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Home › Kentucky › Public land › KDFWR Hunting Access Areas

Access program for public hunting

KDFWR Hunting Access Areas: where and when to hunt

Access program in Bell County and 9 more counties with 61,504 acres under Zones 3-4 deer rules.

Get driving directionsAll Bell County spots
What is open
Around it
Hunting gear

Hero photo: Clemons Fork, a rocky creek under green hardwoods in Breathitt County (Breathitt County), a scene from the surrounding county, not inside the Hunting Access Area program.

Photo: John MacGregor (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, posted by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region) (CC BY 2.0)

Getting to KDFWR Hunting Access Areas

Get driving directionsParking on Google MapsTrailheads on Google Maps

Parking, trailheads and gates near KDFWR Hunting Access Areas

  • Parking areaParking · 3.1 mi from the centreDirections

Parking, trailhead and gate locations come from OpenStreetMap contributors. Roads into public land can be gated or seasonal; check with the managing agency before you go.

Terrain and cover on the Hunting Access Area program

Roughly 61,504 acres of 10 Kentucky counties make up the Hunting Access Area program, which sits in the Southeast wildlife region. Day-to-day management rests with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

North Fork of the Kentucky River curving below a rock bluff at Whitesburg

North Fork of the Kentucky River curving below a rock bluff at Whitesburg

61,504Acres
10Counties
SoutheastKDFWR region

Acres: sum of the Hunting Access Area records. Description and habitat from the area record; checked November 10, 2026.

Nearby

Places to hunt and shoot around KDFWR Hunting Access Areas

Jefferson National Forest

Public land · 17 mi from KDFWR Hunting Access Areas

Directions
Redbird WMA

Public land · 27 mi from KDFWR Hunting Access Areas

Directions
Floyd County

County · 31 mi from KDFWR Hunting Access Areas

Directions
Clay County

County · 38 mi from KDFWR Hunting Access Areas

Directions
Pike County

County · 40 mi from KDFWR Hunting Access Areas

Directions
Dewey Lake WMA

Public land · 42 mi from KDFWR Hunting Access Areas

Directions

House rules for hunting the Hunting Access Area program

  • Agreements with private landowners; area rules on each record.

Area regulations as printed on the KDFWR PDF; WMA rules in 301 KAR 3:010 and 301 KAR 2:178. Checked November 10, 2026.

Is the Hunting Access Area program on the KDFWR charts?

No quick reference chart row covers the Hunting Access Area program directly; check the manager rules that follow.

KDFWR Public Land Hunting page (2026-27 charts); checked November 10, 2026.

County and zone table for the Hunting Access Area program

One of the species hunted on the Hunting Access Area program.

Wild turkey hen walking across a green lawn

Wild turkey hen walking across a green lawn

The Hunting Access Area program is not one zone: its counties sit in Deer Zones 3-4, each with its own limit. Pike County moved down a zone for 2026-27, so last year's limits no longer fit there.

CountyZoneLimitMoved?SurveillanceBearElkSmall game
Bell CountyDeer Zone 42 deer, 1 antlerlessNoNoBear Zone 1YesEastern
Breathitt CountyDeer Zone 42 deer, 1 antlerlessNoNoBear Zone 2YesEastern
Floyd CountyDeer Zone 42 deer, 1 antlerlessNoNoBear Zone 2YesEastern
Harlan CountyDeer Zone 42 deer, 1 antlerlessNoNoBear Zone 1YesEastern
Knott CountyDeer Zone 42 deer, 1 antlerlessNoNoBear Zone 2YesEastern
Knox CountyDeer Zone 42 deer, 1 antlerlessNoNoBear Zone 2YesEastern
Leslie CountyDeer Zone 42 deer, 1 antlerlessNoNoBear Zone 2YesEastern
Letcher CountyDeer Zone 42 deer, 1 antlerlessNoNoBear Zone 1YesEastern
Perry CountyDeer Zone 42 deer, 1 antlerlessNoNoBear Zone 2YesEastern
Pike CountyDeer Zone 34 deer, 1 gun antlerless4 to 3NoBear Zone 2YesEastern

Deer calendar, Zones 3-4

SeasonZoneFirst dayLast dayStatusCite
ArcheryStatewideSep 5, 2026Jan 18, 2027Guide p. 12
CrossbowStatewideSep 19, 2026Jan 18, 2027Guide p. 12
Youth, senior crossbowStatewideSep 5, 2026Jan 18, 2027Guide p. 12
Youth gunStatewideOct 10, 2026Oct 18, 2026Guide p. 12
Early MuzzleloaderStatewideOct 17, 2026Oct 18, 2026Guide p. 12
Modern gunZone 3Nov 14, 2026Nov 29, 2026Guide p. 12
Late MuzzleloaderZone 3Dec 12, 2026Dec 20, 2026Guide p. 12
Free youth weekendStatewideDec 26, 2026Dec 27, 2026Guide p. 12
Modern gunZone 4Nov 14, 2026Nov 29, 2026Guide p. 12
Late MuzzleloaderZone 4Dec 12, 2026Dec 20, 2026Guide p. 12

A window listed here may still be closed on the Hunting Access Area program; check the chart status first.

