Continental Hunting Access Area: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Continental Hunting Access Area is 15,036 acres of public hunting land in Pike, Letcher and Floyd counties, in KDFWR's Northeast region. Hunters telechecked 32 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 27 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.
Continental Hunting Access AreaOther KDFWR public hunting areasNational forestLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 15,036 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Pike County, Letcher County, Floyd County |
| KDFWR region | Northeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 3, Zone 4 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 32 (27 antlered bucks, 5 does) |
| Elk | In the Elk Management Zone, hunting units 5 and 7 |
| Elevation | Minimum 840 feet, maximum 3000 feet |
| Contact | Pike and Floyd Cos. Scott Freidhof . (606)-783-8634, For Letcher Co Wes Hodges (606)-654-2533. Contact Joe McDermott 502-892-4432 for elk hunting questions |
| Nearest towns | Jenkins (next to it), Fleming-Neon (next to it) and Elkhorn City (2 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Continental Hunting Access 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
- Portions of the access area are open during quota elk hunts to persons who possess the appropriate elk hunting permit.
- Access to the Letcher County property via Wright's Fork Road off US23 is not permitted.
Source: KDFWR's page for Continental Hunting Access Area, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Continental Hunting Access Area?
Hunters telechecked 32 deer on Continental Hunting Access Area in the 2025-26 season: 27 antlered bucks, 0 button bucks and 5 does. Over the 6 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 17 deer a season, from 5 in 2020-21 to 32 in 2025-26.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 32 | 27 | 5 | 24 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 2024-25 | 21 | 15 | 5 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 2023-24 | 18 | 16 | 2 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 16 | 10 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2020-21 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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: 2 in 2025, 2 in 2024, 2 in 2022 and 1 in 2021 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
Elk telechecked on the area: 3 in 2024-25 (3 bulls, 0 cows), 3 in 2021-22 (3 bulls, 0 cows) and 2 in 2020-21 (2 bulls, 0 cows). See Kentucky elk hunting.
What kind of ground is Continental Hunting Access Area?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 86.02% forest and 13.91% open land. Elevation runs from 840 feet to 3000 feet.
Which county is Continental Hunting Access Area in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pike County | 7,727 | 3 | 1,632 | 31st |
| Letcher County | 7,058 | 4 | 549 | 100th |
| Floyd County | 236 | 4 | 881 | 72nd |
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 Continental Hunting Access Area?
Habitat consists primarily of reclaimed surface-mined and forested land. Foot travel only off area mine roads or behind locked gates. Active mining practices are underway on some portions of the property. Use caution when travelling and always give mining equipment and large trucks the right of way. . This property is open under statewide regulations for all game species other than elk. This is a Regulated Area for elk hunting and is located in Elk Hunting Unit 7. Drawn elk hunters may apply to hunt this property during the Elk Hunting Unit and Regulated Area drawing. Access to the Letcher county property via Wright’s Fork Road of US 23 is not permitted Owned by Continental Land Company LLC. No ATV’s, camping, horseback riding, rock climbing, or hunting with the aid of or over bait is allowed on the area. The use of a hunting guide to assist hunters during their hunt is not permitted on any portions of this property.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways through the area: KY 805. Nearest towns: Jenkins (next to it), Fleming-Neon (next to it), Elkhorn City (2 miles) and Wheelwright (3 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Elk Horn Coal Hunting Access Area (next to it), Fishtrap Lake WMA (next to it), RH Group WMA (1.4 miles) and Betterment Wildlife Hunting Access Area (1.7 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Continental Hunting Access Area in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Continental Hunting Access Area: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Continental Hunting Access Area last season?
Hunters telechecked 32 deer on Continental Hunting Access Area in the 2025-26 season: 27 antlered bucks and 5 does. The most taken with firearms (24).
What county is Continental Hunting Access Area in?
Pike County (7,727 acres), Letcher County (7,058 acres) and Floyd County (236 acres), measured on KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Continental Hunting Access Area in?
Pike County is in Zone 3, Letcher County is in Zone 4 and Floyd County is in Zone 4. Area rules can be stricter than the zone's, as listed above.
Are elk taken on Continental Hunting Access Area?
Yes. KDFWR's Telecheck reports show 3 elk in 2024-25, 3 elk in 2021-22 and 2 elk in 2020-21 on the area. Elk hunting is by quota permit; see Kentucky elk hunting.
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Where these numbers come from
- Area rules, size, habitat, contact and directions: KDFWR, Continental Hunting Access 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.
Kentucky hunting All Kentucky WMAs Pike County deer harvest Letcher County deer harvest Floyd County deer harvest