HEREKnoxville
Knoxville
Hunting
Report
Live conditions, season status, solunar ratings, WMA profiles, and community hunting coverage for Knox County and Game Zone.
Hog: UNK
Turkey: UNK
Dove: UNK
Deer: UNK
Game Zone
First Look • Hunt Conditions
🌘
Waning Crescent
Illumination: 55%
10:48 am
12:33 am
78°F
3 mph
Weather as of 12:53 AM ET
Excellent — decreasing moon, peak dawn and dusk movement expected.
Game Zone • Knox County
Knoxville Hunting Season Status
Whitetail Deer
UNK
Season DatesUNK — verify with TWRA.
Bag Limit:UNK — verify with TWRA.
No verified Whitetail Deer season data seeded for this clone. Contact your operator to load TWRA canonical dates.
Do not hunt without confirmed regulations from TWRA.
Feral Hog
UNK
Season DatesUNK — verify with TWRA.
Bag Limit:UNK — verify with TWRA.
No verified Feral Hog season data seeded for this clone. Contact your operator to load TWRA canonical dates.
Do not hunt without confirmed regulations from TWRA.
Spring Turkey
UNK
Season DatesUNK — verify with TWRA.
Bag Limit:UNK — verify with TWRA.
No verified Spring Turkey season data seeded for this clone. Contact your operator to load TWRA canonical dates.
Do not hunt without confirmed regulations from TWRA.
Mourning Dove
UNK
Season DatesUNK — verify with TWRA.
Bag Limit:UNK — verify with TWRA.
No verified Mourning Dove season data seeded for this clone. Contact your operator to load TWRA canonical dates.
Do not hunt without confirmed regulations from TWRA.
Season dates shown are for Game Zone private lands. WMA dates, license requirements, and antlerless regulations may differ. Always verify current regulations with TWRA before hunting.
Report a Season Update
First Look
Knoxville Hunting Weather Now
78F
Mostly Cloudy
Feels like 80°F
as of 12:53 AM ET
Wind
3 mph SSE
Humidity
87%
Pressure
1013 hPa
Moon
Waning Crescent
Location
Knoxville, TN
Field Scout Tips
- Nothing is in season today — pure scouting window. Walk property lines, check trail cams, and hang stands for the opener.
- Warm day — scout creek bottoms and water sources where game will hold once seasons reopen.
- Use closed season to inventory deer, locate gobblers on the roost, and pattern hog sign for when seasons return.
Solunar Index
Knoxville Hunt Conditions Today
Temperature
78°F
Too Warm
Wind Speed
3 mph
Ideal — Calm
Barometric
1013 hPa
Normal
Moon Phase
🌘
Prime
Extended Outlook
Knoxville Hunt Forecast — 5 Days
TODAY
Partly Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
90° / 72°
3 mph wind • 0% humidity
STAY IN
MON
Partly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
91° / 73°
3 mph wind • 0% humidity
STAY IN
TUE
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
90° / 72°
5 mph wind • 0% humidity
STAY IN
WED
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
89° / 73°
8 mph wind • 0% humidity
STAY IN
THU
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
89° / 73°
8 mph wind • 0% humidity
STAY IN
Public Hunting Lands
Knoxville Tennessee Wildlife Management Areas
Six public hunting areas within reach of Knoxville — from in-county dove fields to mountain bear country an hour west.
Royal Blue WMA
Large multi-county tract (Cumberland Plateau) acres
Wildlife Management Area
deer
turkey
black bear
grouse
Rugged reclaimed-mine and forest terrain on the Cumberland Plateau, part of the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area complex.
Multiple gravel-road access points off Hwy 63
Field Tip
Terrain is steep — an ATV or 4WD is helpful for accessing interior units.
Catoosa WMA
Large tract (part of North Cumberland WMA complex) acres
Wildlife Management Area
deer
turkey
black bear
One of Tennessee's premier quota-hunt big-game areas on the Cumberland Plateau, known for quality deer management.
