Bradley County deer harvest: Tennessee, 2015-16 to 2025-26
Hunters checked in 1,163 deer in Bradley County outside its WMAs in the 2025-26 season: 650 antlered bucks, 53 antlerless males and 460 females (TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox). That is 3.5 deer per square mile of land, 61st of Tennessee's 95 counties by total. Deer from WMAs are counted on each WMA's page. The count was 10% below 2024-25 (1,294). The county is in deer management Unit 5.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox to the 2025-26 season. Seasons and limits: TWRA's 2026-27 guide.
Bradley CountyTWRA hunting landsNational forestLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Deer checked in off WMAs, 2025-26 | 1,163 (650 antlered bucks, 460 females) |
|---|---|
| Per square mile of land | 3.5, 42nd of 95 |
| Average, 11 seasons | 1,051 deer a season |
| Highest season | 1,294 in 2024-25 |
| Antlered share, 2025-26 | 56% |
| Deer management unit | Unit 5: antlerless limit 4 in archery season, 2 in the muzzleloader season, 2 in the gun season and 2 over the four Young Sportsman days |
| TWRA region | Region 3 |
| Land area | 328.8 square miles (Census) |
| Public land mapped here | 2 TWRA hunting areas, 1,508 acres |
| Towns | Cleveland and Charleston |
How many deer are killed in Bradley County each season?
TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox shows Bradley County's deer for 11 seasons. The average was 1,051 a season; the most was 1,294 in 2024-25 and the fewest 879 in 2018-19. 2025-26 was 24% above 2015-16.
| Season | Deer checked in off WMAs | Males | Antlered | Females | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1,163 | 703 | 650 | 460 | 3.5 |
| 2024-25 | 1,294 | 777 | 728 | 517 | 3.9 |
| 2023-24 | 1,262 | 801 | 740 | 461 | 3.8 |
| 2022-23 | 1,114 | 680 | 611 | 434 | 3.4 |
| 2021-22 | 985 | 601 | 548 | 384 | 3 |
| 2020-21 | 1,014 | 604 | 563 | 410 | 3.1 |
| 2019-20 | 976 | 581 | 531 | 395 | 3 |
| 2018-19 | 879 | 512 | 452 | 367 | 2.7 |
| 2017-18 | 900 | 526 | 374 | 2.7 | |
| 2016-17 | 1,035 | 563 | 472 | 3.1 | |
| 2015-16 | 940 | 566 | 374 | 2.9 |
Source: TWRA Hunter's Toolbox, Deer Harvests by County / WMA, read October 2026: deer hunters reported at check-in. The Toolbox's county counts leave out deer taken on WMAs, which it reports by WMA. Before 2018-19 the Toolbox counts every male as antlerless, so only the male total is shown. Per square mile uses the county's 328.8 square miles of land (Census).
What are the deer seasons and limits in Bradley County for 2026-27?
Bradley County is in deer management Unit 5. The antlered limit is two for the season, one a day, statewide.
| Season | Dates | Antlerless limit, Unit 5 |
|---|---|---|
| August (archery only; private land and select Unit 1 WMAs) | Aug. 28 to 30, 2026 | No antlerless harvest |
| Young Sportsman (gun, muzzleloader, archery; ages 6 to 16) | Oct. 31 to Nov. 1, 2026; Jan. 9 to 10, 2027 | 2 (for the four days combined) |
| Archery | Sept. 26 to Oct. 30 and Nov. 2 to 6, 2026 | 4 |
| Muzzleloader and archery | Nov. 7 to 20, 2026 | 2 |
| Straight-walled single-shot rifles, private land only | Nov. 14 to 20, 2026 | 2 (counts toward the muzzleloader limit) |
| Gun, muzzleloader and archery | Nov. 21, 2026 to Jan. 3, 2027 | 2 |
Source: TWRA 2026-27 Tennessee Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Guide, page 67; county units: TWRA deer management unit counties. WMAs set their own hunts: see each area's page.
Where is the public hunting land in Bradley County?
| Area | Acres in Bradley County | Deer from the whole area, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| Chickamauga WMA | 1,014 | 159 |
| Charlotte Anne Finnell Neal WMA | 494 | 9 |
Acres measured by FilledTag on TWRA hunting lands layer (HuntingAllowed), U.S. Forest Service national forest ownership and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundaries.
How does Bradley County compare with its neighbors?
| County | Unit | Deer off WMAs, 2025-26 | Per square mile | Change since 2015-16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley County | 5 | 1,163 | 3.5 | 24% |
| Hamilton County | 5 | 2,013 | 3.7 | -1% |
| McMinn County | 5 | 1,755 | 4.1 | 9% |
| Meigs County | 5 | 1,162 | 6 | 1% |
| Polk County | 6 | 330 | 0.8 | 154% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were killed in Bradley County, Tennessee last season?
Hunters checked in 1,163 deer in Bradley County outside its WMAs in the 2025-26 season: 650 antlered bucks, 53 antlerless males and 460 females, by TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox. The Toolbox counts deer from WMAs apart, by WMA.
What is the antlerless limit in Bradley County?
Bradley County is in deer management Unit 5 for 2026-27. The antlerless limit there is 4 in archery season, 2 in the muzzleloader season, 2 in the gun season and 2 over the four Young Sportsman days. The antlered limit is two statewide, one a day (TWRA 2026-27 guide, page 67).
Is there public hunting land in Bradley County?
Yes. TWRA's map puts Chickamauga WMA (1,014 acres in the county) and Charlotte Anne Finnell Neal WMA (494 acres in the county) in Bradley County.
Has the deer harvest in Bradley County gone up or down?
From 940 in 2015-16 to 1,163 in 2025-26, 24% higher. The high in that span was 1,294 (2024-25) and the low 879 (2018-19).
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Where these numbers come from
- Deer harvest: TWRA Hunter's Toolbox, Deer Harvests by County / WMA.
- Deer units, seasons and limits: TWRA 2026-27 Tennessee Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Guide, pages 66 to 67; TWRA deer management unit counties.
- Public land: TWRA hunting lands layer (HuntingAllowed); U.S. Forest Service national forest ownership; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundaries. County land area: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer.
FilledTag is not part of Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Numbers are copied from TWRA and the Census Bureau or measured from public maps; nothing here is estimated by FilledTag.
Tennessee hunting Tennessee deer harvest by county Hamilton County McMinn County Meigs County Polk County