GuidedHunts

Who Are the Top Big Game Hunting Guides in Tennessee?

By Michael GiffordUpdated August 202680 packages$150–$8,995Typically $1,50017 outfitters

Quick answerSpartan Hunting Preserve in Grandview ranks first among 17 Tennessee big game outfitters, whose 80 guided hunts run $150 to $8,995 with a middle of $1,500 before license and tip.

Top 6 of 17 big game outfitters in Tennessee

How we rank: Outfitters are ranked by a credibility-weighted rating that blends each outfitter's verified Google star rating with how many reviews back it up — so a strong average from many hunters outranks the same average from only a few — then by the breadth of big game packages they offer (live inventory, last updated August 2026). Prices, ratings and review counts come straight from each outfitter's current listings — always confirm details before you book.

What a Tennessee big game hunt costs

Thirty-seven of the 80 packages carry a published price, from nine of the seventeen outfitters. The middle is $1,500 — a quarter at or below $1,200, a quarter at or above $2,000, and four above $4,395.

The two ends are different animals. The six cheapest run $150 to $500, and five of those six are deer or turkey hunts. Five of the six priciest are bison, boar and elk. The $8,995 at the top is where that hunt's price list opens, not where it closes.

The other 43 packages don't publish a comparable price at all, so plan on calling for a number more often than not.

Check whether your hunt needs a license

Deer, turkey, bear and elk have Tennessee seasons and need a license you buy yourself. The hog, buffalo, sheep and goat hunts here run behind a fence with no season attached, and what a preserve hunt requires is a question for the outfitter and for TWRA before a deposit goes out.

Two tells before you call. A hunt run under a season states a weapon — rifle, archery or muzzleloader — and nineteen of the 80 do; the fenced hunts state none. And a price written per animal rather than per hunt is a preserve hunt, which means a second animal is a second bill: the $900 beside sheep and the $3,000 beside buffalo are per-animal.

The belief worth dropping is that the outfitter handles your tag. Twelve of the 75 packages that list what they include bundle the license and tags. On the other 63 it's yours to buy.

Licence fees and season dates

A nonresident seven-day all-game license is $214 and the annual is $305. A resident annual sportsman license is $165, and the three supplemental big game permits are $33 each.

The August archery hunt, when the bucks are still in velvet, opens August 28, 2026. Gun season runs November 21, 2026 to January 3, 2027. Elk archery is one week, September 26 to October 2, 2026, and spring turkey runs April 3 to May 16, 2027. Dates and permits reset each license year, so check TWRA's big game page before you book around an opener.

What $1,500 doesn't cover

Of the 75 packages that say what they include, 58 have lodging, 53 a guide and 40 meals. Meat processing is on 31 and taxidermy on 15, so on most of these hunts the meat and the cape are a separate bill.

Add up the middle hunt: $1,500 for the hunt, $214 on top if you're a nonresident on a seven-day license, processing on the 44 packages that don't include it, the drive, and a tip no package on this page lists.

Big game species you can hunt in Tennessee

Outfitters in Tennessee list 80 guided big game packages across 7 species groups, starting at $150.

Checked August 2026.

7 packages are not listed by species; a hunt offering several species appears under each, so the rows total more than the remainder.

Guided big game packages in Tennessee by species, August 2026

Guided big game packages in Tennessee by species, August 2026
SpeciesPackagesOutfittersFrom
Deer2615$200
Hog & Wild Boar186$150
Turkey1311$150
Buffalo85$3,000
Sheep74$900
Goat43$1,200

Also listed, with one or two package each: Bear (1).

What a guided big game hunt costs in Tennessee

A guided big game hunt in Tennessee typically costs $1,500, with half of packages between $1,200 and $2,000.

From 37 priced packages of 80 across 9 outfitters, checked August 2026.

from $150median $1,5009 in 10 under $4,395

4 packages run higher, up to $8,995 — typically multi-day trips with lodging.

Full price breakdown

Guided big game package prices in Tennessee, August 2026 — 37 priced packages

Guided big game package prices in Tennessee, August 2026 — 37 priced packages
PointPrice
Lowest$150
25th percentile$1,200
Median$1,500
75th percentile$2,000
Highest$8,995

What hunters say about big game outfitters in Tennessee

16 big game outfitters in Tennessee carry 3,316 Google reviews averaging 4.76 — including 198 at three stars or below.

Sourced from Google · most recent review .

