Tennessee public duck hunting
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA)
West Tennessee's public duck hunting centers on Reelfoot Lake and the Mississippi River bottoms. TWRA runs a blind and quota-draw system on many WMAs, with several application windows through the year.
Key Tennessee rules for 2026-27
- 2026-27 duck season: Nov 28–29 and Dec 5, 2026–Jan 31, 2027. Youth days are Feb 6 and 13; veterans and active military days are Feb 7 and 14.Source: TWRA migratory birds · Last checked Oct 22, 2026
- WMA quota hunts are applied for in segments: Early (Sep 23–Oct 13), Mid (Oct 21–Nov 10) and Late (Nov 18–Dec 8), 2026.Source: TWRA migratory birds · Last checked Oct 22, 2026
- Leftover drawings are held in person at 6 p.m. local time on Nov 9 and Dec 7, 2026, and Jan 4, 2027.Source: TWRA public land duck hunting · Last checked Oct 22, 2026
Deadlines
- Oct23TennesseeReelfoot wheelchair-only blindsApplications must reach the TWRA Region 1 office by noon on the fourth Friday of October.Due by noon, Fri Oct 23, 2026 Due Oct 23TWRA migratory birds · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Nov10TennesseeWMA waterfowl quota hunts, Mid segmentApply online for WMA quota waterfowl hunts in the Mid segment.Oct 21 – Nov 10, 2026 Open · closes Nov 10TWRA migratory birds · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Nov9TennesseeLeftover drawing (in person)In-person leftover drawing, 6 p.m. local time.Mon Nov 9, 2026, 6 p.m. Opens Nov 9TWRA public land duck hunting · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Dec7TennesseeLeftover drawing (in person)In-person leftover drawing, 6 p.m. local time.Mon Dec 7, 2026, 6 p.m. Opens Dec 7TWRA public land duck hunting · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Nov18TennesseeWMA waterfowl quota hunts, Late segmentApply online for WMA quota waterfowl hunts in the Late segment.Nov 18 – Dec 8, 2026 Opens Nov 18TWRA migratory birds · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Jan4TennesseeLeftover drawing (in person)In-person leftover drawing, 6 p.m. local time.Mon Jan 4, 2027, 6 p.m. Opens Jan 4TWRA public land duck hunting · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Date?TennesseeQuota permit claim deadlines (Mid and Late segments)The deadline to claim a drawn permit.Unknown Date not publishedTWRA public land duck hunting · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Jul15TennesseeSeason-long blinds (Tier 1)Season-long blind applications.Jun 24 – Jul 15, 2026 ClosedTWRA migratory birds · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Oct13TennesseeWMA waterfowl quota hunts, Early segmentEarly segment applications.Sep 23 – Oct 13, 2026 ClosedTWRA news release, Sep 17, 2026 · checked Oct 22, 2026
Spot guides
Loosahatchie River bottoms
There is no TWRA wildlife management area on the Loosahatchie River, and the refuge near its mouth is closed to waterfowl hunting. Assume the bottoms…
Meeman-Shelby Forest
Meeman-Shelby Forest is the closest public duck ground to Memphis: flooded cypress and bottomland timber along the Mississippi. It is split into a…
Mississippi River near Memphis
The big river is open water you can hunt with the right license on the right days, but it is also dangerous. Here is how the Tennessee–Arkansas…
Reelfoot Lake
Reelfoot is a shallow, stump-filled lake in the northwest corner of Tennessee, and one of the most famous duck spots in the South. Public hunting…
Public land
- Wildlife management area · Tennessee Wildlife Resources AgencyReelfoot WMAOpen to duck hunting
- National wildlife refuge · U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceReelfoot and Lake Isom National Wildlife RefugesClosed to duck hunting
- Wildlife management area · Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Tennessee State ParksMeeman-Shelby Forest WMA and State ParkOpen to duck hunting
- State refuge · Tennessee Wildlife Resources AgencyEagle Lake RefugeClosed to duck hunting
- Wildlife management area · Tennessee Wildlife Resources AgencyWolf River WMAOpen to duck hunting
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Draws, water and the birds
Every public-land draw window in four states on one calendar, river gauges that refresh every hour with the National Weather Service forecast, and the agencies' own duck counts on one map.