Lewis County Hunting Guide

Deer Zone 1 rules in Lewis County

Lewis County is in Deer Zone 1 for 2026-27, one of 68 counties KDFWR placed there under 301 KAR 2:172. Zone 1 is the most liberal zone: unlimited antlerless deer with the right permits, and still just one antlered deer statewide. Old guides show Lewis County in Zone 2, but the 2026-27 map has it in Zone 1.

KDFWR wording for Zone 1: “Unlimited antlerless deer with the statewide deer permit plus additional deer permits; 1 antlered deer statewide.” 301 KAR 2:172

The Zone 1 modern gun season runs November 14 to November 29, 2026, 16 days, and the late muzzleloader season follows from December 12 to December 20, 2026. Youth hunters get the woods to themselves October 10 to October 18, 2026, and early muzzleloader falls on October 17 to October 18, 2026. Archery runs statewide September 5, 2026 to January 18, 2027, and crossbow opens September 19, 2026 and ends the same January day.

Gun deer days mean orange for all: head, back and chest, archers and trappers too, unless you are hunting waterfowl or doves. On December 26 to December 27, 2026 youth under 16 need no license or deer permit, only an adult with them.

A January 9-11, 2027 antlerless-only firearms season in Zones 1-3 was adopted in 301 KAR 2:172 effective November 5, 2026; KDFWR's guide still lists it as pending. 301 KAR 2:172

Zones and bags from 301 KAR 2:172 and the 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide; hunter orange from the guide. Checked November 10, 2026.

Lewis County bear, elk and bird rules

Black bear, Zone 2

Lewis County is in Bear Zone 2, one of 41 counties in that zone and 47 in Kentucky's bear range. Bowhunters go first (October 24 to October 28), hound hunters follow (October 19 to October 23 and October 29 to November 6), and gun hunters finish (December 12 to December 16). A hunter can take one bear a license year; it must weigh 75 pounds or more and cannot be a sow with cubs.

No bait for bears, and garbage counts as bait under KDFWR rules. Bear dogs get practice in the chase-only season, which takes no bears. Hounds stay home at Daniel Boone National Forest, where bear dogs are banned.

No bear quota; bear permits are over the counter. 301 KAR 2:300

Elk

Outside the elk zone, as Lewis County is, the Out-of-Zone Elk Permit allows one elk during deer seasons. That elk does not count against the deer bag, and no deer permit is needed for it.

Follows deer season dates and methods; needs annual hunting license plus Out-of-Zone Elk Permit; no deer permit required. 1 elk of either sex per license year (not counted in deer bag) Guide p. 23

Small game and birds

Rabbit and quail follow the Eastern Zone calendar here: November 1 to November 13 and November 16 to January 31. Lewis County counts toward the Grouse Zone, with birds open into late February. Lewis County falls in Otter Zone 2 for trapping and hunting otters.

The Eastern September goose zone, read from the map, puts the early goose season here at September 16 to September 30, 2026. Kentucky runs one duck zone, opening November 26 and closing January 31, 2027.

September goose zone counties are read from the KDFWR zone map; they agree with the 301 KAR 2:225 rule. Waterfowl guide p. 11

From the 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide, the Kentucky Hunting Guide for Migratory Birds and Waterfowl, bear zone rules, elk rules and small game zones. Checked November 10, 2026.

Lewis County hunting land, open and closed

Daniel Boone National Forest heads the list of 3 public hunting areas that reach into Lewis County. Mapped public hunting land comes to some 906 acres, about under 1% of the land area.

Acres below come from GIS layers by land kind, with closed land shown so it is not mistaken for open ground.

The 710,298 acres of Daniel Boone National Forest are run by the Forest Service. Its cover is mostly forest, about 95% of the area. KDFWR lists white-tailed deer, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, bobwhite quail for that area. Old Trace Creek WMA adds some 874 acres of WMA ground, managed by KDFWR. Forest makes up about 96% of it. Statewide seasons apply there for every species. Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge adds some 381 acres of refuge ground, managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service. Roughly 71% of Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge is open water. KDFWR lists migratory game birds, squirrel, rabbit, fox for that area.

Within reach of the county line:

• Fleming WMAWMA · 1 mile from the line
• Tygarts State ForestState forest · 2 miles from the line
• Simon Kenton WMAWMA · 4 miles from the line
• South Shore WMAWMA · 5 miles from the line
• Sunny Brook WMAWMA · 7 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.

Explore past Lewis County

Neighbouring county guides and statewide pages for Lewis County hunters.