Reelfoot WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and map
Reelfoot WMA is 10,753 acres of TWRA hunting land in Lake and Obion counties, measured on TWRA's boundary, in its Region 1. Hunters checked in 19 deer from the area in the 2025-26 season, 5 antlered bucks among them (TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox). The first deer hunt in TWRA's 2026-27 guide for the area: Deer, Same as statewide season except archery only from Nov. 21 until the end of the statewide deer seasons.
Data updated October 2026. Rules: TWRA's 2026-27 guide, page 96. Harvest: TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox, 2015-16 to 2025-26.
Reelfoot WMAOther TWRA hunting landsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 10,753 acres, measured on TWRA's boundary; the guide lists 24,000 |
|---|---|
| County | Lake County, Obion County |
| TWRA region | Region 1 |
| Deer management unit | Unit 1 |
| Permits | Reelfoot Preservation Permit (no WMA permit) |
| Deer checked in, 2025-26 | 19 (5 antlered bucks, 2 antlerless males, 12 females) |
| Area manager | Chase Taylor (731) 253-7160 |
| Nearest towns | Samburg (next to it), Tiptonville (3 mi) and Hornbeak (4 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Reelfoot 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 WMA permits are required. However, in addition to regular hunting and fishing licenses, a Reelfoot Preservation Permit is required to hunt, trap, fish or boat on Reelfoot WMA, (including the washout and tailwaters downstream as marked, and that portion of Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge in Tennessee). The exceptions are Sportsman and Lifetime Sportsman License holders, youth under 16 and residents over 65.
Same as statewide seasons, except as noted. Small game hunters (except waterfowl) must wear blaze orange/pink during big game hunts. Closed to Spring and Fall turkey hunting.
- Opossum, Raccoon: Sunset, Aug. 28– the last day of Feb. No limit.
- Deer: Same as statewide season except archery only from Nov. 21 until the end of the statewide deer seasons. Deer count toward statewide bag limit.
- Turkey: Young Sportsman Only - Same as statewide season.
- Waterfowl: Same as statewide waterfowl seasons. Waterfowl hunting closed at 3 p.m. (CST), except for last day of each segment of the duck season occurring in Nov.–Feb. and the remaining Reelfoot goose seasons when hunting ceases at sunset.
- Waterfowl (wheelchair-bound only blind sites): Application must be received by the TWRA Region I Office by noon on the fourth Friday in October. Persons holding a permit for another blind are not eligible to compete in the wheelchair-bound blind drawing. If blind is not occupied by shooting time, another wheelchair-bound hunter and 1 to 3 assistants (at least one (1) assistant must be age 16 or older) may occupy the blind for that day. Hunting restricted to wheelchair hunters and assistants only within the marked wheelchair-hunting zone at designated blinds.
- Youth Waterfowl (Wheelchair-bound only blind sites): Application must be received by the TWRA Region 1 Office by noon on the fourth Friday in October. Persons holding a permit for another blind are not eligible to compete in the wheelchair-bound blind drawing. Youths, age 6–16, must be accompanied by an adult, 18 years of age or older, who must remain in position to take immediate control of the hunting device except as otherwise noted. If blind is not occupied by shooting time, another wheelchairbound hunter and 1 to 3 assistants (at least one (1) assistant must be age 16 or older) may occupy the blind for the day. Hunting restricted to wheelchair hunters and assistants only within the marked wheelchairhunting zone at designated blinds.
- Camping: State Park managed campgrounds.
Source: TWRA 2026-27 Tennessee Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Guide, page 96; 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 Reelfoot WMA?
Hunters checked in 19 deer from Reelfoot WMA in the 2025-26 season. Over the 11 seasons the Toolbox shows, the area averaged 24 deer a season, from 15 in 2019-20 to 35 in 2015-16.
| Season | Deer checked in | Males | Antlered | Antlerless males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 19 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 12 |
| 2024-25 | 24 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| 2023-24 | 29 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 15 |
| 2022-23 | 24 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 10 |
| 2021-22 | 20 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 8 |
| 2020-21 | 24 | 15 | 14 | 1 | 9 |
| 2019-20 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 1 | 2 |
| 2018-19 | 25 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 16 |
| 2017-18 | 30 | 15 | 15 | ||
| 2016-17 | 22 | 11 | 11 | ||
| 2015-16 | 35 | 15 | 20 |
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 Reelfoot WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer unit | County deer off WMAs, 2025-26 | Rank of 95 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County | 7,038 | 1 | 134 | 95th |
| Obion County | 3,715 | 1 | 1,183 | 59th |
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 Reelfoot WMA?
Highways through the area: TN 157. Nearest towns: Samburg (next to it), Tiptonville (3 miles), Hornbeak (4 miles) and Ridgely (7 miles). Directions and the area map are on TWRA's page for Reelfoot WMA.
The closest other TWRA hunting lands with a page here: Black Bayou Refuge (next to it), Tumbleweed WMA (11 miles), C.M. Gooch WMA (11.7 miles) and Bogota WMA (13.2 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt deer on Reelfoot WMA in 2026-27?
TWRA's 2026-27 guide for Reelfoot WMA: Deer: Same as statewide season except archery only from Nov. 21 until the end of the statewide deer seasons. For the rest, same as statewide seasons, except as noted.
How many deer were killed on Reelfoot WMA last season?
Hunters checked in 19 deer from Reelfoot WMA in the 2025-26 season: 5 antlered bucks, 2 antlerless males and 12 females, by TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox. The 11-season average is 24.
What county is Reelfoot WMA in?
Lake County (7,038 acres) and Obion County (3,715 acres), measured on TWRA's boundary.
What permit do you need to hunt Reelfoot WMA?
TWRA's guide lists these for the area: Reelfoot Preservation Permit (no WMA permit). Lifetime and Annual Sportsman License holders are exempt from WMA permits (guide, page 11).
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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.
Tennessee hunting All Tennessee WMAs Lake County deer harvest Obion County deer harvest