Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area is 30,300 acres of public hunting land in McCreary County, in KDFWR's Southeast region. Hunters telechecked 19 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 16 antlered bucks among them. KDFWR's 2026-27 rule for the area: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
Data updated October 2026. Rules: KDFWR's page for the area. Harvest: KDFWR Telecheck reports, 2016-17 to 2025-26.
Big South Fork National River and Recreation AreaOther KDFWR public hunting areasNational forestLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 30,300 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | McCreary County |
| KDFWR region | Southeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 4 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 19 (16 antlered bucks, 3 does) |
| Elk | In the Elk Management Zone, unit 1 is closed to elk hunting |
| Elevation | Minimum feet, maximum feet |
| Contact | Kentucky Ranger Station: (606) 376-5073, Park Headquarters: (423) 569-9778 |
| Nearest towns | Burnside (16 mi), Monticello (16 mi) and Ferguson (19 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area?
KDFWR lists these rules for the area. Where it says the area is open under statewide seasons, the county's zone rules apply.
Fall Hunting Season
- Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
Exceptions
- Rabbit and quail seasons are open Nov. 1-Dec. 31, except during the opening weekend of modern gun deer season.
- Grouse season is open Oct. 1-Dec. 31.
Source: KDFWR's page for Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area?
Hunters telechecked 19 deer on Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area in the 2025-26 season: 16 antlered bucks, 0 button bucks and 3 does. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 24 deer a season, from 18 in 2021-22 to 38 in 2016-17.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 19 | 16 | 3 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 30 | 28 | 2 | 24 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 19 | 18 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 30 | 28 | 1 | 22 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| 2021-22 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2020-21 | 20 | 16 | 3 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 23 | 20 | 2 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 2018-19 | 18 | 17 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2017-18 | 24 | 17 | 7 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 3 |
| 2016-17 | 38 | 31 | 4 | 30 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
Source: KDFWR Harvest Data (Telecheck), deer by public land. Antlered bucks are KDFWR's count of males with visible antlers; the rest of the males are button bucks.
Spring turkey telechecked on the area: 7 in 2025, 14 in 2024, 7 in 2023 and 7 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 96.32% forest, 1.87% open water, 1.65% open land and 0.11% wetland. Elevation runs from feet to feet.
Which county is Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McCreary County | 30,290 | 4 | 441 | 109th |
Acres measured by FilledTag on KDFWR public hunting area boundaries and the U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries. County harvest: KDFWR Harvest Data (Telecheck), deer by county. Zones: KDFWR current deer zones.
How do you get to Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area?
US 27 south, then west on KY 92 to regional office in Stearns. Majority of area is in Tennessee and exceeds 55,000 acres. Extremely mountainous with steep cliffs, deep gorges. Camping, hiking near South Fork of Cumberland River; canoeing, fishing. Check with park staff about designated safety zones around high-use visitor facilities where hunting is not permitted. For map, additional information, contact Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, 4564 Leatherwood Road, Oneida, TN 37841; Owned by National Park Service.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways through the area: KY 742, KY 1363, KY 700 and KY 92. Nearest towns: Burnside (16 miles), Monticello (16 miles), Ferguson (19 miles) and Williamsburg (19 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Daniel Boone National Forest (next to it), Lake Cumberland WMA (2 miles), Beaver Creek WMA (3.7 miles) and RH Group WMA (5.4 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area last season?
Hunters telechecked 19 deer on Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area in the 2025-26 season: 16 antlered bucks and 3 does. The most taken with firearms (15).
What county is Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area in?
All of it is in McCreary County, by KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area in?
McCreary County is in Zone 4. 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. Area rules can be stricter than the zone's, as listed above.
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Where these numbers come from
- Area rules, size, habitat, contact and directions: KDFWR, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area.
- Deer, elk and turkey harvest on the area: KDFWR Harvest Data (Telecheck), deer by public land. County harvest: KDFWR Harvest Data (Telecheck), deer by county.
- Boundary: KDFWR public hunting area boundaries. Counties, highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries; U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer. National forest and refuges: U.S. Forest Service national forest ownership; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundaries.
FilledTag is not part of Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. Numbers are copied from KDFWR or measured from public maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
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