Hidden Valley Training Area: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Hidden Valley Training Area is 523 acres of public hunting land in Powell County, in KDFWR's Southeast region. Hunters telechecked 8 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 3 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.
Hidden Valley Training AreaOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 523 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Powell County |
| KDFWR region | Southeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 3 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 8 (3 antlered bucks, 5 does) |
| Elevation | Minimum 620 feet, maximum 880 feet |
| Contact | (606) 344-0585 |
| Nearest towns | Clay City (3 mi), Stanton (7 mi) and Camargo (8 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Hidden Valley Training 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
- Closed to muzzleloader, modern gun and youth gun deer seasons.
- Closed to fall turkey, furbearer and bear seasons.
- Fall squirrel season is open Sept. 1 through the last day of February.
Other Restrictions
- Area closes periodically for training exercises. Call (606) 878-9595 for more information about training dates.
Source: KDFWR's page for Hidden Valley Training Area, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Hidden Valley Training Area?
Hunters telechecked 8 deer on Hidden Valley Training Area in the 2025-26 season: 3 antlered bucks, 0 button bucks and 5 does. Over the 9 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 3 deer a season, from 1 in 2021-22 to 8 in 2025-26.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 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: 1 in 2023, 1 in 2019 and 1 in 2018 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is Hidden Valley Training Area?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 78.01% forest, 21.22% open land and 0.76% open water. Elevation runs from 620 feet to 880 feet.
Which county is Hidden Valley Training Area in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powell County | 522 | 3 | 381 | 113th |
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 Hidden Valley Training Area?
Located west of Stanton, KY. Take BERT T COMBS-MOUNTAIN PKWY exit 16 (KY 11, KY-15, KY-82) Clay City/Mt Sterling. Go north on KY-15 approximately 3 miles to Hidden Valley RD (CR-1309), travel 1 mile to area. Mostly forested with approximately 150 acres of open land. Terrain ranges from gently sloping to moderately steep hillsides. Please refer to the current Hunting and Trapping Guide for open dates. No ATV’s, camping, or horseback riding allowed. Owned by Kentucky National Guard. The area is occasionally utilized by the Kentucky National Guard for training purposes and visitors should make adjustments to their schedule as necessary.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways within 5 miles: KY 15, KY 974, KY 11 and KY 1028. Nearest towns: Clay City (3 miles), Stanton (7 miles), Camargo (8 miles) and Jeffersonville (8 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Daniel Boone National Forest (7.9 miles), Blue Grass Army Depot (14.4 miles), Miller Welch-Central Kentucky WMA (19.5 miles) and Ross Creek WMA (19.7 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Hidden Valley Training Area in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Hidden Valley Training Area: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Hidden Valley Training Area last season?
Hunters telechecked 8 deer on Hidden Valley Training Area in the 2025-26 season: 3 antlered bucks and 5 does. The most taken with crossbow (5).
What county is Hidden Valley Training Area in?
All of it is in Powell County, by KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Hidden Valley Training Area in?
Powell County is in Zone 3. Up to four deer. Only one antlerless deer with a firearm or air gun. 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, Hidden Valley Training 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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