusten Moffitt on the Co-op Feeds podcast Feeding Traditions with Mary Jane Arnette, available wherever you get your podcasts.