Kentucky elk hunting unit 6: counties, public land and elk harvest
Elk hunting unit 6 covers 676,062 acres of Kentucky's Elk Management Zone, mostly in Johnson County, Martin County and Floyd County, by KDFWR's unit map. 8 public hunting areas with 66,747 acres lie inside it. Hunters telechecked 1 elk in Johnson County, 12 elk in Martin County and 41 elk in Pike County in 2025-26.
Data updated October 2026. Unit boundary: KDFWR's elk hunting unit map. Harvest: KDFWR Telecheck reports to 2025-26.
Unit 6KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 676,062 acres (measured on KDFWR's map) |
|---|---|
| Counties | Johnson County, Martin County, Floyd County, Pike County, Magoffin County |
| Public hunting areas inside | 8, 66,747 acres |
| Towns | Prestonsburg, Coal Run Village, Paintsville, Salyersville, Inez and Warfield |
| Bull firearms, 2026 | September 26 to 30 and October 3 to 7 |
How many elk are taken in the counties of unit 6?
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 6 | Elk, 2025-26 | Bulls | Cows | Elk, 2016-17 to 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson County | 169,015 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 39 |
| Martin County | 147,505 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 327 |
| Floyd County | 133,355 | 0 | 65 | ||
| Pike County | 113,451 | 41 | 20 | 21 | 360 |
| Magoffin County | 112,533 | 0 | 16 |
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 6?
| Area | Acres in the unit | Elk telechecked on the area, 2016-17 to 2025-26 | Deer, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pocahontas WMA | 24,787 | 10 | 38 |
| Legacy WMA | 19,299 | 11 | 18 |
| Dewey Lake WMA | 9,174 | 14 | 30 |
| Paintsville Lake WMA | 6,068 | 0 | 35 |
| RH Group WMA | 5,345 | 15 | 20 |
| Jenny Wiley State Resort Park | 1,415 | 2 | 2 |
| Elk Horn Coal Hunting Access Area | 362 | 23 | 58 |
| Betterment Wildlife Hunting Access Area | 297 | 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 6?
Unit 6 is one of the six hunting units in the 16-county Elk Management Zone. It takes in parts of Johnson County (169,015 acres), Martin County (147,505 acres), Floyd County (133,355 acres), Pike County (113,451 acres) and Magoffin County (112,533 acres), measured on KDFWR's unit map.
Is there public land in elk unit 6?
Yes: Pocahontas WMA (24,787 acres in the unit), Legacy WMA (19,299 acres in the unit), Dewey Lake WMA (9,174 acres in the unit), Paintsville Lake WMA (6,068 acres in the unit) and RH Group WMA (5,345 acres in the unit). Hunters need the landowner's permission on private land.
How do you get assigned to unit 6?
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.