Warren County, Kentucky Hunting

Warren County deer limits and gun days

The 301 KAR 2:172 zone list puts Warren County in Zone 2, a group of 24 counties. Up to four deer come home from a Zone 2 county, but just one antlered deer statewide. Warren County kept the zone it had in 2025-26, so last season's bag still holds.

KDFWR wording for Zone 2: “Up to 4 deer (1 antlered max statewide).” 301 KAR 2:172

Zone 2 gives gun hunters November 14 to November 29, 2026, then a late muzzleloader window of December 12 to December 20, 2026. Young hunters start October 10, and muzzleloader hunters get October 17 to October 18, 2026 before the main gun opener. Archery covers 136 days from September 5; crossbow season is 122 days.

Orange rules cover every hunter during modern gun, muzzleloader and youth gun days, with waterfowl and dove hunters among the exceptions. The free youth weekend, December 26 to December 27, 2026, lets hunters under 16 take a deer of either sex with an adult.

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.

Warren County zones beyond deer

Black bear

Warren County is not in a bear zone, so there is no bear season here; the closest bear county is Cumberland County, about 59 miles away.

Elk

Warren County is outside the elk zone, where elk may be taken under the out-of-zone rule during deer seasons with deer methods. This permit stands apart from deer permits and the deer bag.

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

Cottontails and bobwhites in Warren County are on the Western Zone schedule, November 16 to February 10. No grouse season reaches Warren County; it lies outside the Grouse Zone. Otter Zone 2 covers Warren County, with its own sub-limit inside the statewide bag.

Warren County gets the Western Zone early goose days, September 1 to September 15, 2026, going by the KDFWR zone map. Statewide duck dates start November 26 and finish January 31, 2027, with a break in early December.

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.

Walk-in hunting ground in Warren County

Public hunting land is missing from Warren County entirely, one of 28 Kentucky counties with none on record.

Just over the line from Warren County:

• Gabbard Branch WMAWMA · 1 mile from the line
• Barren River Lake WMAWMA · 3 miles from the line
• Nolin River Lake WMAWMA · 26 miles from the centre

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.

Warren County event listings

On November 9, 2026 the county showed 1 date ahead, covering DU bingo night.

A trial or class close by that slipped past us? Post it

Listings and results from the KDFWR calendar, the DU and NWTF feeds, UKC and American Field, read November 9, 2026. Times are on local clock time: Central Time in the western 41 counties, Eastern Time elsewhere.

Warren County sun table for opening days

Warren County duck, goose and dove hunters stop at sunset rather than half an hour after it, which is why the bird column closes earlier.

Public dove fields open at 11 a.m. early on. 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 Central Time; checked November 10, 2026. Legal hours across Kentucky.

Warren County neighbours and statewide guides

Four counties closest to Warren County by centre point, then three statewide guides.