Burchell-Beech Creek WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Burchell-Beech Creek WMA is 1,241 acres of public hunting land in Clay County, in KDFWR's Southeast region. Hunters telechecked 3 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 3 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.
Burchell-Beech Creek WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasNational forestLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 1,241 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Clay County |
| KDFWR region | Southeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 4 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 3 (3 antlered bucks, 0 does) |
| Elk | In the Elk Management Zone, hunting unit 4 |
| Elevation | Minimum 928 feet, maximum 1663 feet |
| Contact | (606)344-0585 |
| Nearest towns | Manchester (3 mi), Hyden (17 mi) and Buckhorn (17 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Burchell-Beech Creek 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 Burchell-Beech Creek WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Burchell-Beech Creek WMA?
Hunters telechecked 3 deer on Burchell-Beech Creek WMA in the 2025-26 season: 3 antlered bucks, 0 button bucks and 0 does. Over the 9 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 3 deer a season, from 1 in 2020-21 to 6 in 2022-23.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 2018-19 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 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 2021, 1 in 2018 and 2 in 2017 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is Burchell-Beech Creek WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 97.18% forest, 1.93% open water and 0.73% open land. Elevation runs from 928 feet to 1663 feet.
Which county is Burchell-Beech Creek WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | 1,241 | 4 | 926 | 68th |
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 Burchell-Beech Creek WMA?
4.5 miles northeast of Manchester on Beech Creek and Littleton roads. From Hal Rogers PKWY, take Exit 20 to Manchester. Turn north onto US 421. Travel approximately 1.1 miles and turn right at the traffic light (Second Street). Turn left after crossing the bridge and travel Littleton RD (Railroad RD, HWY 3432) for approximately 3 miles. Turn off Beech Creek RD onto Burt Combs Lake RD. Sloping hills, ridge top flats, narrow valleys primarily in hardwood forests with some overgrown fields in bottoms. No roads within area. Fishing in 34-acre Bert Combs Lake for trout, channel catfish, bass, crappie, bluegill. Owned by Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways within 5 miles: US 421, KY 80, KY 11 and KY 149. Nearest towns: Manchester (3 miles), Hyden (17 miles), Buckhorn (17 miles) and London (20 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Daniel Boone National Forest (next to it), Redbird WMA (5.3 miles), Boone Forestlands WMA (7.5 miles) and Hoskins WMA (12.1 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Burchell-Beech Creek WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Burchell-Beech Creek WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Burchell-Beech Creek WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 3 deer on Burchell-Beech Creek WMA in the 2025-26 season: 3 antlered bucks and 0 does. The most taken with firearms (3).
What county is Burchell-Beech Creek WMA in?
All of it is in Clay County, by KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Burchell-Beech Creek WMA in?
Clay 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.
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Where these numbers come from
- Area rules, size, habitat, contact and directions: KDFWR, Burchell-Beech Creek 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.