Tennessee Deer Population:    About 900,000 deer in 2023, down from about one million whitetail deer in 2019.  An estimate of 900,000 deer in 2018 and 2017.  Estimated at 950,000 deer in 2015 and 2014 with a modest upward trend into 2016 for about 970,000 deer, but a general downward trend into 2018.  About 925,000 deer in 2013 and one million before the hunting season in 2012.  An EHD outbreak in 2017. 


Tennessee Deer News

Discussion on thermal imaging in hunting could get heated March 17, 2024 Tennessee, Chattanooga Times Free Press

... This is not the "night vision" optics  ... When properly used, you can see animals or any source of heat, even on the darkest of nights ... for game animals such as elk, deer  ...Some states may have already banned the use of thermals and/or drones ... 


Pregnant elk soar through Tennessee skies in state's first-of-its-kind population study February 17, 2024 Tennessee, Yahoo News

... "We're putting a transmitter inside the pregnant cow, specifically targeting those, in hopes that when they give birth in May-June, we'll be able to go out and collar the calves and then monitor them over the course of their life to see when they're actually recruited into the population," ...


State's deer harvest declined by over 20,000 February 16, 2024 Tennessee Main Street Media of Tennessee

… The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency reported 152,227 deer harvested statewide, compared to 163,244 the previous season… One reason for the drop-off could be a trend toward trophy hunting.  More and more hunters are passing up smaller bucks to wait for one with big antlers..,


Canopy reduction and fire seasonality effects on deer and turkey habitat in upland hardwoods - Forest Ecology and Management, 2024

... Our results indicate burning during different seasons following canopy reduction can promote different food and cover resources which are important for deer and turkeys during different times of the year... Deer and turkeys benefit from diverse understory conditions that result from forest management... Prescribed fire is one of the most important tools to maintain structure and forage for deer ...


TWRA Detects CWD in Lewis County November 21, 2023 Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency News

... The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) has received a positive Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) test result in a hunter-harvested deer in Lewis County. This is the first positive CWD case for Lewis County and will result in changes to feeding and carcass transportation regulations...


Wildlife numbers in local woodlands not readily known other than for deer, turkey and bear November 20, 2023 Tennessee, The Erwin Record

... the estimated 6,500 black bears are shared with the neighboring states of North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky and Virginia... the deer herd in the Tennessee consists of about 900,000 individuals while the wild turkey population is about 300,000 animals.  ... according to Matthew Cameron, the communications and outreach coordinator for Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency...,


Deer nursed back to health by woman was shot, left to ‘bleed out’ by City of Dickson officers November 15, 2023 Tennessee, WSMV Nashville

... Police said that upon arrival at the Dickson residence on Sunday, a homeowner showed officers surveillance footage of the deer lowering his head and “forcing [the homeowner] off of his front porch.”  Lane said this was how BeeBee played.  “He does it with me and my children, and he’s never hurt anybody,” ...


'Don't veer for deer' says Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency as animal activity increases November 12, 2023 WKRN

... According to the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), 4,175 deer-related crashes have occurred in Tennessee this year... Under Tennessee law, any wild game animal hit in an accident can be used for personal use or consumption...


Animal attacks, property damage, car crashes: Deer wreak havoc on a Middle Tennessee town November 2, 2023 Tennessee, The Tennessean

... Statewide, the average deer population density is estimated at 19.6 deer per square mile, according to the TWRA. Sumner County’s deer population density is estimated at between 15-30 deer per square mile, according to the Quality Deer Management Association.,,


Scott County's deer harvest declines again as muzzleloader hunt approaches October 30, 2023 Tennessee, Independent Herald

... The statewide harvest is down 22% from last year at the same time.  One reason for the decline is likely an abundant mast crop, including the preferred white oak acorn, which has deer on the move less in search of food. Another factor is less-than-ideal weather conditions during the youth hunt...


Tennessee couple spots rare white deer in backyard October 29, 2023 Business Insider

... Hunting, killing, or trapping an "albino" deer is a crime in Tennessee, according to the TRWA. Tennessee law describes an "albino" deer as having "a lack, or significant deficiency, of pigment in the skin and hair, and pink eyes,"  ...

   White deer spotted in Tennessee believed to be non-native October 27, 2023 UPI

... The animal was originally identified as an albino or piebald white-tailed deer after being spotted ... but Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency officials now believe it to be a fallow deer, native to Europe, or a sika deer, native to Asia...


Hendersonville revisits deer dilemma October 12, 2023 Tennessee, Main Street Media of Tennessee

...  survey found a total of 1,212 deer, or 31.7 deer/square mile across the city. The state average is around 19.6 deer/square mile...  a questionable 2018 aerial survey estimated the deer population at around 83, or 1.8 deer/square mile ...


