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Quota hunts
Kentucky Quota Hunts
All 38 deer quota hunts for 2026-27 with dates, slots and 2025 preference point minimums, plus the elk, LBL, waterfowl, dove, pheasant, crane and hatchery draws.
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain)
The 38 deer quota hunts for 2026-27
Deer quota hunts: Sept. 1-30, 2026 online only, $3 per hunt. Preference points for unsuccessful applicants; group points averaged; max 10% nonresidents per pool; one non-hunting guest. The 38 hunts below offer 3,773 hunter slots in all; the point columns show the lowest preference points drawn in 2025 (blank where KDFWR printed none). LBL requires its own LBL hunt permit ($25) with a Kentucky license; LBL deer quota hunts are drawn by computer (301 KAR 2:050); LBL migratory bird hunting closed last Saturday in Sept. – Nov. 30.
| No. | Area | Dates | Slots | Min points 2025 | Nonresident min | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ballard WMA | Nov. 7-8 | 65 | 2 | 3 | Hunters awarded one preference point for each antlerless deer harvested, up to four. Scouting permitted through Oct. 14. |
| 2 | Beaver Creek WMA | Nov. 7-8 | 330 | 0 | 0 | Antlered deer only. |
| 3 | Big Rivers WMA & State Forest #1 | Oct. 25-Nov. 30 | 130 | 1 | 4 | Archery and crossbow only. Closed during (and day before) the two-day quota hunt that starts the first Saturday in November. Department issued hang tags required. Must telecheck harvested deer. |
| 4 | Big Rivers WMA & State Forest #2 | Nov. 7-8 | 100 | 1 | 3 | – |
| 5 | Cane Creek WMA #1 | Oct. 25- Nov. 30 | 30 | – | – | Archery and crossbow only. Closed during (and day before) the two-day quota hunt that starts the first Saturday in November. Department issued hang tags required. Telecheck harvested deer. |
| 6 | Cane Creek WMA #2 | Nov. 7-8 | 22 | – | – | Department issued hang tags required. Telecheck harvested deer. |
| 7 | Clay WMA | Nov. 7-8 | 225 | 1 | 1 | Limit four, only one of which may be antlered, during quota hunt. Hunters awarded one preference point for each antlerless deer harvested, up to four. |
| 8 | Curtis Gates Lloyd WMA | Nov. 14-21 | 20 | – | – | Department issued hang tags required. Telecheck harvested deer. |
| 9 | Dewey Lake WMA | Nov. 7-8 | 150 | 0 | 0 | Limit two, only one of which may be antleress, during quota hunt. |
| 10 | Fishtrap Lake WMA | Nov. 21-22 | 200 | 0 | 0 | Limit one during quota hunt. |
| 11 | Green River Lake & Dennis-Gray WMAs | Nov. 7-8 | 400 | 0 | 0 | Hunters awarded one preference point for each antleress deer harvested, up to four. |
| 12 | Green River Lake & Dennis Gray WMAs Mobility-Impaired* | Nov. 7-8 | 15 | 0 | 0 | Open only to mobility-impaired persons. Hunters awarded one preference point for each antlerless deer harvested, up to four. |
| 13 | Higginson – Henry WMA #1 | Oct. 25-Nov. 30 | 60 | 2 | 4.5 | Archery and crossbow only. Closed during (and day before) the two-day quota hunt that starts the first Saturday in November. Department issued hang tags required. Must telecheck harvested deer. |
| 14 | Higginson – Henry WMA #2 | Nov. 7-8 | 45 | 1.66 | 2 | – |
| 15 | Kentucky River WMA | Nov. 7-8 | 65 | 0.66 | 0.5 | – |
| 16 | Kleber and Rich WMAs #1 | Nov. 7-8 | 200 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 17 | Kleber and Rich WMAs #2 | Dec. 5-6 | 200 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 18 | Paintsville Lake WMA | Nov. 7-8 | 125 | 0 | 0.4 | – |
| 19 | Pennyrile State Forest/Tradewater WMA | Nov. 7-8 | 300 | 0 | 1 | Hunters awarded one preference point for each antlerless deer harvested, up to four. |
| 20 | Taylorsville Lake WMA #1 | Nov. 7-8 | 268 | 0.8 | 1 | Hunters awarded one preference point for each antlerless deer harvested, up to four. |
| 21 | Taylorsville Lake WMA Mobility-Impaired* #1 | Nov. 7-8 | 7 | 0.2 | 0 | Open only to mobility-impaired persons. Hunters awarded one preference point for each antlerless deer harvested, up to four. |
| 22 | Taylorsville Lake WMA #2 | Dec. 5-6 | 268 | 0 | 0 | Hunters awarded one preference point for each antlerless deer harvested, up to four. |
| 23 | Taylorsville Lake WMA Mobility-Impaired* #2 | Dec. 5-6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | Open only to mobility-impaired persons. Hunters awarded one preference point for each antlerless deer harvested, up to four. |
| 24 | Veterans Memorial WMA | Nov. 7-8 | 50 | 0.8 | 0 | – |
| 25 | West Kentucky WMA | Nov. 21-24 | 135 | 0 | 0 | Shotgun and muzzleloader only. Tract 1 is closed to public access. |
| 26 | West Kentucky WMA youth mentor | Nov. 21-24 | 4 | 0 | 0 | Shotgun only, youth mentor hunt on portions of "A" tracts. Only youth hunters apply. No more than two youth hunters may accompany an adult mentor. No more than one adult can mentor a youth hunter. An adult mentor may take a deer during the hunt. |
| 27 | Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park #1 | Nov. 20-22 | 50 | 0 | 0 | Must telecheck harvested deer. |
| 28 | Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park #2 | Dec. 4-6 | 40 | 0 | 0 | Youth only. Must telecheck harvested deer. |
