2026–27 season · nonresident whitetail
$305 total nonresident cost — NR Annual All Game license $305 covers deer in all weapon seasons — no separate deer tag. Short trips: 7-Day All Game $214. WMA Big Game Permit $24 extra only for Wildlife Management Areas.
First archery segment. August velvet hunt Aug 28–30 (private land + select Unit 1 WMAs).
Second archery segment (Young Sportsman hunt occupies Oct 31 – Nov 1).
Archery equipment stays legal through the muzzleloader (Nov 7–20) and gun (Nov 21 – Jan 3) seasons.
Muzzleloader/archery season.
Muzzleloading equipment stays legal during the gun season.
Gun/muzzleloader/archery season, statewide; no straight-wall restriction.
Born on/after Jan 1, 1969: carry proof of hunter education (other states' accepted), or buy the Apprentice License for a one-year exemption (up to three consecutive years).
GoOutdoorsTennessee.com, the TWRA On the Go app, agents, or regional offices. Covers all game including deer, every weapon season — nothing else to buy for statewide hunting.
$24, required only on WMAs. Many WMAs run quota hunts with separate application deadlines — check the specific WMA listing before the trip.
Report through the TWRA On the Go app or GoOutdoorsTennessee before moving the carcass.
Rules that commonly differ state to state — check the ones your home state handles differently.
Answer four questions — home state, weapon, dates, points — and this page becomes your checklist: deadlines ranked against your season, costs totaled, and the steps in order.
Plan Tennessee →WhiteTailPlanner summarizes public regulations to help you plan. The state's published regulations are the legal authority — confirm with the official sources linked above.