CWD, Former Tennessee Wildlife and Resources Agency biologist:  agency manipulated data on deer disease September 7, 2023 Tennessee Lookout

... In a whistleblower lawsuit filed this week, Kelly alleges state officials manipulated data and misled the public about the prevalence of chronic wasting disease, a fatal and infectious disease that attacks deer populations.  He claims TWRA failed to follow best scientific practices and its own regulations in diagnosing potentially infected deer...


Be alert for white-tailed deer June 23, 2023 Tennessee, Kingsport Times News

... Due to over-harvesting, the white-tailed deer population in our area was reduced to dangerous levels by the 1970s.  To rescue the species from near extinction, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency embarked on a colossal undertaking to relocate deer to our area from West Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin..,


Video Below:  Helping deer, fawns has now become complicated as chronic wasting disease spreads in Tennessee.  Tennessee just changed its policy on white-tailed deer rehabilitation. No wildlife rehabilitation center is allowed to care for deer of any age. June 14, 2023 Tennessee

Hundreds of deer carcasses dumped in Memphis lot March 28, 2023 Tennessee, CBS 42

... records showed Dino’s operator Jeff McBride said he hadn’t utilized a carcass removal dumpster for two years and had been discarding the carcasses on another lot he owns, even though records showed that land was part of a public right-of-way. Department of Agriculture officials said they told him he had to put the animal remains in covered containers...


Hunting Seasons Preview Held at Commission Meeting March 27, 2023 Tennessee, TN.gov

... There were no proposed changes to the deer, bear, and turkey seasons... The Wildlife and Forestry Division also provided an update on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) following the fall deer hunting season. The Agency sampled 20,726 harvested deer during the season with 798 returning CWD positive results. No new counties were found to have positive cases..,

A whopping 162,555 deer were harvested in Tennessee in 2022-23. Here are the numbers February 6, 2023 Tennessee Yahoo News

...  162,555 deer.  That was 3,443 more deer than were harvested in 2021-22 ... 87,938 of the deer taken this past season were antlered males, 67,254 were does and 6,783 were antlerless males..,


TWRA soliciting public comment on deer CWD response plan December 29, 2022 Tennessee, Marion County News

...  The complete plan can be found at www.mcnewstn.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Draft_CWD-Response-and-Management-Plan_2023-2027.pdf. Comments may be submitted by mail to: Wildlife Public Comments, TWRA, Wildlife Division, 5107 Edmondson Pike, Nashville, TN 37211 or emailed to Twra.huntingcomments@tn.gov. The comment period is open through Jan. 29, 2023. 


Hendersonville, City approves up to $7.5K for deer survey  December 8, 2022 Tennessee, Hendersonville Standard

... an accurate survey of the deer population needs to be conducted within the city to properly evaluate what actions need to be taken,” reads Ordinance 2022-33... The 2015 survey estimated the population to be at around 872 deer — or 19.4 deer per square mile. An aerial and road survey of the same 45 square miles within the city limits in January of 2018 estimated at least 83 deer – or 1.8 deer per square mile...


Monitoring CWD Gets Easier with Introduction of New Tool November 17, 2022 Tennessee, TN.gov

... The Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance (CWDA) recently developed three online, CWD information mapping tools to help document, track, and manage the spread of CWD: CWD in North America shows counties and wildlife management units in which CWD has been found in wild and/or captive cervid populations.   CWD-Related Hunting Regulations shows CWD-related hunting regulations, maps of CWD-positive areas, and the CWD regulatory status of each state and province.  Carcass Transport Regulations will help users discover regulations impacting the transport of cervid carcasses from one state/province to another. It includes import, export, and pass-through regulations for cervid carcasses for every state and province...


Deer with crossbow bolt in head rescued by TWRA August 15, 2022 Tennessee, Knoxville WVLT-TV 

... When the officers found him, they tranquilized him and removed the bolt from his head; however, the broadhead was left inside as officials feared causing additional damage to the animal by trying to remove it...


Rare piebald fawn keeps showing up at Tennessee venue, owners hope he's here to stay July 29, 2022 WZTV

...Piebaldism is genetic mutation that can manifest in various amounts of white. They are not to be confused with albino deer, which are totally void of pigment ... “I pray every day that the piebald baby will come back where I can see it, and for me to be able to watch it grow up.” ...


CWD case confirmed in West Tennessee deer July 20, 2022 WKRN

... Chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been detected in a 4 ½-year-old white-tailed deer buck in Dyer County ... harvested north of Dyersburg last November ..,


What is chronic wasting disease? A wildlife scientist explains the fatal prion infection killing deer and elk across North America June 10, 2022 Tennessee, YAHOO!News

... Because of their structure and the fact that they don’t contain genetic material, prions like the one that causes CWD are nearly indestructible. Breaking a prion apart, or denaturing it, would require a very high concentration of chlorine solution or heat exceeding 1,800 degrees F (980 C)...


