Kentucky elk hunting unit 4: counties, public land and elk harvest
Elk hunting unit 4 covers 787,997 acres of Kentucky's Elk Management Zone, mostly in Breathitt County, Clay County and Perry County, by KDFWR's unit map. 9 public hunting areas with 55,174 acres lie inside it. Hunters telechecked 9 elk in Breathitt County, 11 elk in Perry County and 24 elk in Knott County in 2025-26.
Data updated October 2026. Unit boundary: KDFWR's elk hunting unit map. Harvest: KDFWR Telecheck reports to 2025-26.
Unit 4KDFWR public hunting areasNational forestLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 787,997 acres (measured on KDFWR's map) |
|---|---|
| Counties | Breathitt County, Clay County, Perry County, Magoffin County, Knott County, Leslie County, Floyd County |
| Public hunting areas inside | 9, 55,174 acres |
| National forest inside | 467 acres |
| Towns | Manchester, Jackson and Buckhorn |
| Bull firearms, 2026 | September 26 to 30 and October 3 to 7 |
How many elk are taken in the counties of unit 4?
KDFWR reports elk by county, not by unit, so these are whole-county numbers. A county can lie in more than one unit.
| County | Acres in unit 4 | Elk, 2025-26 | Bulls | Cows | Elk, 2016-17 to 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breathitt County | 316,869 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 247 |
| Clay County | 172,323 | 0 | 88 | ||
| Perry County | 98,754 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 247 |
| Magoffin County | 85,259 | 0 | 16 | ||
| Knott County | 66,324 | 24 | 19 | 5 | 481 |
| Leslie County | 43,366 | 30 | 22 | 8 | 415 |
| Floyd County | 4,862 | 0 | 65 |
Source: KDFWR Harvest Data (Telecheck), elk. Acres measured by FilledTag on KDFWR elk hunting units and the U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries.
Which public hunting areas are in unit 4?
| Area | Acres in the unit | Elk telechecked on the area, 2016-17 to 2025-26 | Deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Boone National Forest | 43,870 | 59 | 1,270 |
| Buckhorn Lake WMA | 2,420 | 1 | 10 |
| Paul Van Booven WMA | 2,287 | 7 | 9 |
| Robinson Forest WMA | 2,003 | 15 | 7 |
| Wells Hunting Access Area | 1,771 | 24 | 67 |
| Burchell-Beech Creek WMA | 1,241 | 0 | 3 |
| Boone Forestlands WMA | 625 | 128 | 72 |
| Little Sexton Creek WMA | 612 | 0 | 5 |
| Betterment Wildlife Hunting Access Area | 345 | 12 | 5 |
7 areas in the unit had elk telechecked on them in these seasons. Many public areas in the elk zone also carry KDFWR's restricted-access rules for elk hunters; each area's page lists its own rules.
Area harvest: KDFWR Harvest Data (Telecheck), deer by public land.
How hard is it to draw a Kentucky elk permit?
Permits are drawn statewide, not by unit: drawn hunters are assigned a unit afterward. In 2025, KDFWR reports 1 in 159 resident applicants drew a bull firearm permit. The full results are on the Kentucky elk hunting page.
Questions hunters ask
Where is Kentucky elk unit 4?
Unit 4 is one of the six hunting units in the 16-county Elk Management Zone. It takes in parts of Breathitt County (316,869 acres), Clay County (172,323 acres), Perry County (98,754 acres), Magoffin County (85,259 acres), Knott County (66,324 acres), Leslie County (43,366 acres) and Floyd County (4,862 acres), measured on KDFWR's unit map.
Is there public land in elk unit 4?
Yes: Daniel Boone National Forest (43,870 acres in the unit), Buckhorn Lake WMA (2,420 acres in the unit), Paul Van Booven WMA (2,287 acres in the unit), Robinson Forest WMA (2,003 acres in the unit) and Wells Hunting Access Area (1,771 acres in the unit). Hunters need the landowner's permission on private land.
How do you get assigned to unit 4?
Hunters drawn for a quota elk permit apply for their preferred unit by June 30, and KDFWR assigns units in a separate drawing in July; those who do not apply are assigned one (2026-27 guide, pages 20 to 21).
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.
Sources: KDFWR elk hunting units; KDFWR Harvest Data (Telecheck), elk; KDFWR Harvest Data (Telecheck), deer by public land; 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, pages 20 to 21. FilledTag is not part of Kentucky Fish and Wildlife.