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Middle Tennessee
Davidson County Hunting
Davidson County WMAs and public ground, harvest by season, the 2026-27 dates and limits, and local meat processors and shops.
Photo: rexhammock (CC BY 2.0)
Davidson County sits in Middle Tennessee with 503 square miles of land and 22 square miles of water, and its 2025-26 deer check-in of 1,408 put it 53rd in the state. The harvest density was close to 2.8 deer for each square mile. It accounted for 0.9% of the statewide deer harvest.
Public areas for Davidson County hunters
Davidson County holds 2 listed public areas, with 8 others inside a 45 mile radius. Orange pins mark areas inside the county.
Percy Priest WMA
10,768 acres with deer, turkey, waterfowl, dove, small game on the list.
Elsie Quarterman Cedar Glade State Natural Area
Located in Rutherford County, around 15 miles from mid-county. 185 acres.
Fate Sanders Barrens State Natural Area
Located in Rutherford County, around 18 miles from mid-county. 230 acres.
Cheatham Lake WMA
Located in Cheatham County and Dickson County, around 20 miles from mid-county. 5,152 acres.
Cedars of Lebanon State Natural Area
Located in Wilson County, around 23 miles from mid-county. 2,690 acres.
Cedars of Lebanon State Forest
Located in Wilson County, around 28 miles from mid-county. 5,329 acres.
Packing list for Davidson County
Start with these from the deer rifle hunting list.
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Davidson County deer harvest by season
Deer check-ins went from 1,384 in 2024-25 to 1,408 in 2025-26, a 2% rise. Over ten seasons the county averaged 1,360 deer a year. High mark: 1,568 in 2022-23. Low mark: 1,181 in 2019-20. TWRA counts 139 of those deer as WMA harvest. In 2026 spring, 333 turkeys came out of the county (43rd in Tennessee).
Source: TWRA Hunter’s Toolbox harvest reports, county totals including WMA harvest. Deer seasons run July 1 to June 30. Recent seasons can still be revised slightly by TWRA.
Open seasons for Davidson County
Bear hunting is closed in Davidson County. Deer baiting on private land in Davidson County needs the bait license.
- Deer
- Turkey
- Ducks
- Waterfowl
- Canada goose
- White-fronted goose
- Brant
- Light geese
- Dove
- Woodcock
- Snipe
- Rails (virginia, sora)
- Gallinule and moorhen
- Crow
- Squirrel
- Rabbit
- Quail
- Grouse
- RaccoonYear-round
- Opossum
- CoyoteYear-round
- Bobcat
- Feral hogYear-round
TWRA 2026-27 guide, checked October 12, 2026.
Davidson County deer, turkey and bear rules
Unit 2 deer limits
The daily antlerless limit is 3 across Young Sportsman, archery, muzzleloader, straight-wall rifle and gun hunts. August is bucks only. Antlered deer: 2 per season statewide, 1 per day.
2026-27 deer dates for Davidson County
2026-27 schedule: bows Sep 26, muzzleloaders Nov 7 to Nov 20, 2026, rifles and shotguns Nov 21, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027, same as the rest of Tennessee.
Bait sites in Davidson County
Not a CWD county, so private land baiting is open with the bait license. Keep it scattered, at one site per 5 acres spaced 500 yards.
Fall gobbler hunting, Davidson County
Fall hunting is allowed here: one male turkey, taken by bow during deer archery or by shotgun Oct 17 to 30, 2026.
From the 2026-27 TWRA hunting guide, checked October 12, 2026. Read the guide.
Davidson County shooting hours this week
The window for big and small game is sunrise minus 30 minutes to sunset plus 30. Turkeys and migratory birds close at sunset itself.
Times calculated for the center of Davidson County in Central time. Turkey and migratory bird hunting ends at sunset. Shooting hours for every county.
Hunting services around Davidson County
Ordered by county: Davidson first, then its neighbors.
Listings come from TWRA, the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, state permit lists and business pages. Call before you drive; seasonal hours vary.
Davidson County hunting events
3 upcoming events and 4 past results on file (October 2026 check).
