Cordell Hull Refuge: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and map
Cordell Hull Refuge is 2,764 acres of TWRA hunting land in Jackson County, measured on TWRA's boundary, in its Region 3. Hunters checked in 43 deer from the area in the 2025-26 season, 17 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 107. Harvest: TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox, 2015-16 to 2025-26.
Cordell Hull RefugeOther TWRA hunting landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 2,764 acres, measured on TWRA's boundary; the guide lists 600 |
|---|---|
| County | Jackson County |
| TWRA region | Region 3 |
| Deer management unit | Unit 3 |
| Permits | WMA Small Game permit; WMA Waterfowl/Small Game permit; Big Game (Non-Quota/WMA) or quota permit |
| Deer checked in, 2025-26 | 43 (17 antlered bucks, 5 antlerless males, 21 females) |
| Area manager | Johnny Poston (615) 342-9307 |
| Nearest towns | Gainesboro (next to it), Red Boiling Springs (12 mi) and Celina (12 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Cordell Hull Refuge?
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.
Public use including all forms of trespass and hunting is prohibited from Nov. 15–last day of Feb., except as otherwise indicated. Public entry permitted while on the main river channel passing through the refuge. Fishing by boat allowed during refuge closure in marked river channel only.
Same as statewide seasons, except as noted. Deer season closed after Nov. 14. All seasons closed during refuge closure dates including dog training. Closed to quail hunting.
- Dog training: Sept. 1–March 15, daylight hours only. Closed to training during refuge closure dates.
Source: TWRA 2026-27 Tennessee Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Guide, page 107; 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 Cordell Hull Refuge?
Hunters checked in 43 deer from Cordell Hull Refuge in the 2025-26 season. Over the 11 seasons the Toolbox shows, the area averaged 37 deer a season, from 12 in 2016-17 to 62 in 2020-21.
| Season | Deer checked in | Males | Antlered | Antlerless males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 43 | 22 | 17 | 5 | 21 |
| 2024-25 | 46 | 18 | 14 | 4 | 28 |
| 2023-24 | 51 | 17 | 13 | 4 | 34 |
| 2022-23 | 32 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 21 |
| 2021-22 | 40 | 23 | 21 | 2 | 17 |
| 2020-21 | 62 | 21 | 17 | 4 | 41 |
| 2019-20 | 44 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 27 |
| 2018-19 | 45 | 15 | 13 | 2 | 30 |
| 2017-18 | 16 | 5 | 11 | ||
| 2016-17 | 12 | 5 | 7 | ||
| 2015-16 | 17 | 6 | 11 |
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 Cordell Hull Refuge in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer unit | County deer off WMAs, 2025-26 | Rank of 95 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County | 2,764 | 3 | 1,941 | 24th |
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 Cordell Hull Refuge?
Highways through the area: TN 135, TN 56 and TN 85. Nearest towns: Gainesboro (next to it), Red Boiling Springs (12 miles), Celina (12 miles) and Baxter (14 miles). Directions and the area map are on TWRA's page for Cordell Hull Refuge.
The closest other TWRA hunting lands with a page here: Cordell Hull WMA (next to it), The Boils WMA (4.1 miles), Blackburn Fork WMA (5.1 miles) and Standing Stone State Forest and WMA (9.9 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt deer on Cordell Hull Refuge 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 Cordell Hull Refuge last season?
Hunters checked in 43 deer from Cordell Hull Refuge in the 2025-26 season: 17 antlered bucks, 5 antlerless males and 21 females, by TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox. The 11-season average is 37.
What county is Cordell Hull Refuge in?
All of it is in Jackson County, by TWRA's boundary, in deer management Unit 3.
What permit do you need to hunt Cordell Hull Refuge?
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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