Pair Of CWD-Positive Deer Confirmed In Hardin County April 23, 2022 Tennessee, Chattanoogan.com

...  One positive deer was confirmed in southern Hardin County and the other was north of Savannah, closer to the Decatur County border....


Judges strike down Tennessee law allowing warrantless searches by state wildlife officials March 23, 2022 Tennessee Lookout

... The longstanding practice of conducting warrantless searches on private property by officers with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is unconstitutional, a three judge panel hearing a case in Benton County Circuit Court ruled Tuesday...


Cougar sighted in Middle Tennessee February 6, 2022 Portland Sun

... The last TWRA-confirmed cougar sighting in Tennessee occurred seven years ago in Humphreys County... They were found in remote areas into at least the late 1800s...


Scott County's deer harvest declines, remains well below historic levels January 14, 2022 Tennessee, Independent Herald

...in 2017, the year a severe outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease swept through Scott County’s deer herd. That year, there were only 494 deer harvested. And the numbers have yet to bounce all the way back..,

Hardin and Dyer Counties High-Risk for CWD and Crockett County Positive December 10, 2021 Tennessee, TWRA News

     A deer harvested in Crockett County has tested positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD), according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA). The CWD-positive deer was a 3 1/2 -year-old buck and changes Crockett County from high-risk to positive for CWD and Dyer County changes to high-risk due to its proximity. A newly identified CWD-positive deer in McNairy County within a mile of the Hardin County line changes Hardin County to high-risk status...


Deer with chronic wasting disease confirmed in Weakley County, Tennessee December 3, 2021 WPSD Local 6

... The deer was taken between Dresden and the Henry County line... Henry County, where a CWD-positive deer was previously found...


CWD Positive Deer Found in Gibson and McNairy Counties, Carroll County High-Risk November 19, 2021 Tennessee, TWRA News

... Gibson and McNairy County are now positive for chronic wasting disease (CWD) after confirmation through multiple tests from hunter harvested deer. These results change the CWD status of both counties from high-risk to positive and make Carroll County high-risk because of the proximity to the new positive deer.  As a result, carcass transport, feeding, and mineral placement regulations are immediately enacted...


What you need to know about deer hunting season in Tennessee November 18, 2021 WBIR.com

...  Across the state, the deer herd is slated to increase 1-2% per year, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA). East Tennessee is projected to see the most deer population growth...


New Fight CWD Incentive Program Launched by TWRA November 17, 2021 Tennessee, TWRA News

... The TWRA is helping people who harvest CWD-positive deer in two new ways. Hunters who harvest a positive deer will receive a $75 voucher redeemable for processing deer on their next deer harvest at participating processors. Residents who harvest two or more CWD-positive deer during the 2021-22 season will receive an annual sportsman’s license for 2022. If the hunter has a lifetime license, the annual license can be gifted to a person of his/her choice...


TWRA sets record straight on habitat management strategy October 9, 2021 Tennessee, Johnson City Press

... Closed canopy, old growth forests are biological deserts that lack good habitat for most wildlife species because of the absence of ground vegetation. TWRA is restoring one of the most endangered habitats in the U.S. by restoring native grasslands. This project will convert approximately 230 acres of closed-canopy forest to “younger” habitat known as early successional habitat that will benefit a much greater variety of game and nongame species...


Latest deer infected with CWD surprises biologists  September 22, 2021 Tennessee, mainstreet-nashville.com

...  a chronic wasting disease-infected deer in Henry County, as the deadly disease creeps closer to Middle Tennessee.  “It’s a whole new ball game,” Skoglund says, referring to the fact that the infected deer was found in an area far removed from the southwestern counties in which CWD had previously been diagnosed...


Chronic wasting disease confirmed in Henry County deer September 9, 2021 Tennessee, WKRN

... The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said its staff responded to a call in Henry County regarding a three-year-old doe who was “thin and exhibiting strange behavior.” ...


Little Ponderosa Zoo hosting Beers for Deer fundraising event July 13, 2021 Tennessee, WATE 6 On Your Side

... the Little Ponderosa Zoo has received dozens of calls to care for whitetail fawn. Baby deer require around-the-clock feedings, medical intervention, and care; with 40 fawns currently at the facility, Little Ponderosa is asking for help...


TWRA gives update on deer harvest July 13, 2021 Tennessee, Rheaheraldnews

... The statewide deer harvest currently stands at 159,935, a 20 percent increase from the 2019-20 season. The total is a 6 percent increase — 9,534 — from the average of five previous seasons. However, it is a 5 percent decrease from the 2015-16 season...


Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation 2021 Conservation Raffle going on Now July 8, 2021 Clarksville Online

... packages include an elk tag for the Tennessee Premier Elk Zone, a deer hunt on Presidents Island ... One hundred percent of the funds from the raffle goes to support wildlife conservation in Tennessee...


Dog Cuddles with Ill Baby Deer Found on Owner's Property Until the Fawn Finds a Rescue Home  June 29, 2021 Tennessee, People on 

... "She has been drinking goat milk and walking around the yard today, and the infection in her eye is looking a lot better after pulling the ticks and applying Neosporin."...


Tennessee opens its first chronic wasting disease testing facility April 23, 2021

10 News

... The highly contagious and inevitably fatal neurological disease has firmly established itself in Southwest Tennessee deer, but has not been found in deer further east yet... its first testing lab..,


 Memphis Zoo announces birth of rare Pere David’s Deer fawn, classified extinct in the wild April 14, 2021 Tennessee, Action News 5

... the second Pere David’s Deer born at the Memphis Zoo in the last two years, and only a handful of U.S. zoos are home to the species ...

Hendersonville, City's deer population to be explored once again March 25, 2021 Tennessee, Hendersonville Standard

... an aerial survey of the 45 square miles within the city limits. Held on March 21, 2015 and April 11, 2015 ... The city’s deer population was estimated to be at least 872 deer, or 19.4 deer per square mile.  City leaders were told by USDA officials that the number didn’t warrant a cull ...


New children’s book highlights wildlife crossing project March 24, 2021 Tennessee, Mountain Xpress

...  Interstate 40, and the journey Bear, Deer and their forest friends embark on is one that animals trying to cross face on a regular basis ... “We can’t let roadkill just be this elephant in the room and not deal with it,” ...


Animal rehab groups optimistic about wildlife bridge efforts in TN, keeping animals safe Marh 3, 2021 Tenessee, WBIR.com

... an effort to create wildlife bridges near the Great Smoky Mountains... The Safe Passage Fund Coalition launched the I-40 Pigeon River Gorge Wildlife Crossing Project last week ...


Why a dazed deer in Tennessee had hair growing from its eyeballs February 20, 2021 Live Science 

... found stumbling through the streets ... hair protruded from discs of flesh covering both the buck's cornea ... A dermoid, by definition, is a type of benign tumor ...  deer tested positive for epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) ...


Tennessee deer harvest up 25,025 February 11, 2021 Claiborne Progress

... Weather was mild at the start of archery and muzzleloader season ... The rut was also a factor as it peaked early November ...  the harvest was up mostly because of the liberal bag limits out West Tennessee in the areas where deer have tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)..,


CWD-infected deer found in eighth county February 6, 2021 Tennessee, Main Street Nashville

... A deer in Lauderdale County tested positive for chronic wasting disease and became the eighth county where the deadly disease was confirmed.  All are in West Tennessee...


Tennessee deer harvest was the largest in six years February 4, 2021 Tennessean 

... The increase, as significant as it was, did not come as a surprise to state wildlife officials who saw more hunters in the woods through the year as a result of COVID-19. Hunting was one activity that was not hindered by the pandemic.  "The hunters showed up and a lot of that was a lot of licenses sold this year that we hadn't sold in the past,"..,


Fish And Wildlife Commission Holds First 2021 Meeting February 3, 2021 Tennessee, The Greeneville Sun

...The statewide deer harvest currently stands at 159,935, a 20 percent increase from the 2019-20 season, according to a release. The total is a 6 percent increase (9,534) from the average of five previous seasons. However, it is a 5 percent decrease from the 2015-16 season..,


Investigating overhunting of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the late Holocene Middle Tennessee River Valley  EM Weitzel - Southeastern Archaeology, 2021

...  Declines in the abundance of deer in upland sites after ca. 4000 cal BP (before present) support depression of deer. However, deer did not decline in floodplain sites, perhaps due to anthropogenic environmental modification (i.e., burning). The upland decline coincides with a shift toward greater wetland patch use, which may have driven a reduction in deer hunting ..,


CWD positive deer confirmed in West Tennessee January 23, 2021 Elk Valley Times

... Lauderdale County has been confirmed as CWD (chronic wasting disease) positive ... The Lauderdale County detection is the farthest northwest detection and the Madison County detection is the farthest northeast from the original detections in Hardeman and Fayette counties in late 2018... 


Tennessee reports increase is chronic wasting disease in deer, disease affecting bats January 22, 2021 WZTV - Nashville 

... The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission reports for the 2020-2021 season, 556 deer tested positive for chronic wasting disease with another 2,319 tests pending...


