Horns Bluff Refuge: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and map
Horns Bluff Refuge is 1,925 acres of TWRA hunting land in Crockett and Gibson counties, measured on TWRA's boundary, in its Region 1. Hunters checked in 3 deer from the area in the 2025-26 season, 2 antlered bucks among them (TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox). For the area's seasons, TWRA's guide says: Same as statewide seasons. Closed to quail and Fall turkey hunting.
Data updated October 2026. Rules: TWRA's 2026-27 guide, page 93. Harvest: TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox, 2015-16 to 2025-26.
Horns Bluff RefugeOther TWRA hunting landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 1,925 acres, measured on TWRA's boundary |
|---|---|
| County | Crockett County, Gibson 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 | 3 (2 antlered bucks, 0 antlerless males, 1 female) |
| Area manager | Andrew Rutherford (731) 345-9992 |
| Nearest towns | Alamo (5 mi), Friendship (7 mi) and Gadsden (7 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Horns Bluff 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.
Open same as statewide season except as noted. Closed to all trespass from Nov. 15–Feb. 15 except for waterfowl hunters hunting the North Unit on Saturday and Sunday during the late waterfowl season.
Same as statewide seasons. Closed to quail and Fall turkey hunting.
- Turkey: April 3–April 25. One male bearded turkey, counts toward statewide bag limit. Walk-in hunting only.
- Turkey (Young Sportsman): Same as statewide season and bag limit.
- Waterfowl: North unit (portion of refuge north of Middle Fork Forked Deer River Channel) open to waterfowl hunting on Saturday and Sunday during duck season occurring in Nov.–Feb. Goose seasons to coincide with statewide seasons after the Youth/Military Waterfowl Season on the portion of Horn's Bluff WMA that is North of the main river channel. Walk-in only. No blinds, decoys, materials may be left overnight. All hunting shall cease at 3 p.m. except the last day of the season when hunting closes at sunset. No access before 4 a.m. or after 5 p.m. No access during refuge closure dates except for waterfowl hunters on open hunt days.
Source: TWRA 2026-27 Tennessee Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Guide, page 93; 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 Horns Bluff Refuge?
Hunters checked in 3 deer from Horns Bluff Refuge in the 2025-26 season. Over the 11 seasons the Toolbox shows, the area averaged 12 deer a season, from 3 in 2025-26 to 18 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer checked in | Males | Antlered | Antlerless males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2024-25 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| 2023-24 | 18 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 7 |
| 2022-23 | 15 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 5 |
| 2021-22 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 7 |
| 2020-21 | 17 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 7 |
| 2019-20 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 2018-19 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| 2017-18 | 15 | 5 | 10 | ||
| 2016-17 | 12 | 2 | 10 | ||
| 2015-16 | 11 | 6 | 5 |
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 Horns Bluff Refuge in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer unit | County deer off WMAs, 2025-26 | Rank of 95 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crockett County | 1,222 | 1 | 499 | 89th |
| Gibson County | 704 | 1 | 1,528 | 39th |
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 Horns Bluff Refuge?
Highways within 5 miles: TN 54, TN 20, TN 152 and TN 188. Nearest towns: Alamo (5 miles), Friendship (7 miles), Gadsden (7 miles) and Maury City (7 miles). Directions and the area map are on TWRA's page for Horns Bluff Refuge.
The closest other TWRA hunting lands with a page here: Tigrett WMA (4.3 miles), Fort Ridge WMA (10.5 miles), Parker Branch WMA (11 miles) and South Fork Refuge (14.1 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt deer on Horns Bluff Refuge in 2026-27?
TWRA's guide says: Same as statewide seasons. Closed to quail and Fall turkey hunting. 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 Horns Bluff Refuge last season?
Hunters checked in 3 deer from Horns Bluff Refuge in the 2025-26 season: 2 antlered bucks, 0 antlerless males and 1 female, by TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox. The 11-season average is 12.
What county is Horns Bluff Refuge in?
Crockett County (1,222 acres) and Gibson County (704 acres), measured on TWRA's boundary.
What permit do you need to hunt Horns Bluff 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 Crockett County deer harvest Gibson County deer harvest