Tennessee Releases Deer Harvest Numbers

The statewide deer harvest for the 2025-2026 season was tracking behind the previous year's total. As of mid-January 2026, the statewide tally stood at 150,233, a figure that did not yet include the final results from the Young Sportsman's Deer Hunt held on January 10-11. This preliminary number is below the 165,387 deer harvested in the 2024-2025 season. The 2025-2026 firearms season had a notably slow beginning. The opening weekend in late November saw a significant drop in harvested deer, with preliminary figures showing 11,965 reported, a sharp decrease from the 19,789 taken during the 2024 opener. Several factors may have contributed to the slower start. Unseasonably warm temperatures and rainy weather in parts of the state, particularly in East Tennessee, were cited as potential reasons for reduced hunter activity and deer movement. An abundant mast crop of acorns across the state also likely played a role. With a plentiful natural food source readily available, deer did not have to travel as far to feed, which can lead to fewer sightings by hunters in their usual locations. For the 2025-2026 season, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency implemented a new deer management framework. This new system grouped counties into units based on similar biological and environmental factors to allow for more tailored monitoring and management of the deer population. The season also saw changes related to Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), with the removal of the "Unit CWD" designation in West Tennessee. Regulations in those areas reverted to normal statewide seasons, though some restrictions, such as those on feeding and carcass transport, remained in the CWD Management Zone. The statewide bag limit for the 2025-2026 season remained at two antlered bucks. Antlerless bag limits varied by the new Deer Management Units, with hunters in Units 1, 2, and 3 allowed up to three per day, while those in Units 4, 5, and 6 had a limit of two for the season.