TWRA expands high-risk counties for deer with chronic wasting disease January 15, 2021 Tennessee, WKRN

... Henderson County is now classified as a CWD high-risk county with the confirmation of CWD in a hunter-harvested deer in Madison County within 10 miles of the Henderson County border...


2020 Deer Harvest Results January 15, 2021 Tennessee, Elizabethton.com

... hunters harvested 159,879 deer ... a 26 percent increase from the 2019-2020 season... The year 2020 saw an increase in the population of prey species such as squirrels and rabbits ... predators were getting their food sources from smaller species and not just deer... TWRA’s new rules allowing as many deer as possible to be killed in the Chronic Wasting Disease counties in west Tennessee..,


Fish and Wildlife Commission Holds Final 2020 Meeting December 11, 2020 Tennessee, TWRA News

... `Harvest results to date for the statewide deer harvest and Unit CWD were given in one and five-year comparisons. The statewide deer harvest total as of Dec. 9 is 118,515, a 21 percent increase (20,531) as the same time last year. The total is a 7 percent increase (8,027) from the 5-year average. In Unit CWD, the harvest stands at 12,988, a 33 percent (3,224) increase.  Statewide, minus Unit CWD, harvest is 105,497. That results in a 20 percent increase (17,318) from last year and a 14 percent increase (6,451) from the 5-year average.

     Reasons for the harvest increase could be an effect of favorable weather conditions, the COVID influence and an increase in licensed big games hunters, and a result of the new Tag Before You Drag system implemented this year...,


Tennessee deer harvest increasing, perhaps due to COVID November 20, 2020 WTVC

... "Tennessee's deer population has pretty much peaked and we're just starting to level off,"  ... TWRA Region III Biologist Ben Layton ..,


Managing deer population on your land November 12, 2020 Tennessee, Manchestertimes

... According to Craig Harper, UT Extension professor of wildlife management ... Where Quality Deer Management is desirable ... reduce the overall deer population so plenty of forage is available. He recommends removing does to even out the sex ratio and allowing bucks to reach 3.5 years of age to enhance the herd...


Incentive Program Offered In Unit CWD To Increase Deer Harvest November 5, 2020 Tennessee, The Chattanoogan

... The offer only applies to deer harvested in Unit CWD [chronic wasting disease]. The deer must be submitted for CWD testing. The license is not transferrable to another person...


Tennessee elk: a comeback success October 15, Wilson Post

... Tennessee’s last wild elk was killed in 1865 in Obion County ... a visionary elk-stocking program launched some two decades ago ...Despite some early setbacks by predation and poaching, the imported elk thrived ..,


TWRA changes hunting regulations, works to contain chronic wasting disease September 30, 2020 Tennessee, WBBJ-TV

... “10 thousand samples came from the CWD area here in West Tennessee, and we’re now at over 670 positive animals on the landscape in West Tennessee,”  ...“We’re encouraging hunters to kill more deer,” ..,


Buck shaming a symptom of a larger problem for deer hunters September 9, 2020 Tennessee, Times Free Press

... a habit of judging the deer that others take and belittling them because you think the antlers were too small    ... For many years now, hunters have watched celebrity hunters perched in tree stands and shooting houses as they fling arrows and pull triggers on whitetail deer with antlers like those of the extinct Irish Elk. (OK, slight exaggeration.) ...


Unit CWD [Chronic Wasting Disease] has changed for deer hunting starting with August hunt August 25, 2020 Tennessee, Elizabethton Star

... The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is encouraging hunters to harvest more deer in Unit CWD after a decrease in the unit’s harvest numbers last year. The fewer deer there are in the unit, the fewer CWD positive deer there are ...


Tennessee elk permit and raffle winners announced August 21, 2020 WTVC

... a total of 102,847 tickets raffle tickets sold, raising $1,146,560 for conservation efforts... a far, far cry from the early days when a single elk hunting permit was auctioned, generally raising around $10,000 ...


 Deer blasts through Tennessee school’s glass door, leaves trail of blood, video shows August 16, 2020  Raleigh News & Observer

... Surveillance video from earlier in the night shows the deer had been wandering the school’s playground when something “spooked it,” ... The deer ran through the safety glass ...


Half-million dollars raised so far for Tennessee elk management July 25, 2020 WTVC

...  this year's raffle ticket sales, raising money for Tennessee elk management efforts, is lagging behind 2019...


Food Plots Not Only Benefit Wildlife But Valuable For Pollinators As Well June 22, 2020 Tennessee, The Chattanoogan

... Food plots are not just for deer ... “It is widely acknowledged that important pollinators, such as monarch butterflies and honeybees, are in decline ...


