WMA Waterfowl Hunts
Application Periods
The application periods for the Waterfowl Sites drawing will be:
- Season-long waterfowl sites application period: June 25 - July 16, 2025.
Awarded permits must be claimed by August 11, 2025. 2025 Season-long Draw Results
You can find more information in our Season-Long WMA Waterfowl Hunts Instruction Flyer
- Early Season Waterfowl sites application period: September 24 – October 14, 2025, at 11:59 pm. CDT. The deadline to claim awarded permits is October 27, 2025. If any permits remain, a leftover drawing will be held on November 10, 2025.
You can find more information in our Early-Season WMA Waterfowl Hunts Instruction Flyer
- Mid-Season Waterfowl sites application period: October 22 – November 12, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. CST. The deadline to claim awarded permits is November 24, 2025. If any permits remain, a leftover drawing will be held on December 8, 2025.
You can find more information in our Mid-Season WMA Waterfowl Hunts Instruction Flyer
- Late Season Waterfowl sites application period: November 13 – December 3, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. CST. The deadline to claim awarded permits is December 15, 2025. If any permits remain, a leftover drawing will be held on December 30, 2025.
- Youth/Military Waterfowl sites application period: November 13 – December 3, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. CST. The deadline to claim awarded permits is December 15, 2025. If any permits remain, a leftover drawing will be held on December 30, 2025.
General Application. Party and Draw Instructions
You can find general application Information, plus Party and Draw Instructions on the main Quota Hunt webpage. You may apply via GoOutDoorsTennessee, the On The Go APP, at a TWRA Licensed Agent, or at a Regional Office.
Draw Results
You can find Waterfowl Draw Results below.
Season Long Waterfowl Specifics
- Only current residents, Lifetime Sportsman License holders, and native Tennesseans (with an approved application) may apply.
- Applicants must have the resident hunting licenses that are required for waterfowl hunting (with the exceptions of the migratory bird permit and the federal duck stamp) to apply. This could be a Combo Hunt/Fish and a WMA Waterfowl license, a sportsman license, or a lifetime license. For questions about licensing please check the Hunting Guide or call your local TWRA Office.
- Applicants must be 16 or older at the time of the hunt to apply.
- Applicants may select up to 48 hunt choices and rank them in order of preference.
- Only parties with 4-8 members, at the deadline, will be accepted into the drawing.
- Applicants may only apply to one of the nine areas listed.
- This quota hunt does not have priority points.
- If successful, even if you do not claim your permit, applicants may not apply for the Early, Mid, or Late Waterfowl seasons.
- Successful applicants who intend to hunt must claim their permit by logging into GoOutdoorsTennessee.com and selecting the “claim award” option next to their application. If no one in party claims their permit, then the site will go into an in-person leftover drawing.
- If at least one person in a party claims their permit, then the entire party is responsible for a permanent blind being constructed on the site by the fourth Monday in October. Failure to construct a blind by this date will result in all party members being restricted from applying to waterfowl hunts for one year.
Segmented Waterfowl Specifics
- The Segmented Waterfowl quota hunts include the Early, Mid, Late, and Youth/Military seasons.
- Applicants must be at least 16 years old.
- These hunts utilize priority points, with the exception of the Youth/Military season. Applicants will be considered with the same number of priority points as the member of their party with the most priority points for that particular hunt.
- Parties of 4-8 applicants are required. Applications that do not have at least 4 party members will be disqualified.
- Party leaders may select up to 48 hunt choices on their application.
- Successful applicants who intend to hunt must claim their permit by logging into GoOutdoorsTennessee.com and selecting the “claim award” option next to their application.
- Only applicants who claim their permit by the deadline will be awarded a valid permit.
- If no one in a successfully drawn party claims their permit by the deadline, the party forfeits that site, and the site will be allocated through an in-person leftover drawing.
- If you are drawn for a blind, your priority points will reset to zero, even if you do not claim your permit.
Tier Designations on WMAs
All waterfowl drawings require a party application of 4 persons minimum, 8 persons maximum.