Access via Catoosa Rd off Hwy 62
Field Tip
Big-game hunts here are quota/permit-controlled — apply early through TWRA's draw.
Forks of the River WMA
Smaller urban-adjacent tract acres
Wildlife Management Area
deer
waterfowl
small game
A rare in-city WMA at the confluence of the French Broad and Holston Rivers, offering managed hunts close to downtown Knoxville.
Access off Maloneyville Rd, Knoxville
Field Tip
Because it's inside city limits, check special-use and quota-hunt restrictions carefully before hunting.
Chuck Swan WMA & State Forest
24,444 acres acres
Wildlife Management Area & State Forest
deer
turkey
small game
Peninsula tract bordered by Norris Lake's Clinch and Powell River arms, offering both hunting and lake access.
Access via Ailor Rd near Maynardville, TN
Field Tip
Combine a hunting trip with a Norris Lake fishing stop — the WMA borders several marina coves.
Did We Miss a Spot?
Know a Knoxville-area hunting land, WMA, or public access parcel that should be on this list? Let us know.
Report a Hunting SpotCommunity Reviews
Knoxville Hunting Reviews
Chuck Swan WMA
Went back to Chuck Swan for a late-season hunt and sat a food plot edge in a light snow. A doe and two yearlings came in at dusk, took the doe for the freezer. WMA stays quiet once cold weather sets in and the crowds thin out significantly.
Species: Whitetail Deer
Best Spot: Food plot edge, south tract
Key Gear: .270 Win, elevated box stand
Cherokee National Forest
Hunted squirrels along a hardwood cove in Cherokee National Forest with the .22 and had steady action all morning among a heavy hickory nut crop. Filled a limit of grays in about two hours and enjoyed the quiet more than the shooting. Beautiful part of the forest, hardly anyone else around.
Species: Gray Squirrel
Best Spot: Hardwood cove, Tellico Ranger District
Key Gear: .22 rifle
Sundquist WMA
Hunted black bear on Sundquist during the early archery season, sitting a stand over an oak flat loaded with fresh scat. Nothing came through on this sit but the sign was some of the best I've seen in that unit — definitely going back before the season closes.
Species: Black Bear
Best Spot: Oak flat near the creek bottom, east tract
Key Gear: Compound bow, hang-on stand
Foothills WMA
Worked the ridges on Foothills WMA for grouse with a pointer and had three solid flushes in a morning of hard walking. Terrain is steep and the cover is thick mountain laurel, but that's exactly why the grouse numbers hold up. Tough hunting, worth every step.
Species: Ruffed Grouse
Best Spot: Laurel ridges, southern boundary
Key Gear: 20ga side-by-side, English Setter
Share Your Hunt
Hunted a Knoxville-area WMA or private land? Tell us about it in 280 characters or fewer.
Community
Here We...
Bag Them Big...
Trophy harvests, personal bests, and record-book moments from Knoxville hunters.
Hunted a hardwood bench above a spring seep in the Unaka District on opening week. He stepped out mid-morning working a scrape forty yards below my stand. One shot, twenty-yard recovery through the ferns. Cherokee National Forest mountain bucks are harder-earned than lowland deer, and this one is proof it's worth the climb.
Whitetail Deer 9-point, 173 lbs dressed
Set the spread on a beaver pond near the Kettlefoot WMA boundary before legal light. Whistling wings dropped through the hardwood canopy within the first ten minutes of shooting time. Limited out on drakes by 7:30. East Tennessee timber duck hunting doesn't get talked about enough outside the mountains.
Wood Duck Limit of 5 drakes
Bowhunted a bottleneck between two ridgelines on Foothills WMA during the peak rut push. He worked a scrape line before stepping into the lane at eighteen yards. Clean double-lung pass-through, short blood trail through the mountain laurel. Foothills is public ground that still produces mature bucks if you're willing to climb for them.
