37 S.

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Rankin 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, rabbit, quail, grouse, woodcock, raccoon, furbearers, coyote, and hogs

Closed Aug 1–28, Mar 1 – Jul 31.

In the guide: “Closed to hunting March 1 through fourth Friday in Aug., except for spring turkey and spring squirrel.”

Deer

Follows the statewide seasons.

  • 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

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

Bear

Follows the statewide seasons.

  • Zone 1 with hounds: Oct 3–5, Oct 10–11, Nov 9–16, Nov 30 – Dec 16
  • Zone 1 archery: Sep 26 – Oct 23
  • Zone 1 young sportsman: Oct 31 – Nov 1
  • Zone 1 gun: Nov 21–24

The Big Game icon includes bear; the bear hunt zone is from the area's county (Cocke County north of I-40, page 72).

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

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.”

Small game, grouse, woodcock, dove, ducks and geese, and raccoon

Follows the statewide seasons.

  • Squirrel: Aug 29 – Feb 28, May 8 – Jun 13
  • Rabbit: Nov 7 – Feb 28
  • Quail: Nov 7 – Jan 15
  • 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
  • Raccoon: Sep 18 – Feb 28

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

Squirrel

Closed Aug 1–28, Mar 1 – May 7, Jun 14 – Jul 31.

Only the spring squirrel season is open.

In the guide: “Closed to hunting March 1 through fourth Friday in Aug., except for spring turkey and spring squirrel.”

Area rules

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. Small game hunters (except waterfowl) must wear blaze orange/pink during big game hunts. Coyotes may be taken on big game hunts with devices legal for that hunt; no dogs while coyote hunting.

Nearby areas

Lick Creek Bottoms around 9 miles away

Joachim Bible Waterfowl Refuge Unit around 10 miles away

Henderson Island Refuge around 15 miles away

Buffalo Springs WMA around 20 miles away

Nolichucky WMA around 20 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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