Cove Creek WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and map
Cove Creek WMA is 2,485 acres of TWRA hunting land in Campbell County, measured on TWRA's boundary, in its Region 4. Hunters checked in 37 deer from the area in the 2025-26 season, 15 antlered bucks among them (TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox). For the area's seasons, TWRA's guide says: Same as statewide seasons, except where noted.
Data updated October 2026. Rules: TWRA's 2026-27 guide, page 114. Harvest: TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox, 2015-16 to 2025-26.
Cove Creek WMAOther TWRA hunting landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 2,485 acres, measured on TWRA's boundary |
|---|---|
| County | Campbell 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 | 37 (15 antlered bucks, 5 antlerless males, 17 females) |
| Area manager | Keith Thomas (423) 566-8557 |
| Nearest towns | Norris (next to it), Rocky Top (2 mi) and Caryville (5 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Cove Creek 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.
Same as statewide seasons, except where noted. Closed to Fall turkey hunting.
- Deer: Dates are same as statewide season except as noted.
- Deer (Archery): Bag limit of one (1) antlerless and one (1) antlered (counts toward statewide bag limit).
- Deer (Muzzleloader/Gun Combined): Bag limit of one (1) antlerless and one (1) antlered (counts toward statewide bag limit).
- Deer (Gun - Young Sportsman): Dates and bag limit same as statewide season.
- Bear: Same as statewide Bear Transition Zone. See page 72–73 for bear hunting details.
- Spring Turkey: Only one (1) male bearded turkey allowed during the first 14 days of the statewide turkey season, not to exceed two (2) male bearded birds for the entire season.
Source: TWRA 2026-27 Tennessee Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Guide, page 114; 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 Cove Creek WMA?
Hunters checked in 37 deer from Cove Creek WMA in the 2025-26 season. Over the 11 seasons the Toolbox shows, the area averaged 40 deer a season, from 17 in 2015-16 to 57 in 2018-19.
| Season | Deer checked in | Males | Antlered | Antlerless males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 37 | 20 | 15 | 5 | 17 |
| 2024-25 | 46 | 32 | 27 | 5 | 14 |
| 2023-24 | 39 | 25 | 23 | 2 | 14 |
| 2022-23 | 50 | 25 | 24 | 1 | 25 |
| 2021-22 | 30 | 20 | 18 | 2 | 10 |
| 2020-21 | 48 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 26 |
| 2019-20 | 29 | 18 | 16 | 2 | 11 |
| 2018-19 | 57 | 32 | 27 | 5 | 25 |
| 2017-18 | 48 | 31 | 17 | ||
| 2016-17 | 39 | 25 | 14 | ||
| 2015-16 | 17 | 13 | 4 |
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 Cove Creek WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer unit | County deer off WMAs, 2025-26 | Rank of 95 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campbell County | 2,485 | 4 | 1,020 | 69th |
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 Cove Creek WMA?
Highways within 5 miles: I-75, TN 9, TN 71 and US 441. Nearest towns: Norris (next to it), Rocky Top (2 miles), Caryville (5 miles) and Jacksboro (6 miles). Directions and the area map are on TWRA's page for Cove Creek WMA.
The closest other TWRA hunting lands with a page here: Chuck Swan State Forest and WMA (3.1 miles), North Cumberland WMA (6.4 miles), Forks of the River WMA (22.6 miles) and Buffalo Springs WMA (27.9 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt deer on Cove Creek WMA in 2026-27?
TWRA's 2026-27 guide for Cove Creek WMA: Deer: Dates are same as statewide season except as noted. Deer (Archery): Bag limit of one (1) antlerless and one (1) antlered (counts toward statewide bag limit). Deer (Muzzleloader/Gun Combined): Bag limit of one (1) antlerless and one (1) antlered (counts toward statewide bag limit). For the rest, same as statewide seasons, except where noted.
How many deer were killed on Cove Creek WMA last season?
Hunters checked in 37 deer from Cove Creek WMA in the 2025-26 season: 15 antlered bucks, 5 antlerless males and 17 females, by TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox. The 11-season average is 40.
What county is Cove Creek WMA in?
All of it is in Campbell County, by TWRA's boundary, in deer management Unit 4.
What permit do you need to hunt Cove Creek 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
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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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