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Deer zone guide
Kentucky Deer Zone 4
Where Zone 4 begins and ends county by county, what it allows and when the guns come out this season.
Photo: Doug Kerr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
How Deer Zone 4 is drawn
Deer Zone 4 is one of four county-based deer zones that 301 KAR 2:172 draws across Kentucky, and for 2026-27 it holds 15 of the 120 counties. KDFWR manages the ground through its wildlife regions, and this zone draws on Northeast (2) and Southeast (13).
In 2025-26 the counties now in Zone 4 produced 9,631 checked deer, which is 7% of the statewide app count. Going the other way, 7 former Zone 4 counties are Deer Zone 3 counties for 2026-27.
Legal light is read on the local clock, and counties in this zone keep Eastern Time.
Zone lists from 301 KAR 2:172 and the KDFWR deer zone layer; regions from the KDFWR regions layer; harvest from the KDFWR Harvest Results app (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.
Counting deer in Deer Zone 4
In the agency's own wording, the Zone 4 bag reads:
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.
Zone 4 is the tightest zone: two deer, only one of them antlerless. During modern gun, early muzzleloader and the first six days of late muzzleloader no antlerless deer may be taken, so the late muzzleloader antlerless window is its last three days, December 18 to December 20, 2026.
Bow, crossbow and firearm deer go into a single running total for the zone.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Antlered limit | One antlered deer statewide |
| Zone rule in short | 2 deer, 1 antlerless |
| Statewide deer permit | $37 resident, $248.40 nonresident |
| Additional deer permit | $15.86, two deer |
Bag wording from Guide p. 12 and 301 KAR 2:172; permit prices from the 2026-27 fee table; checked November 10, 2026.
Deer Zone 4 deer calendar
Zone 4 carries its own modern gun row (November 14 to November 29, 2026) and its own late muzzleloader row (December 12 to December 20, 2026). The other rows are statewide and apply here unchanged, from the September archery opener to the free youth weekend after Christmas.
| Season | When | Applies | Bag rule | Extra rules | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | Sep 5–Jan 18 | All zones | Zone bag limits; 1 antlered deer statewide | Hunters using archery equipment during a firearm season must follow firearm-season rules and wear hunter orange. | Guide p. 12 |
| Crossbow | Sep 19–Jan 18 | All zones | Zone bag limits; 1 antlered deer statewide | — | Guide p. 12 |
| Youth/Senior Crossbow | Sep 5–Jan 18 | All zones | Zone bag limits | Youth under 16 (resident or nonresident) and resident hunters 65 and older. | Guide p. 12 |
| Youth-only Modern Firearms | Oct 10–18 | All zones | Zone bag limits | Youth under 16, accompanied by an adult; ages 12-15 need license and deer permit. | Guide p. 12 |
| Early Muzzleloader | Oct 17–18 | All zones | Zone bag limits | Zone 4: no antlerless deer this season. | Guide p. 12 |
| 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. | Antlered deer only in Zone 4 during modern gun season. | Guide p. 12 |
| 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. | Zone 4: antlerless deer only in the last 3 days (Dec. 18-20). | Guide p. 12 |
| Free Youth Weekend | Dec 26–27 | All zones | Antlered or antlerless regardless of zone; bag limits apply | Youth under 16 accompanied by an adult; no license or deer permit needed. | Guide p. 12 |
During youth gun, muzzleloader and modern gun days, anyone hunting in daylight wears unbroken orange on head, chest and back, whatever the quarry. More on the rules.
Season rows from the 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide, cross-checked against the KDFWR Season Dates app; hunter orange from Guide p. 10; checked November 10, 2026.