| 29 | Greenbo Lake State Resort Park | Dec. 17-20 | 25 | 0 | 0 | Hunters must check in and out daily at lodge and submit hunt reports. Must telecheck harvested deer. |
| 30 | Green River Lake State Park #1 | Dec. 10-13 | 55 | 0.4 | 1 | Archery and crossbow only. Must telecheck harvested deer. |
| 31 | Green River Lake State Park #2 | Dec. 17-20 | 55 | 0 | 0 | Archery and crossbow only. Must telecheck harvested deer. |
| 32 | Kenlake State Resort Park #1 | Nov. 19-22 | 25 | 0 | 2 | Archery only. Must telecheck harvested deer. |
| 33 | Kenlake State Resort Park #2 | Dec. 3-6 | 25 | 0 | 0 | Must telecheck harvested deer. |
| 34 | Kincaid Lake State Park #1 | Dec. 3-6 | 10 | 2 | 0 | Must telecheck harvested deer. |
| 35 | Kincaid Lake State Park #2 | Dec. 11-14 | 10 | 1.5 | 0 | Must telecheck harvested deer. |
| 36 | Lake Barkley State Resort Park #1 | Nov. 2-6 | 25 | – | – | Archery and crossbow only. Drawn hunters will be randomly assigned specific hunt unit within park. Hunters must check in and out daily and submit hunt reports. |
| 37 | Lake Barkley State Resort Park #2 | Jan. 5-6 | 20 | – | – | Drawn hunters will be randomly assigned specific hunt unit within park. Hunters must check in and out daily and submit hunt reports. |
| 38 | Zilpo Mobility-Impaired* | Dec. 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | Open only to mobility-impaired persons. |
Source: KDFWR Quota Hunts page and Guide p. 34 (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources); checked November 10, 2026.
Other drawn and quota hunts
| Hunt | How it works |
|---|---|
| Elk | 500 permits for 2026. Aug. 1, 2025 – Apr. 30, 2026 for 2026 hunts ($10 per permit type; up to 3 types; drawn for only one). |
| Land Between the Lakes | LBL requires its own LBL hunt permit ($25) with a Kentucky license; LBL deer quota hunts are drawn by computer (301 KAR 2:050); LBL migratory bird hunting closed last Saturday in Sept. – Nov. 30. |
| Waterfowl | Ballard WMA (quota-only Oct. 15-Mar. 15, $15.86 1-day permit), Sloughs WMA (Sauerheber and Jenny Hole units), Boatwright WMA. Sept. 1-30 (Ballard and Sloughs WMAs); Boatwright weekly online draws; standby drawings; season-long blind drawings Aug.-Oct. at Barkley Lake, Barren River Lake, Doug Travis and Green River Lake WMAs. |
| Dove | Quota and youth/mentor dove hunts in September. Apply Aug. 3-21, 2026. |
| Pheasant | Put-and-take hunts at Green River Lake, Clay and Yellowbank WMAs. Apply Sept. 1-30. |
| Sandhill crane | Statewide season by drawn permit. September online ($3); 1-3 permits; ID test. |
| Hatchery mentor hunts | Minor Clark and Pfeiffer Fish Hatcheries (Rowan, Franklin): mobility-impaired and youth mentor waterfowl hunts on January weekends. Apply Nov. 1-15. |
| Bear | No bear quota; bear permits are over the counter. |
| Mobility impaired | Mobility-Impaired Access Permit for WMA access exceptions and mobility-impaired quota hunts (deer, waterfowl blinds); state park hunts at Jenny Wiley (Jan. 9-10) and Taylorsville Lake (Jan. 16-17). |
| Penalty | Hunters who break quota hunt rules cannot apply for any quota hunt the next year and lose preference points. |
Source: Guide p. 34 and KDFWR elk page (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources); checked November 10, 2026.
Deer quota hunts in numbers
Source: KDFWR page (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources); checked November 10, 2026.
Keep planning with these
All species
All 34 species pages.
Deer zones
Four deer zones by county.
Bear zones
Three bear zones, 47 counties.
Elk zone
Sixteen counties, 500 permits.
Draws and applications
Windows, fees and points.
Legal shooting hours
Hours for every county seat.
Licenses
Every 2026-27 fee.
Season calendar
Every KDFWR season row on one page.
White-tailed buck in velvet bounding across a grassy hillsidePhoto: Jacob W. Frank (National Park Service) (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
White-tailed deer fawn in tall grassPhoto: USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain)
White-tailed deer buck in the treesPhoto: USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0)
Quota hunt questions
When do I apply for a Kentucky deer quota hunt?
Sept. 1-30, 2026 online only, $3 per hunt.
How do KDFWR preference points build up?
Preference points for unsuccessful applicants; group points averaged; max 10% nonresidents per pool; one non-hunting guest.
Which deer quota hunt needed the most points in 2025?
Hunt 1, Ballard WMA: 2 points.
How many deer quota hunts are there?
38 for 2026-27, with 3,773 hunter slots.
Does Land Between the Lakes have its own deer draw?
LBL requires its own LBL hunt permit ($25) with a Kentucky license; LBL deer quota hunts are drawn by computer (301 KAR 2:050); LBL migratory bird hunting closed last Saturday in Sept. – Nov. 30.
Is there a bear quota hunt?
No bear quota; bear permits are over the counter.
What is the route to a 2026 elk permit?
Aug. 1, 2025 – Apr. 30, 2026 for 2026 hunts ($10 per permit type; up to 3 types; drawn for only one). Random computer drawing in May; buy permit by June 15; loyalty redraw; unit drawing (apply by June 30).
What happens if I break quota hunt rules?
Hunters who break quota hunt rules cannot apply for any quota hunt the next year and lose preference points.