Grainger County deer harvest: Tennessee, 2015-16 to 2025-26
Hunters checked in 963 deer in Grainger County outside its WMAs in the 2025-26 season: 565 antlered bucks, 37 antlerless males and 361 females (TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox). That is 3.4 deer per square mile of land, 72nd of Tennessee's 95 counties by total. Deer from WMAs are counted on each WMA's page. The count was 14% above 2024-25 (843). The county is in deer management Unit 4.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox to the 2025-26 season. Seasons and limits: TWRA's 2026-27 guide.
Grainger CountyTWRA hunting landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Deer checked in off WMAs, 2025-26 | 963 (565 antlered bucks, 361 females) |
|---|---|
| Per square mile of land | 3.4, 48th of 95 |
| Average, 11 seasons | 729 deer a season |
| Highest season | 963 in 2025-26 |
| Antlered share, 2025-26 | 59% |
| Deer management unit | Unit 4: 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 | 280.6 square miles (Census) |
| Public land mapped here | 1 TWRA hunting area, 284 acres |
| Towns | Blaine, Bean Station and Rutledge |
How many deer are killed in Grainger County each season?
TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox shows Grainger County's deer for 11 seasons. The average was 729 a season; the most was 963 in 2025-26 and the fewest 627 in 2017-18. 2025-26 was 32% above 2015-16.
| Season | Deer checked in off WMAs | Males | Antlered | Females | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 963 | 602 | 565 | 361 | 3.4 |
| 2024-25 | 843 | 549 | 518 | 294 | 3 |
| 2023-24 | 688 | 491 | 473 | 197 | 2.5 |
| 2022-23 | 741 | 524 | 500 | 217 | 2.6 |
| 2021-22 | 682 | 487 | 462 | 195 | 2.4 |
| 2020-21 | 718 | 509 | 490 | 209 | 2.6 |
| 2019-20 | 635 | 446 | 424 | 189 | 2.3 |
| 2018-19 | 673 | 486 | 440 | 187 | 2.4 |
| 2017-18 | 627 | 443 | 184 | 2.2 | |
| 2016-17 | 720 | 482 | 238 | 2.6 | |
| 2015-16 | 731 | 535 | 196 | 2.6 |
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 280.6 square miles of land (Census).
What are the deer seasons and limits in Grainger County for 2026-27?
Grainger County is in deer management Unit 4. The antlered limit is two for the season, one a day, statewide.
| Season | Dates | Antlerless limit, Unit 4 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Grainger County?
| Area | Acres in Grainger County | Deer from the whole area, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Springs WMA | 284 | 2 |
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 Grainger County compare with its neighbors?
| County | Unit | Deer off WMAs, 2025-26 | Per square mile | Change since 2015-16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grainger County | 4 | 963 | 3.4 | 32% |
| Claiborne County | 4 | 1,332 | 3.1 | -19% |
| Hamblen County | 6 | 494 | 3.1 | 27% |
| Hancock County | 4 | 633 | 2.8 | -4% |
| Hawkins County | 6 | 2,384 | 4.9 | 13% |
| Jefferson County | 6 | 1,212 | 4.4 | 54% |
| Knox County | 5 | 1,607 | 3.2 | 36% |
| Union County | 4 | 523 | 2.3 | 28% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were killed in Grainger County, Tennessee last season?
Hunters checked in 963 deer in Grainger County outside its WMAs in the 2025-26 season: 565 antlered bucks, 37 antlerless males and 361 females, by TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox. The Toolbox counts deer from WMAs apart, by WMA.
What is the antlerless limit in Grainger County?
Grainger County is in deer management Unit 4 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 Grainger County?
Yes. TWRA's map puts Buffalo Springs WMA (284 acres in the county) in Grainger County.
Has the deer harvest in Grainger County gone up or down?
From 731 in 2015-16 to 963 in 2025-26, 32% higher. The high in that span was 963 (2025-26) and the low 627 (2017-18).
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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 Claiborne County Hamblen County Hancock County Hawkins County