Cumberland Forest WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Cumberland Forest WMA is 54,137 acres of public hunting land in Bell, Knox and Leslie counties, in KDFWR's Southeast region. Hunters telechecked 56 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 41 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.
Cumberland Forest WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasNational forestLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 54,137 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Bell County, Knox County, Leslie County |
| KDFWR region | Southeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 4 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 56 (41 antlered bucks, 15 does) |
| Elk | In the Elk Management Zone, hunting units 2 and 3 |
| Elevation | Minimum 929 feet, maximum 3143 feet |
| Contact | (606)275-3247 |
| Nearest towns | Middlesborough (next to it), Pineville (4 mi) and Barbourville (5 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Cumberland Forest 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 Cumberland Forest WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Cumberland Forest WMA?
Hunters telechecked 56 deer on Cumberland Forest WMA in the 2025-26 season: 41 antlered bucks, 0 button bucks and 15 does. Over the 7 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 30 deer a season, from 6 in 2019-20 to 59 in 2024-25.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 56 | 41 | 15 | 39 | 5 | 7 | 5 |
| 2024-25 | 59 | 38 | 17 | 34 | 4 | 3 | 18 |
| 2023-24 | 34 | 32 | 2 | 25 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| 2022-23 | 28 | 17 | 9 | 13 | 4 | 8 | 3 |
| 2021-22 | 17 | 15 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2020-21 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 2019-20 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 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: 16 in 2025, 10 in 2024, 8 in 2023 and 7 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
Elk telechecked on the area: 7 in 2025-26 (5 bulls, 2 cows), 2 in 2024-25 (2 bulls, 0 cows), 5 in 2023-24 (4 bulls, 1 cow), 8 in 2022-23 (7 bulls, 1 cow) and 5 in 2021-22 (3 bulls, 2 cows). See Kentucky elk hunting.
What kind of ground is Cumberland Forest WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 92.82% forest, 7.12% open land and 0.03% open water. Elevation runs from 929 feet to 3143 feet.
Which county is Cumberland Forest WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell County | 31,369 | 4 | 661 | 89th |
| Knox County | 11,393 | 4 | 804 | 78th |
| Leslie County | 11,346 | 4 | 565 | 98th |
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 Cumberland Forest WMA?
This area was formerly called C.F. Ataya WMA and Corrigan WMA Cumberland Forest consists of several tracts in different counties. One of the larger tracts is west of Middlesboro and is crossed by Highway 74. The area consists of reclaimed surface-mined and forested land located in several disjointed tracts in Bell, Knox and Leslie Counties. Active surface mine sites, deep mines and other mining-related facilities are off limits to the public. 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 property is located in Elk Hunting Units 2 and 3. The Bell County section of the property located within unit 2 is managed as a Regulated Area. Drawn elk hunters may apply to hunt this property during the Elk Hunting Unit and Regulated Area drawing. Please refer to the elk portion of our website. Funding for the easement came from several sources. Kentucky’s General Assembly invested $3.875 million in the project to match more than $12 million from the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, secured by KDFWR. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation also secured a $650,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The property is managed by The Nature Conservancy and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. This WMA is owned by the C. F. Ataya LLC,.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways through the area: KY 74, KY 2009, KY 225 and KY 1780. Nearest towns: Middlesborough (next to it), Pineville (4 miles), Barbourville (5 miles) and Loyall (5 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Boone Forestlands WMA (next to it), Daniel Boone National Forest (next to it), Elk Forest WMA (next to it) and Fortner-Davis WMA (next to it).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Cumberland Forest WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Cumberland Forest WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Cumberland Forest WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 56 deer on Cumberland Forest WMA in the 2025-26 season: 41 antlered bucks and 15 does. The most taken with firearms (39).
What county is Cumberland Forest WMA in?
Bell County (31,369 acres), Knox County (11,393 acres) and Leslie County (11,346 acres), measured on KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Cumberland Forest WMA in?
Bell County is in Zone 4, Knox County is in Zone 4 and Leslie 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 Cumberland Forest WMA?
Yes. KDFWR's Telecheck reports show 7 elk in 2025-26, 2 elk in 2024-25 and 5 elk in 2023-24 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, Cumberland Forest 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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