Tennessee Hunting Seasons 2026-27

White-tailed Deer

• August (archery only, velvet)Aug 28 to Aug 30, 2026
  Antlered only, 2 (1/day). No antlerless harvest in any unit.
• ArcherySep 26 to Oct 30, 2026
  First segment. Antlerless: Units 1-3 3/day; Units 4-6 4 for season.
• ArcheryNov 2 to Nov 6, 2026
  Second segment (closed Oct 31-Nov 1 except Young Sportsman).
• Young Sportsman (gun/muzzleloader/archery)Oct 31 to Nov 1, 2026
  Ages 6-16 with non-hunting adult 21+. Antlerless: Units 1-3 3/day; Units 4-6 2 total for the four YS days combined.
• Young Sportsman (gun/muzzleloader/archery)Jan 9 to Jan 10, 2027
  Second YS weekend, same limits as first.
• Muzzleloader/ArcheryNov 7 to Nov 20, 2026
  Antlerless: Units 1-3 3/day; Units 4-6 2 (shared with straight-wall rifle week).
• Straight-wall cartridge rifle (new)Nov 14 to Nov 20, 2026
  Single-shot straight-wall cartridge rifles .35 cal or larger. Harvest counts toward the muzzleloader bag limit.
• Gun/Muzzleloader/ArcheryNov 21, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027
  Antlerless: Units 1-3 3/day; Units 4-6 2.

Wild Turkey

• Fall archerySep 26 to Oct 30, 2026
  Same as deer archery. Fall bag 1 male turkey total.
• Fall archeryNov 2 to Nov 6, 2026
  Second archery segment.
• Fall shotgun/archeryOct 17 to Oct 30, 2026
  May not possess archery gear and shotgun/rifle together in fall season.
• Spring Young SportsmanMar 27 to Mar 28, 2027
  Ages 6-16. Counts toward spring limit of 2.
• Spring general seasonApr 3 to May 16, 2027
  1 male/day, 2/season, only 1 jake. Hens including bearded hens illegal.

Ducks and Geese

• Ducks: Wood duck & teal (September)Sep 12 to Sep 16, 2026
  6/day, no more than 2 wood ducks.
• Ducks: Ducks, coot & mergansers (segment 1)Nov 28 to Nov 29, 2026
  No separate Reelfoot zone is listed for 2026-27; season is statewide.
• Ducks: Ducks, coot & mergansers (segment 2)Dec 5, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027
• Waterfowl: Youth waterfowl daysFeb 6, 2027
  Ages 6-16. Ducks, geese, coot, gallinule, moorhen, mergansers. Second day Feb 13.
• Waterfowl: Youth waterfowl daysFeb 13, 2027
• Waterfowl: Veterans and active military daysFeb 7, 2027
  Second day Feb 14.
• Waterfowl: Veterans and active military daysFeb 14, 2027
• Canada Goose: SeptemberSep 1 to Sep 20, 2026
  5/day.
• Canada Goose: OctoberOct 10 to Oct 22, 2026
  3/day.
• Canada Goose: Regular (segment 1)Nov 28 to Nov 29, 2026
  3/day.
• Canada Goose: Regular (segment 2)Dec 5, 2026 to Feb 14, 2027
  3/day.
• White-Fronted Goose: RegularNov 28 to Nov 29, 2026
  3/day.
• White-Fronted Goose: RegularDec 5, 2026 to Feb 14, 2027
  3/day.
• Brant: All segmentsSep 1, 2026 to Feb 14, 2027
  Same split dates as Canada goose (Sept 1-20, Oct 10-22, Nov 28-29, Dec 5-Feb 14). 1/day.
• Light Geese: Regular (same splits as Canada goose)Sep 1, 2026 to Feb 14, 2027
  Sept 1-20, Oct 10-22, Nov 28-29, Dec 5-Feb 14. 20/day.
• Light Geese: Conservation orderFeb 15 to Mar 31, 2027
  Free Light Goose Conservation Season Permit required. No limit; unplugged guns and e-calls allowed.

