Jefferson National Forest: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Jefferson National Forest is 857 acres of public hunting land in Letcher and Pike counties, in KDFWR's Southeast region. Hunters telechecked 12 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 11 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.
Jefferson National ForestOther KDFWR public hunting areasNational forestLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 857 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Letcher County, Pike County |
| KDFWR region | Southeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 4, Zone 3 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 12 (11 antlered bucks, 1 doe) |
| Elk | In the Elk Management Zone, hunting units 5 and 7 |
| Elevation | Minimum feet, maximum feet |
| Contact | 1-888-265-0019 |
| Nearest towns | Whitesburg (4 mi), Jenkins (6 mi) and Fleming-Neon (6 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Jefferson National Forest?
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.
Source: KDFWR's page for Jefferson National Forest, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Jefferson National Forest?
Hunters telechecked 12 deer on Jefferson National Forest in the 2025-26 season: 11 antlered bucks, 0 button bucks and 1 doe. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 12 deer a season, from 6 in 2018-19 to 15 in 2016-17.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 2023-24 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022-23 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2021-22 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 2020-21 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2018-19 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| 2016-17 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 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: 2 in 2025, 4 in 2024, 5 in 2023 and 5 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
Elk telechecked on the area: 1 in 2020-21 (0 bulls, 1 cow) and 1 in 2016-17 (1 bull, 0 cows). See Kentucky elk hunting.
What kind of ground is Jefferson National Forest?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 99.88% forest. Elevation runs from feet to feet.
Which county is Jefferson National Forest in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letcher County | 732 | 4 | 549 | 100th |
| Pike County | 98 | 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 Jefferson National Forest?
Two portions of this national forest extend into Kentucky, 742 acres in Letcher County on KY 932 and 115 acres in Pike County, access also by trail up Vanover Hollow from KY 197. Both tracts on the Kentucky-Virginia border offer extremely steep and mountainous terrain. For camping check with owner. Owned by U.S. Forest Service
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways within 5 miles: US 119, US 23, KY 805 and KY 1862. Nearest towns: Whitesburg (4 miles), Jenkins (6 miles), Fleming-Neon (6 miles) and Elkhorn City (12 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Continental Hunting Access Area (2.5 miles), Hensley-Pine Mountain WMA (3.4 miles), RH Group WMA (5 miles) and Elk Horn Coal Hunting Access Area (5.6 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Jefferson National Forest in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Jefferson National Forest: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Jefferson National Forest last season?
Hunters telechecked 12 deer on Jefferson National Forest in the 2025-26 season: 11 antlered bucks and 1 doe. The most taken with firearms (11).
What county is Jefferson National Forest in?
Letcher County (732 acres) and Pike County (98 acres), measured on KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Jefferson National Forest in?
Letcher 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 Jefferson National Forest?
Yes. KDFWR's Telecheck reports show 1 elk in 2020-21 and 1 elk in 2016-17 on the area. Elk hunting is by quota permit; see Kentucky elk hunting.
Get a Kentucky hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Kentucky are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Kentucky included.
Where these numbers come from
- Area rules, size, habitat, contact and directions: KDFWR, Jefferson National Forest.
- 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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