Yuchi Refuge: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and map
Yuchi Refuge is 2,590 acres of TWRA hunting land in Rhea County, measured on TWRA's boundary, in its Region 3. Hunters checked in 134 deer from the area in the 2025-26 season, 32 antlered bucks among them (TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox). The first deer hunt in TWRA's 2026-27 guide for the area: Deer (Gun - Young Sportsman), Sept. 26–27. Hunter quota 50 each hunt.
Data updated October 2026. Rules: TWRA's 2026-27 guide, page 111. Harvest: TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox, 2015-16 to 2025-26.
Yuchi RefugeOther TWRA hunting landsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 2,590 acres, measured on TWRA's boundary |
|---|---|
| County | Rhea 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 | 134 (32 antlered bucks, 14 antlerless males, 88 females) |
| Area manager | Brian Letner (423) 365-9571 |
| Nearest towns | Decatur (next to it), Spring City (8 mi) and Dayton (10 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Yuchi Refuge?
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.
Nontoxic shot only in Wetland Zone. Wetland Zone closed to all forms of public use, including all forms of trespass, from Nov. 15–the last day of Feb. No boat access. No ATV, ORV, or horseback riding permitted. During big game quota hunts, one (1) non-hunting juvenile under the age of 16 may accompany an adult hunter (18 years or older) who has a valid WMA quota permit. During deer gun hunts, nonhunting juveniles must also comply with blaze orange/pink regulations specified for legal hunters.
Same as statewide seasons, except as noted. Closed to quail hunting. Small game seasons closed in Wetland Zone from Nov. 15–last day of Feb. Small game hunting closes at sunset the day before and during scheduled big game hunts.
- Wood Duck, Teal: Same as Sept. Wood Duck/Teal season. No duck hunters permitted on the refuge from two (2) hours after shooting hours have ended until 4 a.m. the following day. Walk-in access only. No boat access from the river Dove - Sept. 1 until the end of the first segment.
- Raccoon, Opossum: Nov. 17 until the last day of Feb. Hunting permitted on Tuesday and Wednesday only, sunset to sunrise. Bag limit on raccoons, one (1) per person per night. No limit on opossums. All dogs must be removed from the area prior to sunrise on Thursday.
- Rabbit: Nov. 15–last day of February. Bag limit on rabbits is three (3) per day.
- Deer: Antlered deer must have a minimum of nine (9) total points or a 15 inch minimum outside antler spread on all hunts.
- Deer (Gun - Young Sportsman): Sept. 26–27. Hunter quota 50 each hunt. Three (3) deer, only one (1) antlered (bonus deer).
- Deer (Gun - Young Sportsman): Oct. 3–4. Hunter quota 50 each hunt. Three (3) deer, only one (1) antlered (bonus deer).
- Deer (Gun): Oct. 16–18. Hunter quota 50. Three (3) deer, no more than one (1) antlered (Bonus deer).
- Deer (Gun): Nov. 6–8. Hunter quota 50. Three (3) deer, no more than one (1) antlered (Bonus deer). Deer (Gun) (Upland Zone) - Dec. 4–6. Hunter quota 35. Three (3) deer, no more than one (1) antlered (bonus deer).
- Deer, Turkey (Wheelchair-bound Only): Three (3) wheelchair-bound hunters allowed per quota deer hunt and two (2) hunters per turkey quota hunt. Hunters must contact Region 3 office to reserve hunt date.
- Turkey (Young Sportsman): March 13–14. Hunter quota 15. One (1) male bearded turkey. Counts toward statewide bag limit. Hunting ends at noon. Walk-in only.
- Turkey: March 19–21. Hunter quota 10. One (1) male bearded turkey. Counts toward statewide bag limit. Hunting ends at noon. Walk-in only.
- Turkey: April 26–28. Hunter quota 10. One (1) male bearded turkey. Counts toward statewide bag limit. Hunting ends at noon. Walk-in only.
- Turkey: April 2–4. Hunter quota 10. One (1) male bearded turkey. Counts toward statewide bag limit. Hunting ends at noon. Walk-in only.
- Turkey: April 9–11. Hunter quota 10. One (1) male bearded turkey. Counts toward statewide bag limit. Hunting ends at noon. Walk-in only.
- Dog training: Nov. 15 to last day of Feb. in upland zone. Closed to dog training in wetland zone. Daylight hours only. No fox or coyote chasing. No dog training one (1) day before and during scheduled big game hunts. Retriever Dog Field Trials - Pre-approved by Area Manager at least 30 days in advance of trial dates.
Source: TWRA 2026-27 Tennessee Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Guide, page 111; 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 Yuchi Refuge?
Hunters checked in 134 deer from Yuchi Refuge in the 2025-26 season. Over the 11 seasons the Toolbox shows, the area averaged 107 deer a season, from 54 in 2017-18 to 174 in 2022-23.
| Season | Deer checked in | Males | Antlered | Antlerless males | Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 134 | 46 | 32 | 14 | 88 |
| 2024-25 | 137 | 38 | 27 | 11 | 99 |
| 2023-24 | 88 | 33 | 20 | 13 | 55 |
| 2022-23 | 174 | 59 | 37 | 22 | 115 |
| 2021-22 | 117 | 40 | 19 | 21 | 77 |
| 2020-21 | 157 | 43 | 24 | 19 | 114 |
| 2019-20 | 73 | 29 | 22 | 7 | 44 |
| 2018-19 | 88 | 48 | 34 | 14 | 40 |
| 2017-18 | 54 | 19 | 35 | ||
| 2016-17 | 85 | 28 | 57 | ||
| 2015-16 | 68 | 20 | 48 |
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 Yuchi Refuge in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer unit | County deer off WMAs, 2025-26 | Rank of 95 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhea County | 2,590 | 5 | 1,596 | 37th |
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 Yuchi Refuge?
Highways within 5 miles: TN 30, TN 58, TN 68 and TN 302. Nearest towns: Decatur (next to it), Spring City (8 miles), Dayton (10 miles) and Athens (13 miles). Directions and the area map are on TWRA's page for Yuchi Refuge.
The closest other TWRA hunting lands with a page here: Chickamauga WMA (1.3 miles), Watts Bar WMA (8.2 miles), Hiwassee Refuge (9.4 miles) and Harp WMA (13.1 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt deer on Yuchi Refuge in 2026-27?
TWRA's 2026-27 guide lists these deer hunts for Yuchi Refuge: Deer (Gun - Young Sportsman), Sept. 26–27; Deer (Gun - Young Sportsman), Oct. 3–4; Deer (Gun), Oct. 16–18; Deer (Gun), Nov. 6–8. Each hunt's limits and rules are above.
How many deer were killed on Yuchi Refuge last season?
Hunters checked in 134 deer from Yuchi Refuge in the 2025-26 season: 32 antlered bucks, 14 antlerless males and 88 females, by TWRA's Hunter's Toolbox. The 11-season average is 107.
What county is Yuchi Refuge in?
All of it is in Rhea County, by TWRA's boundary, in deer management Unit 5.
What permit do you need to hunt Yuchi Refuge?
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.
Tennessee hunting All Tennessee WMAs Rhea County deer harvest