Fall Creek Falls State Park and WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and map
Fall Creek Falls State Park and WMA is 12,951 acres of TWRA hunting land in Van Buren and Bledsoe counties, measured on TWRA's boundary, in its Region 3. Hunters checked in 32 deer from the area in the 2025-26 season, 15 antlered bucks among them (TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox). The first deer hunt in TWRA's 2026-27 guide for the area: Deer (Archery), Nov. 7–15. Hunter quota 92.
Data updated October 2026. Rules: TWRA's 2026-27 guide, page 107. Harvest: TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox, 2015-16 to 2025-26.
Fall Creek Falls State Park and WMAOther TWRA hunting landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 12,951 acres, measured on TWRA's boundary; the guide lists 7,000 |
|---|---|
| County | Van Buren County, Bledsoe County |
| TWRA region | Region 3 |
| Deer management unit | Unit 3, Unit 4 |
| Permits | Big Game (Non-Quota/WMA) or quota permit |
| Deer checked in, 2025-26 | 32 (15 antlered bucks, 4 antlerless males, 13 females) |
| Area manager | Region III Office (931) 484-9571 |
| Nearest towns | Spencer (next to it), Pikeville (5 mi) and Doyle (8 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Fall Creek Falls State Park and 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 prohibited. Vehicle parking restricted to designated parking areas only during the hunting season. No parking allowed on roadside grass. All deer and turkey hunters must sign register at Park Headquarters before hunting. Harvested big game must be checked in at Park Headquarters. Coyotes may be taken on any hunt with weapons legal for that hunt.
- Squirrel: Dec. 1–last day of Feb. Spring squirrel season is closed.
- Deer (Archery): Nov. 7–15. Hunter quota 92. Three (3) deer, no more than one (1) antlered (bonus deer). Hunters selected by drawing conducted at Eli Field Shelter 8-10 a.m. Oct. 10, 2026. One (1) male bearded turkey may be harvested and counts toward statewide bag limit.
- Deer (Archery): Dec. 11–13. Three (3) deer, no more than one (1) antlered (bonus deer). One (1) male bearded turkey may be harvested and counts toward statewide bag limit.
- Turkey (Archery): Open the first nine (9) days of the statewide spring season. One (1) male bearded turkey per day, not to exceed two (2) turkeys. Counts towards statewide bag limit.
- Camping: Park managed campgrounds.
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 Fall Creek Falls State Park and WMA?
Hunters checked in 32 deer from Fall Creek Falls State Park and WMA in the 2025-26 season. Over the 11 seasons the Toolbox shows, the area averaged 51 deer a season, from 30 in 2023-24 to 87 in 2024-25.
| Season | Deer checked in | Males | Antlered | Antlerless males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 32 | 19 | 15 | 4 | 13 |
| 2024-25 | 87 | 53 | 47 | 6 | 34 |
| 2023-24 | 30 | 25 | 24 | 1 | 5 |
| 2022-23 | 33 | 22 | 21 | 1 | 11 |
| 2021-22 | 42 | 26 | 25 | 1 | 16 |
| 2020-21 | 54 | 30 | 27 | 3 | 24 |
| 2019-20 | 74 | 49 | 41 | 8 | 25 |
| 2018-19 | 35 | 21 | 16 | 5 | 14 |
| 2017-18 | 54 | 36 | 18 | ||
| 2016-17 | 69 | 40 | 29 | ||
| 2015-16 | 51 | 21 | 30 |
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 Fall Creek Falls State Park and WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer unit | County deer off WMAs, 2025-26 | Rank of 95 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren County | 6,697 | 3 | 1,117 | 64th |
| Bledsoe County | 6,254 | 4 | 1,209 | 57th |
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 Fall Creek Falls State Park and WMA?
Highways through the area: TN 284. Nearest towns: Spencer (next to it), Pikeville (5 miles), Doyle (8 miles) and Sparta (11 miles). Directions and the area map are on TWRA's page for Fall Creek Falls State Park and WMA.
The closest other TWRA hunting lands with a page here: Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial Wilderness WMA (next to it), Harp WMA (11.9 miles), Chickamauga WMA (19.3 miles) and North Chickamauga Creek WMA (19.5 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt deer on Fall Creek Falls State Park and WMA in 2026-27?
TWRA's 2026-27 guide lists these deer hunts for Fall Creek Falls State Park and WMA: Deer (Archery), Nov. 7–15; Deer (Archery), Dec. 11–13. Each hunt's limits and rules are above.
How many deer were killed on Fall Creek Falls State Park and WMA last season?
Hunters checked in 32 deer from Fall Creek Falls State Park and WMA in the 2025-26 season: 15 antlered bucks, 4 antlerless males and 13 females, by TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox. The 11-season average is 51.
What county is Fall Creek Falls State Park and WMA in?
Van Buren County (6,697 acres) and Bledsoe County (6,254 acres), measured on TWRA's boundary.
What permit do you need to hunt Fall Creek Falls State Park and WMA?
TWRA's guide lists these for the area: 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 Van Buren County deer harvest Bledsoe County deer harvest