White-tailed deer find rescue at Little Ponderosa Zoo June 14, 2020 Tennessee, 10 News

...  fawns who have been injured or even left alone in the wild... they are often taken to Little Ponderosa Zoo & Rescue in Anderson County... we do our best to try to get these guys back into the wild ...


Memphis Zoo welcomes baby Pere David’s deer to the family May 29, 2020 Tennessee, WREG

... Extinct in the wild, the birth is significant for the Pere David’s deer population...

UT's newest research initiative focuses on how humans and animals interact with environment February 19, 2020 Tennessee, Knoxville News Sentinel

... An immediate focus for One Health will be researching Chronic Wasting Disease, a fatal neurological disease that affects deer in Tennessee ... “Our vision is for the UT One Health Initiative to be a clearinghouse for transformational discoveries to improve animal, human, plant and environmental health,” ...


CWD, Fish and Wildlife Commission holds first 2020 meeting January 28, 2020, Tennessee, Overton County News

... To date, there have been a total of 648 CWD-positive deer detected in CWD counties since the disease was first detected in December 2018. During the recently completed 2019-20 deer season, 462 were detected. The vast majority of CWD-positive deer were harvested in Fayette and Hardeman counties...


Relationships among white-tailed deer density, harvest, and landscape metrics in TN, USA   HL Adams, RE Kissell, D Ratajczak, EL Warr… - European Journal of Wildlife …, 2020

... Deer density was best predicted by harvest density and harvest density + percent woody area. However, harvest density was the only important variable in predicting deer density (Σωi = 0.700). Results of this study emphasize the significance of harvest density in deer management...


You Can Get Up Close & Personal With Deer & Exotic Animals At This Tennessee Farm January 23, 2020 Tennessee, Narcity

... Smoky Mountain Deer Farm and Exotic Petting Zoo in Sevierville, Tennessee is a one-of-a-kind experience... tons of deer, zebras, kangaroos, goats and so many other animals you can touch and feed...


Three Counties Have CWD Status Changed January 16, 2020 Tennessee, TWRA News

... Haywood and Chester counties have be reclassified from high risk counties to CWD-positive counties after deer tested positive in the respective counties. Lauderdale County has been added as a high-risk county after a deer tested positive in Tipton County within 10 miles of the Lauderdale County border..,


Effort to fight chronic wasting disease by culling deer herd falls short in West Tennessee January 11, 2020, The Commercial Appeal

... Compared to last season, the doe harvest declined about 20% this season in the eight West Tennessee counties identified as the epicenter of the outbreak in the state ... Through Friday, about 13,000 deer were tested since the season opened in September. Evidence of chronic wasting appeared in 409 deer ...


Scott's deer harvest is stunningly low January 7, 2020 Tennessee, Independent Herald

... As the statewide firearms hunting season closed Sunday evening, there had been a total of 438 deer harvested in Scott County during the 2019-2020 deer hunts ... down more than 25 percent from last year’s harvest of 587. It wasn’t quite as bad as 2017’s harvest of 390 deer — the year the EHD outbreak occurred ..,


What is a cryptorchid buck? Hunter takes down one of the rare creatures in Tennessee January 7, 2020 Lexington Herald Leader

... Cryptorchid deer ... have traits of both genders, the strangest of which is a full growth of hair, or velvet, that remains on their antlers throughout their life ...

TWRA to build deer carcass incinerator in Fayette County January 4, 2020 Tennessee, Columbia Daily Herald

... will build an incinerator to burn deer carcasses in Fayette County.  The TFWC approved the $1 million investment ... the large-scale incinerator will be available to processors and hunters to dispose of deer from the CWD-positive and high-risk counties of southwest Tennessee. The incinerator will reach temperatures above 1,800 degrees and killing the disease...


Suspect captured in illegal killing of Tennessee elk which was part of research study December 31, 2019 Tennessee, WTVC

... identified by members of the public after a $2,000 reward was offered leading to the capture and conviction of the person responsible for killing the elk on December 23. The elk was part of a 3-year research study by the University of Tennessee's Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries....


Oak Ridge Wildlife Management Area,  Radiological contamination in deer explained December 22, 2019 Tennessee, thedailytimes.com

... It is well known that after WWII some radioactive materials were improperly dumped or disposed of on the property ... Since the deer hunts began in 1985 and including data from 2014, more than 12,200 deer have been harvested, and 205 animals have been retained due to internal contamination, 1.68% historically...


Plan to reduce Collierville deer population may not continue in 2020 December 19, 2019 Tennessee, WMC Action News 5 Memphis 

...  deer habitats have been disappearing because of growing communities pushing the animals into neighborhoods...