|
TIER 1 |
TIER 2 |
TIER 4 |
QUOTA PERMIT AREA |
---|---|---|---|---|
Blind Type |
Permanent Blind built and maintained by permit holder(s). |
Permanent Blind built and maintained by TWRA. |
Temporary blinds only* |
Temporary blinds only. |
Permit duration |
Entire regular waterfowl season 60 days. |
2 or 3 or 4 day hunt periods. Closure days on specific WMAs may apply. |
No permit needed, first come, first-served. |
2 or 3 or 4 day hunt Monday-Thursday, Friday-Sunday. Closure days on specific WMAs may apply. |
Hunt Location Permit Required |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Application Deadlines Minimum of 4 people, maximum of 8. |
Opens - June 25, 2025 Closes - July 16, 2025 Claim permit by August 11, 2025. |
Early Segment Opens - Sept. 24, 2025 |
First come-First Served. |
Early Segment Opens - Sept. 24, 2025 |
Mid Segment Opens - Oct. 22, 2025 |
Mid Segment Opens - Oct. 22, 2025 |
|||
Late Segment Opens - Nov. 13, 2025 |
Late Segment Opens - Nov. 13, 2025 |
|||
Equipment Removal (Decoys, trash, blind material) |
15 days post season. |
End of Hunt period. |
Daily |
End of Hunt period. |
Youth/Military Hunt |
Available to permit holders/ hopping. |
Apply during Late segment. |
First-come, first-served. |
Apply during Late segment. Chickamauga Units open on a first-come, first-served basis. |
Hopping |
Yes |
No |
Yes, first-come, first-served. |
No |
Hunting Distance from Stake |
Blinds constructed within 5 ft. of location. |
Must be in blind. |
25 ft. |
Must be in designated unit. |
Left-Over Drawing |
Yes, after claim permit deadline; No, after blind construction deadline. |
Yes |
N/A |
Yes |
Post-Season Survey |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Priority Points |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Blind Construction Deadline |
Fourth Monday in October. |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
Number of Hunters | Max 8 adults, No limit for youth hunters. | Max 8 hunters, no limit for youth hunters, must include permit holder. | Max 8 adults, no limit for youth hunters. | Max 8 hunters, must include permit holder |
*except where there is a blind remaining from the previous season. No new blinds may be constructed. | ||||
Tier 1 sites forfeited during the permitting process will be available for reallocation at the respective regional office on August 21, 2025, at 9:00 am. In-person attendance required. |
Leftover Tier 2 and Waterfowl Quota Hunt Permit Drawing Locations
AREA | SEGMENT< DRAWING DATE & TIME | LOCATION | CONTACT |
---|---|---|---|
Chickamauga Units (Candies Creek, Johnson Bottoms, Rogers Creek, Yellow Creek) | Early Segment, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025, 6 p.m. local time
Middle Segment, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, 6 p.m. local time
Late Segment, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, 6 p.m. local time |
Hiwasee Refuge, 525 Priddy Lane, Birchwood, TN |
Region 3 Office (931) 484-9571 |
Meeman-Shelby Forest SP | Covington Civic Center, 100 West Washington Ave. Covington, TN |
Chris Park (731) 738-0233 |
|
Gooch (Units A and E) | Kenton Gym, 206 West College St., Kenton, TN |
Rob Lewis (731) 749-5587 |
|
John Tully - Fig Field Unit | Covington Civic Center, 100 West Washington Ave. Covington, TN |
Chris Park (731) 738-0233 |
|
White Oak (Lebanon Pond) | Morris Chapel Community Center/Fire Dept., 8695 Coffee Landing Rd., Morris Chapel, TN |
Calvin Wakefield (731) 687-3444 |
|
Bogota and Thorny Cypress | Dyersburg Work Base, 355 Menzies Rd., Dyersburg, TN |
Josh Emerson (731) 285-6124 |
|
Reelfoot | Reelfoot State Park, 2595 St. Rt. 21E, Tiptonville, TN |
Chase Taylor (731) 253-7343 |
|
Kentucky Lake Units (Barkley, Big Sandy, Camden, Gin Creek, West Sandy) | Holly Fork Shooting Complex, 6133 Hwy. 79 North Paris, TN |
Evan Gaskin (731) 593-0588 |
|
Tigrett | Dyersburg Work Base, 355 Menzies Rd., Dyersburg, TN |
Andy Rutherford (731) 345-9992 |
|
Haynes Bottom and Cheatham | Cheatham WMA Work Base, 1299 Headquarters Rd., Ashland City, TN |
Mark Vance (615)-203-4688 |
|
Old Hickory Units 1 and 2 | Old Hickory WMA Work Base, 4050 Canoe Branch Rd., Lebanon |
Michael Bobel (615) 444-6673 |
|
Woods Reservoir | Capitol Hill Community Center, 5601 AEDC Rd., Winchester, TN |
Region 2 (931) 967-6101 |
- 2025 Season-long waterfowl sites application period: June 25 - July 16, 2025. Awarded permits must be claimed by August 11, 2025.
2025 Season-Long WMA Waterfowl Hunt Draw Stats
- Early Season Waterfowl sites application period: September 24 – October 14, 2025, at 11:59 pm. CDT. The deadline to claim awarded permits is October 27, 2025. If any permits remain, a leftover drawing will be held on November 10, 2025.
- Mid-Season Waterfowl sites application period: October 22 – November 12, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. CST. The deadline to claim awarded permits is November 24, 2025. If any permits remain, a leftover drawing will be held on December 8, 2025.
- Late Season Waterfowl sites application period: November 13 – December 3, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. CST. The deadline to claim awarded permits is December 15, 2024. If any permits remain, a leftover drawing will be held on December 30, 2025.