Rhea County deer harvest: Tennessee, 2015-16 to 2025-26
Hunters checked in 1,596 deer in Rhea County outside its WMAs in the 2025-26 season: 867 antlered bucks, 66 antlerless males and 663 females (TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox). That is 5.1 deer per square mile of land, 37th of Tennessee's 95 counties by total. Deer from WMAs are counted on each WMA's page. The count was 6% below 2024-25 (1,701). 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.
Rhea CountyTWRA hunting landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Deer checked in off WMAs, 2025-26 | 1,596 (867 antlered bucks, 663 females) |
|---|---|
| Per square mile of land | 5.1, 13th of 95 |
| Average, 11 seasons | 1,545 deer a season |
| Highest season | 1,733 in 2023-24 |
| Antlered share, 2025-26 | 54% |
| 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 | 315.5 square miles (Census) |
| Public land mapped here | 4 TWRA hunting areas, 4,059 acres |
| Towns | Dayton, Spring City and Graysville |
How many deer are killed in Rhea County each season?
TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox shows Rhea County's deer for 11 seasons. The average was 1,545 a season; the most was 1,733 in 2023-24 and the fewest 1,284 in 2017-18. 2025-26 was 5% below 2015-16.
| Season | Deer checked in off WMAs | Males | Antlered | Females | Per square mile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1,596 | 933 | 867 | 663 | 5.1 |
| 2024-25 | 1,701 | 1,019 | 931 | 682 | 5.4 |
| 2023-24 | 1,733 | 987 | 883 | 745 | 5.5 |
| 2022-23 | 1,717 | 935 | 846 | 782 | 5.4 |
| 2021-22 | 1,400 | 793 | 699 | 607 | 4.4 |
| 2020-21 | 1,538 | 869 | 788 | 669 | 4.9 |
| 2019-20 | 1,470 | 843 | 756 | 627 | 4.7 |
| 2018-19 | 1,343 | 784 | 701 | 559 | 4.3 |
| 2017-18 | 1,284 | 712 | 572 | 4.1 | |
| 2016-17 | 1,531 | 815 | 716 | 4.9 | |
| 2015-16 | 1,682 | 933 | 749 | 5.3 |
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 315.5 square miles of land (Census).
What are the deer seasons and limits in Rhea County for 2026-27?
Rhea 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 Rhea County?
| Area | Acres in Rhea County | Deer from the whole area, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| Yuchi Refuge | 2,590 | 134 |
| Chickamauga WMA | 818 | 159 |
| Hiwassee Refuge | 620 | 115 |
| Watts Bar WMA | 31 | 68 |
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 Rhea County compare with its neighbors?
| County | Unit | Deer off WMAs, 2025-26 | Per square mile | Change since 2015-16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhea County | 5 | 1,596 | 5.1 | -5% |
| Bledsoe County | 4 | 1,209 | 3 | 14% |
| Cumberland County | 4 | 2,401 | 3.5 | 15% |
| Hamilton County | 5 | 2,013 | 3.7 | -1% |
| Meigs County | 5 | 1,162 | 6 | 1% |
| Roane County | 5 | 2,052 | 5.7 | -19% |
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were killed in Rhea County, Tennessee last season?
Hunters checked in 1,596 deer in Rhea County outside its WMAs in the 2025-26 season: 867 antlered bucks, 66 antlerless males and 663 females, by TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox. The Toolbox counts deer from WMAs apart, by WMA.
What is the antlerless limit in Rhea County?
Rhea 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 Rhea County?
Yes. TWRA's map puts Yuchi Refuge (2,590 acres in the county), Chickamauga WMA (818 acres in the county), Hiwassee Refuge (620 acres in the county) and Watts Bar WMA (31 acres in the county) in Rhea County.
Has the deer harvest in Rhea County gone up or down?
From 1,682 in 2015-16 to 1,596 in 2025-26, 5% lower. The high in that span was 1,733 (2023-24) and the low 1,284 (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 Bledsoe County Cumberland County Hamilton County Meigs County