Paint Rock WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and map
Paint Rock WMA is 673 acres of TWRA hunting land in Roane County, measured on TWRA's boundary, in its Region 3. Hunters checked in 17 deer from the area in the 2025-26 season, 3 antlered bucks among them (TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox). For the area's seasons, TWRA's guide says: Same as statewide, except as noted.
Data updated October 2026. Rules: TWRA's 2026-27 guide, page 109. Harvest: TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox, 2015-16 to 2025-26.
Paint Rock WMAOther TWRA hunting landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 673 acres, measured on TWRA's boundary; the guide lists 1,600 |
|---|---|
| County | Roane 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 | 17 (3 antlered bucks, 0 antlerless males, 14 females) |
| Area manager | Rob Klippel (423) 693-6791 |
| Nearest towns | Kingston (5 mi), Loudon (6 mi) and Philadelphia (7 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Paint Rock 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.
Same as statewide, except as noted. Archery equipment only for deer. Archers must comply with legal blaze orange/pink requirements during muzzleloader and gun seasons. Shotguns only for small game.
- Dog training: Sept. 1–March 15
Source: TWRA 2026-27 Tennessee Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Guide, page 109; 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 Paint Rock WMA?
Hunters checked in 17 deer from Paint Rock WMA in the 2025-26 season. Over the 11 seasons the Toolbox shows, the area averaged 9 deer a season, from 2 in 2015-16 to 17 in 2025-26.
| Season | Deer checked in | Males | Antlered | Antlerless males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 14 |
| 2024-25 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 5 |
| 2023-24 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| 2022-23 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| 2021-22 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 11 |
| 2020-21 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| 2019-20 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 2018-19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2017-18 | 9 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 2016-17 | 5 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2015-16 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
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 Paint Rock WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer unit | County deer off WMAs, 2025-26 | Rank of 95 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roane County | 673 | 5 | 2,052 | 19th |
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 Paint Rock WMA?
Highways within 5 miles: TN 72, I-40, TN 58 and I-75. Nearest towns: Kingston (5 miles), Loudon (6 miles), Philadelphia (7 miles) and Lenoir City (9 miles). Directions and the area map are on TWRA's page for Paint Rock WMA.
The closest other TWRA hunting lands with a page here: Watts Bar WMA (1.7 miles), McGlothlin-Largen WMA (4.7 miles), Mount Roosevelt WMA (10.1 miles) and Catoosa WMA (13.5 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt deer on Paint Rock WMA in 2026-27?
TWRA's guide says: Same as statewide, 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 Paint Rock WMA last season?
Hunters checked in 17 deer from Paint Rock WMA in the 2025-26 season: 3 antlered bucks, 0 antlerless males and 14 females, by TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox. The 11-season average is 9.
What county is Paint Rock WMA in?
All of it is in Roane County, by TWRA's boundary, in deer management Unit 5.
What permit do you need to hunt Paint Rock 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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