Tennessee Deer Season Information
- Hunting Units, Seasons & Bag Limits
- Unit CWD Earn-a-Buck and Replacement Buck Programs
- General Regulations
- Big Game Check-In Procedures
- Tag Before You Drag
- Check-In Locations * Being Updated
- A Word About Tree Stands
- Free Online Safety Course for Tree Stands
- Quota Hunt Information
- Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Regulations
- TN Deer Registry
White-tailed Deer Hunting Units
Unit A
Unit A includes Bradley, Carter, Hamilton, Hawkins, Johnson, Knox, Loudon, Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Rhea, Roane, and Sullivan counties.
Unit B
Unit B includes Anderson, Bledsoe, Campbell, Claiborne, Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Grundy, Hancock, Jackson, Morgan, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Scott, Sequatchie, Van Buren, Warren, and White counties.
Unit C
Unit C includes Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Jefferson, Unicoi, Union, and Washington counties.
Unit D
Unit D includes Blount, Monroe, Polk, and Sevier counties.
Unit L
Unit L includes Bedford, Benton, Cannon, Carroll, Cheatham, Coffee, Davidson, Decatur, Dickson, Dyer, Franklin, Giles, Hardin, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Lake, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Macon, Marshall, Maury, Montgomery, Moore, Obion, Perry, Robertson, Rutherford, Smith, Stewart, Sumner, Trousdale, Wayne, Weakley, Williamson, and Wilson counties.
Unit CWD
Unit CWD includes Chester, Crockett, Fayette, Gibson, Hardeman, Haywood, Henderson, Lauderdale, Madison, McNairy, Shelby, and Tipton counties.
1. Private lands only and archery only, except in Unit CWD where guns and muzzleloaders are allowed and select public lands are additionally open for hunting. See Region 1 WMA regulations starting on page 37 to see which public lands are open during this hunt. Fluorescent orange is required in Unit CWD.
2. Youths 6-16 years of age may participate. Participating youth can use gun, muzzleloader, and archery equipment (G/M/A). Young sportsmen must be accompanied by a nonhunting adult, 21 years of age or older, who must remain in a position to take immediate control of the hunting device and who must also comply with fluorescent orange regulations, as specified for legal hunters. Multiple youths may be accompanied by a single, qualifying adult. Antlerless bag limits for Units A, B, C and D are not to exceed a total of 2 antlerless deer for the four days combined.
3. Hunting is allowed on all privately owned lands in Unit L (including leased land and lands owned by individuals). It is the responsibility of all hunters to obtain verbal or written permission to hunt on privately owned lands. No public lands or WMAs are open during this period. No antlered deer may be taken during this period in Unit L.
General Deer Hunting Regulations
Carcass Transport into Tennessee
Only approved parts (i.e., deboned meat, clean skulls, skull plates and teeth, antlers, finished taxidermy, hides, and tanned products) from deer, elk, moose, and caribou may be brought back into TN.
Carcass Transport concerning CWD Affected Counties
Approved parts (i. .e., deboned meat, clean skulls, skull plates and teeth, antlers, finished taxidermy, hides, and tanned products) may be moved freely within Tennessee.
There are restrictions on moving unapproved parts (i.e. whole or undressed carcasses) from county to county dependent on a county’s CWD status.
Visit CWD Affected Counties – Carcass Transportations Restrictions for more details.
Deer Harvest Check-In
All harvested deer must be checked in. There is a new tag before you drag requirements this year. Visit Big Game Check-In Procedures for details.
Antlered Deer
Male or female deer with at least one (1) antler that is a minimum of three (3) inches in length.
Units A, B, C, D, L - Two (2) antlered deer (one per day, not to exceed 2 for the season). The bag limit of two (2) antlered deer may be exceeded if taken as a bonus deer.
Unit CWD - Three (3) antlered deer (one per day, not to exceed 3 for the season). The bag limit of three (3) may be exceeded if taken under the Earn-A-Buck Program in Unit CWD, or if taken as a Replacement Buck.
Antlerless Deer
Male or female deer with no antlers or with antlers that are less than three (3) inches in length.
Antlerless deer hunters may harvest up to the unit antlerless bag limit in each unit. Moving to a different county within the same deer hunting unit does not increase the hunter’s bag limit.
Albino Deer
Hunting, trapping, or possession of albino deer is prohibited as set forth in TCA 70-4-130.
An albino deer is a deer with a lack, or significant deficiency, of pigment in the skin and hair, and has pink eyes.