148 deer test positive for Chronic Wasting Disease so far this season December 13, 2019 Tennessee, WZTV

... That's out of the 8,700 deer ... TWRA said plans to address the deer carcass disposal issue has resulted in a $1 million expansion for an incinerator ..,


Luke Bryan searches for answers after exotic deer found killed on his Tennessee farm December 9, 2019 Tennessee, Kansas City Star

...  a $5,000 reward after someone killed a red stag on his farm ... Red deer are native to Europe, western Asia and parts of North Africa ...


  Snow white albino deer caught on video near Nashville December 7, 2019 Tennessee, 10 News

... albino deer is protected under Tennessee law -- it's illegal to hunt, trap or possess the rare animal...


TN man pleads guilty to illegally hunting piebald deer December 6, 2019 Tennessee, 10 News

... TWRA said it's not illegal to kill a piebald deer, but you can't hunt from a motor vehicle or public road...


Chronic wasting disease found in Shelby County, none found in Middle Tennessee December 3, 2019 Tennessee, Columbia Daily Herald

... The CWD-positive deer confirms Shelby County’s transfer from a high-risk CWD county to a CW-positive county joining Tipton, Fayette, Madison and Hardeman counties along with parts of neighboring Mississippi...


Deer with chronic wasting disease found in Shelby County November 21, 2019 Tennessee, WREG

... Shelby County was a high-risk CWD county before this deer tested positive. The county joins nearby Fayette, Tipton and Hardeman counties as CWD-positive...


Deer gun hunting season opens Saturday with harvest lower than last year November 21, 2019 Tennessee,  Tennessean on MSN.com

... The current harvest is 50,708, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.  That is 14,679 fewer deer than were killed at the same point last season ...


Burial site for CWD infected deer is short term solution November 18, 2019 Tennessee, WKRN News 2

... just sent off 1500 samples of deer to Colorado to be tested for CWD.  “We see that we have about a 10 percent prevalence in the counties where we have positive results, so we expect you know about 10 percent of those are going to come back positive,” ...


Tennessee hunter catches video of golden eagle diving at deer November 14, 2019 WTVC, TWRA

... A deer hunter in Humphries County picked up his camera and was rewarded with quite a sight. Hunter, Craig Owensby noticed a large bird in a field that appeared to be hunting for food. The bird was a Golden Eagle and as it took flight Craig got video that would make Nationalgeographic.com proud...


Deer harvest is down in Tennessee with muzzleloader/archery season opening November 7, 2019 Tennessean on MSN.com

... The statewide deer harvest is down from last year by more more than 6,000 with the statewide muzzleloader/archery hunting season set to open Saturday. ... current harvest is 18,606...

TWRA confirms, CWD spreads in West Tennessee October 3, 2019 Tennessee, WBBJ-TV

... It is actually the second one in Madison County ... brings the number of affected counties in West Tennessee to ten. Six are CWD high-risk counties, and four have positive cases of CWD..,


Hemorrhagic disease is killing deer in Tennessee September 24, 2019, 10 News

... “Reports are coming in daily as TWRA continues to monitor the situation,” ... The last substantial outbreak of HD in Tennessee was in 2017 and was predominantly in East Tennessee. The last major statewide outbreak of HD was in 2007..,


More deer test positive for Chronic Wasting Disease in Tennessee, sharp rise expected September 23, 2019 Fox17.com

... even more deer have tested positive in the last month ... discovered in Tennessee in 2018 ... TWRA expects a sharp rise in the number of cases ...

Deer in Tipton County, Tenn. tests 'suspect positive' for chronic wasting disease September 6, 2019 Tennessee, WBIR.com

... a 3-year-old doe that appeared to be sick. She was found approximately eight miles from the Arkansas border...


  Woman spots rare deer in her Johnson City backyard August 9, 2019 Tennessee, WJHL-TV

... the deer has piebaldism ... a genetic anomaly...  in Tennessee ... it’s illegal to kill albino whitetails...


Doe wrapped in wire rescued in Oak Ridge after being spotted by several residents August 8, 2019 Tennessee, 10 News

... Sgt. Smith ... was able to immobilize her with a tranquilizer dart within 30 yards of their residence and use wire cutters to remove what he believes to be wire from the top of a tomato cage. When the yearling doe revived, she walked off into the woods to rejoin the herd...

Tennessee Deer News and Information Archive by TopicPopulation and Management, Deer in the News, Disease, Suburban, Transportation

Tennessee Deer:   An estimate from the state of about 900,000 deer in 2023. The statewide deer density in 2023 was reported to be 19.6 deer per square mile.  The state expected a 1 to 2 percent increase in the deer population for 2021.  A rough estimate from the state of one million deer in 2019.  A significant increase in the deer kill for 2020, but the population is thought to have peaked and now leveling off with increased hunting due to the pandemic, weather, and liberal bag limits in the west accounting for much of the increase.   


