Carter County deer harvest: Tennessee, 2015-16 to 2025-26
Hunters checked in 1,314 deer in Carter County outside its WMAs in the 2025-26 season: 785 antlered bucks, 46 antlerless males and 483 females (TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox). That is 3.8 deer per square mile of land, 51st of Tennessee's 95 counties by total. Deer from WMAs are counted on each WMA's page. The count was 16% above 2024-25 (1,134). The county is in deer management Unit 6.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox to the 2025-26 season. Seasons and limits: TWRA's 2026-27 guide.
Carter CountyTWRA hunting landsNational forestNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Deer checked in off WMAs, 2025-26 | 1,314 (785 antlered bucks, 483 females) |
|---|---|
| Per square mile of land | 3.8, 33rd of 95 |
| Average, 11 seasons | 1,206 deer a season |
| Highest season | 1,346 in 2022-23 |
| Antlered share, 2025-26 | 60% |
| Deer management unit | Unit 6: 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 4 |
| Land area | 341.3 square miles (Census) |
| Public land mapped here | 1 TWRA hunting area, 81,562 acres; 86,040 acres of national forest |
| Towns | Elizabethton and Watauga |
How many deer are killed in Carter County each season?
TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox shows Carter County's deer for 11 seasons. The average was 1,206 a season; the most was 1,346 in 2022-23 and the fewest 1,092 in 2019-20. 2025-26 was 11% above 2015-16.
| Season | Deer checked in off WMAs | Males | Antlered | Females | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1,314 | 831 | 785 | 483 | 3.8 |
| 2024-25 | 1,134 | 734 | 699 | 400 | 3.3 |
| 2023-24 | 1,199 | 751 | 699 | 448 | 3.5 |
| 2022-23 | 1,346 | 840 | 796 | 506 | 3.9 |
| 2021-22 | 1,241 | 774 | 725 | 467 | 3.6 |
| 2020-21 | 1,227 | 743 | 703 | 484 | 3.6 |
| 2019-20 | 1,092 | 700 | 649 | 392 | 3.2 |
| 2018-19 | 1,210 | 738 | 672 | 472 | 3.5 |
| 2017-18 | 1,135 | 695 | 440 | 3.3 | |
| 2016-17 | 1,185 | 663 | 522 | 3.5 | |
| 2015-16 | 1,185 | 727 | 458 | 3.5 |
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 341.3 square miles of land (Census).
What are the deer seasons and limits in Carter County for 2026-27?
Carter County is in deer management Unit 6. The antlered limit is two for the season, one a day, statewide.
| Season | Dates | Antlerless limit, Unit 6 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Carter County?
| Area | Acres in Carter County | Deer from the whole area, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| North Cherokee WMA | 81,562 | 433 |
86,040 acres of national forest lie in the county, measured on the federal maps.
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 Carter County compare with its neighbors?
| County | Unit | Deer off WMAs, 2025-26 | Per square mile | Change since 2015-16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carter County | 6 | 1,314 | 3.8 | 11% |
| Johnson County | 6 | 960 | 3.2 | -8% |
| Sullivan County | 6 | 2,808 | 6.8 | 48% |
| Unicoi County | 6 | 381 | 2 | 15% |
| Washington County | 6 | 1,491 | 4.6 | 111% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were killed in Carter County, Tennessee last season?
Hunters checked in 1,314 deer in Carter County outside its WMAs in the 2025-26 season: 785 antlered bucks, 46 antlerless males and 483 females, by TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox. The Toolbox counts deer from WMAs apart, by WMA.
What is the antlerless limit in Carter County?
Carter County is in deer management Unit 6 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 Carter County?
Yes. TWRA's map puts North Cherokee WMA (81,562 acres in the county) in Carter County. The county also holds 86,040 acres of national forest.
Has the deer harvest in Carter County gone up or down?
From 1,185 in 2015-16 to 1,314 in 2025-26, 11% higher. The high in that span was 1,346 (2022-23) and the low 1,092 (2019-20).
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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 Johnson County Sullivan County Unicoi County Washington County