Zones from 301 KAR 2:172 and the KDFWR deer zone layer; dates from the 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting &

; checked November 10, 2026. All four deer zones.

The Hunting Access Area program and the CWD, bear and elk zones

Bears

The Hunting Access Area program is in Bear Zones 1 and 2; bear permits are sold over the counter and there is no bear quota.

Bear huntAreaDaysRight nowSource
Chase onlyBear Zones 1, 2, 3
Jun 1–Aug 31
Sep 9–30
Guide p. 18
Archery, crossbowBear Zone 1
Oct 24–26
Guide p. 18
With dogsBear Zone 1
Oct 19–23
Guide p. 18
FirearmBear Zone 1
Dec 12–14
Guide p. 18
Archery, crossbowBear Zone 2
Oct 24–28
Guide p. 18
With dogsBear Zone 2
Oct 19–23
Oct 29–Nov 6
Guide p. 18
FirearmBear Zone 2
Dec 12–16
Guide p. 18

Elk zone status

Inside the elk zone, the Hunting Access Area program needs a drawn elk permit. Statewide, 500 elk permits went out in 2026.

SeasonWindowsStatusCite
Bull, firearms
Sep 26–30
Oct 3–7
Guide p. 22
Cow, firearms
Nov 28–Dec 2
Jan 2–6
Guide p. 22
Archery, crossbow
Sep 12–25
Dec 5–11
Guide p. 22
Youth quota
Sep 12–Jan 6
Guide p. 22

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.

Harvest in the counties around the Hunting Access Area program

Telecheck reports by county, so the figures below include private land around the Hunting Access Area program. Pike County accounts for 1,632 deer in 2025-26, statewide rank 31.

CountyDeerDeer rankTurkey (spring)BearElk
Bell County66189th1641541
Breathitt County63392nd16949
Floyd County88172nd2031–
Harlan County509104th1354912
Knott County71486th193624
Knox County80478th2343–
Leslie County56598th1533830
Letcher County549100th134236
Perry County81877th202711
Pike County1,63231st3193141
Pike County deer checked, 2016-17 to 2025-2605001,0001,5002,0002016-17: 1,5081,5082016-172017-18: 5425422017-182018-19: 1,0821,0822018-192019-20: 9349342019-202020-21: 1,2061,2062020-212021-22: 1,1851,1852021-222022-23: 1,2391,2392022-232023-24: 1,5641,5642023-242024-25: 1,5801,5802024-252025-26: 1,6321,6322025-26

KDFWR Harvest Results app (Telecheck, license years); spring turkey by calendar spring; checked November 10, 2026.

Linked pages for the Hunting Access Area program

There are 5 sub-areas of the Hunting Access Area program listed separately.

Part of it

Asher Hunting Access Area

13,145 acres, Bell, Harlan and Knox counties

Part of it

Betterment Wildlife Hunting Access
Area

8,001 acres, Knott, Leslie and Letcher counties

Part of it

Continental Hunting Access Area

15,036 acres, Floyd, Letcher and Pike counties

Part of it

Elk Horn Coal Hunting
Access Area

19,976 acres, Floyd, Knott and Letcher counties

Part of it

Wells Hunting Access Area

5,346 acres, Breathitt, Knott and Leslie counties

Nearby towns on the road to the Hunting Access Area program

Vicco has the nearest town page, about 4 miles from the map point used here as the crow flies. Population leader among the five: Hazard, 4,808 in 2024. The nearest KDFWR desk in a building is in Prestonsburg, 38 miles off. The Southeast Region coordinator can be reached at (606) 344-0585 or FW.SoutheastRegion@ky.gov.

TownCountyPop. 2024Miles offBearing
ViccoPerry3064 milesnorthwest
JeffPerry–7 milesnorthwest
WhitesburgLetcher1,62511 mileseast
HazardPerry4,80812 milesnorthwest
HindmanKnott64612 milesnorth

KDFWR office · KDFWR Eastern Fisheries District

Office

Prestonsburg, Floyd County · about 38 mi away

(606) 889-1705
Route
Website

sporting goods · Dan's Guns
Viper, Perry County · about 2 mi away

(606) 476-9711
Route

taxidermy · Tyler Smith Taxidermy
Hyden, Leslie County · about 19 mi away

(606) 275-9113
Route

deer processing · Appalachian Meats LLC
Prestonsburg, KY, Floyd County · about 35 mi away

(606) 886-6003
Route

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.

Other hunting areas that border on the Hunting Access Area program

There is no coordinate for the Hunting Access Area program in the data; the map centres on the centre of its parts instead. Carr Creek Lake WMA is next on the map, 7 miles northeast. By type, the six neighbours count as 4 wildlife management areas, 1 national forest and 1 state forest.

PlaceTypeAcresCountyStraight lineWhich way
Carr Creek Lake WMAWMA2,880Knott7 milesnortheast
Hensley-Pine Mountain WMAWMA4,838Harlan12 milessoutheast
Jefferson National ForestNational forest878Letcher17 mileseast
Buckhorn Lake WMAWMA3,570Leslie20 mileswest
Paul Van Booven WMAWMA2,287Breathitt20 milesnorthwest
Kentenia State ForestState forest4,081Harlan21 milessouthwest

Point: county centre. Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.

