Morgan, Cumberland, Fentress County, Tennessee · 96,000 acres
Catoosa Wildlife Management Area Hunting 2026: Species & Access
Catoosa Wildlife Management Area covers 96,000 acres near Crossville in Morgan, Cumberland, Fentress County. Rugged Upper Cumberland Plateau terrain cut by the Obed Wild and Scenic River — Tennessee's second-largest WMA, grown by roughly 1,740 acres in a 2023 addition of savanna oak woodland and grassland that specifically favors upland game.
01 — What you can hunt here
| Species | Notes |
|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Minimum antler restriction on quota hunts: 4 points on one side or a 15-inch outside spread. |
| Wild turkey | Managed through the same quota-hunt system as deer. |
| Wild hogs | Mandatory check-out at a WMA station; brucellosis risk noted for anyone field-dressing one. |
| Ruffed grouse | One of the better public-land grouse areas in the state. |
| Small game and furbearers | Raccoon, opossum, beaver, bobcat, fox, coyote and bullfrogs, all under statewide seasons. |
02 — Access rules specific to this WMA
- A standard Tennessee hunting license covers general hunting; big-game quota hunts for deer, turkey and hogs run through TWRA's separate quota-draw system with mandatory check-in/check-out at the Genesis and Bicolor stations.
- Guides are prohibited on all hunts here.
- OHV and bicycle use requires a WMA permit or a High Impact Habitat Conservation Permit — a different, separate requirement from hunting access itself.
- Blaze orange is required specifically when using the Cumberland Trail corridor, on top of any hunting-season orange requirement.
03 — Where this WMA differs from the statewide rules
- Closed to entry Feb. 1 through the last Friday in March, except for trail-corridor users and anglers.
- Closed to entry March 1 through the fourth Friday in August, except for turkey season and spring squirrel season.
04 — Facilities
Camping: Designated camping areas open during scheduled big-game hunts.
Genesis and Peavine shooting ranges require their own permit. No boat ramps — this is upland terrain, not a wetland WMA.
05 — Where to go next
Catoosa is a name that shows up searched alongside Red Slough, Guana River and Kerr, but it's the one most often misfiled — it sits in Tennessee's Upper Cumberland Plateau, not Oklahoma, spread across Morgan, Cumberland and Fentress counties. At 96,000 acres it's Tennessee's second-largest WMA, and its two long closure windows (early February–late March, and March–August with turkey/squirrel exceptions) are stricter than almost anywhere else in this silo — check the calendar before planning a trip outside deer or turkey season.
Tennessee hunting license costs and permits →
Verified · Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency · Last verified 2026-08-08
Publisher's note. Read from TWRA, retrieved 2026-08-08. Review due 2027-08-01. WMA-specific rules and closures can change between seasons — confirm before you hunt.