Polk County deer harvest: Tennessee, 2015-16 to 2025-26
Hunters checked in 330 deer in Polk County outside its WMAs in the 2025-26 season: 215 antlered bucks, 12 antlerless males and 103 females (TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox). That is 0.8 deer per square mile of land, 94th of Tennessee's 95 counties by total. Deer from WMAs are counted on each WMA's page. The count was 6% above 2024-25 (310). 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.
Polk CountyTWRA hunting landsNational forestLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Deer checked in off WMAs, 2025-26 | 330 (215 antlered bucks, 103 females) |
|---|---|
| Per square mile of land | 0.8, 95th of 95 |
| Average, 11 seasons | 211 deer a season |
| Highest season | 330 in 2025-26 |
| Antlered share, 2025-26 | 65% |
| 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 3 |
| Land area | 434.6 square miles (Census) |
| Public land mapped here | 3 TWRA hunting areas, 141,981 acres; 150,902 acres of national forest |
| Towns | Benton, Ducktown and Copperhill |
How many deer are killed in Polk County each season?
TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox shows Polk County's deer for 11 seasons. The average was 211 a season; the most was 330 in 2025-26 and the fewest 128 in 2016-17. 2025-26 was 154% above 2015-16.
| Season | Deer checked in off WMAs | Males | Antlered | Females | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 330 | 227 | 215 | 103 | 0.8 |
| 2024-25 | 310 | 217 | 211 | 93 | 0.7 |
| 2023-24 | 254 | 204 | 198 | 50 | 0.6 |
| 2022-23 | 230 | 181 | 173 | 49 | 0.5 |
| 2021-22 | 222 | 184 | 179 | 38 | 0.5 |
| 2020-21 | 210 | 166 | 160 | 44 | 0.5 |
| 2019-20 | 168 | 130 | 122 | 38 | 0.4 |
| 2018-19 | 164 | 136 | 124 | 28 | 0.4 |
| 2017-18 | 170 | 140 | 30 | 0.4 | |
| 2016-17 | 128 | 101 | 27 | 0.3 | |
| 2015-16 | 130 | 111 | 19 | 0.3 |
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 434.6 square miles of land (Census).
What are the deer seasons and limits in Polk County for 2026-27?
Polk 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 Polk County?
| Area | Acres in Polk County | Deer from the whole area, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| South Cherokee WMA | 141,443 | 232 |
| Fourth Fractional Township WMA | 468 | 1 |
| Charlotte Anne Finnell Neal WMA | 70 | 9 |
150,902 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 Polk County compare with its neighbors?
| County | Unit | Deer off WMAs, 2025-26 | Per square mile | Change since 2015-16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County | 6 | 330 | 0.8 | 154% |
| Bradley County | 5 | 1,163 | 3.5 | 24% |
| McMinn County | 5 | 1,755 | 4.1 | 9% |
| Monroe County | 6 | 1,141 | 1.8 | 86% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were killed in Polk County, Tennessee last season?
Hunters checked in 330 deer in Polk County outside its WMAs in the 2025-26 season: 215 antlered bucks, 12 antlerless males and 103 females, by TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox. The Toolbox counts deer from WMAs apart, by WMA.
What is the antlerless limit in Polk County?
Polk 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 Polk County?
Yes. TWRA's map puts South Cherokee WMA (141,443 acres in the county), Fourth Fractional Township WMA (468 acres in the county) and Charlotte Anne Finnell Neal WMA (70 acres in the county) in Polk County. The county also holds 150,902 acres of national forest.
Has the deer harvest in Polk County gone up or down?
From 130 in 2015-16 to 330 in 2025-26, 154% higher. The high in that span was 330 (2025-26) and the low 128 (2016-17).
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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 Bradley County McMinn County Monroe County