Wells Hunting Access Area: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Wells Hunting Access Area is 5,346 acres of public hunting land in Perry, Leslie, Knott and Breathitt counties, in KDFWR's Southeast region. Hunters telechecked 67 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 52 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.
Wells Hunting Access AreaOther KDFWR public hunting areasNational forestLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 5,346 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Perry County, Leslie County, Knott County, Breathitt County |
| KDFWR region | Southeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 4 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 67 (52 antlered bucks, 14 does) |
| Elk | In the Elk Management Zone, hunting units 3, 4 and 5 |
| Elevation | Minimum 800 feet, maximum 1880 feet |
| Contact | (606)-654-2533 |
| Nearest towns | Vicco (next to it), Buckhorn (next to it) and Hindman (4 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Wells Hunting Access Area?
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 Wells Hunting Access Area, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Wells Hunting Access Area?
Hunters telechecked 67 deer on Wells Hunting Access Area in the 2025-26 season: 52 antlered bucks, 1 button buck and 14 does. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 63 deer a season, from 25 in 2017-18 to 99 in 2024-25.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 67 | 52 | 14 | 52 | 4 | 6 | 5 |
| 2024-25 | 99 | 66 | 30 | 60 | 14 | 11 | 14 |
| 2023-24 | 70 | 47 | 19 | 51 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| 2022-23 | 57 | 43 | 13 | 37 | 5 | 9 | 6 |
| 2021-22 | 60 | 46 | 14 | 44 | 2 | 8 | 6 |
| 2020-21 | 65 | 47 | 18 | 47 | 3 | 4 | 11 |
| 2019-20 | 58 | 49 | 9 | 45 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
| 2018-19 | 69 | 55 | 10 | 54 | 5 | 0 | 10 |
| 2017-18 | 25 | 16 | 8 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 4 |
| 2016-17 | 60 | 36 | 22 | 36 | 8 | 4 | 12 |
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, 8 in 2024, 15 in 2023 and 4 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
Elk telechecked on the area: 1 in 2024-25 (1 bull, 0 cows), 2 in 2023-24 (0 bulls, 2 cows), 1 in 2022-23 (0 bulls, 1 cow), 1 in 2021-22 (1 bull, 0 cows) and 1 in 2019-20 (0 bulls, 1 cow). See Kentucky elk hunting.
What kind of ground is Wells Hunting Access Area?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 59.03% forest, 40.8% open land and 0.06% wetland. Elevation runs from 800 feet to 1880 feet.
Which county is Wells Hunting Access Area in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perry County | 2,952 | 4 | 818 | 77th |
| Leslie County | 1,280 | 4 | 565 | 98th |
| Knott County | 917 | 4 | 714 | 86th |
| Breathitt County | 197 | 4 | 633 | 92nd |
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 Wells Hunting Access Area?
The Wells’ HAA consists of several tracts of various sizes in four different counties centered around Hazard, KY. Two of the larger tracts are southwest of Hazard on the Perry/Leslie county line and southeast of Hazard near the town of Vicco. The area consists of reclaimed surface-mined and forested land located in several disjointed tracts in Perry, Breathitt, Knott, and Leslie Counties. Good to moderate populations of squirrel, rabbits, grouse, deer, turkey, and songbirds exist on the area. The area is open under statewide regulations for small game, turkey, and deer seasons. This area has tracts that are in the at large elk hunting area. Please refer to the elk portion of our website. Owned by Mountain Properties Inc and N&G Holdings Company, Inc. Wells Hunting Access Area is the result of a cooperative agreement between the landowner and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways within 5 miles: KY 80, KY 15, KY 476 and KY 28. Nearest towns: Vicco (next to it), Buckhorn (next to it), Hindman (4 miles) and Hazard (4 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Betterment Wildlife Hunting Access Area (next to it), Carr Creek Lake WMA (1.3 miles), Daniel Boone National Forest (1.4 miles) and Buckhorn Lake WMA (1.4 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Wells Hunting Access Area in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Wells Hunting Access Area: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Wells Hunting Access Area last season?
Hunters telechecked 67 deer on Wells Hunting Access Area in the 2025-26 season: 52 antlered bucks and 14 does. The most taken with firearms (52).
What county is Wells Hunting Access Area in?
Perry County (2,952 acres), Leslie County (1,280 acres), Knott County (917 acres) and Breathitt County (197 acres), measured on KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Wells Hunting Access Area in?
Perry County is in Zone 4, Leslie County is in Zone 4, Knott County is in Zone 4 and Breathitt 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 Wells Hunting Access Area?
Yes. KDFWR's Telecheck reports show 1 elk in 2024-25, 2 elk in 2023-24 and 1 elk in 2022-23 on the area. Elk hunting is by quota permit; see Kentucky elk hunting.
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Where these numbers come from
- Area rules, size, habitat, contact and directions: KDFWR, Wells Hunting Access 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.
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