Which counties make up Deer Zone 4
Counties in Zone 4, their region and how many deer they checked in 2025-26.
| County | Region | Telecheck | Zone move | CWD zone | Seat town |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell | Southeast | 661 | — | — | Pineville |
| Breathitt | Southeast | 633 | — | — | Jackson |
| Clay | Southeast | 926 | — | — | Manchester |
| Floyd | Northeast | 881 | — | — | Prestonsburg |
| Harlan | Southeast | 509 | — | — | Harlan |
| Knott | Southeast | 714 | — | — | Hindman |
| Knox | Southeast | 804 | — | — | Barbourville |
| Lee | Southeast | 311 | — | — | Beattyville |
| Leslie | Southeast | 565 | — | — | Hyden |
| Letcher | Southeast | 549 | — | — | Whitesburg |
| Magoffin | Northeast | 450 | — | — | Salyersville |
| McCreary | Southeast | 441 | — | Yes | Whitley City |
| Owsley | Southeast | 283 | — | — | Booneville |
| Perry | Southeast | 818 | — | — | Hazard |
| Whitley | Southeast | 1,086 | — | Yes | Williamsburg |
Counties from 301 KAR 2:172 and the KDFWR deer zone layer; 2026 changes from guide p. 10 and the Deer Report; checked November 10, 2026.
Deer Zone 4 changes for 2026-27
County moves into and out of Zone 4: all of them one zone lower than in 2025-26.
| County | Before | After | Move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton | Zone 4 | Zone 3 | Out of this zone |
| Jackson | Zone 4 | Zone 3 | Out of this zone |
| Martin | Zone 4 | Zone 3 | Out of this zone |
| Menifee | Zone 4 | Zone 3 | Out of this zone |
| Pike | Zone 4 | Zone 3 | Out of this zone |
| Rockcastle | Zone 4 | Zone 3 | Out of this zone |
| Russell | Zone 4 | Zone 3 | Out of this zone |
From 301 KAR 2:172, guide p. 10 and the 2025-2026 Deer Report; checked November 10, 2026.
CWD check rules for Deer Zone 4
Inside Zone 4, 2 counties carry CWD Surveillance Zone rules this season. Zone 4 surveillance counties sit out the CWD antlerless season, and guns stay home for deer on its four days. Staffed CWD check stations are mandatory November 14 to November 16, 2026 for deer from McCreary.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Testing | Free voluntary testing statewide at 24/7 drop-off sites or by mail-in kit (Shoot for Samples giveaway). |
From Guide p. 15, the KDFWR CWD page and 301 KAR 2:172; checked November 10, 2026.
Deer Zone 4 harvest by county
KDFWR reports by county; the totals here are those county numbers summed for the 15 counties of Zone 4 today.
Whitley County topped the zone in 2025-26 at 1,086 deer, and the peak season for the group was 2024-25 (9,742).
| County | Total | Antlered | Button bucks | Does | Firearm | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader | State rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitley | 1,086 | 814 | 20 | 252 | 707 | 149 | 168 | 62 | #53 |
| Clay | 926 | 760 | 17 | 149 | 673 | 113 | 112 | 28 | #68 |
| Floyd | 881 | 718 | 11 | 152 | 671 | 64 | 99 | 47 | #72 |
| Perry | 818 | 624 | 11 | 183 | 573 | 81 | 117 | 47 | #77 |
| Knox | 804 | 633 | 11 | 160 | 509 | 117 | 118 | 60 | #78 |
| Knott | 714 | 550 | 8 | 156 | 543 | 48 | 87 | 36 | #86 |
| Bell | 661 | 514 | 13 | 134 | 462 | 63 | 83 | 53 | #89 |
| Breathitt | 633 | 531 | 6 | 96 | 484 | 47 | 60 | 42 | #92 |
| Leslie | 565 | 434 | 12 | 119 | 406 | 42 | 75 | 42 | #98 |
| Letcher | 549 | 433 | 3 | 113 | 388 | 59 | 55 | 47 | #100 |
deer checked by county, KDFWR Harvest Results app (Telecheck), license year: KDFWR Harvest Results app, 2016-17 to 2025-26 (license years); zone totals summed for the counties in today’s Zone 4. 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.