About 900,000 deer in 2017, based a 14 percent drop in the deer harvest from 2015.  TWRA estimated 950,000 to one million  deer in 2015.   An EHD outbreak in 2017 reduced the herd.  Weather and a massive acorn crop also limited the deer kill.   A reported estimate of only 700,000 deer in 2018.  Hunting data for 2013 indicated a decline in population.  About one million deer in the state before hunting season in 2012 and 900,000 deer in 2011.  The state deer population has been approximately stable for several years.  Some estimates put the herd about 20 percent lower than these estimates from TWRA.  The agency expects the herd to grow by one or two percent with most growth in East Tennessee and along the Mississippi.  A two buck limit was set for 2015, the first change since 1999 when the limit went to three.  Fewer male deer and more does were killed in 2015.   


For 2012, population estimates of one million from a press source and 586,000 post harvest from a state source.  An estimate of one million and growing in 2011.  A state estimate of 900,000 in 2005 and 800,000 in 1993.  A population estimate of 900,000 in 2009 and 750,000 in 1990.


The state increased hunting pressure in 2004 and into 2005 to reduce the deer population. 


Peak of the rut is around November 20.


Chronic Wasting Disease  The first cases of chronic wasting disease were detected in December, 2018 in Fayette, Hardeman, and Madison Counties.   As of November, 2017, no chronic wasting disease discovered from testing in the state.  By January, 2018, 91 reported cases, for the 2018-19 hunting season 168 positives.  By fall of 2019, 10 counties tested positive with 149 positive cases for the year. By the end of the 2019-20 deer season there were a total of 648 CWD-positive deer detected, 462 were detected during the season.  In 2021 the state opened its first testing lab.  More in positive cases in 2022 with 20,726 harvested deer sampled during the season and 798 returning CWD positive.


Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD).  Reports in 2019.  The 2017 outbreak of EHD was the worst since 2007 which killed tens of housands of deer.  A limited outbreak in 2018.


History:  Deer populations were hunted to near extinction in the early 1900's and hunting was closed to protect the herd.  One estimate puts the deer population in the early 1900s at 350 deer, another estimate of less than 1,000.  An estimated 12 deer in the state in 1934.  In the 1940's there were fewer than 1,000 to 2,000 deer, all located in the hills of the Great Smoky Mountains. Hunting was reopened in the 1950's. 


From the 1950s to 1985, about 9,000 deer were relocated into the state.  "During 1966-67, 75 black-tailed deer purchased from Oregon were released at the Volunteer Army Ammunition Plant. They were used in an experimental breeding program until 1973. At that time, the 46 remaining black-tailed deer were released in Hamblen County and the hybrids were released at Milan Arsenal. Because of the blacktail's susceptibility to meningeal worm, the gene pool is believed to have been eliminated from Tennessee."  From:  A History of Deer Restoration in Tennessee.    Over hunting reduced the state's deer population to low levels in the 1970s, deer were relocated from other areas to help rebuild the population.  Archaeological evidence indicates declines in deer population far earlier that the arrival of Europeans. 


Population Estimates:  1,000 in 1940, 75,000 in 1968.  In 1989:  625,000.  In the 1940s about 2,000.


Woodland Buffalo:  Hunted to extinction by 1805.   


Elk a 2018 estimated population of over 400, about 400 in 2015 after a restocking effort.  Plentiful in 1783, as reported by road surveyors.  By the 1820's they were gone from the middle of the state, western herds soon followed.  The last known wild elk was killed in 1865.  Beginning in December of 2000, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) began the reintroduction of elk with the release that were relocated from Elk Island National Park in Alberta, Canada, to the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area.  Through 2007, 201 elk were released.


Mountain lions were in remote areas of Tennessee until the late 1800's and are occasionally reported.  The last confirmed sighting in 2015.


Bear  In 2023 an estimated 6,500 black bears shared with the neighboring states of North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky and Virginia


Stop Poaching Hotlines:  For Middle Tennessee, the number is 1-800-255-8972. For West Tennessee, including Stewart, Houston and Humphreys counties, call 1-800-831-1173.


Other useful links

- Tennessee Wildlife Federation   -

- Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

- Smoky Mountain Deer Farm and Exotic Petting Zoo


Amicalola Deer Park This 1200-acre park is nestled in the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains along the headwaters of the Amicalola River. It serves the needs of 150 rescued animals, primarily Sika and Fallow Deer, as a place of retreat, restoration, recreation, preservation and conservation. Amicalola Deer Park is now a toured facility offering many special events throughout the year to promote awareness and funding for their mission.