Southern Tennessee & Northern Alabama
We offer a dedicated drone recovery service, employing cutting-edge thermal technology to locate and recover your harvested game. Our experienced pilots operate within Tennessee's legal guidelines, ensuring ethical and responsible recovery.
Thermal imaging
Using state-of-the-art thermal drones to detect heat signatures, drastically reducing search time and increasing recovery success.
Ethical recovery
We zoom to identify ethically never giving away the location of a missed game shot. We adhere strictly to Tennessee regulations for post-hunt recovery.
Experienced pilots
Our certified drone pilots are skilled in navigating challenging terrain and interpreting thermal data to locate your game efficiently.
Our Commitment
At ColdWater Flight, we prioritize the ethical and efficient recovery of your game. Our thermal imaging technology and experienced pilots ensure the best possible outcome while respecting wildlife and adhering to all legal requirements.
Tennessee Wildlife Drone Laws
Information
Navigating Tennessee's drone recovery laws is crucial. Our services adhere to all regulations, ensuring a legal and ethical recovery process. Remember, drones cannot be used pre-hunt or during hunting hours, only after the hunt and before sunset.
In Tennessee a drone can be used to recover a mortally wounded deer under these conditions:
- The deer must be reasonably believed to be mortally wounded and traditional tracking methods have failed.
- The drone pilot and hunter must not have firearms or hunting weapons.
- Drone use is allowed only from 30 minutes after sunset until midnight, not during legal hunting hours.
- Drones can only be used on private property with permission from the landowner.
- Drones may be used to recover deer during deer quota hunts on public lands with Wildlife Manager approval.
- In no event may a drone be used to hunt, harass, chase, drive, flush, attract, pursue, worry, or follow after deer or other wildlife while undertaking a recovery as contemplated by this Rule.
- Before each deer recovery flight, a drone pilot must make notification to TWRA before deploying the drone using a dedicated ReadyOp™ form provided on the TWRA website. The form shall include the approximate location of the deer recovery, the drone pilot’s Remote Pilot Certificate Number, the registration number of the drone intended to be used for the recovery, the name and/or TWRA ID number of the hunter for which the drone pilot is providing the deer recovery service. When a deer is located, and it is not immediately apparent that the deer is mortally wounded, the drone pilot may not provide location assistance to the hunter, and the recovery session must be immediately discontinued.
- Providing assistance with a drone to locate a deer that is alive or not reasonably believed to be mortally wounded constitutes hunting and is illegal.
- If a deer is found dead or mortally wounded, the location and/or coordinates of the deer may be given to the hunter.
Thermal Recovery (Flat Rate) Advanced thermal drone search to locate downed game, stray herds, or lost pets. We deploy military-grade imaging to scan darkness and dense cover, providing you with a definitive location for a single, transparent fee.
Quick Deer Recovery Request Form
CALL 256.500.9191
Tennessee Deer Season Dates & Bag Limits
Statewide antlered bag limit is 2 (1/day), except when closed during October Young Sportsman Hunt (Oct 26-27)
Bag limit may be exceeded if taken as a bonus deer, under the Earn-A-Buck program in a CWD positive county or as a replacement buck.
August Deer Season
Aug. 22 – Aug. 24, 2025
Allowed equipment: Archery only
Antler less bag limit: Closed in all units
Regulations: Allowed on private lands and select UNIT 1 WMAs only
Young Sportsman Season (G/M/A)
Oct. 25 – 26, 2025
Jan. 10 – 11, 2026
Allowed equipment: gun, muzzleloader, and archery (G/M/A).
Antlerless bag limit: Units 1, 2, 3: 3/day; Units 4, 5, 6: 2.
Regulations:
- Youths aged 6–16 may participate.
- Must be accompanied by a non-hunting adult (21+ years old).
- Adult must be able to take immediate control of the hunting device.
- Adult must comply with fluorescent orange regulations.
- Multiple youths can be accompanied by a single qualifying adult.
- Antlerless bag limits for Units 4, 5, and 6: maximum of 2 antlerless deer over four days combined.
Gun / Muzzleloader / Archery (G/M/A)
Nov. 22, 2025 – Jan. 4, 2026
Antlerless bag limit:
- Units 1, 2, 3: 3/day
- Units 4, 5, 6: 2
TN Deer Legal Hunting Equipment
Allowed:
- Shotguns (including muzzleloading shotguns) with single solid ball or slugs
- Rifles and handguns using centerfire ammunition (no FMJ ammo)
- Muzzleloading firearms (.36 caliber or larger)
- Archery equipment (longbows, recurves, compounds, crossbows) with hunting arrows and bolt equipped with sharpened broadheads.
- Pre-charged pneumatic guns shooting arrows are permitted under specific conditions:
- Individuals with permanent disabled licenses may use them during archery, deer, bear, and elk seasons as a disability accommodation.
- All hunters can use them during modern gun season for deer, bear, elk, and turkey.
Prohibited:
- Shotguns with #4 or smaller shot
- Shotguns with T shot (0.20-inch diameter) or smaller
- Rifles and handguns using rimfire ammunition and air guns (.25 caliber or smaller)
- Muzzleloading firearms less than .36 caliber
- Raptors that are legally possessed under a valid falconry permit