Hunting areas inside Deer Zone 4
The list covers 42 areas whose counties include a Zone 4 county. 16 of them cross into another deer zone; under 301 KAR 2:178 a WMA in two zones follows the more liberal zone.
Many WMAs set their own deer rules on top of the zone; the area pages list them.
| Area | Kind | Counties here | Also in | Deer quota hunts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asher Hunting Access Area | Access area | Bell, Harlan, Knox | — | — |
| Beaver Creek WMA | WMA | McCreary | 3 | 1 |
| Access area | Knott, Leslie, Letcher, Perry | 3 | — | |
| River and rec area | McCreary | — | — | |
| Boone Forestlands WMA | WMA | Bell, Clay, Harlan, Leslie | — | — |
| Buckhorn Lake WMA | WMA | Leslie, Perry | — | — |
| Burchell-Beech Creek WMA | WMA | Clay | — | — |
| Carr Creek Lake WMA | WMA | Knott | — | — |
| Continental Hunting Access Area | Access area | Floyd, Letcher | 3 | — |
| Cranks Creek WMA | WMA | Harlan | — | — |
| Cumberland Forest WMA | WMA | Bell, Harlan, Knox, Leslie, Whitley | — | — |
| Daniel Boone National Forest | National forest | Breathitt, Clay, Harlan, Knox, Lee, Leslie, McCreary, Owsley, Perry, Whitley | 1, 2, 3 | — |
| Ranger district | Lee | 2, 3 | — | |
| Ranger district | Lee, Owsley, Whitley | 3 | — | |
| Ranger district | Clay, Harlan, Leslie, Owsley, Perry | — | — | |
| Ranger district | McCreary, Whitley | 3 | — | |
| Dewey Lake WMA | WMA | Floyd | 3 | 1 |
| Elk Forest WMA | WMA | Bell, Clay, Harlan, Knox, Leslie | — | — |
| Access area | Floyd, Knott, Letcher | 3 | — | |
| Fortner-Davis WMA | WMA | Bell | — | — |
| Hensley-Pine Mountain WMA | WMA | Harlan, Letcher | — | — |
| Hoskins WMA | WMA | Harlan, Leslie | — | — |
| Jefferson National Forest | National forest | Letcher | 3 | — |
| State park | Floyd | — | — | |
| KDFWR Hunting Access Areas | Access program | Bell, Breathitt, Floyd, Harlan, Knott, Knox, Leslie, Letcher, Perry | 3 | — |
| Kentenia State Forest | State forest | Harlan | — | — |
| Kentucky Ridge Forest WMA | WMA | Bell | — | — |
| Kentucky Ridge State Forest | State forest | Bell | — | — |
| Lake Cumberland WMA | WMA | McCreary | 3 | — |
| Legacy WMA | WMA | Floyd | 3 | — |
| Martins Fork Lake WMA | WMA | Harlan | — | — |
| WMA | Harlan | — | — | |
| Paul Van Booven WMA | WMA | Breathitt, Perry | — | — |
| Pocahontas WMA | WMA | Floyd, Harlan | 2, 3 | — |
| RH Group WMA | WMA | Floyd, Letcher, Magoffin, McCreary | 2, 3 | — |
| Redbird WMA | WMA | Clay, Leslie | — | — |
| Robinson Forest WMA | WMA | Breathitt, Perry | — | — |
| Ross Creek WMA | WMA | Lee | 3 | — |
| Shillalah Creek WMA | WMA | Bell, Harlan | — | — |
| WMA | Harlan | — | — | |
| WMA | McCreary, Whitley | — | — | |
| Wells Hunting Access Area | Access area | Breathitt, Knott, Leslie, Perry | — | — |
2 quota hunts were offered here; KDFWR took online applications September 1-30, 2026 for $3 per hunt.
| No. | Area | When | Hunters | Min points 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Beaver Creek WMA | Nov. 7-8 | 330 | 0.0 |
| 9 | Dewey Lake WMA | Nov. 7-8 | 150 | 0.0 |
All Kentucky WMAs · All quota hunts
Areas and counties from lands.json (KDFWR public land); quota hunts from the KDFWR Quota Hunts page and Guide p. 34; WMA zone rule from 301 KAR 2:178; checked November 10, 2026.
