Carter County Hunting, 2026-27

Carter County chronic wasting disease rules

Carter County lies beyond the CWD Surveillance Zone, whose closest county is Rockcastle County at about 96 miles.

Out-of-state and zone-county deer must arrive deboned, with only clean skull caps, antlers and hides kept whole. Bait is a private-land option in Carter County; WMAs, state parks and much federal land forbid it.

Carcass rule: No whole carcasses or high-risk parts (head, skull/skull cap with brain, spine) may leave the zone or enter Kentucky from other states/provinces; deboned meat, antlers, clean skull caps/skulls/teeth, hides and finished taxidermy allowed.

Testing is free statewide at drop-off sites open around the clock or by mail-in kit.

From the 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide, the KDFWR CWD Surveillance Zone page and baiting rules. Checked November 10, 2026.

Carter County hunting dates by zone

Carter County readers can open the cited guide page on any line; each row links the page it came from.

Goose zones are read from a map. Goose zones marked (map) are read from the KDFWR zone map.

Dates from the 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide and the Kentucky Hunting Guide for Migratory Birds and Waterfowl, checked against the KDFWR Season Dates app; zone county lists from 301 KAR and KDFWR zone layers; quota hunts from the KDFWR Quota Hunts page (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources); checked November 10, 2026.

Carter County land open to hunters

Carter County has 3 open hunting areas on record; the largest is Daniel Boone National Forest. The public hunting footprint is about 12,146 GIS acres, 5% of all land here.

Map layers give these acreages; nature preserves and other Park Service land are closed to hunting.

Daniel Boone National Forest runs to about 710,298 acres and is managed by the Forest Service. Roughly 95% of Daniel Boone National Forest is forest. Game listed for it includes white-tailed deer, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, bobwhite quail. At roughly 8,025 acres, Grayson Lake WMA is a WMA looked after by KDFWR. Expect mainly forest there (95%). Game listed for it includes white-tailed deer, wild turkey, squirrel, rabbit. It crosses county lines (2 counties, Zones 1, 2); the most liberal zone governs. At roughly 1,176 acres, Tygarts State Forest is a state forest looked after by the Kentucky Division of Forestry. The habitat breakdown puts forest first at 86%. KDFWR lists it as open to all species on statewide dates.

Stay out with a gun at Carter Caves State Resort Park and Grayson Lake State Park; these are closed to hunting.

Public areas near Carter County:

• Old Trace Creek WMAWMA · 0 miles from the line
• Ed Mabry – Laurel Gorge WMAWMA · 3 miles from the line
• Sunny Brook WMAWMA · 4 miles from the line
• Greenbo Lake State Resort ParkState park · 5 miles from the line
• Yatesville Lake WMAWMA · 6 miles from the line
• Yatesville Lake State Park and Lawrence County Recreation AreaState park · 9 miles from the line

Land records from KDFWR, the Kentucky Division of Forestry, Kentucky State Parks and federal managers; GIS acres from the KDFWR Public Hunting Areas layer and PAD-US (map measures, not official acreages); closures under 301 KAR 2:178 and 400 KAR 2:090. Checked November 10, 2026.

Hunting dates and winners in Carter County

UKC club event and UKC nite hunt held in the county posted 3 results, listed below.

Published winners

Spotted a flyer for a local hunt night? Tell us

Listings and results from the KDFWR calendar, the DU and NWTF feeds, UKC and American Field, read November 9, 2026.

Carter County sun table for opening days

Carter County hunters can be afield from half an hour before sunrise until half an hour after sunset for deer, elk, bear, turkey and small game, and the times below are worked out for Carter County itself.

Rounded to the minute. Times are on local clock time: Central Time in the western 41 counties, Eastern Time elsewhere.

Hours rules from the 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide; sunrise and sunset from the NOAA solar formula at this point on Eastern Time; checked November 10, 2026. Legal hours across Kentucky.

More guides around Carter County

Close counties first, then statewide guides worth a look.