Tennessee Elk Season 2026: Archery, Muzzleloader & Rifle Dates

The earliest 2026 opener is September 26, 2026 (Archery only). See the table above for every method.

The latest 2026 closing date is October 16, 2026. Individual seasons close earlier — see the table above.

Every Tennessee elk permit is won through TWRA's annual lottery — there is no over-the-counter option. An applicant chooses up to four of the ten North Cumberland WMA Elk Hunt Zones and applies for either the resident-only Young Sportsman hunt (ages 13–16) or the regular archery/gun hunt, but not both in the same year; one of the 19 permits is further reserved for or donated to a non-governmental organization, with proceeds funding TWRA's Habitat Management Program.

2026 bag limits: All quota permits — One antlered elk per permit — no antlerless or any-elk permits are offered for the 2026 season. Permit allocation — 19 total quota permits: 9 for the archery-only hunt, 9 for the gun/muzzleloader/archery hunt, and 1 reserved for the resident Young Sportsman youth hunt; one of the 19 is further reserved for/donated to a non-governmental organization, with proceeds funding TWRA's Habitat Management Program. Limits are set per zone and per permit — check the agency's own regulations before you hunt.

On opening day (September 26, 2026) legal light runs 06:08 to 19:06. The rule is: One-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset, TWRA's standard statewide big-game shooting-hours rule — no elk-specific exception found on TWRA's elk pages. Sunrise and sunset shift daily, so work the offset against your local Tennessee sun times for any other date.

Tennessee landowners, their spouse and children (and children's spouses), may hunt and fish their own farmland without a license — they don't have to live there. Tenants get the same right, but only while actually living on the land with the owner's permission. Deer, bear, and boar permits and the Duck Stamp still apply, and a signed exemption statement must be carried while hunting.