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Haynes Bottom WMA

Birding Seasons:

Spring A

Summer B

Fall A

Winter A

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Site Description and Habitats

The 971 acre WMA consists, in part, of river bottoms that are managed for waterfowl via moist soil units. These areas are hunted during waterfowl season. The bottoms also have warm season grasses and scrub that extends up on the hillsides. Smaller tracts of mature upland forest are present, along with various tree lines. Gravel roads and ATV trails are available.

Bird species of interest

Spring and Fall Migration: Possible Marsh or Sedge Wrens in the wet grassy areas as well as possible American Bitterns. Early successional birds are most common here, including Prairie Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Orchard Oriole, Field Sparrow, Song Sparrow, and White-eyed Vireo, all which may nest here as well. The mature woodlands can be birdy and you may find Magolia, Tennessee, Blackpoll (spring), Ovenbird, Black-and-white, and Hooded Warblers, among many other warblers, thrushes, and vireos.

Summer: Dickcissels and Red-winged Blackbirds are common. Blue Grosbeaks can be regular as can Northern Bobwhite, Summer Tanager, Yellow-breasted Chat Orchard Oriole and White-eyed Vireo. Henslow’s Sparrow is possible in proper habitat.

Winter: Waterfowl are common to abundant, including Ring-necked Duck, Mallard, Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, and Green-winged Teal. Grassy fields are bushy edges are great places for sparrows including White-throated, White-crowned, Field, Fox and Song Sparrows.

Year-Round: Barred and Barn Owls (latter is possible). Bald Eagle.

Species List via eBird Hotspot Explorer

Submit your data to eBird here

Detailed directions for birding Haynes Bottoms
From Clarksville, at the junction of Hwy 41A and Hwy 79 on the west side of town, take Hwy 79 (Dover Road) 2.5 miles to Dotsonville Road. Turn left onto Dotsonville Road and go seven miles to the end of Dotsonville Road. Turn left, go 100 yards and turn left onto Chester Harris Road. Go 2.5 miles and bare left onto Woodrow and the WMA entrance is just up the road on your right. The WMA boundary is marked with yellow plastic posts. There is a TWRA storage barn at the entrance. Drive the road to the end, or if it is gated and there's no hunting, walk the road into the floodplain and explore the gravel roads through fields and waterfowl ponds.

Other wildlife viewing opportunities
In the warm months, butterflies and sometimes dragonflies can be abundant. Toads and frogs can be heard singing on summer evenings and White tailed deer can be spotted.

Haynes Bottoms WMA Map

Lat-Long (GPS) coordinates:
Entrance road to WMA: 36.46098, -87.48144

Fees and Hours
No fees are required to access these areas. The areas are accessible during daylight hours year round but gate is closed at times. Please park outside the gate but do not block. Check hunting guide as access is limited or not recommended during some hunts.

Hazards
For tips for safely watching wildlife during hunting seasons and year round please refer to TWRA Hunting Guide about hunting seasons and public access dates.

Facilities
There are no restroom facilities or designated birding observation areas.

Contact
TWRA Region 2 Office
Ellington Agricultural Center
P.O. Box 41489
Nashville, TN 37204

Info for other sites
Tennessee’s Watchable Wildlife web site