A hunter's guide to Daniel Boone National Forest

The Daniel Boone National Forest: acreage, habitat and directions

With roughly 710,298 acres in 26 Kentucky counties, the Daniel Boone National Forest is one of the Southeast Region's public hunting places. For upkeep and posted rules, look to the USDA Forest Service.

In the agency's words, the Daniel Boone National Forest offers this:

• From Tenn. line in McCreary County north to Fleming and Lewis counties. Many US, state and county roads lead into and across area; forest roads, marked hiking trails in many sections.
• Primarily mountainous with many sections quite steep and rugged, but with some fairly flat river and creek bottoms and ridge tops. Migratory waterfowl, bald eagles often seen around Cave Run and Laurel lakes. Many trout streams, small lakes throughout, several rivers offer float fishing.
• Several recreational areas maintained by U.S. Forest Service offer camping, picnicking, hiking, horseback trails, etc. Maps, additional information available from U. S. Forest Service,1700 Bypass Road, Winchester, KY 40391. NOTE: Much land within forest boundaries is still privately owned and permission should be obtained before entering these private holdings.

About 95 percent of the Daniel Boone National Forest is forest, the largest cover type on record.

Counties by GIS overlay: Bath, Clay, Estill, Harlan, Jackson, Laurel, Lee, Leslie, McCreary, Menifee, Morgan, Owsley, Perry, Powell, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Rowan, Wayne, Whitley and Wolfe; the layer attribute names a different set. Not every agency agrees on size, since KDFWR states 710,288 acres and the Forest Service states 708,879.

Acres: USFS EDW Lands Area Statistics, NFS acres in Kentucky (Daniel Boone National Forest). Description and habitat from the area record; checked November 10, 2026.

The Daniel Boone National Forest season chart for 2026-27

KDFWR's grid for the Daniel Boone National Forest reads 24 open, 0 closed, 0 quota cells for 2026-27.

1. Portions open during quota elk hunts to persons who possess the appropriate elk hunting permit.

1. Portions open during quota elk hunts to persons who possess the appropriate elk hunting permit.

From the 2026-27 quick reference charts on the KDFWR Public Land Hunting page; footnotes are KDFWR exceptions as printed. Checked November 10, 2026.

Big game zones touching the Daniel Boone National Forest

Deer disease zone

The Daniel Boone National Forest lies within the CWD Surveillance Zone through Laurel, McCreary, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Wayne and Whitley counties; whole carcasses stay in the zone. In McCreary, Pulaski and Wayne counties, the opening modern gun days (November 14 to November 16, 2026) carry a mandatory staffed check. Laurel, Pulaski, Rockcastle and Wayne counties have the September 25 to September 28, 2026 CWD antlerless season; confirm the Daniel Boone National Forest on the chart.

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.

Bear hunting

Bear Zones 1, 2 and 3 dates apply on the Daniel Boone National Forest, and any licensed hunter can buy a bear permit. No bear dog hunting on the Daniel Boone National Forest.

Elk rules

Drawn elk hunters can use the Daniel Boone National Forest, part of Elk Hunting Unit 2, Elk Hunting Unit 3 and Elk Hunting Unit 4. There were 500 elk permits in the 2026 drawing.

Elk hunting unit boundaries are published by KDFWR as a map only.

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.

Nearest towns and KDFWR contacts for the Daniel Boone National Forest

North Corbin, roughly 12 miles out, is the first town you reach from the Daniel Boone National Forest on this site. Williamsburg counts 5,332 residents (2024), more than any other town in the table. Williamsburg, 14 miles away, holds the closest KDFWR office. KDFWR's Southeast Region line: (606) 344-0585.

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.

Earliest and latest legal shots at the Daniel Boone National Forest

the Daniel Boone National Forest 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.

Crane hunting is sunrise to sunset. Times are on local clock time: Central Time in the western 41 counties, Eastern Time elsewhere.

Hours rules from the 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting &

Hunters ask, the records answer: the Daniel Boone National Forest