Chickamauga WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and map
Chickamauga WMA is 3,296 acres of TWRA hunting land in Bradley, Rhea, Meigs, McMinn and Hamilton counties, measured on TWRA's boundary, in its Region 3. Hunters checked in 159 deer from the area in the 2025-26 season, 58 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 106. Harvest: TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox, 2015-16 to 2025-26.
Chickamauga WMAOther TWRA hunting landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 3,296 acres, measured on TWRA's boundary; the guide lists 4,000 |
|---|---|
| County | Bradley County, Rhea County, Meigs County, McMinn County, Hamilton County |
| TWRA region | Region 3 |
| Deer management unit | Unit 5 |
| Permits | WMA Small Game permit; WMA Waterfowl/Small Game permit; Big Game (Non-Quota/WMA) or quota permit |
| Deer checked in, 2025-26 | 159 (58 antlered bucks, 13 antlerless males, 88 females) |
| Nearest towns | Soddy-Daisy (2 mi), Charleston (2 mi) and Dayton (3 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Chickamauga 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.
SODDY CREEK, SALE CREEK, COTTONPORT, YELLOW CREEK AND WASHINGTON FERRY BRIAN LETNER (423) 365-9571 CANDIES CREEK, JOHNSON BOTTOMS, ROGER'S CREEK JASON JACKSON (423) 614-3018 ALL OTHER CHICKAMAUGA UNITS ROB KLIPPEL (423) 693-6791 SODDY CREEK, SALE CREEK
Same as statewide seasons, except as noted. Closed to quail hunting. Deer hunting with archery equipment only. Archery hunters must comply with blaze orange/pink requirements during the statewide deer gun or muzzleloader seasons. Shotguns loaded with No. 4 shot or smaller only (except waterfowl). Waterfowl hunting restricted to use of shotguns loaded with No. 2 shot or smaller.
Cottonport, Washington Ferry, Shelton Bottoms, Mud Creek, New Bethal, Moon Island, Goodfield Creek, Gillespie Bend, Ledford Island, Agency Creek, Sugar Creek, South Mouse Creek Units
Same as statewide hunting and trapping seasons. No waterfowl hunters permitted on units from two (2) hours after legal shooting hours have ended until 4 a.m. the following day during the duck season(s). Closed to quail hunting.
Candies Creek, Johnson Bottoms, Rogers Creek, Yellow Creek Units
Same as statewide seasons, except units closed to all forms of trespass including fishing, trapping and hunting for all species except waterfowl (excluding Candies Creek Upland Unit) from the first opening day of the late duck season until the last day of the late duck season and on the day before and during the Youth Waterfowl hunts. On the Yellow Creek Unit a canoe or kayak may be beneficial for access. Closed to quail hunting.
Candies Creek Upland Unit WMA
Property east of Candies Creek and west of Lower River Road. Big Game and small game same as statewide hunting and trapping seasons.
- Waterfowl: Waterfowl hunting permitted on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the first and last day of the duck season. Waterfowl hunting ends at 3 p.m. on Thursday and Friday only. No waterfowl hunters or other activities permitted on units from two (2) hours after legal shooting hours have ended until 4 a.m. the following day during the duck seasons. Hunting is allowed only from registered hunting sites. Hunt sites and hunting dates will be allocated through a computer drawing (See page 84 for more specific information). Hunters selected for a hunt site may bring up to seven (7) additional hunters. No more than eight (8) hunters per site. No site may be hunted unless a hunter selected for that assigned blind site and date is present. Hunters may leave in place decoys and a temporary blind at their hunt site during their assigned hunt date, but must remove all decoys at the end of their last hunt date. Young Sportsman and military hunters may hunt sites during the youth and the military waterfowl seasons on a first come, first served basis. Hunters during these seasons must enter the hunting area only from established TWRA parking areas.
- Dog training: Sept. 1–March 15, except closed during late duck season.
Source: TWRA 2026-27 Tennessee Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Guide, page 106; 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 Chickamauga WMA?
Hunters checked in 159 deer from Chickamauga WMA in the 2025-26 season. Over the 11 seasons the Toolbox shows, the area averaged 126 deer a season, from 23 in 2015-16 to 189 in 2021-22.
| Season | Deer checked in | Males | Antlered | Antlerless males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 159 | 71 | 58 | 13 | 88 |
| 2024-25 | 133 | 59 | 50 | 9 | 74 |
| 2023-24 | 155 | 78 | 56 | 22 | 77 |
| 2022-23 | 168 | 83 | 67 | 16 | 85 |
| 2021-22 | 189 | 87 | 71 | 16 | 102 |
| 2020-21 | 182 | 101 | 82 | 19 | 81 |
| 2019-20 | 116 | 61 | 52 | 9 | 55 |
| 2018-19 | 103 | 60 | 47 | 13 | 43 |
| 2017-18 | 98 | 48 | 50 | ||
| 2016-17 | 58 | 26 | 32 | ||
| 2015-16 | 23 | 10 | 13 |
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 Chickamauga WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer unit | County deer off WMAs, 2025-26 | Rank of 95 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley County | 1,014 | 5 | 1,163 | 61st |
| Rhea County | 818 | 5 | 1,596 | 37th |
| Meigs County | 599 | 5 | 1,162 | 62nd |
| McMinn County | 493 | 5 | 1,755 | 30th |
| Hamilton County | 372 | 5 | 2,013 | 20th |
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 Chickamauga WMA?
Highways through the area: I-75. Nearest towns: Soddy-Daisy (2 miles), Charleston (2 miles), Dayton (3 miles) and Calhoun (3 miles). Directions and the area map are on TWRA's page for Chickamauga WMA.
The closest other TWRA hunting lands with a page here: Hiwassee Refuge (next to it), Yuchi Refuge (1.3 miles), North Chickamauga Creek WMA (5 miles) and Watts Bar WMA (6.5 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt deer on Chickamauga 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 Chickamauga WMA last season?
Hunters checked in 159 deer from Chickamauga WMA in the 2025-26 season: 58 antlered bucks, 13 antlerless males and 88 females, by TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox. The 11-season average is 126.
What county is Chickamauga WMA in?
Bradley County (1,014 acres), Rhea County (818 acres), Meigs County (599 acres), McMinn County (493 acres) and Hamilton County (372 acres), measured on TWRA's boundary.
What permit do you need to hunt Chickamauga 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
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 Bradley County deer harvest Rhea County deer harvest Meigs County deer harvest