Kentucky Ridge State Forest: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Kentucky Ridge State Forest is 11,794 acres of public hunting land in Bell County, in KDFWR's Southeast region. Hunters telechecked 24 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 20 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.
Kentucky Ridge State ForestOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 11,794 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Bell County |
| KDFWR region | Southeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 4 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 24 (20 antlered bucks, 4 does) |
| Elk | In the Elk Management Zone, hunting unit 2 |
| Elevation | Minimum 1040 feet, maximum 3140 feet |
| Contact | (606)-654-2533 |
| Nearest towns | Pineville (next to it), Middlesborough (6 mi) and Barbourville (11 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Kentucky Ridge 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 Kentucky Ridge State Forest, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Kentucky Ridge State Forest?
Hunters telechecked 24 deer on Kentucky Ridge State Forest in the 2025-26 season: 20 antlered bucks, 0 button bucks and 4 does. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 21 deer a season, from 7 in 2017-18 to 39 in 2024-25.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 24 | 20 | 4 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| 2024-25 | 39 | 28 | 8 | 27 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| 2023-24 | 33 | 28 | 4 | 23 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| 2022-23 | 21 | 17 | 4 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| 2021-22 | 16 | 14 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2020-21 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 16 | 12 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2018-19 | 19 | 16 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 2017-18 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 2016-17 | 20 | 14 | 5 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
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: 9 in 2025, 7 in 2024, 9 in 2023 and 6 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
Elk telechecked on the area: 2 in 2024-25 (0 bulls, 2 cows), 1 in 2022-23 (1 bull, 0 cows), 1 in 2021-22 (0 bulls, 1 cow), 1 in 2020-21 (0 bulls, 1 cow) and 1 in 2019-20 (0 bulls, 1 cow). See Kentucky elk hunting.
What kind of ground is Kentucky Ridge State Forest?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 97.58% forest, 2.26% open land, 0.14% open water and 0.05% wetland. Elevation runs from 1040 feet to 3140 feet.
Which county is Kentucky Ridge State Forest in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell County | 11,792 | 4 | 661 | 89th |
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 Kentucky Ridge State Forest?
Five miles southwest of Pineville on KY 190. Fire trails provide limited access to interior of area. Mountainous terrain, primarily forested. Recreational opportunities and lodging at Pine Mountain State Resort Park; many scenic overlooks in area. Owned by Kentucky Division of Forestry.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways through the area: KY 190. Nearest towns: Pineville (next to it), Middlesborough (6 miles), Barbourville (11 miles) and Williamsburg (17 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Cumberland Forest WMA (next to it), Fortner-Davis WMA (next to it), Kentucky Ridge Forest WMA (next to it) and Shillalah Creek WMA (6.3 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Kentucky Ridge State Forest in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Kentucky Ridge State Forest: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Kentucky Ridge State Forest last season?
Hunters telechecked 24 deer on Kentucky Ridge State Forest in the 2025-26 season: 20 antlered bucks and 4 does. The most taken with firearms (19).
What county is Kentucky Ridge State Forest in?
All of it is in Bell County, by KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Kentucky Ridge State Forest in?
Bell 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.
Are elk taken on Kentucky Ridge State Forest?
Yes. KDFWR's Telecheck reports show 2 elk in 2024-25, 1 elk in 2022-23 and 1 elk in 2021-22 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, Kentucky Ridge 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.