Ernest Rice Sr. WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and map
Ernest Rice Sr. WMA is 2,903 acres of TWRA hunting land in Dyer County, measured on TWRA's boundary, in its Region 1. Hunters checked in 2 deer from the area in the 2025-26 season, 1 antlered buck among them (TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox). The first deer hunt in TWRA's 2026-27 guide for the area: Deer (Gun), Dec. 19–25. One deer, antlered only.
Data updated October 2026. Rules: TWRA's 2026-27 guide, page 92. Harvest: TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox, 2015-16 to 2025-26.
Ernest Rice Sr. WMAOther TWRA hunting landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 2,903 acres, measured on TWRA's boundary |
|---|---|
| County | Dyer County |
| TWRA region | Region 1 |
| Deer management unit | Unit 1 |
| Permits | WMA Small Game permit; WMA Waterfowl/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 | Josh Emerson (731) 285-6124 |
| Nearest towns | Dyersburg (11 mi), Halls (15 mi) and Ridgely (15 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Ernest Rice Sr. 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.
Dog training is closed. Hunters (except raccoon, opossum, and turkey hunters) may not enter WMA prior to two hours before sunrise and be off WMA by one hour after sunset or legal hunting/shooting time.
Same as statewide season, except small game hunting is closed during the big game gun hunt and except as noted. Closed to Fall turkey hunting.
- Waterfowl, Raccoon, Opossum: Same as statewide seasons, except as noted. Waterfowl, raccoon and opossum seasons are not closed during the big game hunts. Waterfowl hunting from temporary blinds only. No blinds, blind materials, boats, or decoys may be left overnight.
- Deer: Open with statewide season dates but restricted to archery equipment only - no hunting with muzzleloaders or guns for deer except in 7 day gun season listed below. Archery season is closed during the young sportsman gun hunts. Antlered deer must have nine (9) antler points or a minimum outside beam spread of twenty inches. Archers must comply with legal blaze orange/pink requirements during regular statewide Muzzleloader and Gun Season dates.
- Deer (Gun): Dec. 19–25. One deer, antlered only. Antlered deer must have nine (9) antler points or a minimum outside beam spread of twenty inches.
- Deer (Gun - Young Sportsman): Open with statewide seasons. No antler restriction.
- Deer (Gun - Young Sportsman): Special hunt Oct. 17– 18. No antler requirement. Either sex.
- Turkey: 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 92; 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 Ernest Rice Sr. WMA?
Hunters checked in 2 deer from Ernest Rice Sr. WMA in the 2025-26 season. Over the 11 seasons the Toolbox shows, the area averaged 7 deer a season, from 2 in 2025-26 to 13 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer checked in | Males | Antlered | Antlerless males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2024-25 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 2023-24 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| 2022-23 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 2021-22 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 |
| 2020-21 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| 2019-20 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2018-19 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 2017-18 | 9 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 2016-17 | 8 | 3 | 5 | ||
| 2015-16 | 5 | 4 | 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 Ernest Rice Sr. WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer unit | County deer off WMAs, 2025-26 | Rank of 95 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dyer County | 2,903 | 1 | 733 | 82nd |
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 Ernest Rice Sr. WMA?
Highways through the area: TN 104. Nearest towns: Dyersburg (11 miles), Halls (15 miles), Ridgely (15 miles) and Gates (17 miles). Directions and the area map are on TWRA's page for Ernest Rice Sr. WMA.
The closest other TWRA hunting lands with a page here: Thorny Cypress WMA (next to it), Moss Island WMA (1.4 miles), White Lake Refuge (3.7 miles) and Bogota WMA (6.9 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt deer on Ernest Rice Sr. WMA in 2026-27?
TWRA's 2026-27 guide lists these deer hunts for Ernest Rice Sr. WMA: Deer (Gun), Dec. 19–25; Deer (Gun - Young Sportsman), Special hunt Oct. 17– 18. Each hunt's limits and rules are above.
How many deer were killed on Ernest Rice Sr. WMA last season?
Hunters checked in 2 deer from Ernest Rice Sr. 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 7.
What county is Ernest Rice Sr. WMA in?
All of it is in Dyer County, by TWRA's boundary, in deer management Unit 1.
What permit do you need to hunt Ernest Rice Sr. 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.
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