NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency reported two fatal boating-related incidents over the four-day Fourth of July holiday and Operation Dry Water weekend. Each of the incidents involved men who fell from boats.
The first came July 4 when a 75-year-old Knoxville resident drowned while docking his boat at the Tennessee National Marina in Loudon County. The second occurred when a Dyer County man appeared to suffer a medical emergency and fell into the water while fishing at the confluence of the Tennessee and Hiwassee rivers.
There were nine injury incidents across the state. Five came in TWRA Region III, which covers the Cumberland Plateau and the southeast Tennessee area. There were also 18 property damage incidents reported, eight in Region I (West Tennessee) area.
TWRA boating officers made 31 alcohol-related boating under the influence (BUI) arrests. Several written warnings and verbal warnings were issued, mostly due to marine events and compliance issues.
The TWRA number of fatalities stands at 11 this year, compared to 14 through the Fourth of July holiday period last year. The TWRA Boating and Law Enforcement Division compiled the holiday statistics after receiving reports from the agency’s four regions.
Operation Dry Water is a period of increased enforcement and education about the dangers of impaired boating around July 4, one of the busiest times of the year for boating activity.
Tennessee Wildlife calendar winners selected
NASHVILLE — The winning entries for the 2024-25 Tennessee Wildlife magazine photo contest have been selected and will appear in the annual calendar.
Winning photographs were selected from a record number of submissions and were narrowed to just 13 photos that will appear in the calendar issue. The other entries will be kept on file and could have the opportunity to appear in future Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency publications and on the agency’s website.
The photographers with the winning entries were Christopher Barger (Harriman), Wesley Klijnstra (The Hague in South Holland-Netherlands), Karen Lewallen (Martin), Rick McCulley (Rockwood), Priscilla Morris (Nashville), Michael Pachis (Memphis), Larry A. Patterson (Hendersonville), Rick Small (Rock Hill, South Carolina), Frank Snyder (Athens), Allen Sparks (Cordova), Kelli Thompson (Oak Ridge) and Bryce Wade (Knoxville).
“Congratulations to all of the winners of the Tennessee Wildlife photography contest,” said Emily Buck, TWRA director of communications and marketing. “The stunning entries we received were a perfect representation of the biodiversity and abundant natural resources we have here in Tennessee.”
Rules and deadlines for the next Tennessee Wildlife photo contest will appear in future issues of the magazine and on the TWRA website. Photographers will again be invited to submit their best photos on fishing and wildlife species native to the state, along with fishing and hunting scenes in Tennessee.
Conservation raffle tickets on sale now
NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation (TWRF) has put together 10 outstanding prize packages totaling more than $290,000 for the 2024 Wildlife Conservation Raffle. Proceeds from the raffle fund important conservation projects like public land acquisition and habitat management.
A new prize this year is a Caymas CX bass boat, valued at $80,000. Returning is a $50,000 voucher, which can be applied to a new vehicle from any Mid-South Ford dealership, and an Oliver travel trailer valued at $90,500.
Other packages include an elk tag for the Tennessee Premier Elk Zone; a Tracker Off Road UTV; a trophy deer hunting package on President’s Island; waterfowl hunting package on historic Reelfoot Lake; an outdoor adventure package featuring a $5,000 Academy + Sports Outdoor gift card; a Best of the West long-range shooting package; a Heritage package, which includes a Tennessee Henry rifle; and a new Ted Nugent hunting experience at Sunrize Acres in Michigan.
Tickets are on sale through Sunday, Sept. 15, and are available as single tickets for $20, three tickets for $50, or 10 tickets for $100. There is no limit to the number of raffle tickets that can be purchased; the more tickets purchased, the better opportunity there is of snatching one of the packages.
Raffle tickets may be purchased online directly at https://wildliferaffle.com/ .
Ten winning ticket numbers will be drawn on Tuesday, Sept. 17. The lucky winners get to select their prize in the order they are drawn. All winners will be announced live during the Sept. 20 meeting of the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission at Paris Landing State Park. The announcement will also be livestreamed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Anyone who purchased a ticket will be notified of the live stream by email.
TWRF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting habitat conservation, responsible land stewardship, and Tennessee’s hunting and fishing heritage for the benefit of the TWRA and Tennessee’s outdoor enthusiasts.
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