Kentucky › Hunting seasons › Deer zones
Kentucky deer zones · 2026-27
Kentucky Deer Zones
All 120 counties sorted into Zones 1 to 4 for 2026-27, with each zone's bag in KDFWR wording, the 30 county moves and a county finder.
Photo: Pen Waggener (CC BY 2.0)
How Kentucky draws its four deer zones
Kentucky manages deer by county. The deer regulation, 301 KAR 2:172, assigns each of the 120 counties to one of four deer zones, and the zone decides how many deer a hunter may take there. For 2026-27 the split is 68 counties in Zone 1, 24 in Zone 2, 13 in Zone 3 and 15 in Zone 4.
The zone number runs from the most generous bag to the most restrictive. Zone 1 has no fixed antlerless ceiling; Zones 2 and 3 stop at four deer, with Zone 3 allowing only one antlerless deer by firearm or air gun; Zone 4 allows two deer with only one antlerless and keeps antlerless deer off limits for most gun days. Across all four, a hunter may take only one antlered deer a year.
This season 30 counties changed zone, and every move went one step lower: 17 from Zone 2 to Zone 1, 6 from Zone 3 to Zone 2 and 7 from Zone 4 to Zone 3. Season dates are the same in every zone; the gun and late muzzleloader rows are printed per zone only because the bag behind them differs.
Zone lists from 301 KAR 2:172 (effective November 5, 2026) and the KDFWR deer zone layer; changes from guide p. 10 and the Deer Report; checked November 10, 2026.
Bag limits in each Kentucky deer zone
Deer Zone 1
Unlimited antlerless; 68 counties, 74 public areas.
Deer Zone 2
Up to 4 deer; 24 counties, 26 public areas.
Deer Zone 3
4 deer, 1 gun antlerless; 13 counties, 29 public areas.
Deer Zone 4
2 deer, 1 antlerless; 15 counties, 42 public areas.
| Zone | Counties | Bag in KDFWR words | New counties | Deer 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer Zone 1 | 68 | Unlimited antlerless deer with the statewide deer permit plus additional deer permits; 1 antlered deer statewide. | 17 | 103,888 |
| Deer Zone 2 | 24 | Up to 4 deer (1 antlered max statewide). | 6 | 20,611 |
| Deer Zone 3 | 13 | Up to 4 deer; only 1 antlerless deer with a firearm or air gun (1 antlered max statewide). | 7 | 11,395 |
| Deer Zone 4 | 15 | Up to 2 deer, only 1 antlerless (1 antlered max statewide); no antlerless deer during modern gun, early muzzleloader or the first 6 days of late muzzleloader. | 0 | 9,631 |
Every bag line above is quoted from the guide. Zone 1 hunters who want more antlerless deer than the four on the statewide deer permit buy additional deer permits, two deer each, at $15.86.
Bags from guide p. 10 and 301 KAR 2:172; harvest by county from the Harvest Results app, summed for today’s counties (The 2025-26 Kentucky White-tailed Deer Report prints 145,433 deer; the KDFWR Harvest Results app (live Telecheck) counts 145,525.); checked November 10, 2026.
Kentucky deer season dates by zone
Archery runs September 5, 2026 to January 18, 2027, and the modern gun season runs November 14 to November 29, 2026 in all four zones. Early muzzleloader is October 17 to October 18, 2026 and late muzzleloader December 12 to December 20, 2026; in Zone 4 the antlerless rules cut into those dates, as the bag line says.
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. A Zone 1 September season is also in the amended rule.
| Season | Dates | Applies to | Bag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | Sep 5–Jan 18 | All zones | Zone bag limits; 1 antlered deer statewide |
| Crossbow | Sep 19–Jan 18 | All zones | Zone bag limits; 1 antlered deer statewide |
| Youth/Senior Crossbow | Sep 5–Jan 18 | All zones | Zone bag limits |
| CWD Antlerless Season | Sep 25–28 | CWD counties, Zones 1-3 | Antlerless only; zone bag limits apply |
| Youth-only Modern Firearms | Oct 10–18 | All zones | Zone bag limits |
| Early Muzzleloader | Oct 17–18 | All zones | Zone bag limits |
| Modern Firearms | Nov 14–29 | Zone 1 | Unlimited antlerless deer with the statewide deer permit plus additional deer permits; 1 antlered deer statewide. |
| Modern Firearms | Nov 14–29 | Zone 2 | Up to 4 deer (1 antlered max statewide). |
| Modern Firearms | Nov 14–29 | Zone 3 | Up to 4 deer; only 1 antlerless deer with a firearm or air gun (1 antlered max statewide). |
| Modern Firearms | Nov 14–29 | Zone 4 | Up to 2 deer, only 1 antlerless (1 antlered max statewide); no antlerless deer during modern gun, early muzzleloader or the first 6 days of late muzzleloader. |
| Late Muzzleloader | Dec 12–20 | Zone 1 | Unlimited antlerless deer with the statewide deer permit plus additional deer permits; 1 antlered deer statewide. |
| Late Muzzleloader | Dec 12–20 | Zone 2 | Up to 4 deer (1 antlered max statewide). |
| Late Muzzleloader | Dec 12–20 | Zone 3 | Up to 4 deer; only 1 antlerless deer with a firearm or air gun (1 antlered max statewide). |
| Late Muzzleloader | Dec 12–20 | Zone 4 | Up to 2 deer, only 1 antlerless (1 antlered max statewide); no antlerless deer during modern gun, early muzzleloader or the first 6 days of late muzzleloader. |
| Free Youth Weekend | Dec 26–27 | All zones | Antlered or antlerless regardless of zone; bag limits apply |
From the 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide and the KDFWR Season Dates app; KDFWR deer page fetched November 10, 2026: no January season listed. Checked November 10, 2026.
