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Kentucky National Forest Hunting
The Daniel Boone National Forest (710,298 acres of national forest land in Kentucky, four ranger districts) and the small Kentucky part of the Jefferson National Forest.
Photo: Mark Spangler (CC BY 2.0)
Hunting the Daniel Boone National Forest
The Forest Service says hunting is allowed in most of the Daniel Boone National Forest under Kentucky seasons and licenses, across 26 counties of eastern and south-central Kentucky. USFS: "Hunting is allowed in most areas of the Daniel Boone National Forest" with restrictions: no hunting within 150 yards of a residence, building, campsite, developed recreation area or occupied area; forest land between KY 801 and the shores of Cave Run Lake (incl. Shallow Flats Wildlife Viewing Area) restricted; Pioneer Weapons WMA longbow, crossbow and muzzleloader only. Baiting prohibited (301 KAR 2:178 Section 8(1)). Acreage depends on the source: the Forest Service land statistics give 710,298 acres, the forest's own page 708,879 and KDFWR 710,288.
Daniel Boone forest-wide rules
Species named for the forest: white-tailed deer, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, bobwhite quail, woodcock, squirrel, rabbit, fox, raccoon, waterfowl, elk. KDFWR lists the forest among the areas where bear hunting with dogs is not allowed. The Forest Service rules limit Pioneer Weapons WMA to longbow, crossbow and muzzleloader hunting.
- Portions of the forest are open during quota elk hunts to persons who possess the appropriate elk hunting permit.
- Areas of the DBNF located in any other county are not open for the special antlerless season.
Daniel Boone ranger districts
The forest is managed in four ranger districts; each has its own page with its counties, zones and nearby towns. District acreages are Forest Service figures for national forest land inside each district.
| District | Counties | Acres | Deer zones | Bear zones | Elk zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Ranger District | Estill, Jackson, Laurel, Lee + | 209,423 | 3, 4 | 2 | Yes |
| Cumberland Ranger District | Bath, Estill, Lee, Menifee + | 183,503 | 2, 3, 4 | 2 | No |
| Stearns Ranger District | McCreary, Pulaski, Wayne, Whitley | 170,938 | 3, 4 | 1, 2, 3 | Yes |
| Redbird Ranger District | Clay, Harlan, Leslie, Owsley + | 146,434 | 4 | 1, 2 | Yes |
Daniel Boone forest counties and their zones
The national forest is not a wildlife management area, so it does not take a single deer zone: every part of it follows the zone of its county, and the same goes for the CWD Surveillance Zone, the bear zones and the elk zone. The county list below is the forest record's own. 8 of the forest counties are in the elk zone, 6 are in the CWD Surveillance Zone and 26 are in a bear zone.
| County | Deer zone | Zone limit | CWD zone | Bear zone | Elk zone | KDFWR region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bath | 2 | Up to 4 deer | No | 2 | No | Northeast |
| Breathitt | 4 | 2 deer, 1 antlerless | No | 2 | Yes | Southeast |
| Carter | 1 | Unlimited antlerless | No | 2 | No | Northeast |
| Clay | 4 | 2 deer, 1 antlerless | No | 2 | Yes | Southeast |
| Estill | 3 | 4 deer, 1 gun antlerless | No | 2 | No | Southeast |
| Fleming | 2 | Up to 4 deer | No | 2 | No | Northeast |
| Harlan | 4 | 2 deer, 1 antlerless | No | 1 | Yes | Southeast |
| Jackson | 3 | 4 deer, 1 gun antlerless | No | 2 | No | Southeast |
| Knox | 4 | 2 deer, 1 antlerless | No | 2 | Yes | Southeast |
| Laurel | 3 | 4 deer, 1 gun antlerless | Yes | 2 | No | Southeast |
| Lee | 4 | 2 deer, 1 antlerless | No | 2 | No | Southeast |
| Leslie | 4 | 2 deer, 1 antlerless | No | 2 | Yes | Southeast |
| Lewis | 1 | Unlimited antlerless | No | 2 | No | Northeast |
| Madison | 2 | Up to 4 deer | No | 2 | No | Bluegrass |
| McCreary | 4 | 2 deer, 1 antlerless | Yes | 1 | Yes | Southeast |
| Menifee | 3 | 4 deer, 1 gun antlerless | No | 2 | No | Northeast |
| Morgan | 2 | Up to 4 deer | No | 2 | No | Northeast |
| Owsley | 4 | 2 deer, 1 antlerless | No | 2 | No | Southeast |
| Perry | 4 | 2 deer, 1 antlerless | No | 2 | Yes | Southeast |
| Powell | 3 | 4 deer, 1 gun antlerless | No | 2 | No | Southeast |
| Pulaski | 3 | 4 deer, 1 gun antlerless | Yes | 2 | No | Southeast |
| Rockcastle | 3 | 4 deer, 1 gun antlerless | Yes | 2 | No | Southeast |
| Rowan | 2 | Up to 4 deer | No | 2 | No | Northeast |
| Wayne | 3 | 4 deer, 1 gun antlerless | Yes | 3 | No | Southeast |
| Whitley | 4 | 2 deer, 1 antlerless | Yes | 2 | Yes | Southeast |
| Wolfe | 3 | 4 deer, 1 gun antlerless | No | 2 | No | Southeast |
Campground hunt areas
Two developed campgrounds host mobility-impaired deer quota hunts. Zilpo Campground is in the 2026-27 quota table; Twin Knobs Campground hosts its hunt only in odd-numbered years, so it has no hunt this season.
| Campground | County | Acres | 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Knobs Campground | Rowan | 686 | No 2026-27 hunt |
| Zilpo Campground | Bath | 221 | Quota hunt |
Jefferson National Forest and LBL
The Jefferson National Forest reaches into Letcher and Pike counties along the Virginia line, about 878 acres in Kentucky by the Forest Service figure. It is part of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests and is hunted under Kentucky seasons on the Kentucky side. Land Between the Lakes is also Forest Service land, but it is a national recreation area with its own hunt permit and quota hunts; it has its own page.
Coyote standing on a brushy rise against a blue skyPhoto: capt_tain Tom (CC BY 2.0)
Wood duck drake on still waterPhoto: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Midwest Region (Public domain)
Bobcat standing in sunlit golden grassPhoto: Renee Grayson (CC BY 2.0)