Review ratings for big game outfitters in Tennessee
5 stars2,960
4 stars158
3 stars59
2 stars37
1 star102
My dad, cousin and I came for a hog and ram hunt. I have been hunting for years and have been to several hunting preserves…
5 out of 5. Angela Graves · Spartan Hunting Preserve ·
  1. A beautiful place and excellent hospitality. We had a great turkey hunt. Michael, Al, Noah and kale were a superb!

    5 out of 5. William Weller · White Oak Falls Events & Outdoors ·

Bear seasons in Tennessee, 2026–27· 17 seasons

Sep 19, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027
SeasonZone / RegionMethodDatesLimits
Restricted Bear Reserve HuntStatewidearchery, muzzleloader, rifle – Season1 bear either sex
Bear Hunt - Archery Only (Still Hunting)TN Bear Hunting Zones 1–5archery – Season1 bear either sex per year
Bear Hunt - Dogs PermittedTN Bear Hunting Zone 1archery, muzzleloader, rifle – Season1 bear either sex per year
Bear Hunt - Dogs PermittedTN Bear Hunting Zone 2archery, muzzleloader, rifle – Season1 bear either sex per year
Bear Hunt - Dogs PermittedTN Bear Hunting Zone 3archery, muzzleloader, rifle – Season1 bear either sex per year
Bear Hunt - Dogs PermittedTN Bear Hunting Zone 1archery, muzzleloader, rifle – Season1 bear either sex per year
Bear Hunt - Dogs PermittedTN Bear Hunting Zone 3archery, muzzleloader, rifle – Season1 bear either sex per year
Young Sportsman Bear Hunt (Still Hunting)TN Bear Hunting Zones 1–5archery, muzzleloader, rifle – Season1 bear either sex per year
Bear Hunt - Dogs PermittedTN Bear Hunting Zones 2, 3archery, muzzleloader, rifle – Season1 bear either sex per year
Bear Hunt - Dogs PermittedTN Bear Hunting Zone 1archery, muzzleloader, rifle – Season1 bear either sex per year
Bear Hunt - Gun/Muzz/Archery (Still Hunting)TN Bear Hunting Zones 1–3archery, muzzleloader, rifle – Season1 bear either sex per year
Bear Hunt - Dogs PermittedTN Bear Hunting Zone 1archery, muzzleloader, rifle – Season1 bear either sex per year
Bear Hunt - Dogs PermittedTN Bear Hunting Zone 2archery, muzzleloader, rifle – Season1 bear either sex per year
Bear Hunt - Dogs PermittedTN Bear Hunting Zone 3archery, muzzleloader, rifle – Season1 bear either sex per year
Bear Hunt - Dogs PermittedTN Bear Hunting Zone 4archery, muzzleloader, rifle – Season1 bear either sex per year
Bear Hunt - Gun/Muzz/Archery (Still Hunting)TN Bear Hunting Zone 5archery, muzzleloader, rifle – Season1 bear either sex per year
Bear Hunt - Dogs PermittedTN Bear Hunting Zone 3archery, muzzleloader, rifle – Season1 bear either sex per year

Deer seasons in Tennessee, 2026–27· 19 seasons

Aug 28, 2026 – Jan 10, 2027
SeasonZone / RegionMethodDatesLimits
August Archery Only (Velvet) HuntStatewidearchery – Bag1 per daySeason2
Archery Deer SeasonStatewidearchery – Bag1 per daySeason2
Archery Deer SeasonTN Deer Units 1–3archery – Bag3 per day
Archery Deer SeasonTN Deer Units 4–6archery – Season4
Young Sportsman Deer HuntStatewidearchery, muzzleloader, rifle – Bag1 per daySeason2
Young Sportsman Deer HuntTN Deer Units 1–3archery, muzzleloader, rifle – Bag3 per day
Young Sportsman Deer HuntTN Deer Units 4–6archery, muzzleloader, rifleOpens Season2 antlerless deer for the four days combined
Archery Deer SeasonStatewidearchery – Bag1 per daySeason2
Muzzleloader/Archery Deer SeasonStatewidearchery, muzzleloader – Bag1 per daySeason2
Muzzleloader/Archery Deer SeasonTN Deer Units 1–3archery, muzzleloader – Bag3 per day
Muzzleloader/Archery Deer SeasonTN Deer Units 4–6archery, muzzleloader – Season2
Gun/Muzzleloader/Archery Deer SeasonStatewidearchery, muzzleloader, rifle – Bag1 per daySeason2
Gun/Muzzleloader/Archery Deer SeasonTN Deer Units 1–3archery, muzzleloader, rifle – Bag3 per day
Gun/Muzzleloader/Archery Deer SeasonTN Deer Units 4–6archery, muzzleloader, rifle – Season2
Young Sportsman Deer HuntStatewidearchery, muzzleloader, rifle – Bag1 per daySeason2
Young Sportsman Deer HuntTN Deer Units 1–3archery, muzzleloader, rifle – Bag3 per day
Straight-Walled Rifle Deer SeasonStatewiderifle – Bag1 per daySeason2
Straight-Walled Rifle Deer SeasonTN Deer Units 1–3rifle – Bag3 per day
Straight-Walled Rifle Deer SeasonTN Deer Units 4–6rifle – Season2

