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WMA · 2026-27
A hunter's guide to Clay WMA
Wildlife management area in Nicholas County and 2 more counties: 8,979 acres, Deer Zone 2.
Hunting gearPhoto: Ratio Partners (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Clay WMA
Clay WMA: acreage, habitat and directions
With roughly 8,979 acres in Bath, Fleming and Nicholas counties, Clay WMA is one of the Northeast Region's public hunting places. For upkeep and posted rules, look to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Ownership rests with Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, portions purchased with funds from the Heritage Lands Conservation Fund. Management intensity on the KDFWR layer: high.
In the agency's words, Clay WMA offers this:
- Located approximately eight miles northeast of Carlisle, KY. From Carlisle take KY 32 north and turn right on KY 57, Cassidy Creek RD. There are two entrances, watch for area signs.
- Terrain is steep to rolling. Several boat ramps provide access to the Licking River. Horseback riding trails on main Nicholas County tract only.
- Upland Bird and Rabbit Hunters MUST check in/out at Kiosks using HangTag (last page of map document)
- This WMA is closed to the public during quota fox hunting field trials. Owned by Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, portions purchased with funds from the Heritage Lands Conservation Fund.
About 84 percent of Clay WMA is forest, the largest cover type on record.
Foggy country road and field near Salt Lick in Bath County
Acres: KDFWR Public Lands Search detail page ("Size: 8979 acres"). Description and habitat from the area record; checked November 10, 2026.
Limits posted for Clay WMA hunters
County statewide regulations apply on Clay WMA except for the specific items below.
- Archery and crossbow hunting are prohibited on the main tract during the quota fox hunting field trials, Sept. 9-12, Sept. 23-26 and Feb. 24-27, 2027.
- Closed to modern gun deer hunting except for the quota hunt.
- Bear hunting is open only in the bear zone.
- Pheasant quota hunts, either sex, limit two, Dec. 4, 5 and 6; open Dec. 7 only to drawn pheasant quota hunters, either sex, limit three; open Dec. 8-31, either sex, daily limit three.
- The main tract of the management area is closed to public use Sept. 9-12, Sept. 23-26, 2026 and Feb. 24-27, 2027, except for those registered to participate in quota fox hunting field trials on those days.
- During the pheasant quota hunt period, pheasant quota hunt units close to small game hunting for four consecutive days starting the first Friday in December. Rabbit, quail and grouse hunters must check in and check out at a self-service kiosk and clearly display a department-provided vehicle hang-tag in a vehicle. Hang-tags are available in advance through the department's website. Portions of this WMA in Fleming and Bath counties are Zone 3 for bear.
Area regulations as printed on the KDFWR area page; WMA rules in 301 KAR 3:010 and 301 KAR 2:178. Checked November 10, 2026.
Clay WMA season chart for 2026-27
KDFWR's grid for Clay WMA reads 11 open, 0 closed, 1 quota cells for 2026-27.
| Season type | Open or not | Note no. |
|---|---|---|
| Deer archery, crossbow | Open | 1 |
| Deer muzzleloader | Open | – |
| Deer modern gun | Quota only | – |
| Deer youth gun | Open | – |
| Fall squirrel | Open | – |
| Rabbit | Open | 2 |
| Grouse | Open | 3 |
| Quail | Open | 3 |
| Fall turkey | Open | – |
| Furbearer | Open | – |
| Bear | Open | 4 |
| Other | Open | 5, 6 |
- Archery and crossbow hunting are prohibited on the main tract during the quota fox hunting field trials, Sept. 9-12; Sept. 23-26; Feb. 24-27, 2027.
- Open Nov. 1 – Dec. 31, except closed Nov. 7-8 for the deer quota hunt and in the pheasant quota hunt units during pheasant quota hunts Dec. 4-7.
- Open until 3 p.m. (local time) on Tuesdays and Saturdays from Nov. 1 – Dec. 31, except closed Nov. 7-8 for the deer quota hunt and the pheasant quota units during pheasant quota hunts Dec. 4-7. The daily bag limit is four quail and two grouse (Eastern Time).
- Open only in the bear zone.
- Pheasant quota hunts, either sex, limit two, Dec. 4, 5 and 6; Open Dec. 7 only to drawn pheasant quota hunters, either sex, limit three; Open Dec. 8 – 31, 2026, either sex, daily limit three.
- The main tract of the management area is closed to public use Sept. 9-12 and Sept. 23-26, 2026; Feb. 24 – 27, 2027, except for those registered to participate in quota fox hunting field trials on those days.
From the 2026-27 quick reference charts on the KDFWR Public Land Hunting page; footnotes are KDFWR exceptions as printed. Checked November 10, 2026.
Deer zones for Clay WMA
Typical game for this part of Kentucky.
