Moss Island WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and map
Moss Island WMA is 5,320 acres of TWRA hunting land in Dyer County, measured on TWRA's boundary, in its Region 1. Hunters checked in 8 deer from the area in the 2025-26 season, 4 antlered bucks 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 (1) deer, antlered only.
Data updated October 2026. Rules: TWRA's 2026-27 guide, page 94. Harvest: TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox, 2015-16 to 2025-26.
Moss Island WMAOther TWRA hunting landsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 5,320 acres, measured on TWRA's boundary; the guide lists 5,119 |
|---|---|
| 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 | 8 (4 antlered bucks, 0 antlerless males, 4 females) |
| Area manager | Josh Emerson (731) 285-6124 |
| Nearest towns | Halls (10 mi), Gates (12 mi) and Dyersburg (13 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Moss Island 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 (1) 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. Contact area manager for wheelchair accessible deer and turkey blinds.
- Waterfowl, Raccoon, Opossum: Same as statewide seasons, except as noted. Waterfowl, raccoon and opossum seasons are not closed during the big game hunts.
- 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 (1) 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 requirement on this hunt.
- Deer (Gun - Young Sportsman): Special hunt. Oct. 17–18. No antler requirement. Either sex.
- Turkey: April 3–April 25. One (1) male bearded turkey, counts toward statewide bag limit.
- Turkey (Young Sportsman): Same as statewide season.
- Waterfowl: Waterfowl hunting from temporary blinds only. No blinds, blind materials, boats, or decoys may be left overnight.
Source: TWRA 2026-27 Tennessee Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Guide, page 94; 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 Moss Island WMA?
Hunters checked in 8 deer from Moss Island WMA in the 2025-26 season. Over the 11 seasons the Toolbox shows, the area averaged 12 deer a season, from 7 in 2015-16 to 19 in 2020-21.
| Season | Deer checked in | Males | Antlered | Antlerless males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 2024-25 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 7 |
| 2023-24 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 10 |
| 2022-23 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| 2021-22 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 4 |
| 2020-21 | 19 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 8 |
| 2019-20 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 8 |
| 2018-19 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 8 |
| 2017-18 | 10 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 2016-17 | 8 | 5 | 3 | ||
| 2015-16 | 7 | 3 | 4 |
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 Moss Island WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer unit | County deer off WMAs, 2025-26 | Rank of 95 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dyer County | 5,320 | 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 Moss Island WMA?
Highways within 5 miles: TN 181, TN 88 and TN 104. Nearest towns: Halls (10 miles), Gates (12 miles), Dyersburg (13 miles) and Ripley (13 miles). Directions and the area map are on TWRA's page for Moss Island WMA.
The closest other TWRA hunting lands with a page here: Ernest Rice Sr. WMA (1.4 miles), Thorny Cypress WMA (5.4 miles), White Lake Refuge (8.9 miles) and John Tully WMA (11 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt deer on Moss Island WMA in 2026-27?
TWRA's 2026-27 guide lists these deer hunts for Moss Island WMA: Deer (Gun), Dec. 19–25. Each hunt's limits and rules are above.
How many deer were killed on Moss Island WMA last season?
Hunters checked in 8 deer from Moss Island WMA in the 2025-26 season: 4 antlered bucks, 0 antlerless males and 4 females, by TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox. The 11-season average is 12.
What county is Moss Island 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 Moss Island 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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