Boatwright WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Boatwright WMA is 8,802 acres of public hunting land in Ballard County, in KDFWR's Purchase region. Hunters telechecked 31 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 16 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.
Boatwright WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 8,802 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Ballard County |
| KDFWR region | Purchase region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 1 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 31 (16 antlered bucks, 15 does) |
| Elevation | Minimum 295 feet, maximum 361 feet |
| Contact | (270) 224-2244 |
| Nearest towns | Barlow (next to it), Wickliffe (3 mi) and La Center (5 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Boatwright WMA?
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.
Exceptions
- Deer archery/crossbow season is open through Oct. 14 only.
- Youth-only deer season open Oct. 10-14 only; closed for free youth weekend.
- Fall squirrel season open Aug. 16-Oct. 14.
- Olmstead, Peal, and all other units are open under statewide regulations for all hunting and trapping seasons, except some portions may be closed to public access as marked by signs.
- The CWD Antlerless Season (Sept. 25-28) is open on Boatwright WMA.
Source: KDFWR's page for Boatwright WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Boatwright WMA?
Hunters telechecked 31 deer on Boatwright WMA in the 2025-26 season: 16 antlered bucks, 0 button bucks and 15 does. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 39 deer a season, from 25 in 2019-20 to 54 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 31 | 16 | 15 | 21 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| 2024-25 | 32 | 15 | 16 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| 2023-24 | 54 | 23 | 27 | 46 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| 2022-23 | 45 | 21 | 19 | 41 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2021-22 | 36 | 13 | 18 | 26 | 5 | 1 | 4 |
| 2020-21 | 39 | 16 | 18 | 23 | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| 2019-20 | 25 | 13 | 12 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 2018-19 | 49 | 15 | 28 | 42 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| 2017-18 | 36 | 15 | 20 | 29 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| 2016-17 | 40 | 21 | 15 | 36 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
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: 5 in 2025, 26 in 2024, 27 in 2023 and 8 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is Boatwright WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 56.86% wetland, 35.25% open land, 6.17% open water and 1.7% forest. Elevation runs from 295 feet to 361 feet.
Which county is Boatwright WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballard County | 8,883 | 1 | 575 | 97th |
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 Boatwright WMA?
Peal Unit (1,835 acres): 4 miles west of Barlow on Mounds City Landing Road. River bottomland with marshlands and cypress swamps; 2 roads, access to 3 oxbow lakes. Special regulations for waterfowl hunting. Upper Blenderman Unit (308 acres): same address as Peal. Special regulations for waterfowl hunting. Zola Taress Unit (100 acres): same address as Peal. Open under statewide regulations. Stevens Unit (73 acres): same address as Peal. Special regulations for waterfowl hunting. Swan Lake Unit (2,299 acres): 6 miles northwest of Wickliffe on US 51/60. Primarily bottomland and flood plain area of the Ohio River, with several lakes and some interior gravel roads. Wintering ring-billed and herring gulls, double-crested cormorants, waterfowl, bald eagles. Special regulations for hunting, advance application for waterfowl hunting. Except for designated observation area, Swan Lake Unit closed Oct. 15-March 15 as waterfowl refuge. Public hunting closed when floodwaters prevent safe entry to blinds by wheeled vehicles. Fishing and boating available. Open under statewide regulations, Olmsted Unit (2,005 acres): 4 miles west of Barlow on Salle Crice Road. Special regulations for waterfowl hunting. Other units include the Stalling Unit (148 acres), the Perkins Unit (107acres) and Perkins Unit East (62 acres), Little Clark Estate (59 acres), and Harper (256 acres).
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways within 5 miles: US 60, KY 1105, US 51 and US 62. Nearest towns: Barlow (next to it), Wickliffe (3 miles), La Center (5 miles) and Blandville (8 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Ballard WMA (1.1 miles), Winford WMA (5.5 miles), Coil Estate WMA (6.5 miles) and Doug Travis WMA (9.7 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Boatwright WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Boatwright WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Boatwright WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 31 deer on Boatwright WMA in the 2025-26 season: 16 antlered bucks and 15 does. The most taken with firearms (21).
What county is Boatwright WMA in?
All of it is in Ballard County, by KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Boatwright WMA in?
Ballard 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, Boatwright WMA.
- 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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