Rankin WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and map
Rankin WMA is 1,608 acres of TWRA hunting land in Cocke and Hamblen counties, measured on TWRA's boundary, in its Region 4. Hunters checked in 24 deer from the area in the 2025-26 season, 10 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 116. Harvest: TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox, 2015-16 to 2025-26.
Rankin WMAOther TWRA hunting landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 1,608 acres, measured on TWRA's boundary; the guide lists 1,975 |
|---|---|
| County | Cocke County, Hamblen County |
| TWRA region | Region 4 |
| Deer management unit | Unit 6 |
| Permits | WMA Small Game permit; Big Game (Non-Quota/WMA) or quota permit |
| Deer checked in, 2025-26 | 24 (10 antlered bucks, 0 antlerless males, 14 females) |
| Area manager | David Sams (423) 235-4882 |
| Nearest towns | Baneberry (2 mi), White Pine (2 mi) and Newport (5 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Rankin 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.
No permanent blinds. All decoys, temporary blinds, blind materials and boats must be removed at the end of legal hunting hours. Wild hogs may be taken on any deer and turkey hunt with hunting devices legal for those hunts.
Same as statewide seasons, except as noted. Small game hunters (except waterfowl) must wear blaze orange/pink during big game hunts. Closed to hunting March 1 through fourth Friday in Aug., except for spring turkey and spring squirrel. Coyotes may be taken on big game hunts with devices legal for that hunt. No dogs allowed while coyote hunting.
Source: TWRA 2026-27 Tennessee Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Guide, page 116; 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 Rankin WMA?
Hunters checked in 24 deer from Rankin WMA in the 2025-26 season. Over the 11 seasons the Toolbox shows, the area averaged 22 deer a season, from 10 in 2016-17 to 47 in 2017-18.
| Season | Deer checked in | Males | Antlered | Antlerless males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 24 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 14 |
| 2024-25 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| 2023-24 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 7 |
| 2022-23 | 24 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 15 |
| 2021-22 | 31 | 23 | 21 | 2 | 8 |
| 2020-21 | 31 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 17 |
| 2019-20 | 27 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 14 |
| 2018-19 | 17 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 4 |
| 2017-18 | 47 | 27 | 20 | ||
| 2016-17 | 10 | 9 | 1 | ||
| 2015-16 | 12 | 2 | 10 |
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 Rankin WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer unit | County deer off WMAs, 2025-26 | Rank of 95 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cocke County | 1,500 | 6 | 775 | 81st |
| Hamblen County | 108 | 6 | 494 | 90th |
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 Rankin WMA?
Highways within 5 miles: TN 160, TN 32, I-81 and TN 113. Nearest towns: Baneberry (2 miles), White Pine (2 miles), Newport (5 miles) and Parrottsville (6 miles). Directions and the area map are on TWRA's page for Rankin WMA.
The closest other TWRA hunting lands with a page here: Lick Creek Bottoms WMA (6.1 miles), North Cherokee WMA (7.8 miles), Henderson Island Refuge (10.8 miles) and Nolichucky WMA (18.1 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt deer on Rankin 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 Rankin WMA last season?
Hunters checked in 24 deer from Rankin WMA in the 2025-26 season: 10 antlered bucks, 0 antlerless males and 14 females, by TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox. The 11-season average is 22.
What county is Rankin WMA in?
Cocke County (1,500 acres) and Hamblen County (108 acres), measured on TWRA's boundary.
What permit do you need to hunt Rankin WMA?
TWRA's guide lists these for the area: WMA 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 Cocke County deer harvest Hamblen County deer harvest