Kentucky Public Hunting Land

144 places to hunt, from the 104 KDFWR wildlife management areas to the Daniel Boone National Forest, Land Between the Lakes, refuges and military land, plus 88 places that are closed to hunting.

Map

WMAs

Closed places

Hunting gear

144Hunting places

104WMAs

88Closed places

28Counties with none

38Deer quota hunts

Photo: sellers8847 (CC BY 2.0)

Kentucky public land by type

Kentucky's public hunting land is a patchwork. KDFWR owns, leases or manages most of it as wildlife management areas, the U.S. Forest Service runs the Daniel Boone National Forest and Land Between the Lakes, and refuges, state parks, state forests, hunting access agreements on private land and three military posts fill in the rest. The acreage column adds up each record's own figure; districts, campgrounds and the WMAs and parks that sit on Corps of Engineers lakes overlap other records, so the totals should not be added across types.

Type	Places	Acres (record sum)	Hub
Wildlife Management Area	104	630,328	Wildlife management areas
National Forest	2	711,176	National forests
National Forest Ranger District	4	710,298	National forests
National Recreation Area	1	107,594	Federal lands
National River and Recreation Area	1	30,300	Federal lands
National Wildlife Refuge	4	16,472	Wildlife refuges
State Forest	6	32,986	State parks and forests
State Park	9	18,180	State parks and forests
Hunting Access Program	1	61,504	Hunting access areas
Hunting Access Area	5	61,504	Hunting access areas
Military Installation	3	159,249	Federal lands
Military Training Area	1	523	Federal lands
Outdoor Recreation Area	1	2,221	State parks and forests
National Forest Special Hunt Area	2	907	National forests

Public land by KDFWR wildlife region

KDFWR splits the state into five wildlife regions, and every area record carries one. Each region has a coordinator with a published phone number and e-mail; KDFWR publishes no street address for a region office, so call or write rather than drive. The Daniel Boone National Forest record is filed under the Southeast Region and Land Between the Lakes under the Purchase Region; the elk zone counties sit in the Northeast and Southeast regions.

Region	Counties	Places	WMAs	Largest	Coordinator phone
Purchase	14	24	17	Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area	(270) 577-6374
Green River	25	18	14	Fort Knox Military Reservation	(270) 875-3586
Bluegrass	31	21	18	Blue Grass Army Depot	(502) 782-0742
Northeast	21	26	17	Cumberland Ranger District	(859) 473-0061
Southeast	29	55	38	Daniel Boone National Forest	(606) 344-0585

The largest public hunting areas in Kentucky

The biggest blocks of huntable ground are federal: the Daniel Boone National Forest alone has 710,298 acres of national forest land in Kentucky. The largest KDFWR area record is Pocahontas WMA.

Daniel Boone National Forest710,298 acres · National forest Fort Knox Military Reservation108,619 acres · Military post Land Between the Lakes
National Recreation Area
107,594 acres · Recreation area Pocahontas WMA54,568 acres · WMA Cumberland Forest WMA54,137 acres · WMA Peabody WMA40,744 acres · WMA Lake Cumberland WMA38,788 acres · WMAFort Campbell Military Reservation36,113 acres · Military post

Quota hunts on Kentucky public land

There are 38 deer quota hunts on 27 areas this season, spread over WMAs, state parks and a national forest campground. Applications ran September 1 to September 30, 2026 online at $3 per hunt, and unsuccessful hunters build preference points. Land Between the Lakes runs its own deer quota drawing and needs its own hunt permit. Elk hunting inside the 16-county elk zone is by drawn permit only (500 permits in 2026).

Every quota hunt

How the draws work

Elk zone

Kentucky counties with no public hunting land

28 of Kentucky's 120 counties have no public hunting area in these records, among them Jefferson, Fayette, Warren and Daviess. Hunters there drive to neighbouring counties; each county page lists the nearest public land.

Bourbon, Boyd, Boyle, Bracken, Campbell, Carroll, Casey, Daviess, Fayette, Garrard, Green, Hancock, Jefferson, Jessamine, Logan, McLean, Mercer, Monroe, Montgomery, Oldham, Robertson, Shelby, Simpson, Todd, Trimble, Warren, Washington, Woodford

Whose rules apply on Kentucky public land

Which rulebook applies depends on who owns the ground. The short version for each kind of land:

WMAs: area rules in 301 KAR 3:010 and seasons in 301 KAR 2:178; an area in two deer zones follows the most liberal one.
State parks: no hunting except drawn quota, party or open hunts (301 KAR 2:178 Section 7(3)).
Refuges: designated areas only, under 50 CFR 32.36 and the sections it refers to.
Corps of Engineers lakes: 36 CFR 327.8(a): "Hunting is permitted except in areas and during periods where prohibited by the District Commander." (36 CFR 327.8).
State nature preserves: no hunting unless the dedication provides for it (400 KAR 2:090).