Dove and Migratory Birds

• Dove: Segment 1Sep 1 to Sep 28, 2026
  Opens at noon Sept 1. 15/day.
• Dove: Segment 2Oct 10 to Nov 1, 2026
  15/day.
• Dove: Segment 3Dec 8, 2026 to Jan 15, 2027
  15/day.
• Woodcock: Segment 1Nov 14 to Dec 6, 2026
  3/day.
• Woodcock: Segment 2Jan 10 to Jan 31, 2027
  3/day.
• Snipe: SeasonNov 14, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027
  8/day.
• Rails (Virginia, Sora): SeasonSep 1 to Nov 9, 2026
  25/day.
• Gallinule And Moorhen: SeasonSep 1 to Nov 9, 2026
  15/day.
• Crow: SegmentSep 1 to Sep 7, 2026
  No limit.
• Crow: SegmentSep 11 to Dec 20, 2026
  Friday, Saturday, Sunday only.
• Crow: SegmentJan 1 to Feb 28, 2027
• Crow: SegmentJun 11 to Jul 11, 2027
  Friday, Saturday, Sunday only.
• Sandhill Crane: Quota permit seasonDec 3, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027
  Quota permit only. Closed in Southeast Crane Zone (south of I-40, east of Hwy 56) Jan 15-17, 2027. Sunrise to 3 p.m.

Squirrel, Rabbit and Small Game

• Squirrel: Fall/winterAug 22, 2026 to Mar 15, 2027
  10/day.
• Squirrel: SpringMay 8 to Jun 13, 2027
  10/day.
• Rabbit: SeasonNov 7, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027
  5/day.
• Quail: SeasonNov 7, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027
  6/day. WMAs: Nov 1-Jan 15 unless otherwise noted.
• Grouse: SeasonOct 10, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027
  3/day.
• Raccoon: Private landsYear-round Year-round
  4 per person per night (night = 24 hours from sunset). New for 2026-27.
• Raccoon: Taking seasonSep 18, 2026 to Mar 15, 2027
  Opens at sunset Sept 18. 4/night. See WMA listings for WMA dates.
• Opossum: Taking seasonSep 18, 2026 to Mar 15, 2027
  Opens at sunset. 4/night. Private lands open year-round.

Black Bear

• Restricted bear reserve hunt (Kettlefoot & Laurel Fork)Sep 19 to Sep 25, 2026
  Dogs allowed. 1 bear either sex, does not count toward statewide limit.
• Archery onlySep 26 to Oct 23, 2026
  No hounds.
• Early dog seasonOct 3 to Oct 5, 2026
  Hounds allowed. Also Oct 10-11.
• Early dog seasonOct 10 to Oct 11, 2026
• Early dog seasonOct 3 to Oct 18, 2026
• Early dog seasonOct 3 to Oct 4, 2026
  Also Oct 10-16.
• Early dog seasonOct 10 to Oct 16, 2026
• Young Sportsman (still hunt)Oct 31 to Nov 1, 2026
  Ages 6-16. No hounds.
• Mid dog seasonNov 9 to Nov 16, 2026
• Mid dog seasonNov 2 to Nov 6, 2026
• Gun/muzzleloader/archery (still hunt)Nov 21 to Nov 24, 2026
  No hounds.
• Late dog seasonNov 30 to Dec 16, 2026
• Late dog seasonNov 30 to Dec 15, 2026
• Late dog seasonNov 30 to Dec 13, 2026
  Also Dec 31-Jan 3.
• Late dog seasonDec 31, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027
• Late seasonDec 12 to Dec 13, 2026
  Listed in the hounds table for BHZ4.
• Gun/muzzleloader/archery (still hunt)Dec 12 to Dec 13, 2026
  No hounds.

Elk

• Archery only (quota)Sep 26 to Oct 2, 2026
  9 quota permits. 1 antlered elk per permit.
• Gun/muzzleloader/archery (quota)Oct 3 to Oct 9, 2026
  9 quota permits.
• Young Sportsman (quota)Oct 10 to Oct 16, 2026
  1 quota permit, resident youth 13-16.

Feral Hogs

• Feral Hog: Private land controlYear-round Year-round
  Not a game animal; classed as destructive species. Landowners may shoot without limit, daytime, any legal big/small game weapon; trap with bait outside big game seasons.

Coyote and Bobcat

• Coyote: DaytimeYear-round Year-round
  No limit.
• Coyote: Night season (with bobcat)Jan 16 to Mar 14, 2027
  Shotgun only, buckshot or smaller, landowner permission (written, text or email), no dogs. Coyote no limit, bobcat 1/night. 2026 summer window was June 6-Aug 9, 2026.
• Coyote: Night season (with bobcat)Jun 5 to Aug 8, 2027
  Same rules.
• Bobcat: Private landsSep 26 to Nov 19, 2026
  1/day.
• Bobcat: SeasonNov 20, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027
  1/day. CITES tag required before export.

Source: 2026-2027 Tennessee Fishing, Hunting & Trapping Guide (eRegulations, pages updated Sept 10-15, 2026). Checked October 9, 2026. Migratory bird dates follow the federal framework and can change; TWRA posts updates.