Northern bobwhite quail pair in grass and wildflowers
Clay WMA is a Deer Zone 2 area; the season rows below are the Zone 2 ones.
| County | Deer zone | Zone limit | Zone change | CWD zone | Bear | Elk zone | Small game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bath County | Deer Zone 2 | Up to 4 deer | No | No | Bear Zone 2 | No | Eastern |
| Fleming County | Deer Zone 2 | Up to 4 deer | No | No | Bear Zone 2 | No | Eastern |
| Nicholas County | Deer Zone 2 | Up to 4 deer | No | No | None | No | Eastern |
Zone 2 statewide deer seasons
| Season | Covers | Begins | Ends | Right now | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Jan 18, 2027 | Guide p. 12 | |
| Crossbow | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Jan 18, 2027 | Guide p. 12 | |
| Youth, senior crossbow | Statewide | Sep 5, 2026 | Jan 18, 2027 | Guide p. 12 | |
| Youth gun | Statewide | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | Guide p. 12 | |
| Early Muzzleloader | Statewide | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | Guide p. 12 | |
| Modern gun | Zone 2 | Nov 14, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | Guide p. 12 | |
| Late Muzzleloader | Zone 2 | Dec 12, 2026 | Dec 20, 2026 | Guide p. 12 | |
| Free youth weekend | Statewide | Dec 26, 2026 | Dec 27, 2026 | Guide p. 12 |
Dates above are the Zone 2 framework, not a promise that Clay WMA is open every day of them.
Zones from 301 KAR 2:172 and the KDFWR deer zone layer; dates from the 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting &
Clay WMA quota hunt table
225 drawn slots across 1 quota hunt are scheduled on Clay WMA. The online window was September 1 to September 30, 2026, with a $3 fee per hunt. Drawing odds track preference points, and the 2025 minimums give a sense of the competition.
| No. | Quota hunt | Days | Hunters | Points (all) | Points (nonres.) | Now | KDFWR notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
Additional quota entries for Clay WMA:
- Pheasant quota hunt (Quota Hunts page)
Quota hunts from the KDFWR Quota Hunts page and the Guide p. 34; checked November 10, 2026. Every Kentucky quota hunt · how the draws work.
Big game zones touching Clay WMA
Bear hunting
Bear Zone 2 dates apply on Clay WMA, and any licensed hunter can buy a bear permit.
| Season | Bear zone | Windows | Status | Cite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase only | Bear Zones 1, 2, 3 | Jun 1–Aug 31 Sep 9–30 | Guide p. 18 | |
| Archery, crossbow | Bear Zone 2 | Oct 24–28 | Guide p. 18 | |
| With dogs | Bear Zone 2 | Oct 19–23 Oct 29–Nov 6 | Guide p. 18 | |
| Firearm | Bear Zone 2 | Dec 12–16 | Guide p. 18 |
Elk rules
Because Clay WMA is not in the elk zone, the out-of-zone elk permit and deer season dates are what count.
CWD from the KDFWR CWD Surveillance Zone; bear from 301 KAR 2:300; elk from 301 KAR 2:132; checked November 10, 2026. CWD zone · bear zones · elk zone.
County harvest context for Clay WMA
KDFWR does not publish harvest by public area, so these are county Telecheck totals for the counties around Clay WMA (2025-26 license year). Fleming County checked 1,051 deer in 2025-26, placing 58th in Kentucky.
| County | Telecheck deer | Place | Turkey | Bear | Elk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bath County | 821 | 75th | 321 | – | – |
| Fleming County | 1,051 | 58th | 297 | – | – |
| Nicholas County | 984 | 63rd | 234 | – | – |
KDFWR Harvest Results app (Telecheck, license years); spring turkey by calendar spring; checked November 10, 2026.
Nearest towns and KDFWR contacts for Clay WMA
Carlisle, roughly 8 miles out, is the first town you reach from Clay WMA on this site. Mount Sterling counts 7,588 residents (2024), more than any other town in the table. Morehead, 25 miles away, holds the closest KDFWR office. KDFWR's Northeast Region line: (859) 473-0061.
| Nearest towns | County | Population | Miles | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlisle | Nicholas | 2,151 | 8 miles | west |
| Flemingsburg | Fleming | 3,003 | 10 miles | northeast |
| Mount Olivet | Robertson | 371 | 15 miles | northwest |
| Owingsville | Bath | 1,589 | 16 miles | southeast |
| Mount Sterling | Montgomery | 7,588 | 20 miles | south |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); KDFWR offices from the KDFWR contact page and the regional biologists map; businesses from services.json listings (call ahead); straight-line miles. Checked November 10, 2026.
