Tennessee prohibits feeding bears statewide and restricts baiting of deer, turkey, and elk on TWRA-managed lands, with statewide TWRA rules overriding local feeding policies.
Under TWRA proclamations and T.C.A. 70-4-127, intentionally feeding black bears or placing food that attracts them is illegal across Tennessee, with fines and license revocation. Baiting deer with grain or salt during hunting season is prohibited on most public lands and during certain periods statewide. Cities may add park-specific rules, but the bear-feeding prohibition is uniform. Other species feeding is generally allowed unless it creates a public nuisance.
Class C misdemeanor for unlawful bear feeding; fines $50-$500 plus possible hunting license suspension.
See how Columbia's wildlife feeding rules stack up against other locations.
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