Tygarts State Forest: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Tygarts State Forest is 1,176 acres of public hunting land in Carter County, in KDFWR's Northeast region. Hunters telechecked 21 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.
Tygarts State ForestOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 1,176 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Carter County |
| KDFWR region | Northeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 1 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 21 (11 antlered bucks, 8 does) |
| Elevation | Minimum feet, maximum feet |
| Contact | 859-473-0061 |
| Nearest towns | Olive Hill (5 mi), Grayson (11 mi) and Vanceburg (16 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Tygarts 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 Tygarts State Forest, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Tygarts State Forest?
Hunters telechecked 21 deer on Tygarts State Forest in the 2025-26 season: 11 antlered bucks, 2 button bucks and 8 does. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 23 deer a season, from 13 in 2017-18 to 38 in 2019-20.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 21 | 11 | 8 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 2024-25 | 26 | 13 | 12 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 2023-24 | 32 | 17 | 13 | 23 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| 2022-23 | 25 | 16 | 8 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 27 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 5 |
| 2020-21 | 15 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 2019-20 | 38 | 11 | 21 | 25 | 9 | 0 | 4 |
| 2018-19 | 16 | 5 | 6 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2017-18 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2016-17 | 18 | 10 | 7 | 15 | 3 | 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 2025, 5 in 2024, 3 in 2023 and 7 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is Tygarts State Forest?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 86.39% forest and 13.69% open land. Elevation runs from feet to feet.
Which county is Tygarts State Forest in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carter County | 1,176 | 1 | 1,240 | 50th |
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 Tygarts State Forest?
Tygarts State Forest is west of and adjacent to Carter Caves State Resort Park off KY 182. From the south take I-64, then KY 182 (Carter Caves RD) north through Carter Caves State Resort Park. From Wesleyville, take KY 02 to KY 182, to Oakland Ridge RD. Also accessible by a short hike from Carter Caves State Resort Park, access from Maintenance Drive or Cave Branch RD. Hilly with some gently sloping ridge tops, forested in hardwoods. No developed/marked roads/trails. Lodging and recreational facilities are located at Carter Caves State Resort Park. Tygarts State Forest is owned by Kentucky Division of Forestry.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways within 5 miles: I-64, KY 182, KY 2 and KY 59. Nearest towns: Olive Hill (5 miles), Grayson (11 miles), Vanceburg (16 miles) and Morehead (20 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Old Trace Creek WMA (3.1 miles), Daniel Boone National Forest (10 miles) and Grayson Lake WMA (10.8 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Tygarts State Forest in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Tygarts State Forest: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Tygarts State Forest last season?
Hunters telechecked 21 deer on Tygarts State Forest in the 2025-26 season: 11 antlered bucks and 8 does. The most taken with firearms (15).
What county is Tygarts State Forest in?
All of it is in Carter County, by KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Tygarts State Forest in?
Carter 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.
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Where these numbers come from
- Area rules, size, habitat, contact and directions: KDFWR, Tygarts 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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