Tennessee is blessed with a diverse geography and topography, resulting in a wide variety of vegetation and habitats, some native and protected and others managed for agricultural products or timber. Wildlife watching, hunting and fishing are popular past-times, and wildlife abundance is largely dependent upon available habitat and how it is managed. Clean streams, wetlands and ponds provide habitat for aquatic species and other wildlife. Habitats can be managed to encourage and increase populations of some species or can be managed to discourage others. There are many resource professionals available to contact for advice on managing habitats.
Many people live in urban areas and simply enjoy attracting birds, mammals and insect pollinators to their backyards. There is an abundance of information available to plan and plant small areas, and build and place nest boxes and feeders.
Sometimes wildlife can cause problems, such as depredation on crops, gardens or shrubs, or may cause damage to homes or otherwise pose a nuisance. The TWRA permits Animal Control Operators that can be hired to control wildlife pest problems, and the U.S.D.A.-Wildlife Services may be available to help control protected wildlife and selected other species. Local TWRA officers can issue control permits to farmers experiencing crop depredation problems.
TN Tree Planting Guide
TN Tree ID Guide
Landscaping With Native Plants in West TN
Landscaping With Native Plants in Middle TN
Landscaping With Native Plants in East TN
Woodworking for Wildlife