Find a Kentucky public hunting area

Asher Hunting Access Area
Access area · Bell, Harlan
Ballard WMA
WMA · Ballard
Barren River Lake WMA
WMA · Allen, Barren
Beaver Creek WMA
WMA · McCreary, Pulaski
Beechy Creek WMA
WMA · Calloway
Betterment Wildlife Hunting Access
Area
Access area · Knott, Leslie
Big Rivers WMA and
State Forest
WMA · Crittenden, Union
Big South Fork National
River and Recreation Area
River and rec area · McCreary
Blackford Oaks WMA
WMA · Crittenden, Webster
Blue Grass Army Depot
Military post · Madison
Boatwright WMA
WMA · Ballard
Boone Forestlands WMA
WMA · Bell, Clay
Buck Creek WMA
WMA · Pulaski
Buckhorn Lake WMA
WMA · Leslie, Perry
Burchell-Beech Creek WMA
WMA · Clay
Cane Creek WMA
WMA · Laurel, Pulaski
Carr Creek Lake WMA
WMA · Knott
Cedar Creek Lake WMA
WMA · Lincoln
Clarks River NWR
Refuge · Graves, Marshall
Clay WMA
WMA · Bath, Fleming
Clear Creek WMA
WMA · Hopkins
Coil Estate WMA
WMA · Ballard, Carlisle
Continental Hunting Access Area
Access area · Floyd, Letcher
Cranks Creek WMA
WMA · Harlan
Crow Creek WMA
WMA · Clinton, Cumberland
Cumberland Forest WMA
WMA · Bell, Harlan
Curtis Gates Lloyd WMA
WMA · Grant
Dale Hollow Lake State
Resort Park
State park · Clinton, Cumberland
Dale Hollow Lake WMA
WMA · Clinton, Cumberland
Daniel Boone National Forest
National forest · Bath, Breathitt
Cumberland Ranger District
Ranger district · Bath, Estill
London Ranger District
Ranger district · Estill, Jackson
Redbird Ranger District
Ranger district · Clay, Harlan
Stearns Ranger District
Ranger district · McCreary, Pulaski
Decker WMA
WMA · Boone
Dennis-Gray WMA
WMA · Adair
Dewey Lake WMA
WMA · Floyd, Pike
Dix River WMA
WMA · Lincoln
Doug Travis WMA
WMA · Carlisle, Hickman
Dr. James R. Rich
WMA
WMA · Owen
Dr. Norman and Martha
Adair WMA
WMA · Boone
Ed Mabry Laurel Gorge
WMA
WMA · Elliott
Elk Forest WMA
WMA · Bell, Clay
Elk Horn Coal Hunting
Access Area
Access area · Floyd, Knott
Ferguson Creek WMA
WMA · Livingston
Fishtrap Lake WMA
WMA · Pike
Fleming WMA
WMA · Fleming
Fort Campbell Military Reservation
Military post · Christian, Trigg
Fort Knox Military Reservation
Military post · Bullitt, Hardin
Fortner-Davis WMA
WMA · Bell
Gabbard Branch WMA
WMA · Butler
Grayson Lake WMA
WMA · Carter, Elliott
Green River Lake State
Park
State park · Taylor
Green River Lake WMA
WMA · Adair, Taylor
Green River NWR
Refuge · Henderson
Green River State Forest
State forest · Henderson
Greenbo Lake State Resort
Park
State park · Greenup
Griffith Woods WMA
WMA · Harrison
Harris-Dickerson WMA
WMA · Hopkins, Muhlenberg
Hensley-Pine Mountain WMA
WMA · Harlan, Letcher
Hidden Valley Training Area
Training area · Clark, Powell
Higginson-Henry WMA
WMA · Union
Horse Mill Branch WMA
WMA · Morgan
Hoskins WMA
WMA · Harlan, Leslie
Jefferson National Forest
National forest · Letcher, Pike
Jenny Wiley State Resort
Park
State park · Floyd
John A. Kleber WMA
WMA · Franklin, Owen
John C. Williams WMA
WMA · Hardin, Nelson
Jones-Keeney WMA
WMA · Caldwell
KDFWR Hunting Access Areas
Access program · Bell, Breathitt
Kaler Bottoms WMA
WMA · Graves
Kenlake State Resort Park
State park · Calloway, Marshall
Kentenia State Forest
State forest · Harlan
Kentucky Lake WMA
WMA · Calloway, Marshall
