Barkley WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and map
Barkley WMA is 7,804 acres of TWRA hunting land in Stewart County, measured on TWRA's boundary, in its Region 1. Hunters checked in 73 deer from the area in the 2025-26 season, 25 antlered bucks among them (TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox). For the area's seasons, TWRA's guide says: Same as statewide seasons except as noted.
Data updated October 2026. Rules: TWRA's 2026-27 guide, page 90. Harvest: TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox, 2015-16 to 2025-26.
Barkley WMAOther TWRA hunting landsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 7,804 acres, measured on TWRA's boundary; the guide lists 8,090 |
|---|---|
| County | Stewart County |
| TWRA region | Region 1 |
| Deer management unit | Unit 2 |
| Permits | WMA Small Game permit; WMA Waterfowl/Small Game permit; Big Game (Non-Quota/WMA) or quota permit |
| Deer checked in, 2025-26 | 73 (25 antlered bucks, 13 antlerless males, 35 females) |
| Area manager | Evan Gaskin (731) 201-1190 |
| Nearest towns | Dover (next to it), Cumberland City (next to it) and Erin (7 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Barkley WMA?
TWRA's 2026-27 guide prints these rules and seasons for the area. Where it says statewide seasons, the statewide dates and the county's deer management unit limits apply.
All activities are prohibited in the sub-impoundments five (5) days before each opening day of the statewide duck season. Beginning on the opening day of the regular waterfowl season and continuing until the last day of the regular waterfowl season, public access in the subimpoundment will only be allowed from 4:00 a.m. until two hours after legal shooting hours have ended. During the late duck season, all activities are prohibited in the subimpoundments when waterfowl hunting is closed. Waterfowl hunting authorized only from Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 4 locations. Fishing, trapping, and hunting of all species other than waterfowl prohibited in the sub-impoundments during the duck season occurring in Nov.–Feb.
Same as statewide seasons except as noted. Deer and Small Game hunting is only allowed on days waterfowl hunting is closed during the duck season occurring in Nov.–Feb. Closed to Fall turkey hunting.
- Turkey: April 3–April 25. One male bearded turkey, counts toward statewide bag limit.
- Turkey (Young Sportsman): Same as statewide season.
- Waterfowl: Same as statewide seasons, except as noted. Hunting of waterfowl during the duck and goose seasons occurring in Nov.–Feb. permitted only on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, and the first and last day of each segment of the duck and goose seasons occurring in Nov.–Feb.
- Dog training: Sept. 1–March 15 except closed during the duck season occurring in Nov.–Feb.
Unit II
ALL OF BARKLEY WMA EXCEPT THAT DEFINED AS UNIT I
Same as statewide seasons, except as noted. Closed to Fall turkey.
- Turkey: One non-quota hunt: April 3–April 25. One male bearded turkey, counts toward statewide bag limit.
- Turkey (Young Sportsman): Same as statewide season.
Source: TWRA 2026-27 Tennessee Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Guide, page 90; TWRA's page for the area. Read every rule in the guide before you go: the guide is the final word.
How many deer are taken on Barkley WMA?
Hunters checked in 73 deer from Barkley WMA in the 2025-26 season. Over the 11 seasons the Toolbox shows, the area averaged 66 deer a season, from 20 in 2019-20 to 132 in 2021-22.
| Season | Deer checked in | Males | Antlered | Antlerless males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 73 | 38 | 25 | 13 | 35 |
| 2024-25 | 75 | 38 | 34 | 4 | 37 |
| 2023-24 | 86 | 51 | 40 | 11 | 35 |
| 2022-23 | 88 | 40 | 31 | 9 | 48 |
| 2021-22 | 132 | 61 | 53 | 8 | 71 |
| 2020-21 | 85 | 53 | 45 | 8 | 32 |
| 2019-20 | 20 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 9 |
| 2018-19 | 49 | 30 | 27 | 3 | 19 |
| 2017-18 | 51 | 18 | 33 | ||
| 2016-17 | 36 | 19 | 17 | ||
| 2015-16 | 31 | 13 | 18 |
Source: TWRA Hunter's Toolbox, Deer Harvests by County / WMA, read October 2026. These are deer hunters reported at check-in. Before 2018-19 the Toolbox counts every male as antlerless, so only the male total is shown for those seasons.
Which county is Barkley WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer unit | County deer off WMAs, 2025-26 | Rank of 95 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stewart County | 7,804 | 2 | 1,481 | 42nd |
Acres measured by FilledTag on TWRA hunting lands layer (HuntingAllowed) and the U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries. County harvest: TWRA Hunter's Toolbox, Deer Harvests by County / WMA. Units: TWRA deer management unit counties.
How do you get to Barkley WMA?
Highways through the area: TN 149 and TN 49. Nearest towns: Dover (next to it), Cumberland City (next to it), Erin (7 miles) and Tennessee Ridge (10 miles). Directions and the area map are on TWRA's page for Barkley WMA.
The closest other TWRA hunting lands with a page here: Haynes Bottom WMA (6.9 miles), Lick Creek WMA (13.2 miles), Shelton Ferry WMA (17 miles) and West Sandy WMA (19.1 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt deer on Barkley WMA in 2026-27?
TWRA's guide says: Same as statewide seasons except as noted. That means the statewide dates: archery from September 26, 2026, muzzleloader from November 7 and gun from November 21, 2026 to January 3, 2027.
How many deer were killed on Barkley WMA last season?
Hunters checked in 73 deer from Barkley WMA in the 2025-26 season: 25 antlered bucks, 13 antlerless males and 35 females, by TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox. The 11-season average is 66.
What county is Barkley WMA in?
All of it is in Stewart County, by TWRA's boundary, in deer management Unit 2.
What permit do you need to hunt Barkley WMA?
TWRA's guide lists these for the area: WMA Small Game permit; WMA Waterfowl/Small Game permit; Big Game (Non-Quota/WMA) or quota permit. Lifetime and Annual Sportsman License holders are exempt from WMA permits (guide, page 11).
Get a Tennessee hunt plan when they open
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Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Tennessee included.
Where these numbers come from
- Area rules, seasons, size and manager: TWRA 2026-27 Tennessee Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Guide.
- Deer harvest on the area and by county: TWRA Hunter's Toolbox, Deer Harvests by County / WMA.
- Boundary: TWRA hunting lands layer (HuntingAllowed). Counties, highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries; U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer. National forest and refuges: U.S. Forest Service national forest ownership; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundaries.
FilledTag is not part of Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Numbers are copied from TWRA or measured from public maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
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