Hamilton County deer harvest: Tennessee, 2015-16 to 2025-26
Hunters checked in 2,013 deer in Hamilton County outside its WMAs in the 2025-26 season: 1,053 antlered bucks, 106 antlerless males and 854 females (TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox). That is 3.7 deer per square mile of land, 20th of Tennessee's 95 counties by total. Deer from WMAs are counted on each WMA's page. The count was 8% below 2024-25 (2,187). 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.
Hamilton CountyTWRA hunting landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Deer checked in off WMAs, 2025-26 | 2,013 (1,053 antlered bucks, 854 females) |
|---|---|
| Per square mile of land | 3.7, 36th of 95 |
| Average, 11 seasons | 1,896 deer a season |
| Highest season | 2,187 in 2024-25 |
| Antlered share, 2025-26 | 52% |
| 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 | 542.2 square miles (Census) |
| Public land mapped here | 3 TWRA hunting areas, 3,362 acres |
| Towns | Chattanooga, Soddy-Daisy, Collegedale, Signal Mountain and East Ridge |
How many deer are killed in Hamilton County each season?
TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox shows Hamilton County's deer for 11 seasons. The average was 1,896 a season; the most was 2,187 in 2024-25 and the fewest 1,633 in 2018-19. 2025-26 was 1% below 2015-16.
| Season | Deer checked in off WMAs | Males | Antlered | Females | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 2,013 | 1,159 | 1,053 | 854 | 3.7 |
| 2024-25 | 2,187 | 1,295 | 1,207 | 892 | 4 |
| 2023-24 | 2,138 | 1,286 | 1,159 | 852 | 3.9 |
| 2022-23 | 1,957 | 1,187 | 1,081 | 770 | 3.6 |
| 2021-22 | 1,773 | 1,087 | 970 | 686 | 3.3 |
| 2020-21 | 1,845 | 1,080 | 974 | 765 | 3.4 |
| 2019-20 | 1,753 | 1,008 | 915 | 745 | 3.2 |
| 2018-19 | 1,633 | 979 | 859 | 654 | 3 |
| 2017-18 | 1,687 | 918 | 769 | 3.1 | |
| 2016-17 | 1,826 | 981 | 845 | 3.4 | |
| 2015-16 | 2,039 | 1,040 | 999 | 3.8 |
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 542.2 square miles of land (Census).
What are the deer seasons and limits in Hamilton County for 2026-27?
Hamilton 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 Hamilton County?
| Area | Acres in Hamilton County | Deer from the whole area, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| Prentice Cooper State Forest and WMA | 1,806 | 220 |
| North Chickamauga Creek WMA | 1,184 | 52 |
| Chickamauga WMA | 372 | 159 |
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 Hamilton County compare with its neighbors?
| County | Unit | Deer off WMAs, 2025-26 | Per square mile | Change since 2015-16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton County | 5 | 2,013 | 3.7 | -1% |
| Bledsoe County | 4 | 1,209 | 3 | 14% |
| Bradley County | 5 | 1,163 | 3.5 | 24% |
| Marion County | 5 | 1,449 | 2.9 | 3% |
| Meigs County | 5 | 1,162 | 6 | 1% |
| Rhea County | 5 | 1,596 | 5.1 | -5% |
| Sequatchie County | 4 | 864 | 3.2 | 28% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were killed in Hamilton County, Tennessee last season?
Hunters checked in 2,013 deer in Hamilton County outside its WMAs in the 2025-26 season: 1,053 antlered bucks, 106 antlerless males and 854 females, by TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox. The Toolbox counts deer from WMAs apart, by WMA.
What is the antlerless limit in Hamilton County?
Hamilton 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 Hamilton County?
Yes. TWRA's map puts Prentice Cooper State Forest and WMA (1,806 acres in the county), North Chickamauga Creek WMA (1,184 acres in the county) and Chickamauga WMA (372 acres in the county) in Hamilton County.
Has the deer harvest in Hamilton County gone up or down?
From 2,039 in 2015-16 to 2,013 in 2025-26, 1% lower. The high in that span was 2,187 (2024-25) and the low 1,633 (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 Bledsoe County Bradley County Marion County Meigs County