Dawn and dusk limits at the Hunting Access Area program

the Hunting Access Area program hunters can be afield from half an hour before sunrise until half an hour after sunset for deer, elk, bear, turkey and small game, and the times below are worked out for the Hunting Access Area program itself.

WhenOpener or eventFirst lightLast lightMost gameMigratoryClock
Sep 5, 2026Deer archery opens7:05 a.m.7:57 p.m.6:35 a.m. to 8:27 p.m.6:35 a.m. to 7:57 p.m.EDT
Sep 19, 2026Deer crossbow opens7:16 a.m.7:36 p.m.6:46 a.m. to 8:06 p.m.6:46 a.m. to 7:36 p.m.EDT
Sep 26, 2026Bull elk week7:22 a.m.7:25 p.m.6:52 a.m. to 7:55 p.m.6:52 a.m. to 7:25 p.m.EDT
Oct 10, 2026Youth gun opens7:34 a.m.7:04 p.m.7:04 a.m. to 7:34 p.m.7:04 a.m. to 7:04 p.m.EDT
Oct 17, 2026Early muzzleloader7:40 a.m.6:54 p.m.7:10 a.m. to 7:24 p.m.7:10 a.m. to 6:54 p.m.EDT
Oct 24, 2026Bear Zone 1 archery7:47 a.m.6:45 p.m.7:17 a.m. to 7:15 p.m.7:17 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.EDT
Nov 14, 2026Zone 4 gun opener7:09 a.m.5:24 p.m.6:39 a.m. to 5:54 p.m.6:39 a.m. to 5:24 p.m.EST
Nov 26, 2026Duck season opens7:22 a.m.5:17 p.m.6:52 a.m. to 5:47 p.m.6:52 a.m. to 5:17 p.m.EST
Nov 29, 2026Zone 4 gun closes7:25 a.m.5:16 p.m.6:55 a.m. to 5:46 p.m.6:55 a.m. to 5:16 p.m.EST
Dec 12, 2026Bear Zone 1 firearm; late muzzleloader7:36 a.m.5:15 p.m.7:06 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.7:06 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.EST
Dec 21, 2026Shortest day7:42 a.m.5:18 p.m.7:12 a.m. to 5:48 p.m.7:12 a.m. to 5:18 p.m.EST
Dec 26, 2026Free youth weekend7:44 a.m.5:21 p.m.7:14 a.m. to 5:51 p.m.7:14 a.m. to 5:21 p.m.EST

Some WMAs post their own hours. Times are on local clock time: Central Time in the western 41 counties, Eastern Time elsewhere.

Hours rules from the 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting &

; sunrise and sunset from the NOAA solar formula at this point on Eastern Time; checked November 10, 2026. Legal hours across Kentucky.

Ground of the same sort as the Hunting Access Area program

Access area

Elk Horn Coal Hunting
Access Area

19,976 acres

Access area

Continental Hunting Access Area

15,036 acres

Access area

Asher Hunting Access Area

13,145 acres

Access area

Betterment Wildlife Hunting Access
Area

8,001 acres

Hunting access areas
Wildlife refuges
Closed to hunting
Eastern gray squirrel eating a peanut on the grass

Eastern gray squirrel eating a peanut on the grassPhoto: Joe Haupt (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Eastern gray squirrel

Eastern gray squirrelPhoto: DaPuglet (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Things hunters wonder about the Hunting Access Area program

Any drawn deer hunts on the Hunting Access Area program?

Not in the 2026-27 deer quota table.

Zone number for deer at the Hunting Access Area program?

Zones 3-4, by county.

Bear hunting at the Hunting Access Area program?

Allowed under Bear Zones 1 and 2 rules.

Any CWD rules for the Hunting Access Area program?

Only the statewide ones; it is outside the surveillance zone.

Who runs the Hunting Access Area program, and how large is it?

Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, about 61,504 acres.

Can a drawn elk hunter use the Hunting Access Area program?

Yes, only with a drawn elk permit; it is in the elk zone.

When can I start hunting at the Hunting Access Area program?

Half an hour before sunrise for most game; see the sun table above for exact times.

How far is the drive from town to the Hunting Access Area program?

Vicco lies about 4 miles away.

Where do I ask about the Hunting Access Area program rules?

Write to FW.SoutheastRegion@ky.gov or call (606) 344-0585.

Loose ends to tie up for the Hunting Access Area program

Log every deer, turkey, bear or elk taken on the Hunting Access Area program before moving it, and report it through Telecheck by midnight of the day it is recovered.

Kentucky land map
All Kentucky areas
Bell County
Hunting access areas
Deer Zone 3

Sources: KDFWR PDF · KDFWR page; seasons from the 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting &

. Checked November 10, 2026.

Other photos on this page: Aaron Vowels (CC BY 2.0); frankieleon (CC BY 2.0).