Kentucky Ridge Forest WMA
WMA · Bell
Kentucky Ridge State Forest
State forest · Bell
Kentucky River WMA
WMA · Henry, Owen
Kincaid Lake State Park
State park · Pendleton
Knobs State Forest and
WMA
WMA · Bullitt
L. B. Davison WMA
WMA · Ohio
Lake Barkley State Resort
Park
State park · Trigg
Lake Barkley WMA
WMA · Lyon, Trigg
Lake Cumberland WMA
WMA · Clinton, McCreary
Land Between the Lakes
National Recreation Area
Recreation area · Lyon, Trigg
Lee K. Nelson WMA
WMA · Webster
Legacy WMA
WMA · Floyd, Martin
Little Sexton Creek WMA
WMA · Clay, Jackson
Livingston County WMA and
State Natural Area
WMA · Livingston
Marion County WMA and
State Forest
WMA · Marion
Marrowbone State Forest and
WMA
WMA · Cumberland, Metcalfe
Martins Fork Lake WMA
WMA · Harlan
Martins Fork WMA and
State Natural Area
WMA · Harlan
Meadow Creek WMA
WMA · Wayne
Mill Creek WMA
WMA · Jackson
Miller Welch-Central Kentucky WMA
WMA · Madison
Mud Camp Creek WMA
WMA · Cumberland
Muddygut WMA
WMA · Johnson, Lawrence
Mullins WMA
WMA · Grant, Kenton
Nolin River Lake WMA
WMA · Edmonson, Grayson
Obion Creek WMA
WMA · Carlisle, Fulton
Ohio River Islands NWR
Refuge · Lewis
Ohio River Islands WMA
WMA · Livingston
Old Trace Creek WMA
WMA · Lewis
Otter Creek ORA
Recreation area · Meade
Paintsville Lake WMA
WMA · Johnson, Morgan
Paul Van Booven WMA
WMA · Breathitt, Perry
Peabody WMA
WMA · Hopkins, Muhlenberg
Pennyrile State Forest
State forest · Caldwell, Christian
Ping-Sinking Valley WMA
WMA · Pulaski
Pioneer Weapons WMA
WMA · Bath, Menifee
Pocahontas WMA
WMA · Floyd, Harlan
R. F. Tarter WMA
WMA · Adair, Russell
RH Group WMA
WMA · Floyd, Johnson
Redbird WMA
WMA · Clay, Leslie
Reelfoot NWR
Refuge · Fulton
Robinson Forest WMA
WMA · Breathitt, Perry
Rockcastle River WMA
WMA · Pulaski
Rolling Fork WMA
WMA · LaRue, Nelson
Ross Creek WMA
WMA · Estill, Lee
Rough River Lake WMA
WMA · Breckinridge, Grayson
Shillalah Creek WMA
WMA · Bell, Harlan
Simon Kenton WMA
WMA · Mason
Sloughs WMA
WMA · Henderson, Union
South Shore WMA
WMA · Greenup
Stephens Creek WMA
WMA · Gallatin
Stone Mountain WMA and
State Natural Area
WMA · Harlan
Sunny Brook WMA
WMA · Rowan
T. N. Sullivan WMA
WMA · Franklin
Taylorsville Lake State Park
State park · Spencer
Taylorsville Lake WMA
WMA · Anderson, Nelson
Tradewater WMA
WMA · Christian, Hopkins
Twin Eagle WMA
WMA · Owen
Twin Knobs Campground
Campground hunt · Rowan
Tygarts State Forest
State forest · Carter
University of the Cumberlands
WMA
WMA · McCreary, Whitley
Veterans Memorial WMA
WMA · Scott
Wells Hunting Access Area
Access area · Breathitt, Knott
West Kentucky WMA
WMA · McCracken
Winford WMA
WMA · Ballard, Carlisle
Wolf Creek State Forest
State forest · Breathitt
Yatesville Lake State Park
State park · Lawrence
Yatesville Lake WMA
WMA · Lawrence
Yellowbank WMA
WMA · Breckinridge
Zilpo Campground
Campground hunt · Bath

Other photos on this page: Aaron Vowels (CC BY 2.0); Larry Syverson (CC BY-SA 2.0); Emily Cleaver (posted by Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area) (Public Domain Mark 1.0); hedera.baltica (CC BY-SA 2.0); James Mann (CC BY 2.0); 19_Matt_79 (CC BY 2.0); U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District (CC BY-SA 2.0); Strolling Shuttereyes (CC BY 2.0).