Kentucky deer and elk hunting: WMAs, zones and county harvest
Kentucky hunters telechecked 145,525 deer in the 2025-26 season, 7,444 of them on public land, and 187 elk (KDFWR). The 2026-27 modern firearms deer season runs November 14 to 29, 2026, and archery runs September 5, 2026 to January 18, 2027 (KDFWR guide, page 10).
Data updated October 2026. Seasons and zones: KDFWR's 2026-27 guide. Harvest: KDFWR Telecheck reports to 2025-26.
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When are Kentucky's 2026-27 deer and elk seasons?
Kentucky's 2026-27 deer season opens with archery on September 5 and runs through January 18, 2027, for archers. The modern firearms season is November 14 to 29, 2026. What a hunter may take depends on the county's deer zone, from Zone 1 (no limit on antlerless deer) to Zone 4 (two deer).
| Season | Dates |
|---|---|
| Deer, archery | September 5, 2026 to January 18, 2027 |
| Deer, youth and senior crossbow | September 5, 2026 to January 18, 2027 |
| Deer, crossbow | September 19, 2026 to January 18, 2027 |
| Deer, CWD antlerless season (Zone 1 to 3 counties in the CWD Surveillance Zone) | September 25 to 28, 2026 |
| Deer, youth-only modern firearms | October 10 to 18, 2026 |
| Deer, early muzzleloader | October 17 to 18, 2026 |
| Deer, modern firearms | November 14 to 29, 2026 |
| Deer, late muzzleloader | December 12 to 20, 2026 |
| Deer, free youth weekend | December 26 to 27, 2026 |
| Elk, bull firearms (quota) | September 26 to 30 and October 3 to 7, 2026 |
| Elk, cow firearms (quota) | November 28 to December 2, 2026 and January 2 to 6, 2027 |
| Elk, either-sex archery and crossbow (quota) | September 12 to 25 and December 5 to 11, 2026 |
Only one antlered deer may be taken statewide, whatever the zone or method. Every deer, elk and turkey goes on the hunter's harvest log before the carcass is moved and is reported through Telecheck.
Source: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, pages 10 and 20. KDFWR's guide notes proposed regulations, still pending when it was printed, that would add antlerless firearm seasons in some counties and on some WMAs (page 11). Check fw.ky.gov for their status.
What are Kentucky's deer zones?
KDFWR puts each of Kentucky's 120 counties in one of four deer zones. The zone sets how many deer a hunter may take there, and in Zone 4 when antlerless deer may be taken.
| Zone | Counties | Limit, 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | 68 | Unlimited number of antlerless deer using the statewide deer permit plus additional deer permits. |
| Zone 2 | 24 | Up to four deer. |
| Zone 3 | 13 | Up to four deer. Only one antlerless deer with a firearm or air gun. |
| Zone 4 | 15 | Up to two deer, only one of which can be antlerless. Antlerless deer cannot be taken during the modern gun season, the early muzzleloader season or the first six days of the late muzzleloader season. |
Source: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10; KDFWR current deer zones.
Where can you hunt public land in Kentucky?
118 WMAs and other public hunting areas have a page here, each with KDFWR's own rules for the area and its deer harvest by season. The most deer in 2025-26 were on Daniel Boone National Forest (1,270), Fort Knox Military Reservation (812), Peabody WMA (575) and Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area (455). See every area.
How does Kentucky elk hunting work?
Kentucky has the largest elk herd east of the Mississippi River. Hunting is by quota permit in the 16-county Elk Management Zone, about 4.1 million acres split into six hunting units, and drawn hunters are assigned a unit in a second drawing in July (page 21). The 2026 drawing offered 500 permits: 140 bull firearm, 164 cow firearm, 170 either-sex archery and crossbow, and 26 either-sex youth permits. See the drawing results and the hunting units.
Which Kentucky counties have the most deer harvested?
Hardin County (3,545), Breckinridge County (3,091), Christian County (3,002), Hart County (2,817) and Graves County (2,698) led Kentucky in 2025-26. See all 120 counties.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | On public land | Elk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 145,525 | 74,444 | 7,444 | 187 |
| 2024-25 | 149,919 | 78,589 | 7,767 | 207 |
| 2023-24 | 141,065 | 72,604 | 7,718 | 234 |
| 2022-23 | 144,515 | 71,152 | 6,775 | 226 |
| 2021-22 | 132,327 | 68,035 | 5,958 | 249 |
Source: KDFWR Harvest Data (Telecheck), deer by county; KDFWR Harvest Data (Telecheck), deer by public land; KDFWR Harvest Data (Telecheck), elk.
Questions hunters ask
When does deer season open in Kentucky in 2026?
Archery season opens September 5, 2026 and crossbow season September 19. Modern firearms season runs November 14 to 29, 2026, by KDFWR's 2026-27 hunting guide (page 10).
How many deer can you kill in Kentucky?
It depends on the county's zone: no limit on antlerless deer in Zone 1, up to four deer in Zones 2 and 3, and up to two in Zone 4. Only one antlered deer may be taken statewide (2026-27 guide, page 10).
How do you apply for a Kentucky elk tag?
Apply through My Profile at fw.ky.gov between August 1 and April 30 for the next fall's hunts; each application is $10. The drawing is random, with no points, and drawn hunters buy their permit by June 15 (2026-27 guide, page 20).
How many deer were killed in Kentucky last season?
Kentucky hunters telechecked 145,525 deer in the 2025-26 season, by KDFWR's Harvest Data reports, including 7,444 on public land.
Get a Kentucky hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Kentucky are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Kentucky included.
Where these numbers come from
- Seasons, zones and limits: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, pages 10 to 21.
- Harvest: KDFWR Harvest Data (Telecheck), deer by county; KDFWR Harvest Data (Telecheck), deer by public land; KDFWR Harvest Data (Telecheck), elk. Elk drawing: KDFWR elk drawing results, 2011 to 2025.
- Maps: KDFWR public hunting area boundaries; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries.
FilledTag is not part of Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. KDFWR's hunting pages are the final word on every rule.
Every state Kentucky WMAs Deer harvest by county Kentucky elk