Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area is 2,221 acres of public hunting land in Meade County, in KDFWR's Green River region. Hunters telechecked 21 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 6 antlered bucks among them.
Data updated October 2026. Rules: KDFWR's page for the area. Harvest: KDFWR Telecheck reports, 2016-17 to 2025-26.
Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation AreaOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 2,221 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Meade County |
| KDFWR region | Green River region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 1 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 21 (6 antlered bucks, 14 does) |
| Elevation | Minimum 390 feet, maximum 690 feet |
| Contact | 270-750-9778 |
| Nearest towns | Muldraugh (2 mi), West Point (4 mi) and Ekron (6 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area?
KDFWR lists these rules for the area. Where it says the area is open under statewide seasons, the county's zone rules apply.
- Please check the Otter Creek ORA page for more information.
- White-tailed Deer
- - Archery and crossbow hunting only in accordance with the current statewide regulations.
- Fall Wild Turkey
- - Hunting shall be conducted in accordance with the current statewide regulations.
- Small Game and Furbearers
- - Hunting of squirrel, rabbit, furbearers, coyote and other authorized small game shall be conducted in accordance with the current statewide regulations.
- - Unless otherwise modified by applicable regulation or written agreement:
- - Rifles, ball ammunition, or slug ammunition shall not be used to take furbearers.
- - Rimfire weapons shall not be used to take small game.
- - Trapping season shall be Jan. 1 through the end of February, subject to applicable KDFWR regulations.
- Managed Hunts
- - Meade County and KDFWR may coordinate managed hunts, quota hunts, youth hunting opportunities, deer management hunts, or other specialized hunting opportunities when appropriate for resource management or public recreation.
- The CWD Antlerless Season (Sept. 25-28) IS NOT available on Otter Creek.
Shooting Range
- A person shall not target practice, sight in a firearm, or discharge a firearm in any area except the shooting range. Shooting multiple projectile shells is not permitted on Tube Ranges. Club Ranges are off-limits unless authorized by an approved event with a club range safety officer. A person shall not discharge a firearm within 100 yards of a residence or occupied building, whether or not the building is on the WMA.
- Not allowed at the range:
- Damage a tree or shrub (No installation of targets on trees or shrubs)
- Dump trash or litter (Clean up targets and spent shells)
- Deface or destroy a signs
- Pose a risk to persons or property (Shooters responsible for ensuring adequate backstop)
- Engage in an activity which could unreasonably interfere with other uses or users of the area
Source: KDFWR's page for Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area?
Hunters telechecked 21 deer on Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area in the 2025-26 season: 6 antlered bucks, 1 button buck and 14 does. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 20 deer a season, from 15 in 2021-22 to 30 in 2017-18.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 21 | 6 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 13 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 17 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 17 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 12 | 5 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 15 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 15 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 21 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 20 | 9 | 10 | 3 | 15 | 2 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 30 | 11 | 17 | 5 | 21 | 4 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | 28 | 11 | 16 | 1 | 23 | 4 | 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: 2 in 2022, 2 in 2021, 1 in 2020 and 2 in 2019 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 84.78% forest, 7.83% wetland, 7.29% open land and 0.09% open water. Elevation runs from 390 feet to 690 feet.
Which county is Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meade County | 2,222 | 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 Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area?
The area is 6.2 miles from the intersection of KY 448 and KY 1638 in Brandenburg and 2.7 miles from the junction of KY 1638 and Dixie Highway (U.S. 31W). The terrain ranges from steep to rolling, with bluffs overlooking the Ohio River and Otter Creek. Fishing access includes 5 miles of Otter Creek and 2.4 miles of the Ohio River. Multi-use trails are available; refer to the trail map for designated uses. Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area is operated by the Meade County Fiscal Court, except for the shooting range. The rifle range (for single projectile firearms only; no shotshells or pistols allowed), and pistol range (for pistols only; no shotguns or rifles allowed) are open Tuesday-Saturday 9 am-sunset & Sundays noon-sunset (Closed Monday’s for routine maintenance). The Otter Creek parking pass is not required to utilize the shooting ranges, but the KDFWR Shooting Range Permit is required. Visitors to Otter Creek may purchase an Otter Creek parking permit online . Primitive and RV camping reservations may be made through the Otter Creek Campground reservation system . Call 270-422-HIKE for trail conditions (operated by Meade Co.). Anglers and hunters must obtain the required Otter Creek parking permit and possess a valid fishing or hunting license and all applicable permits. Otter Creek offers excellent stream fishing for smallmouth bass and rainbow trout. Anglers must possess a trout permit to keep rainbow trout.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways within 5 miles: US 60, KY 1638, KY 933 and KY 144. Nearest towns: Muldraugh (2 miles), West Point (4 miles), Ekron (6 miles) and Brandenburg (7 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Fort Knox Military Reservation (next to it), Knobs State Forest and WMA (17.5 miles), John C. Williams WMA (19.7 miles) and Yellowbank WMA (21.3 miles).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were killed on Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area last season?
Hunters telechecked 21 deer on Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area in the 2025-26 season: 6 antlered bucks and 14 does. The most taken with crossbow (13).
What county is Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area in?
All of it is in Meade County, by KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area in?
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.
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, Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation 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.
Kentucky hunting All Kentucky WMAs Meade County deer harvest