John Tully WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and map
John Tully WMA is 15,520 acres of TWRA hunting land in Lauderdale County, measured on TWRA's boundary, in its Region 1. Hunters checked in 62 deer from the area in the 2025-26 season, 33 antlered bucks among them (TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox). For the area's seasons, TWRA's guide says: Same as statewide seasons, except as noted.
Data updated October 2026. Rules: TWRA's 2026-27 guide, page 93. Harvest: TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox, 2015-16 to 2025-26.
John Tully WMAOther TWRA hunting landsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 15,520 acres, measured on TWRA's boundary |
|---|---|
| County | Lauderdale 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 | 62 (33 antlered bucks, 3 antlerless males, 26 females) |
| Area manager | Chris Park (731) 738-0233 |
| Nearest towns | Garland (5 mi), Henning (7 mi) and Ripley (7 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on John Tully 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.
Camping is permitted in designated camp sites only. Some roads may be posted as closed to motorized vehicles during the deer hunts treestands must be marked with hunter's TWRA ID number.
Same as statewide seasons, except as noted. Closed to Fall turkey hunting.
- Turkey: April 3–April 25. One male bearded turkey, counts toward statewide bag limit.
- Turkey (Young Sportsman): Same as statewide season.
- Dove, Special Dove (youth): Open at noon Sept. 5 until sunset. Each youth must be accompanied by a non-hunting adult. Youth fields open statewide the day following the youth hunt. Designated fields only.
- Waterfowl: Same as statewide seasons, except waterfowl hunting closes at 3 p.m. each day of the regular statewide waterfowl seasons, except the last day of duck seasons and youth/military seasons and remaining goose seasons when hunting closes at sunset.
- Waterfowl (Fullen North and South Tracts): Waterfowl Hunting will be allocated by drawing for three (3) day hunts Friday–Sunday and opening weekend(s). The drawing will be announced prior to the hunt. Hunting will only be allowed from designated locations.
- Waterfowl (Fig Field Unit): That land north of Grammar Road. Waterfowl hunting will be allocated by computerized draw for three (3) day hunts Friday-Sunday and opening weekend(s) including the Saturday youth hunts, and for the two Sunday Veteran and Active Military hunts. Designated pools will be allocated by computer draw. Hunters are restricted to pools or number stakes as specified by special instructions supplied by TWRA annually. All hunters in a party are required to hunt in the same temporary blind site for which they are drawn. Decoys and temporary blinds may be left out in draw pools over the specified hunt but must be removed upon completion of the hunt on the last day. No access allowed from two hours after legal shooting hours have ended until 4:00 a.m. the following day during the duck seasons occurring in Nov.–Feb. No permanent blinds.
- Camping: Fort Pillow State Park managed campgrounds and two primitive camp sites on WMA are available on a first come, first served basis.
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 John Tully WMA?
Hunters checked in 62 deer from John Tully WMA in the 2025-26 season. Over the 11 seasons the Toolbox shows, the area averaged 57 deer a season, from 14 in 2018-19 to 123 in 2022-23.
| Season | Deer checked in | Males | Antlered | Antlerless males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 62 | 36 | 33 | 3 | 26 |
| 2024-25 | 71 | 43 | 40 | 3 | 28 |
| 2023-24 | 113 | 64 | 59 | 5 | 49 |
| 2022-23 | 123 | 72 | 68 | 4 | 51 |
| 2021-22 | 53 | 38 | 37 | 1 | 15 |
| 2020-21 | 110 | 70 | 64 | 6 | 40 |
| 2019-20 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 4 |
| 2018-19 | 14 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 5 |
| 2017-18 | 24 | 17 | 7 | ||
| 2016-17 | 25 | 10 | 15 | ||
| 2015-16 | 21 | 14 | 7 |
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 John Tully WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer unit | County deer off WMAs, 2025-26 | Rank of 95 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lauderdale County | 15,517 | 1 | 1,097 | 65th |
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 John Tully WMA?
Highways within 5 miles: TN 19, TN 87, TN 371 and TN 207. Nearest towns: Garland (5 miles), Henning (7 miles), Ripley (7 miles) and Burlison (7 miles). Directions and the area map are on TWRA's page for John Tully WMA.
The closest other TWRA hunting lands with a page here: Moss Island WMA (11 miles), Ernest Rice Sr. WMA (16.8 miles), Meeman-Shelby Forest WMA (20 miles) and Thorny Cypress WMA (20 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt deer on John Tully WMA in 2026-27?
TWRA's guide says: Same as statewide seasons, except as noted. 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 John Tully WMA last season?
Hunters checked in 62 deer from John Tully WMA in the 2025-26 season: 33 antlered bucks, 3 antlerless males and 26 females, by TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox. The 11-season average is 57.
What county is John Tully WMA in?
All of it is in Lauderdale County, by TWRA's boundary, in deer management Unit 1.
What permit do you need to hunt John Tully 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
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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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