Find the deer zone for any Kentucky county
Type a county or a county seat to see its deer zone, the zone it sat in for 2025-26, its KDFWR wildlife region and whether CWD, bear or elk rules also reach it.
From 301 KAR 2:172, the KDFWR CWD page, 301 KAR 2:300, 301 KAR 2:132 and the KDFWR regions layer; checked November 10, 2026.
Counties that changed deer zone for 2026-27
KDFWR moved 30 counties for 2026-27, and its Deer Report describes all of them as moves to higher bag limits. The largest group is the 17 counties promoted from Zone 2 to Zone 1.
- Zone 2 to Zone 1Adair, Boyd, Breckinridge, Butler, Carter, Daviess, Grayson, Greenup, Hancock, Lawrence, Lewis, Logan, Marion, Meade, Metcalfe, Ohio, Taylor
- Zone 3 to Zone 2Cumberland, Elliott, Garrard, Johnson, Morgan, Rowan
- Zone 4 to Zone 3Clinton, Jackson, Martin, Menifee, Pike, Rockcastle, Russell
From guide p. 10, the 2025-2026 Deer Report and 301 KAR 2:172; checked November 10, 2026.
Deer harvest by Kentucky deer zone
Adding the county figures from the Harvest Results app by today's zone lists, the counties now in Deer Zone 1 produced 103,888 of the 145,525 deer checked in 2025-26. Divided by county land area, the 2025-26 totals come to Zone 1 about 4.7; Zone 2 about 2.8; Zone 3 about 2.5; Zone 4 about 1.7 deer per square mile.
| Zone | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | Share 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer Zone 1 | 100,440 | 108,196 | 103,797 | 107,577 | 103,888 | 71% |
| Deer Zone 2 | 16,190 | 18,463 | 18,548 | 20,856 | 20,611 | 14% |
| Deer Zone 3 | 8,452 | 9,891 | 9,938 | 11,744 | 11,395 | 8% |
| Deer Zone 4 | 7,245 | 7,965 | 8,782 | 9,742 | 9,631 | 7% |
deer checked by county, KDFWR Harvest Results app (Telecheck), license year: KDFWR Harvest Results app; summed for the counties in each zone today, so earlier seasons use the current lists; land area from the Census Gazetteer in counties.json. The 2025-26 Kentucky White-tailed Deer Report prints 145,433 deer; the KDFWR Harvest Results app (live Telecheck) counts 145,525. Checked November 10, 2026.
Where the CWD zone overlaps the deer zones
The CWD Surveillance Zone is drawn separately from the deer zones. Its 23 counties fall in Zone 1 (14), Zone 2 (2), Zone 3 (5) and Zone 4 (2). The September CWD antlerless season (September 25 to September 28, 2026) applies only to the 21 surveillance counties in Zones 1-3, and staffed check is mandatory November 14 to November 16, 2026 in Henderson, McCreary, Pulaski and Wayne counties.
- Deer Zone 1Ballard, Breckinridge, Calloway, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hardin, Henderson, Hickman, Marshall, McCracken, Meade, Union, Webster
- Deer Zone 2Casey, Lincoln
- Deer Zone 3Laurel, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Russell, Wayne
- Deer Zone 4McCreary, Whitley
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Baiting, KDFWR statement | Allowed in the zone for 2026-27 except through contact feeders (troughs, funnel or gravity feeders); never on WMAs or public land. |
| Baiting, regulation text | The regulation text (301 KAR 2:015 and 2:172) still prohibits baiting in the zone; this is the KDFWR 2026-27 statement. |
From Guide p. 15 and the KDFWR CWD page; checked November 10, 2026.
Mossy dry-stone fence in Mercer CountyPhoto: Rob Thurman (CC BY 2.0)
White farmhouse and lawn at Sunnyside Farm in Jessamine CountyPhoto: Christopher L. Riley (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Black plank fences and green pasture on a Bourbon County horse farmPhoto: Chris M Morris (CC BY 2.0)
Kentucky deer zone questions
How many deer zones split the 120 counties?
Four, set by county in 301 KAR 2:172: Zone 1 (68 counties), Zone 2 (24), Zone 3 (13) and Zone 4 (15).
Which deer zone has the biggest bag?
Zone 1: Unlimited antlerless deer with the statewide deer permit plus additional deer permits; 1 antlered deer statewide.
Which deer zone is the most restrictive?
Zone 4: Up to 2 deer, only 1 antlerless (1 antlered max statewide); no antlerless deer during modern gun, early muzzleloader or the first 6 days of late muzzleloader.
Do season dates differ between deer zones?
No. Every zone has modern gun November 14 to November 29, 2026 and late muzzleloader December 12 to December 20, 2026; the bags differ.
How many counties changed deer zone this year?
30, each moved one zone lower for 2026-27.
How many antlered deer can I take in Kentucky?
One antlered deer statewide.
Is there a January deer season this year?
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.
Can a county be in two deer zones?
No. Zones follow county lines; a WMA that spans two zones follows the more liberal one under 301 KAR 2:178.
Where do I check a county's zone?
In the county finder on this page, or on the county's own page.
From 301 KAR 2:172 and the 2026-27 guide; checked November 10, 2026.