Elk seasons in Tennessee, 2026· 3 seasons

SeasonZone / RegionMethodDatesLimits
Elk Archery-Only SeasonTN Elk Zonearchery – Season1 antlered elk per permit
Elk Gun/Muzzleloader/Archery SeasonTN Elk Zonearchery, muzzleloader, rifle – Season1 antlered elk per permit
Elk Young Sportsman SeasonTN Elk Zonearchery, muzzleloader, rifle – Season1 antlered elk per permit

Turkey seasons in Tennessee, 2026–27· 5 seasons

SeasonZone / RegionMethodDatesLimits
Fall Turkey - Archery OnlyStatewidearchery – SeasonOne (1) male turkey. No bearded hens allowed.
Fall Turkey - Archery OnlyStatewidearchery – SeasonOne (1) male turkey. No bearded hens allowed.
Fall Turkey - Shotgun/ArcheryStatewideshotgun, archery – SeasonOne (1) male turkey. No bearded hens allowed.
Spring Turkey - Young SportsmanStatewideshotgun, archery – BagOne (1) male turkey per day, counts toward spring season bag of two (2), only one can be a jake. No bearded hens allowed.
Spring TurkeyStatewideshotgun, archery – SeasonTwo (2) male turkeys, only one can be a jake. No bearded hens allowed.

Required licenses & tags

LicenceResidencyCostTag
7-Day - All Gamenonresident$214—
Annual - All Gamenonresident$305—
Annual Sportsman (ages 16-64)resident$165—
Junior Hunt, Fish & Trap (Ages 13-15)resident$9—
Senior Sportsman (ages 65 and over)resident$49—
Supplemental Big Game Archeryresident$33—
Supplemental Big Game Gunresident$33—
Supplemental Big Game Muzzleloaderresident$33—
WMA Big Game (Non-quota)Any$24—

Optional — species-specific permits

These additional permits are only required if you are specifically targeting that animal within the same hunting area.

LicenceRequired forResidencyCostTag
Bear Party-Dog Hunt PermitBearAnyPermit required—
Elk Quota PermitElkAnyPermit required—
Young Sportsman Elk Quota PermitElkresidentPermit required—

What's included in a guided big game hunt in Tennessee

Across 75 guided big game packages in Tennessee that list what they include, these come up most often:

Inclusions vary by outfitter and package — always confirm what's covered before you book.

Matching packages

Pricing reflects live GuidedHunts outfitter listings, last updated August 2026. Always confirm current pricing and availability directly with the outfitter before booking.

Weapon regulations

  • archeryHunting arrows and bolts must be equipped with sharpened broadheads.
  • muzzleloaderMuzzleloading firearms (rifles and handguns) .36 caliber or larger are legal.
  • rifleRifles and handguns using centerfire ammunition (full metal jacketed ammunition prohibited). Air guns .35 caliber or larger are legal. Must use a pre-charged pneumatic firing mechanism and be equipped with a built-in manometer (air pressure gauge).
  • shotgunAmmunition loaded with a single solid ball or slugs is legal.

Species-specific weapon rules

These apply only when targeting that specific animal within the same area.

  • shotgunTurkeyAmmunition must be Number Four (4) or smaller shot. There is no restriction on the number of rounds in the magazine.
Did you know?

Hunters must wear on the upper portion of their body and head a minimum of 500 square inches of daylight fluorescent orange (blaze orange) or pink, visible front and back while hunting big game. This does not apply to archery-only and turkey hunts. A hat and vest fulfill the requirements. In those areas where the archery-only deer season dates overlap with another big game gun season (i.e., bear) archers are required to wear 500 square inches of daylight fluorescent orange/pink.