Legal shooting time across Deer Zone 4
Deer hours for November 14, 2026 run from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset; here they are for several seats.
| Town | In county | Clock | Sunrise at | Start | Stop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Williamsburg | Whitley | EST | 7:13 a.m. EST | 6:43 a.m. EST | 6:00 p.m. EST |
| Prestonsburg | Floyd | EST | 7:09 a.m. EST | 6:39 a.m. EST | 5:52 p.m. EST |
| Barbourville | Knox | EST | 7:12 a.m. EST | 6:42 a.m. EST | 5:58 p.m. EST |
| Hazard | Perry | EST | 7:10 a.m. EST | 6:40 a.m. EST | 5:55 p.m. EST |
Rule from Guide p. 10. KDFWR prints no sunrise table, so sunrise and sunset are worked out with the NOAA solar formula for the exact point, on Central Time in the 41 western counties and Eastern Time elsewhere, with daylight time ending November 1, 2026 and starting March 14, 2027. The Eastern/Central Time line follows 49 CFR 71.5(c): Meade, Hardin, Larue, Taylor, Casey, Pulaski and Wayne counties and everything east of them keep Eastern Time; the 41 counties west of that line keep Central Time. Checked November 10, 2026.
Towns in Deer Zone 4
33 towns in the site's list sit in Zone 4 counties; the largest 24 are below.
- MiddlesboroughBell County
- WilliamsburgWhitley County
- HazardPerry County
- PrestonsburgFloyd County
- BarbourvilleKnox County
- BeattyvilleLee County
- JacksonBreathitt County
- HarlanHarlan County
- WhitesburgLetcher County
- PinevilleBell County
- SalyersvilleMagoffin County
- ManchesterClay County
- HindmanKnott County
- LoyallHarlan County
- Fleming-NeonLetcher County
- ViccoPerry County
- HydenLeslie County
- BoonevilleOwsley County
- ArtemusKnox County
- AuxierFloyd County
- CawoodHarlan County
- ColdironHarlan County
- CombsPerry County
- CoxtonHarlan County
View over the Big South Fork gorge at Blue HeronPhoto: Brian Stansberry (CC BY 3.0)
Forested ridges seen from the Pinnacles in McCreary CountyPhoto: Doug Kerr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Fall color framing the sandstone of Natural Arch in the Stearns Ranger DistrictPhoto: Murray Lee (U.S. Department of Agriculture) (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Deer Zone 4 quick answers
Are there quota hunts in Zone 4?
2 deer quota hunts are on areas in the zone.
How early can I shoot a deer in Zone 4?
Thirty minutes before sunrise, read on local time.
Does Deer Zone 4 split any county?
No. Kentucky deer zones follow county lines, and Deer Zone 4 contains 15 entire counties.
What is the Zone 4 limit in KDFWR wording?
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.
When does gun season open in Zone 4?
November 14, 2026, closing November 29, 2026.
What are the 2026-27 muzzleloader windows for Zone 4?
October 17 to October 18, 2026 and December 12 to December 20, 2026.
How many counties changed in Zone 4?
0 in, 7 out.
Does Zone 4 touch the CWD Surveillance Zone?
Yes, in 2 counties.
Is Zone 4 deer harvest up or down?
9,631 in 2025-26 against 9,718 in 2016-17 for the same counties.
From 301 KAR 2:172, the 2026-27 guide and the Harvest Results app; checked November 10, 2026.