11/18/2025
Tennessee’s 2025–26 statewide gun season for deer opens Saturday, Nov. 22!
The season runs through Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, across all six of Tennessee’s Deer Management Units (DMUs).
During gun season, hunters may also use muzzleloaders or archery equipment. The statewide bag limit for antlered bucks is two, with no more than one per day.
• In DMUs 1, 2, and 3, the antlerless bag limit is three per day.
• In DMUs 4, 5, and 6, the limit is two antlerless for the season.
Bag limits may only be exceeded through the Earn-A-Buck program or when taking a replacement buck in a CWD-positive county.
TWRA recommends that all hunters pick up the 2025–26 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide. It includes license requirements, bag limits, and county details for each DMU. The guide is available on the TWRA website, the TWRA On The Go App, and anywhere licenses are sold.
Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1969, must carry proof of hunter education or have an Apprentice Hunter Education Permit (along with required licenses) while hunting in Tennessee. Hunter education is available online for free and through in-person classes offered by TWRA.
Stay safe, and good luck this season!