Where Clay WMA sits among nearby areas
Fleming WMA is the nearest neighbour, 17 miles to the east. The nearest six break down as 4 wildlife management areas, 1 campground hunt area and 1 national wildlife refuge.
| Public land | Kind | Acres | County | Distance | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fleming WMA | WMA | 1,907 | Fleming | 17 miles | east |
| Simon Kenton WMA | WMA | 982 | Mason | 21 miles | northeast |
| Griffith Woods WMA | WMA | 746 | Harrison | 25 miles | west |
| Twin Knobs Campground | Campground hunt | 686 | Rowan | 27 miles | southeast |
| Pioneer Weapons WMA | WMA | 7,731 | Bath | 27 miles | southeast |
| Ohio River Islands NWR | Refuge | 381 | Lewis | 29 miles | northeast |
Point: KDFWR Public Hunting Areas layer (polygon centroid of the largest part). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Earliest and latest legal shots at Clay WMA
Clay WMA clocks fall back on November 1, 2026 and spring ahead on March 14, 2027, shifting every time in this table by an hour across those dates.
| Date | Season point | Sunrise | Sunset | General hours | Migratory birds | Clock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 5, 2026 | Deer archery opens | 7:08 a.m. | 8:02 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 8:32 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 8:02 p.m. | EDT |
| Sep 19, 2026 | Deer crossbow opens | 7:19 a.m. | 7:39 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 8:09 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 7:39 p.m. | EDT |
| Oct 10, 2026 | Youth gun opens | 7:38 a.m. | 7:07 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 7:37 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 7:07 p.m. | EDT |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Early muzzleloader | 7:45 a.m. | 6:56 p.m. | 7:15 a.m. to 7:26 p.m. | 7:15 a.m. to 6:56 p.m. | EDT |
| Nov 14, 2026 | Zone 2 gun opener | 7:15 a.m. | 5:25 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 5:55 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 5:25 p.m. | EST |
| Nov 26, 2026 | Duck season opens | 7:28 a.m. | 5:18 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. to 5:48 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. to 5:18 p.m. | EST |
| Nov 29, 2026 | Zone 2 gun closes | 7:31 a.m. | 5:17 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 5:47 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. | EST |
| Dec 12, 2026 | Late muzzleloader | 7:43 a.m. | 5:16 p.m. | 7:13 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 7:13 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. | EST |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:49 a.m. | 5:18 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 5:48 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 5:18 p.m. | EST |
| Dec 26, 2026 | Free youth weekend | 7:51 a.m. | 5:21 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 5:51 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 5:21 p.m. | EST |
Hours rules from the 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting &
Bring these along to Clay WMA
Clay WMA hunters get four items suited to a Kentucky year, from the September bow opener to February rabbits.
Amazon links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you.
Climbing stand
From the September bow opener to the January close, a climbing stand earns its keep.
Light shotgun sling
Grouse hunters in the eastern Grouse Zone counties lean on a light shotgun sling.
Clay WMA: practice before the trip
24 miles separates Clay WMA from Rowan County Sportsmans Club, the nearest range on file.
From the KDFWR range layer and permit list, club sites and directory listings, checked November 10, 2026.
Eastern cottontail rabbit on alertPhoto: btrentler (CC BY 2.0)
Black bear looking out from green forest undergrowthPhoto: marneejill (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Hunters ask, the records answer: Clay WMA
Is there a town near Clay WMA?
Yes, Carlisle, some 8 miles away.
Start and stop times for hunting Clay WMA?
Most game: half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset; ducks and geese end at sunset.
How do I contact KDFWR about Clay WMA?
Try (859) 473-0036 first, then the regional coordinator on (859) 473-0061.
Which of the four deer zones covers Clay WMA?
Zone 2 rules apply (up to 4 deer).
What does the KDFWR chart say about Clay WMA?
11 open, 0 closed and 1 quota columns for 2026-27, each with its exceptions.
How do I get into a Clay WMA quota hunt?
Apply online in the KDFWR deer quota window; 225 slots are drawn. Applications ran September 1 to September 30, 2026 at $3 per hunt.
Do CWD carcass limits apply at Clay WMA?
Not inside the area itself, since its counties are outside the zone.
Is there a bear quota for Clay WMA?
No; Kentucky has no bear quota and bear permits are over the counter.
Which elk rule applies at Clay WMA?
The out-of-zone elk permit, during deer seasons.
Is Clay WMA a big area?
It runs to 8,979 acres by the record.
Double-checking plans for Clay WMA
Report a poaching case on Clay WMA to KDFWR law enforcement; the KDFWR Information Center is (800) 858-1549.
Sources: KDFWR area page · KDFWR page · KDFWR map layer · KDFWR PDF · KDFWR page; seasons from the 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting &
Other photos on this page: Patrick Mueller (CC BY 2.0); cuatrok77 (CC BY-SA 2.0).