Whitetail Deer 8-point, 168 lbs dressed
Don't Drink by the Swig...
Your favorite post-hunt watering hole. Where do you go when the hunt is done?
Dropped the buck at the processor and headed into the Old City for Suttree's High Gravity. Cold IPA on the rooftop, the Unaka District climb getting easier in the retelling. Knoxville's Old City hosts a hunt-day crowd about as well as anywhere in East Tennessee.
Suttree's High Gravity Tavern -- Cold IPA
Limited on woodies near Kettlefoot and drove to Schulz Bräu on Sutherland with waders still on. Hefeweizen on the biergarten patio, German beer hall energy, duck stories flying. Knoxville's best spot for a proper post-hunt sit-down.
Schulz Bräu Brewing Company -- Hefeweizen
Field-dressed the buck and drove downtown to Balter Beerworks still smelling like mountain laurel. Wild Ridge Pale Ale, old fire station charm, the rut recap running long. Foothills WMA hunts always end better with a cold one downtown.
Balter Beerworks -- Wild Ridge Pale Ale
Coverage
Knoxville Hunting News
Local — Knoxville and East Tennessee
Coming Soon
Local
Knoxville Hunting Coverage Coming Soon
Local WMA reports, season openers, deer and turkey harvest news, and East Tennessee hunting coverage from the HEREKnoxville newsroom.
National — Whitetail, CWD, and Conservation
Coming Soon
National
National Hunting Coverage Coming Soon
Whitetail news, CWD updates, conservation legislation, gear reviews, and national hunting stories with a Knoxville perspective.
More at Outdoor Sports
Fishing, camping, hiking, and all outdoor sports coverage for Knoxville and East Tennessee, TN
Outfitters and Gear
Hunting Gear Guide
Gear reviews and picks for the Knoxville hunter — boots, optics, packs, and more.
Gear Reviews — Tested for East Tennessee, TN Hunting
As an Amazon Associate, HERE earns from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability subject to change.
Icotec Nomad+ Programmable Predator Call/Decoy Combo with Bluetooth - 165 Professional Sound…
Decoy
Hand-picked by the HERE Hunting desk this week. Icotec Nomad+ Programmable Predator Call/Decoy Combo with Bluetooth - 165 Professional Sound….
$13.99
Best for: Recommended by the HERE Hunting desk
View on Amazon →
ATN Thor 5 Smart HD Thermal Scope w/Ultra Sensative Gen 5 Sensor, Video Rec, Built in LRF, B…
Optic / Scope
Hand-picked by the HERE Hunting desk this week. ATN Thor 5 Smart HD Thermal Scope w/Ultra Sensative Gen 5 Sensor, Video Rec, Built in LRF, B….
$1676.85
Best for: Recommended by the HERE Hunting desk
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Pulsar Trail 3 LRF Thermal Riflescope with Laser Range Finder and Mount
Laser Rangefinder
Hand-picked by the HERE Hunting desk this week. Pulsar Trail 3 LRF Thermal Riflescope with Laser Range Finder and Mount.
$2899.97
Best for: Recommended by the HERE Hunting desk
View on Amazon →
Garmin inReach® Mini 3, Rugged Compact Global Satellite Communicator with Color Touchscreen,…
GPS / Navigation
Hand-picked by the HERE Hunting desk this week. Garmin inReach® Mini 3, Rugged Compact Global Satellite Communicator with Color Touchscreen,….
$399.99
Best for: Recommended by the HERE Hunting desk
View on Amazon →
Vortex Optics Fury HD 5000 10x42 Laser Rangefinding Binoculars
Laser Rangefinder
Hand-picked by the HERE Hunting desk this week. Vortex Optics Fury HD 5000 10x42 Laser Rangefinding Binoculars.
