Buffalo Springs WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and map
Buffalo Springs WMA is 284 acres of TWRA hunting land in Grainger County, measured on TWRA's boundary, in its Region 4. Hunters checked in 2 deer from the area in the 2025-26 season, 1 antlered buck 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 112. Harvest: TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox, 2015-16 to 2025-26.
Buffalo Springs WMAOther TWRA hunting landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 284 acres, measured on TWRA's boundary; the guide lists 342 |
|---|---|
| County | Grainger County |
| TWRA region | Region 4 |
| Deer management unit | Unit 4 |
| Permits | WMA Small Game permit; Big Game (Non-Quota/WMA) or quota permit |
| Deer checked in, 2025-26 | 2 (1 antlered buck, 0 antlerless males, 1 female) |
| Area manager | Dustin McCubbins (865) 278-3248 |
| Nearest towns | Rutledge (5 mi), Jefferson City (7 mi) and New Market (7 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Buffalo Springs 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.
Waterfall parking area closed one (1) hour after sunset until one (1) hour before sunrise except as authorized by the WMA manager. Night time use of all additional WMA access points is prohibited except for raccoon and opossum hunters and scheduled events.
Same as statewide seasons, except as noted. Shotgun only during small game.
- Deer: Archery equipment only Bear - Same as statewide Bear Transition Zone. See page 72–73 for bear hunting details.
- Dove: Sept. 1 (hunting opens at noon) and Sept. 5 & 7 gate opens at 6:30 a.m. The remainder of the statewide season is walk in only. All fields return to same as statewide season beginning Sept. 8 and are open to all hunters. Do not block the gate. Quail hunting closed. Quail dog training only during statewide quail season.
Source: TWRA 2026-27 Tennessee Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Guide, page 112; 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 Buffalo Springs WMA?
Hunters checked in 2 deer from Buffalo Springs WMA in the 2025-26 season. Over the 11 seasons the Toolbox shows, the area averaged 8 deer a season, from 1 in 2024-25 to 17 in 2019-20.
| Season | Deer checked in | Males | Antlered | Antlerless males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2024-25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2023-24 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| 2021-22 | 15 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 6 |
| 2020-21 | 16 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 4 |
| 2019-20 | 17 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 5 |
| 2018-19 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| 2017-18 | 10 | 8 | 2 | ||
| 2016-17 | 4 | 1 | 3 | ||
| 2015-16 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
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 Buffalo Springs WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer unit | County deer off WMAs, 2025-26 | Rank of 95 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grainger County | 284 | 4 | 963 | 72nd |
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 Buffalo Springs WMA?
Highways within 5 miles: TN 92, TN 1 and TN 375. Nearest towns: Rutledge (5 miles), Jefferson City (7 miles), New Market (7 miles) and Blaine (8 miles). Directions and the area map are on TWRA's page for Buffalo Springs WMA.
The closest other TWRA hunting lands with a page here: Henderson Island Refuge (15.5 miles), Chuck Swan State Forest and WMA (17.7 miles), Rankin WMA (18.4 miles) and Forks of the River WMA (23 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt deer on Buffalo Springs WMA in 2026-27?
TWRA's 2026-27 guide for Buffalo Springs WMA: Deer: Archery equipment only Bear - Same as statewide Bear Transition Zone. For the rest, same as statewide seasons, except as noted.
How many deer were killed on Buffalo Springs WMA last season?
Hunters checked in 2 deer from Buffalo Springs WMA in the 2025-26 season: 1 antlered buck, 0 antlerless males and 1 female, by TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox. The 11-season average is 8.
What county is Buffalo Springs WMA in?
All of it is in Grainger County, by TWRA's boundary, in deer management Unit 4.
What permit do you need to hunt Buffalo Springs WMA?
TWRA's guide lists these for the area: WMA 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
Hunt plans for Tennessee are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
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.
Tennessee hunting All Tennessee WMAs Grainger County deer harvest