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West Tennessee
Haywood County Hunting
Harvest history, public land, deer unit rules for 2026-27 and nearby processors for hunters working Haywood County.
Photo: Bob n Renee (CC BY 2.0)
At 48th of 95 counties, Haywood County produced 1,455 reported deer in 2025-26 from 533 square miles of land. Divided by land area, that is near 2.7 deer per square mile. The county made up 0.9% of all deer checked in Tennessee that season.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Haywood County
Public hunting land in and near Haywood County
Inside the county line you have 3 public areas; another 8 sit within roughly 45 miles. On the map, orange means inside the county.
Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge
Game on the listing: deer, turkey, waterfowl. Acreage 11,556.
South Fork Waterfowl Refuge
Straight-line distance about 21 miles, in Madison County. 778 acres.
Horns Bluff Refuge
Straight-line distance about 22 miles, in Crockett County and Gibson County. 1,890 acres.
Sunk Lake State Natural Area (North Unit)
Straight-line distance about 27 miles, in Lauderdale County.
Colonel Forrest V. Durand WMA
Straight-line distance about 27 miles, in Madison County. 736 acres.
Chickasaw National Wildlife Refuge
Straight-line distance about 28 miles, in Lauderdale County and Dyer County. 26,997 acres.
How many deer and turkeys Haywood County produces
1,455 deer were checked in 2025-26, which is 4% fewer than the season before. Its average since 2016-17 is 1,623. Counts ranged from 1,366 (2019-20) up to 1,944 (2016-17). Wildlife management area hunters checked 106 of them. Spring turkey hunters checked 185 gobblers in 2026 spring, 82nd in the state.
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.
Haywood County: what is in season
Haywood County has no bear season. Haywood County has no fall turkey season. Chronic wasting disease rules apply in Haywood County. Haywood County bans baiting and feeding.
- 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 28, 2026.
Seasons and limits in Haywood County, 2026-27
Deer limits in Unit 1
Does count at 3 a day in this unit for every fall and winter segment. No antlerless harvest is allowed in August. Bucks are limited to 2 a season statewide and 1 a day.
Haywood County archery, muzzleloader and gun
Archery opens Sep 26. Muzzleloader runs Nov 7 to Nov 20, 2026. Gun season runs Nov 21, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027. These are statewide dates for 2026-27.
Haywood County CWD status
Expect a feeding and baiting ban, carcass transport limits out of the zone, and the Earn-A-Buck bonus for submitting antlerless deer for testing.
Haywood County fall turkey rules
Turkey hunting here is spring only; fall is closed.
From the 2026-27 TWRA hunting guide, checked October 28, 2026. Read the guide.
Sunrise, sunset and legal light in Haywood County
Start shooting 30 minutes before sunrise and stop 30 minutes after sunset for deer and small game; for turkeys and migratory birds the cutoff is sunset.
Times calculated for the center of Haywood County in Central time. Turkey and migratory bird hunting ends at sunset. Shooting hours for every county.
Meat processing and mounts near Haywood County
Closest to home first: Haywood County, then adjacent counties.
Listings come from TWRA, the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, state permit lists and business pages. Call before you drive; seasonal hours vary.
Field trials, hunts and contests in Haywood County
As of October 2026, 10 past results.
Recent winners
| Date | Event | Winner or result | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 5, 2024 | West Tennessee Amateur Field Trial Association Trials | Como Thunder (Amateur All-Age), handler David Russell | Source |
| Feb 16, 2024 | West Tennessee Open Field Trial | Miller's King Poast, owner Jannie Chapman, handler Korry Rinehart | Source |
| Feb 28, 2024 | NBHA National Open Championship | Southern Shadow's Bootlegger (pointer male), owned and handled by Klaus Schmidt | Source |
| Apr 5, 2024 | United States Amateur All-Age Derby Invitational | Southern Shadows T-Bird (pointer male), owner Lance Servais, handler Brian Peterson | Source |
| Feb 14, 2025 | West Tennessee Open Stakes | Haney's All In (pointer male), owners Steve and Stacey Croy, handler Mark McLean | Source |
| Feb 25, 2025 | NBHA National Open Championship | Southern Shadow's Bootlegger (pointer male), owned and handled by Klaus Schmidt | Source |
| Mar 28, 2025 | United States Amateur All-Age Derby Invitational Championship | Southern Margarita Lane, owned and handled by Brian Peterson | Source |
| Jan 8, 2026 | West Tennessee Amateur Field Trial | Southern Shadows Story (pointer female), owned and handled by Lance Servais | Source |
Fires, permits and bans around Haywood County
See the Tennessee county list for Haywood County today.
- Burn permit: October 15 through May 15 each year (TCA 39-14-306(a)(1)); required for open-air fires within 500 feet of any forest, grassland or woodland.
- Ban orders: Under TCA 39-14-306(b), the Commissioner of Agriculture, in consultation with the State Forester and at the request of county mayors, issues county burn bans.
- Public land fires: TWRA wildlife management areas: Rule 1660-01-14-.13(5)(i) says 'No warming, camping or any type fire shall be allowed except at designated camping areas.
Practice ranges near Haywood County
No range is listed in Haywood County. These are the closest, measured from the county center.
Shooting here: pistol; rifle; shotgun; archery. Members only.
Shooting here: rifle. Open to the public.
Adjacent to Haywood County
Town pages for Haywood County: Hunting near Brownsville.
Same county, different sport: Haywood County fishing spots.
3 of the 6 bordering counties had a bigger 2025-26 deer harvest.
Haywood County hunting FAQ
How many deer were killed in Haywood County?
1,455 in 2025-26, which ranked 48th in Tennessee.
Is Haywood County in Unit 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6?
TWRA places Haywood County in Unit 1. Antlerless limit: 3 per day in the Young Sportsman, archery, muzzleloader, straight-wall rifle and gun seasons, and none during the August hunt.
What is the CWD status of Haywood County?
It is a CWD-positive county.
Can I bait deer in Haywood County?
No, bait and feed are prohibited in this county.
Can I hunt turkey in the fall in Haywood County?
No. Fall turkey hunting is closed in this county for 2026.
Is Haywood County open to bear hunting?
No bear season here; the county is outside the bear zones.
What time does shooting light end in Haywood County?
See the table above for this week. The rule is sunrise minus 30 minutes to sunset plus 30 for big and small game.
Where can I get a deer processed in Haywood County?
Listed processors in or next to Haywood County include Mathias Deer Processing, Delaney's Deer Processing and Threeway Processing.
Is there public hunting land in Haywood County?
Haywood County has Fort Ridge WMA, Hatchie River WMA and Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge. Neighboring areas include South Fork Waterfowl Refuge, Whiteville Lake and Horns Bluff Refuge.
Haywood County hunt planning
Area rules can differ from county rules, so read the listing for the spot you plan to hunt.
Other photos on this page: Flappy Pigeon (CC BY-SA 4.0); colmmcsky (CC BY-SA 2.0); DaPuglet (CC BY-SA 2.0); kevin dooley (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain); Juliana Chong (CC BY 2.0).