$799.00
Best for: Recommended by the HERE Hunting desk
View on Amazon →
TACTACAM Reveal X PRO Cellular Trail Camera, Verizon and AT&T, NO Glow, Integrated GPS Track…
Trail Camera
Hand-picked by the HERE Hunting desk this week. TACTACAM Reveal X PRO Cellular Trail Camera, Verizon and AT&T, NO Glow, Integrated GPS Track….
$99.99
Best for: Recommended by the HERE Hunting desk
View on Amazon →
Outfitter, Guide Service, or Hunting Retailer?
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Learn About Gear AdvertisingGame Zone Key Dates
TN Hunting Season Calendar
Aug 22, 2026
Young Sportsman Deer Hunt (Statewide)
Ages 6-16, either-sex, private lands. TWRA confirms specific dates annually.
Sep 26, 2026
Archery Deer Season Opens
Archery deer season opens statewide. Bag limits vary by unit. Verify against current TWRA Hunt Guide.
Oct 24, 2026
Muzzleloader Deer Season Opens
Muzzleloader (blackpowder) deer season opens statewide.
Nov 21, 2026
Gun Deer Season Opens
Gun deer season opens statewide. Peak rut typically first-second week of November across Middle/East TN. Verify local zone.
Jan 3, 2027
Deer Season Closes (Most Units)
Statewide gun deer season closes on most units. Specific unit variations apply.
Mar 27–28, 2027
Young Sportsman Turkey Hunt
Statewide youth turkey hunt (hunters age 6-16). Dates estimated based on typical TWRA pattern (last weekend of March). Confirm with 2027 TWRA Hunt Guide.
Apr 3, 2027
Spring Turkey Season Opens (Statewide)
Spring turkey season opens. Bag limit 2 per season. Verify against 2027 TWRA proclamation.
May 16, 2027
Spring Turkey Season Closes
Turkey spring season closes statewide (typical 6-week pattern).
TBD — 2026-27 Dove Season
Dove Season Dates Pending TWRA Approval
TWRA approves migratory bird dates annually. Historical pattern is 3 segments Sep-Jan. 2026-27 dates will be posted at tn.gov/twra when approved.
Year-Round
Wild Hog (Private Lands)
Wild hog may be taken year-round on private land with valid TN hunting license. No bag limit. Non-target species per TWRA. Some WMA restrictions apply.
Dates reflect 2026 Tennessee hunting regulations for Game Zone. Always verify with the current TWRA Hunting and Fishing Guide. Regulations are subject to change. Hogs are legal year-round on private land with a hunting license — no closed season.
Questions and Answers
Knoxville Hunting FAQ
Common questions about hunting in the Knoxville area, answered.
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Deer season dates in Game Zone vary by year and land type (private vs WMA). Specific dates for Knox County have not been confirmed against current TWRA regulations for this guide — see https://www.tn.gov/twra for the current Tennessee Hunting and Fishing Guide.
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Public hunting near Knoxville is listed in the WMA directory above. TWRA manages all WMAs in Tennessee; a WMA license is required in addition to a basic hunting license.
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Yes. All hunters in Tennessee need a state hunting license. Deer and turkey require an additional big game permit. Hunting on any Wildlife Management Area (WMA) requires a WMA license. Federal migratory bird hunters age 16 and older need a federal duck stamp for waterfowl. Licenses and permits are available through TWRA at https://www.tn.gov/twra or at authorized license agents throughout Knox County.
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Sunday hunting rules in Tennessee vary by land type and local ordinance. Verify with TWRA and Knox County before hunting on Sunday.
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Deer bag limits in Game Zone vary by land type (private vs WMA) and by antlered vs antlerless. Limits for Knox County have not been confirmed against current TWRA regulations for this guide — see https://www.tn.gov/twra for the current Tennessee Hunting and Fishing Guide.
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Bear hunting in Tennessee is regulated by TWRA. Bear populations and seasons vary by Game Zone. Check the current TWRA hunting guide for bear zones and tags relevant to Knox County.
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