Elk Horn Coal Hunting Access Area: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Elk Horn Coal Hunting Access Area is 19,976 acres of public hunting land in Floyd, Letcher, Knott and Pike counties, in KDFWR's Southeast region. Hunters telechecked 58 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 49 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.
Elk Horn Coal Hunting Access AreaOther KDFWR public hunting areasNational forestLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 19,976 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Floyd County, Letcher County, Knott County, Pike County |
| KDFWR region | Southeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 4, Zone 3 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 58 (49 antlered bucks, 8 does) |
| Elk | In the Elk Management Zone, hunting units 5, 6 and 7 |
| Elevation | Minimum 640 feet, maximum feet |
| Contact | For Floyd, and Pike Counties, Scott Freidhof 606-783-8634. For Letcher and Knott Counties, Wes Hodges 606-654-2533 |
| Nearest towns | Wayland (next to it), Fleming-Neon (next to it), Wheelwright (next to it), Allen (3 mi) and Jenkins (3 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Elk Horn Coal 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
- Camping, ATV use, horseback riding, baiting, livestock production and the use of screw-in steps or tree stands that have screws and spikes, which may injure trees, are not permitted on the property.
Source: KDFWR's page for Elk Horn Coal Hunting Access Area, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Elk Horn Coal Hunting Access Area?
Hunters telechecked 58 deer on Elk Horn Coal Hunting Access Area in the 2025-26 season: 49 antlered bucks, 1 button buck and 8 does. Over the 8 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 31 deer a season, from 17 in 2021-22 to 59 in 2024-25.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 58 | 49 | 8 | 47 | 5 | 2 | 4 |
| 2024-25 | 59 | 56 | 3 | 52 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 2023-24 | 26 | 22 | 4 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022-23 | 22 | 20 | 2 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 2021-22 | 17 | 13 | 3 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 2020-21 | 20 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| 2019-20 | 21 | 18 | 2 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 2018-19 | 28 | 24 | 3 | 19 | 7 | 0 | 2 |
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: 5 in 2025, 5 in 2024, 7 in 2023 and 1 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
Elk telechecked on the area: 1 in 2025-26 (1 bull, 0 cows), 2 in 2024-25 (1 bull, 1 cow), 3 in 2023-24 (1 bull, 2 cows), 4 in 2022-23 (3 bulls, 1 cow) and 1 in 2021-22 (0 bulls, 1 cow). See Kentucky elk hunting.
What kind of ground is Elk Horn Coal Hunting Access Area?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 89.2% forest, 10.77% open land and 0.01% open water. Elevation runs from 640 feet to feet.
Which county is Elk Horn Coal Hunting Access Area in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floyd County | 9,872 | 4 | 881 | 72nd |
| Letcher County | 6,821 | 4 | 549 | 100th |
| Knott County | 2,418 | 4 | 714 | 86th |
| Pike County | 868 | 3 | 1,632 | 31st |
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 Elk Horn Coal Hunting Access Area?
The property is comprised of reclaimed strip mine habitat of grasses and shrubs, with timbered ridges and drainages throughout. Strip mine habitat is of varying age and classification of reclamation. Use caution if active mining practices are underway, and give large trucks the right-of-way Owned by Elk Horn Coal. The majority of this area is managed as two separate Regulated Areas for elk hunting that are located in Elk Hunting Units 5 and 7. Drawn elk hunters may apply to hunt these properties during the Elk Hunting Unit and Regulated Area drawing. The two Prestonsburg tracts are open for elk hunting to those hunters with a Unit 6 elk tag. These tracts are not regulated and are open to any hunters with a Unit 6 tag. All other forms of hunting are open under statewide regulations for the given species with the following exceptions: camping, ATV use, horseback riding, baiting, livestock production, and the use of screw in steps or tree stands that have screws and spikes which may injure trees are not permitted on the property
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways through the area: KY 1469, KY 680, KY 803 and KY 1086. Nearest towns: Wayland (next to it), Fleming-Neon (next to it), Wheelwright (next to it), Allen (3 miles), Jenkins (3 miles) and Prestonsburg (3 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Betterment Wildlife Hunting Access Area (next to it), Continental Hunting Access Area (next to it), RH Group WMA (next to it) and Dewey Lake WMA (1.7 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Elk Horn Coal Hunting Access Area in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Elk Horn Coal Hunting Access Area: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Elk Horn Coal Hunting Access Area last season?
Hunters telechecked 58 deer on Elk Horn Coal Hunting Access Area in the 2025-26 season: 49 antlered bucks and 8 does. The most taken with firearms (47).
What county is Elk Horn Coal Hunting Access Area in?
Floyd County (9,872 acres), Letcher County (6,821 acres), Knott County (2,418 acres) and Pike County (868 acres), measured on KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Elk Horn Coal Hunting Access Area in?
Floyd County is in Zone 4, Letcher County is in Zone 4, Knott County is in Zone 4 and Pike County is in Zone 3. Area rules can be stricter than the zone's, as listed above.
Are elk taken on Elk Horn Coal Hunting Access Area?
Yes. KDFWR's Telecheck reports show 1 elk in 2025-26, 2 elk in 2024-25 and 3 elk in 2023-24 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, Elk Horn Coal 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 Floyd County deer harvest Letcher County deer harvest Knott County deer harvest