37 S.

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Foothills WMA

2026-27 season.

Check before you hunt. Confirm these dates in 2026-2027 Tennessee Fishing, Hunting & Trapping Guide. Seasons, closures and area rules can change.

Deer, bear, dove, ducks and geese, small game, grouse, woodcock, raccoon, furbearers, coyote, and hogs

Closed Aug 1–28, Mar 1 – Jul 31.

In the guide: “Closed to hunting March 1 through the 4th Friday in August, except for spring turkey. Closed to quail hunting and dog training.”

Deer

Follows the statewide seasons, buck only.

  • Archery: Sep 26 – Oct 30, Nov 2–6
  • Young sportsman: Oct 31 – Nov 1, Jan 9–10
  • Muzzleloader: Nov 7–20
  • Gun: Nov 21 – Jan 3

Antlerless deer only during the Young Sportsman hunt.

In the guide: “Deer: Dates are same as statewide season. Bag limit of two (2) antlered deer (count toward statewide bag limit). Closed to all antlerless hunting except during Young Sportsman deer hunt.”

Bear

Follows the statewide seasons.

  • Zone 2 with hounds: Oct 3–18, Nov 2–6, Nov 30 – Dec 15
  • Zone 2 archery: Sep 26 – Oct 23
  • Zone 2 young sportsman: Oct 31 – Nov 1
  • Zone 2 gun: Nov 21–24

In the guide: “Bear: Same as statewide Bear Hunt Zone 2. See page 72–73 for bear hunting details.”

Turkey

Follows the statewide seasons.

  • Fall archery: Sep 26 – Oct 30, Nov 2–6
  • Fall shotgun: Oct 17–30
  • Spring young sportsman: Mar 27–28
  • Spring: Apr 3 – May 16

In the guide: “Big Game: Same as statewide seasons, except as noted.”

Quail

Closed this season.

In the guide: “Closed to quail hunting.”

Squirrel, rabbit, grouse, woodcock, dove, and ducks and geese

Follows the statewide seasons.

  • Squirrel: Aug 29 – Feb 28
  • Rabbit: Nov 7 – Feb 28
  • Grouse: Oct 10 – Feb 28
  • Woodcock: Nov 14 – Dec 6, Jan 10–31
  • Dove: Sep 1–28, Oct 10 – Nov 1, Dec 8 – Jan 15
  • Ducks and teal: Sep 12–16, Nov 28–29, Dec 5 – Jan 31
  • Geese: Sep 1–20, Oct 10–22, Nov 28–29, Dec 5 – Feb 14

In the guide: “Small Game: Same as statewide seasons, except as noted. Closed to quail hunting and dog training.”

Raccoon

Jan 1 – Feb 28

Any legal weapon.

In the guide: “Opossum, Raccoon: Jan. 1–Feb. 28.”

Area rules

Motorized vehicles and horseback riding prohibited. Tracking devices for dogs may not be used or possessed March 1 to Aug. 31. Small game hunters must wear blaze orange/pink during big game muzzleloader and gun hunts (excluding spring turkey). Wild hogs may be taken during any hunt with legal hunt devices for that hunt.

Nearby areas

Kyker Bottoms Refuge around 6 miles away

Whites Mill Refuge around 10 miles away

Forks of the River WMA around 25 miles away

Oak Ridge WMA around 30 miles away

Paint Rock around 30 miles away

Most WMAs are open with statewide seasons except as noted in their listing; on those, the season dates, bag limits and legal weapons of the county the WMA is in apply. WMAs marked BG, SG or WF need a Big Game, Small Game or Waterfowl WMA permit on top of the license (Sportsman and Lifetime license holders are exempt). The August archery deer hunt is closed on WMAs open with statewide seasons, except certain Unit 1 WMAs. On WMAs open with statewide seasons, quail season runs Nov. 7 to Jan. 15. Hunters may not enter more than two hours before sunrise and must be out one hour after sunset. Legal hours are 30 minutes before legal sunrise to 30 minutes after legal sunset, except turkey and migratory birds, which end at official sunset. Youths may hunt ducks and geese Feb. 6 and 13, and veterans and active military Feb. 7 and 14. A light goose conservation season runs Feb. 15 to Mar. 31 with a free permit. Unless a listing says otherwise, furbearers may be taken on any scheduled big game or small game hunt that coincides with a statewide furbearer season, with the weapons legal for that hunt (page 81).

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