Buckhorn Lake WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Buckhorn Lake WMA is 3,570 acres of public hunting land in Leslie and Perry counties, in KDFWR's Southeast region. Hunters telechecked 10 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 10 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.
Buckhorn Lake WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasNational forestLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 3,570 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Leslie County, Perry County |
| KDFWR region | Southeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 4 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 10 (10 antlered bucks, 0 does) |
| Elk | In the Elk Management Zone, hunting units 3 and 4 |
| Elevation | Minimum 759 feet, maximum 1467 feet |
| Contact | (606)-654-2533; COE office (606) 398-7251 |
| Nearest towns | Hyden (next to it), Buckhorn (next to it) and Hazard (8 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Buckhorn Lake 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.
Source: KDFWR's page for Buckhorn Lake WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Buckhorn Lake WMA?
Hunters telechecked 10 deer on Buckhorn Lake WMA in the 2025-26 season: 10 antlered bucks, 0 button bucks and 0 does. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 16 deer a season, from 10 in 2025-26 to 22 in 2019-20.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2024-25 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| 2022-23 | 19 | 14 | 5 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2021-22 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| 2019-20 | 22 | 19 | 3 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2018-19 | 19 | 14 | 5 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| 2017-18 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2016-17 | 22 | 15 | 7 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
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: 3 in 2025, 3 in 2024, 5 in 2023 and 7 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
Elk telechecked on the area: 1 in 2017-18 (0 bulls, 1 cow). See Kentucky elk hunting.
What kind of ground is Buckhorn Lake WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 83.22% forest, 14.34% open land, 2.1% open water and 0.42% wetland. Elevation runs from 759 feet to 1467 feet.
Which county is Buckhorn Lake WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leslie County | 3,142 | 4 | 565 | 98th |
| Perry County | 428 | 4 | 818 | 77th |
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 Buckhorn Lake WMA?
WMA consists of shoreline surrounding Buckhorn Lake. Access from KY 15 and KY 28 west from Hazard, KY 257 north from Hyden; from Daniel Boone PKWY (now Hal Rogers PKWY), take Hyden exit, turn left; 2 old roads follow lake shore; primary access by boat. Mountainous terrain, primarily forested with some open land in bottoms. Picnicking, swimming, boating facilities at Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park. Owned by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways through the area: KY 257 and US 421. Nearest towns: Hyden (next to it), Buckhorn (next to it), Hazard (8 miles) and Vicco (14 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Betterment Wildlife Hunting Access Area (next to it), Boone Forestlands WMA (next to it), Daniel Boone National Forest (next to it) and Hoskins WMA (next to it).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Buckhorn Lake WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Buckhorn Lake WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Buckhorn Lake WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 10 deer on Buckhorn Lake WMA in the 2025-26 season: 10 antlered bucks and 0 does. The most taken with firearms (9).
What county is Buckhorn Lake WMA in?
Leslie County (3,142 acres) and Perry County (428 acres), measured on KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Buckhorn Lake WMA in?
Leslie County is in Zone 4 and Perry 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 Buckhorn Lake WMA?
Yes. KDFWR's Telecheck reports show 1 elk in 2017-18 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, Buckhorn Lake 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.
Kentucky hunting All Kentucky WMAs Leslie County deer harvest Perry County deer harvest