Hiwassee Refuge: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and map
Hiwassee Refuge is 8,317 acres of TWRA hunting land in Meigs and Rhea counties, measured on TWRA's boundary, in its Region 3. Hunters checked in 115 deer from the area in the 2025-26 season, 45 antlered bucks among them (TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox). The first deer hunt in TWRA's 2026-27 guide for the area: Deer (Archery), Sept. 25–27. Hunter quota 200.
Data updated October 2026. Rules: TWRA's 2026-27 guide, page 107. Harvest: TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox, 2015-16 to 2025-26.
Hiwassee RefugeOther TWRA hunting landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 8,317 acres, measured on TWRA's boundary; the guide lists 2,500 |
|---|---|
| County | Meigs County, Rhea 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 | 115 (45 antlered bucks, 11 antlerless males, 59 females) |
| Area manager | Jason Jackson (423) 614-3018 |
| Nearest towns | Dayton (2 mi), Graysville (4 mi) and Charleston (10 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Hiwassee 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.
Refuge is closed to all forms of use and trespass from Nov. 15 through the last day of Feb., except the wildlife viewing area is open year-round. During refuge closure, public entry and fishing is permitted while on the main river channel passing through the refuge. All seasons closed during refuge closure date unless otherwise indicated. Nontoxic shot approved by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is required for small game hunting. Small game hunting and dog training is closed at sunset on the day before and during scheduled big game hunts, unless special exception is indicated.
- Dove: Sept. 1 & Sept. 17. Noon to sunset only. No access permitted by boat.
- Dove (Youth): Sept. 12. Noon to sunset only. No access permitted by boat.
- Squirrel: Same as statewide seasons except as noted.
- Rabbit: Nov. 2–14. Bag limit of three (3) per day.
- Opossum, Raccoon: Sept. 1–Nov. 14. Hunting will be limited to Tuesday and Wednesday nights only.
- Canada Goose: Sept. 1–18. No goose hunters permitted on refuge from two (2) hours after shooting hours have ended until 4 a.m. the following day.
- Wood Duck, Teal: Same as Sept. Wood Duck/Teal season. No duck hunters permitted on the refuge from two (2) hours after shooting hours have ended until 4 a.m. the following day. Deer (Shotgun – Muzzleloader)(Young- Sportsman) - Sept. 19–20. Hunter quota 100. Two (2) deer, no more than one (1) antlered (bonus deer).
- Deer (Archery): Sept. 25–27. Hunter quota 200. Two (2) deer no more than one (1) antlered, one (1) male turkey (bonus deer).
- Deer (Archery): Oct. 9–11. Two (2) deer, no more than one (1) antlered, one (1) male turkey (bonus deer).
- Deer (Muzzleloader): Oct. 23–25. Hunter quota 150. Two (2) deer, no more than one (1) antlered (bonus deer).
- Deer (Muzzleloader): Oct. 30–Nov. 1. Hunter quota 150. Two (2) deer, no more than one (1) antlered (bonus deer).
- Turkey: Same as statewide spring turkey season.
- Dog training: Sept. 1–March 15, daylight hours only. Closed to training during refuge closure dates. Retriever Dog Field Trials - Pre–approved by Area Manager at least 30 days in advance of trial dates.
- Camping: During deer hunts only at check station.
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 Hiwassee Refuge?
Hunters checked in 115 deer from Hiwassee Refuge in the 2025-26 season. Over the 11 seasons the Toolbox shows, the area averaged 92 deer a season, from 63 in 2019-20 to 115 in 2025-26.
| Season | Deer checked in | Males | Antlered | Antlerless males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 115 | 56 | 45 | 11 | 59 |
| 2024-25 | 93 | 42 | 31 | 11 | 51 |
| 2023-24 | 101 | 50 | 40 | 10 | 51 |
| 2022-23 | 110 | 47 | 38 | 9 | 63 |
| 2021-22 | 91 | 48 | 38 | 10 | 43 |
| 2020-21 | 101 | 51 | 35 | 16 | 50 |
| 2019-20 | 63 | 26 | 20 | 6 | 37 |
| 2018-19 | 80 | 34 | 27 | 7 | 46 |
| 2017-18 | 94 | 46 | 48 | ||
| 2016-17 | 83 | 35 | 48 | ||
| 2015-16 | 81 | 30 | 51 |
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 Hiwassee Refuge in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer unit | County deer off WMAs, 2025-26 | Rank of 95 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meigs County | 7,696 | 5 | 1,162 | 62nd |
| Rhea County | 620 | 5 | 1,596 | 37th |
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 Hiwassee Refuge?
Highways through the area: TN 58. Nearest towns: Dayton (2 miles), Graysville (4 miles), Charleston (10 miles) and Calhoun (10 miles). Directions and the area map are on TWRA's page for Hiwassee Refuge.
The closest other TWRA hunting lands with a page here: Chickamauga WMA (next to it), Yuchi Refuge (9.4 miles), Harp WMA (14.3 miles) and North Chickamauga Creek WMA (15.8 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt deer on Hiwassee Refuge in 2026-27?
TWRA's 2026-27 guide lists these deer hunts for Hiwassee Refuge: Deer (Archery), Sept. 25–27; Deer (Archery), Oct. 9–11; Deer (Muzzleloader), Oct. 23–25; Deer (Muzzleloader), Oct. 30–Nov. 1. Each hunt's limits and rules are above.
How many deer were killed on Hiwassee Refuge last season?
Hunters checked in 115 deer from Hiwassee Refuge in the 2025-26 season: 45 antlered bucks, 11 antlerless males and 59 females, by TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox. The 11-season average is 92.
What county is Hiwassee Refuge in?
Meigs County (7,696 acres) and Rhea County (620 acres), measured on TWRA's boundary.
What permit do you need to hunt Hiwassee 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
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 Meigs County deer harvest Rhea County deer harvest