Upcoming
| Date | Event | Type | Where | Sign up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 20 to Jan 23, 2027 | SCI Hunters' Convention 2027 | Expo | Nashville, Davidson County | Get tickets |
| Feb 11 to Feb 13, 2027 | 2027 NWTF Convention and Sport Show | Expo | Nashville, Davidson County | Get tickets |
| Feb 11 to Feb 13, 2027 | NWTF Grand National Calling Championships (2027 NWTF Convention and Sport Show) | Turkey calling | Nashville, Davidson County | Enter |
Results
| Date | Event | Winner or result | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 14, 2024 | NWTF Grand National Calling Championships (48th NWTF Convention and Sport Show) | Matt Van Cise (PA), Senior Division | Source |
| Feb 12, 2025 | NWTF Grand National Calling Championships (49th NWTF Convention and Sport Show) | Dave Owens (GA), Senior Division | Source |
| Feb 11, 2026 | NWTF Grand National Calling Championships (50th NWTF Convention and Sport Show) | Hunter Wallis (PA), Senior Division | Source |
| Feb 11, 2026 | NWTF Grand National Callmaking Competition 2026 | Jon Hoff (Hunting Turkey Best of Show); Ronald Laun (Hunting Duck Best of Show) | Source |
Gun ranges in and around Davidson County
Davidson County has 6 ranges listed, checked October 2026.
Open to the public, with skeet, trap, 5-stand, sporting clays, plus shotgun.
Open to the public, with pistol and rifle.
Open to the public, with pistol and rifle.
Open to the public, with pistol and rifle.
Open to the public, with pistol.
Open to the public, with pistol, rifle, plus archery.
Upcoming matches
| Date | Event | Type | Sign up |
|---|---|---|---|
| From Oct 10 to Oct 12, 2026 | Lenny Magill's Glockstore Nashville Indoor Level One USPSA | USPSA | Details |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Tunnel to Towers Sporting Clays Fundraiser | Sporting clays | Enter |
| Oct 30, 2026 | October 3PAR EIC/ Cup Match | Youth match | Enter |
| From Mar 6 to Mar 7, 2027 | TNSCTP Ironman 2027 | Youth match | Details |
| From Mar 20 to Mar 21, 2027 | TNSCTP Smashtown Skeet Classic 2027 | Skeet | Details |
| May 1, 2027 | State 4-H Shotgun Jamboree | Youth match | Details |
Hunt the counties next to Davidson County
Towns in Davidson County: Hunting near Nashville.
If you fish too, see Davidson County fishing spots.
There are 6 counties on the Davidson County line; 4 checked more deer than it did.
Questions about hunting Davidson County
Where can I hunt public land in Davidson County?
Inside the county: Percy Priest WMA and Long Hunter State Park. Just beyond the line you will find Elsie Quarterman Cedar Glade State Natural Area, Cheatham WMA and Fate Sanders Barrens State Natural Area.
How many deer were checked in Davidson County?
Hunters reported 1,408 deer in Davidson County in 2025-26, ranking 53rd of 95 counties.
What unit sets the deer limits for Davidson County?
Unit 2 covers the county for 2026-27. This is one of the liberal units: 3 does a day in each of the youth, archery, muzzleloader, straight-wall and gun seasons, none in August.
Is Davidson County in the CWD zone?
It is neither CWD-positive nor in the management zone.
What are the bait rules in Davidson County?
Yes, on private land with the Deer Bait Privilege License ($50 resident). Baiting is still not allowed on WMAs.
Is there a fall turkey season in Davidson County?
Yes. Fall archery follows the deer archery dates and fall shotgun runs Oct 17 to 30, 2026, with a limit of one male turkey.
Can I hunt bear in Davidson County?
Not open. Only counties in a listed bear zone have a season.
How early can I shoot in Davidson County?
From a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset for most game; the weekly table above has the exact times.
Where can I drop off a deer in Davidson County?
Options close by include Flowers' Deer Processing, C & F Meat Co. and Brown's Deer Processing.
Getting ready to hunt Davidson County
Check the 2026-27 TWRA guide and each area listing before you hunt in Davidson County.
Other photos on this page: simonov (CC BY-SA 2.0); Department of the Interior. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. National Conservation Training Center. 10/1997-8888 (Public domain); seabamirum (CC BY 2.0); kevin dooley (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (CC BY 2.0); mbarrison (CC BY-SA 2.0); formatc1 (CC BY-SA 2.0); Ethan Prater (CC BY 2.0).