Fort Knox Military Reservation: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Fort Knox Military Reservation is 108,619 acres of public hunting land in Hardin, Bullitt and Meade counties, in KDFWR's Green River region. Hunters telechecked 812 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 309 antlered bucks among them.
Data updated October 2026. Rules: KDFWR's page for the area. Harvest: KDFWR Telecheck reports, 2016-17 to 2025-26.
Fort Knox Military ReservationOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 108,619 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Hardin County, Bullitt County, Meade County |
| KDFWR region | Green River region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 1 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 812 (309 antlered bucks, 412 does) |
| Elevation | Minimum feet, maximum feet |
| Contact | Fort Knox Hunt Control Office (502) 624-7311 or (502) 624-2712 |
| Nearest towns | Fort Knox (next to it), Muldraugh (next to it), West Point (next to it) and Radcliff (next to it) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Fort Knox Military Reservation?
KDFWR lists these rules for the area. Where it says the area is open under statewide seasons, the county's zone rules apply.
- Post permit and iSportsman account required. Hunters must register firearms at the Vistor Center located at the Chaffee Gate before bringing them onto the installation. https://ftknox.isportsman.net/
- Hunters ages 12-60 must have a hunter education card, or hunter education exemption permit. Turkeys taken are bonus birds. Spring Squirrel hunting permitted. See small game hunting guidelines on iSportsman for authorized methods of take and season dates, or call the Hunt Control Office.
- The CWD Antlerless Season (Sept. 25-28) is not available on Fort Knox Military Reservation.
Source: KDFWR's page for Fort Knox Military Reservation, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Fort Knox Military Reservation?
Hunters telechecked 812 deer on Fort Knox Military Reservation in the 2025-26 season: 309 antlered bucks, 91 button bucks and 412 does. Over the 9 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 781 deer a season, from 607 in 2017-18 to 929 in 2024-25.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 812 | 309 | 412 | 482 | 180 | 13 | 137 |
| 2024-25 | 929 | 511 | 356 | 532 | 232 | 31 | 134 |
| 2023-24 | 877 | 486 | 325 | 464 | 257 | 36 | 120 |
| 2022-23 | 895 | 432 | 400 | 475 | 235 | 48 | 137 |
| 2021-22 | 709 | 356 | 300 | 374 | 171 | 34 | 130 |
| 2020-21 | 748 | 373 | 320 | 326 | 259 | 31 | 132 |
| 2019-20 | 760 | 357 | 323 | 387 | 184 | 26 | 163 |
| 2018-19 | 688 | 330 | 307 | 359 | 174 | 22 | 133 |
| 2017-18 | 607 | 295 | 252 | 307 | 133 | 18 | 149 |
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: 135 in 2025, 123 in 2024, 163 in 2023 and 85 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is Fort Knox Military Reservation?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 69.71% forest, 16.53% open land, 13.25% wetland and 0.51% open water. Elevation runs from feet to feet.
Which county is Fort Knox Military Reservation in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardin County | 58,716 | 1 | 3,545 | 1st |
| Bullitt County | 35,600 | 1 | 1,732 | 27th |
| Meade County | 14,324 | 1 | 1,575 | 36th |
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 Fort Knox Military Reservation?
Active military installation located thirty miles south of Louisville on US 31W. Approximately 65,000 acres are potentially available for hunting and fishing when the military mission permits. Access to the installation for hunting and fishing is coordinated through the Hunt Control Office and is strictly controlled and rigidly enforced. An iSportsman account ( https://ftknox.isportsman.net/ ) is required for all persons wishing to obtain a hunting or fishing permit. Checking into and out of hunting and fishing areas will be conducted through the iSportsman system or at the Hunt Control Office located in Building 9297, 4916 Wilson Road (Latitude N 37.92985, Longitude W -85.94689). Primarily forested with rolling uplands, broad ridge tops, and narrow valleys with steep slopes, Fort Knox has a variety of habitats that support hunting for small game species such as squirrel, dove, rabbit, quail, raccoon, and migratory birds as well as quality deer and wild turkey hunting. There is a variety of quality fishing resources available on the installation. This includes trout fishing in Otter Creek; largemouth bass, channel catfish, and bluegill fishing in the seven managed and numerous unmanaged lakes; and smallmouth bass, spotted bass, and longear sunfish fishing in Mill Creek, Cedar Creek, and Otter Creek. Quota archery and gun deer hunts by application only through the iSportsman system. Weapons registration and Fort Knox hunting and fishing permits required. Camping is allowed for nonmilitary affiliated personnel only during the deer season at Camp Carlson (502-624-4836). Area also features the U.S. Bullion Depository, Patton Museum, and Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area. Hunting and fishing on Fort Knox is available to the general public within the constraints of the resources and safety.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways through the area: US 60, KY 313, KY 1638 and KY 251. Nearest towns: Fort Knox (next to it), Muldraugh (next to it), West Point (next to it), Radcliff (next to it) and Lebanon Junction (next to it).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area (next to it), Knobs State Forest and WMA (2.8 miles), John C. Williams WMA (3.6 miles) and Rolling Fork WMA (20.6 miles).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were killed on Fort Knox Military Reservation last season?
Hunters telechecked 812 deer on Fort Knox Military Reservation in the 2025-26 season: 309 antlered bucks and 412 does. The most taken with firearms (482).
What county is Fort Knox Military Reservation in?
Hardin County (58,716 acres), Bullitt County (35,600 acres) and Meade County (14,324 acres), measured on KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Fort Knox Military Reservation in?
Hardin County is in Zone 1, Bullitt County is in Zone 1 and Meade County is in Zone 1. Unlimited number of antlerless deer using the statewide deer permit plus additional deer permits. 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, Fort Knox Military Reservation.
- 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 Hardin County deer harvest Bullitt County deer harvest Meade County deer harvest