Jefferson County deer harvest: Tennessee, 2015-16 to 2025-26
Hunters checked in 1,212 deer in Jefferson County outside its WMAs in the 2025-26 season: 721 antlered bucks, 41 antlerless males and 450 females (TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox). That is 4.4 deer per square mile of land, 56th of Tennessee's 95 counties by total. Deer from WMAs are counted on each WMA's page. The count was 11% above 2024-25 (1,094). 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.
Jefferson CountyTWRA hunting landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Deer checked in off WMAs, 2025-26 | 1,212 (721 antlered bucks, 450 females) |
|---|---|
| Per square mile of land | 4.4, 24th of 95 |
| Average, 11 seasons | 936 deer a season |
| Highest season | 1,212 in 2025-26 |
| Antlered share, 2025-26 | 59% |
| 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 | 275.2 square miles (Census) |
| Public land mapped here | 1 TWRA hunting area, 243 acres |
| Towns | Jefferson City, Dandridge, New Market, White Pine and Baneberry |
How many deer are killed in Jefferson County each season?
TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox shows Jefferson County's deer for 11 seasons. The average was 936 a season; the most was 1,212 in 2025-26 and the fewest 789 in 2015-16. 2025-26 was 54% above 2015-16.
| Season | Deer checked in off WMAs | Males | Antlered | Females | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1,212 | 762 | 721 | 450 | 4.4 |
| 2024-25 | 1,094 | 715 | 679 | 379 | 4 |
| 2023-24 | 1,034 | 746 | 699 | 288 | 3.8 |
| 2022-23 | 956 | 654 | 634 | 302 | 3.5 |
| 2021-22 | 953 | 634 | 598 | 319 | 3.5 |
| 2020-21 | 948 | 600 | 569 | 348 | 3.4 |
| 2019-20 | 822 | 530 | 500 | 292 | 3 |
| 2018-19 | 825 | 549 | 499 | 276 | 3 |
| 2017-18 | 832 | 542 | 290 | 3 | |
| 2016-17 | 836 | 541 | 295 | 3 | |
| 2015-16 | 789 | 491 | 298 | 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 275.2 square miles of land (Census).
What are the deer seasons and limits in Jefferson County for 2026-27?
Jefferson 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 Jefferson County?
| Area | Acres in Jefferson County | Deer from the whole area, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| Henderson Island Refuge | 243 | 14 |
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 Jefferson County compare with its neighbors?
| County | Unit | Deer off WMAs, 2025-26 | Per square mile | Change since 2015-16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | 6 | 1,212 | 4.4 | 54% |
| Cocke County | 6 | 775 | 1.8 | 2% |
| Grainger County | 4 | 963 | 3.4 | 32% |
| Hamblen County | 6 | 494 | 3.1 | 27% |
| Knox County | 5 | 1,607 | 3.2 | 36% |
| Sevier County | 6 | 608 | 1 | 52% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were killed in Jefferson County, Tennessee last season?
Hunters checked in 1,212 deer in Jefferson County outside its WMAs in the 2025-26 season: 721 antlered bucks, 41 antlerless males and 450 females, by TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox. The Toolbox counts deer from WMAs apart, by WMA.
What is the antlerless limit in Jefferson County?
Jefferson 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 Jefferson County?
Yes. TWRA's map puts Henderson Island Refuge (243 acres in the county) in Jefferson County.
Has the deer harvest in Jefferson County gone up or down?
From 789 in 2015-16 to 1,212 in 2025-26, 54% higher. The high in that span was 1,212 (2025-26) and the low 789 (2015-16).
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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 Cocke County Grainger County Hamblen County Knox County