Skip to main content
Tennessee

Hunting

Hunting

Deer Seasons & Bag Limits

Tetra Hearing


Deer Definitions and Bag Limits

Antlered Deer: Male or female deer with at least one (1) antler that is a minimum of three (3) inches in length.

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.

Archery equipment is legal during muzzleloader and gun seasons, muzzleloading equipment is legal during gun season.

Antlered Bag Limit: 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, or if harvested within Unit CWD.

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 (see CWD Management Incentive Programs below), or if taken as a Replacement Buck (see CWD Management Incentive Programs below).

Tennessee White-tailed Deer Hunting Units Map.

Unit A (Antlered Bag Limit 2)

Season Type

Season Dates

Antlerless Bag Limits

August1

Aug. 25–27

Closed

Archery (A)

Sept. 23–Oct. 27 and Oct. 30–Nov. 3

4

Young Sportsman2 (G/M/A)

Oct. 28–29 and Jan. 13–14

2

Muzzleloader/Archery (M/A)

Nov. 4–17

2

Gun/Muzzleloader/Archery (G/M/A)

Nov. 18–Jan. 7

2 deer,

Nov. 18–Jan. 7

Unit B (Antlered Bag Limit 2)

Season Type

Season Dates

Antlerless Bag Limits

August1

Aug. 25–27

Closed

Archery (A)

Sept. 23–Oct. 27 and Oct. 30–Nov. 3

4

Young Sportsman2 (G/M/A)

Oct. 28–29 and Jan. 13–14

2

Muzzleloader/Archery (M/A)

Nov. 4–17

2

Gun/Muzzleloader/Archery (G/M/A)

Nov. 18–Jan. 7

1 deer

Nov. 18–Jan. 7

Pre-season Deer Hunting Checklist
Pre-season Deer Hunting Checklist

Unit C (Antlered Bag Limit 2)

Season Type

Season Dates

Antlerless Bag Limits

August1

Aug. 25–27

Closed

Archery (A)

Sept. 23–Oct. 27 and Oct. 30–Nov. 3

4

Young Sportsman2 (G/M/A)

Oct. 28–29 and Jan. 13–14

2

Muzzleloader/Archery (M/A)

Nov. 4–17

1

Gun/Muzzleloader/Archery (G/M/A)

Nov. 18–Jan. 7

1 deer

Nov. 18–Dec. 3

Unit D (Antlered Bag Limit 2)

Season Type

Season Dates

Antlerless Bag Limits

August1

Aug. 25–27

Closed

Archery (A)

Sept. 23–Oct. 27 and Oct. 30–Nov. 3

4

Young Sportsman2 (G/M/A)

Oct. 28–29 and Jan. 13–14

2

Muzzleloader/Archery (M/A)

Nov. 4–17

1

Gun/Muzzleloader/Archery (G/M/A)

Nov. 18–Jan. 7

1 deer

Nov. 18- 24 only

Unit L (Antlered Bag Limit 2)

Season Type

Season Dates

Antlerless Bag Limits

August1

Aug. 25–27

Closed

Archery (A)

Sept. 23–Oct. 27 and Oct. 30–Nov. 3

3/day

Young Sportsman2 (G/M/A)

Oct. 28–29 and Jan. 13–14

3/day

Muzzleloader/Archery (M/A)

Nov. 4–17

3/day

Gun/Muzzleloader/Archery (G/M/A)

Nov. 18–Jan. 7

3/day

Private Lands Only3
(G/M/A) Antlerless deer only

Jan. 8–12

3/day

Unit CWD (Antlered Bag Limit 3)

Season Type

Season Dates

Antlerless Bag Limits

August1

Aug. 25–27

Closed

Archery (A)

Sept. 23–Oct. 27

3/day

Young Sportsman2 (G/M/A)

Oct. 28–29 and Jan. 13–14

3/day

Gun/Muzzleloader/Archery (G/M/A)

Oct. 30–Jan. 12 and Jan. 15–31

3/day