37 S.

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South Cherokee 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 1–22, Mar 1 – Jul 31.

In the guide: “Closed to all hunting March 1 through August 22, except turkey season.”

Deer and bear

Sep 19 – Oct 1

Archery.

In the guide: “Deer/Bear (Archery): Sept. 19–Oct. 1. One (1) deer, antlered or antlerless, counts toward statewide bag limit. One (1) bear either sex outside the bear reserve.”

Deer

Oct 24–25

Firearms. Only for youth hunters.

In the guide: “Deer (Gun - Young Sportsman): Oct. 24–25. One (1) deer, antlered or antlerless (deer counts towards state wide bag limit).”

Oct 26 – Nov 1

Muzzleloader, buck only.

In the guide: “Deer (Muzzleloader): Oct. 26–Nov. 1. One (1) deer, antlered only (deer counts towards statewide bag limit).”

Nov 21–29, Dec 14–28

Firearms, buck only.

In the guide: “Deer (Gun): Nov. 21–29, Dec. 14–28. Two (2) deer, antlered only (deer counts towards statewide bag limit).”

Bear

Oct 3–4, Oct 10–16, Nov 2–6, Nov 30 – Dec 13, Dec 31 – Jan 3

Firearms.

Outside the Ocoee and Tellico bear reserves.

In the guide: “Bear (Gun - Dogs Permitted): Five (5) hunts: Oct. 3–4, Oct. 10–16, Nov. 2–6, Nov. 30–Dec. 13, Dec. 31–Jan. 3. One (1) bear, either sex (bear counts towards statewide bag limit). Hunting confined to that area outside the Ocoee and Tellico Bear Reserves.”

Oct 3–4, Oct 10–11, Nov 2–3, Nov 30 – Dec 1

Firearms. Quota hunt.

One party in each Cherokee party hunt compartment. The Party-Dog Area is closed during scheduled quota party-dog hunts.

In the guide: “Bear Party-Dog Hunts (Gun - Dogs Permitted): Four (4) hunts: Oct. 3–4, Oct. 10–11, Nov. 2–3, Nov. 30–Dec. 1. Quota party dog hunts, 75 permits per party. One (1) party permitted in each of the following areas: Upper Tellico, Lower Tellico, Upper Bald River, and Lower Bald River.”

Turkey

Follows the statewide seasons.

  • Spring young sportsman: Mar 27–28
  • Spring: Apr 3 – May 16

In the guide: “Turkey: Same as statewide spring turkey season.”

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

Follows the statewide seasons.

  • Squirrel: Aug 23 – Feb 28
  • Rabbit: Nov 7 – Feb 28
  • Quail: Nov 7 – Jan 15
  • Grouse: Oct 10 – Feb 28
  • Woodcock: Nov 14 – Dec 6, Jan 10–31
  • 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
  • Dove: Sep 1–28, Oct 10 – Nov 1, Dec 8 – Jan 15

Season open on groundhog, fox and skunk during any small game hunt; bobcat during any scheduled big or small game hunt that coincides with the statewide bobcat season.

In the guide: “Grouse, Rabbit, Woodcock, Squirrel, Waterfowl, Snipe, Dove: Same as statewide, except as noted. Spring squirrel season is closed.”

Raccoon

Nov 7–19, Jan 4 – Feb 28

Any legal weapon.

In the guide: “Opossum, Raccoon: Outside of Tellico and Ocoee Bear Reserves Nov. 7–19, Jan. 4–Feb. 28. Hunters are limited to a maximum of two (2) dogs per vehicle. The only legal weapons on a raccoon hunt are .22 caliber short and long rifles.”

Area rules

Along the Tennessee-North Carolina line south of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, including the former Ocoee and Tellico units. A Non-quota Big Game permit or Sportsman License is required for non-quota big game hunts. Bear reserves are closed to all big game hunting when the bear season (dogs permitted) is open; the Ocoee and Tellico bear reserves have their own listing. Firearms may not be possessed with any dog other than pointing breeds during daylight hours outside bear season unless otherwise provided. Wild hogs may be taken during any deer or bear hunt with no limit; muzzleloader and gun hog hunters must meet blaze orange/pink rules. Some roads may be closed Dec. 15–March 31. Spring squirrel season is closed. Small game hunting in bear reserves and the party hunt area is closed one day before and during scheduled party hunts and bear (dogs permitted) hunts. Small game hunters, except raccoon and opossum hunters, must wear blaze orange/pink during muzzleloader and gun hunts. Bobcat with dogs is prohibited. Dog training prohibited unless otherwise specified; electronic tracking devices with dogs are illegal March 1–Aug. 15. Safety zone: no hunting within 150 yards of developed recreation areas, campsites, residences, buildings, occupied areas, or across or on a National Forest system road. Trapping Jan. 1–last day of Feb. Camping on Forest Service sites, seasonally. Bear dog training Sept. 9–18 (no bears may be harvested; no training in bear reserves).

Nearby areas

South Cherokee WMA - Ocoee and Tellico Bear Reserves within this area

Fourth Fractional Township around 15 miles away

Charlotte Ann Finnell Neal WMA around 20 miles away

Kyker Bottoms Refuge around 35 miles away

Chickamauga WMA around 35 miles away

Yuchi Refuge around 35 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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