Kentenia State Forest: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Kentenia State Forest is 4,081 acres of public hunting land in Harlan County, in KDFWR's Southeast region. Hunters telechecked 14 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 10 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.
Kentenia State ForestOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 4,081 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Harlan County |
| KDFWR region | Southeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 4 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 14 (10 antlered bucks, 4 does) |
| Elk | In the Elk Management Zone, hunting unit 3 |
| Elevation | Minimum 1320 feet, maximum 2920 feet |
| Contact | (502) 564-4496 |
| Nearest towns | Harlan (3 mi), Evarts (4 mi) and Loyall (4 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Kentenia State 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 Kentenia State Forest, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Kentenia State Forest?
Hunters telechecked 14 deer on Kentenia State Forest in the 2025-26 season: 10 antlered bucks, 0 button bucks and 4 does. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 8 deer a season, from 2 in 2021-22 to 14 in 2025-26.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2023-24 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2021-22 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2016-17 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 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: 1 in 2025, 2 in 2024, 1 in 2023 and 2 in 2019 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is Kentenia State Forest?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 99.71% forest, 0.25% open land and 0.02% open water. Elevation runs from 1320 feet to 2920 feet.
Which county is Kentenia State Forest in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlan County | 4,080 | 4 | 509 | 104th |
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 Kentenia State Forest?
Harlan County, take US 421, 3.5 miles north from intersection with US 119 to Trail 1679 (Little Shepherd Trail; only road through area). Mountainous, steep terrain, with narrow ridge tops and numerous rock outcroppings; completely forested, primarily in hardwoods. Also sightseeing and hiking on Little Shepherd Trail. Owned by Kentucky Division of Forestry.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways through the area: KY 1679 and KY 2010. Nearest towns: Harlan (3 miles), Evarts (4 miles), Loyall (4 miles) and Cumberland (9 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Asher Hunting Access Area (next to it), Daniel Boone National Forest (next to it), Boone Forestlands WMA (2 miles) and Cumberland Forest WMA (3.9 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Kentenia State Forest in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Kentenia State Forest: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Kentenia State Forest last season?
Hunters telechecked 14 deer on Kentenia State Forest in the 2025-26 season: 10 antlered bucks and 4 does. The most taken with firearms (13).
What county is Kentenia State Forest in?
All of it is in Harlan County, by KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Kentenia State Forest in?
Harlan County is in Zone 4. Up to two deer, only one of which can be antlerless. Antlerless deer cannot be taken during the modern gun season, the early muzzleloader season or the first six days of the late muzzleloader season. 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, Kentenia State 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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