Doug Travis WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Doug Travis WMA is 4,132 acres of public hunting land in Carlisle and Hickman counties, in KDFWR's Purchase region. Hunters telechecked 21 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 6 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.
Doug Travis WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 4,132 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Carlisle County, Hickman County |
| KDFWR region | Purchase region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 1 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 21 (6 antlered bucks, 15 does) |
| Elevation | Minimum 280 feet, maximum 456 feet |
| Contact | (270) 488-3233 |
| Nearest towns | Columbus (next to it), Arlington (4 mi) and Bardwell (5 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Doug Travis 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
- Some areas are closed to public access as marked by signs Nov. 1-Mar. 15.
- The CWD Antlerless Season (Sept. 25-28) is open on Doug Travis WMA.
Source: KDFWR's page for Doug Travis WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Doug Travis WMA?
Hunters telechecked 21 deer on Doug Travis WMA in the 2025-26 season: 6 antlered bucks, 0 button bucks and 15 does. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 29 deer a season, from 16 in 2021-22 to 35 in 2018-19.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 21 | 6 | 15 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 2024-25 | 33 | 16 | 16 | 27 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 31 | 15 | 14 | 26 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 28 | 12 | 14 | 21 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 2021-22 | 16 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 30 | 13 | 14 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 2019-20 | 32 | 16 | 16 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 2018-19 | 35 | 15 | 15 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 2017-18 | 28 | 14 | 9 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2016-17 | 31 | 12 | 14 | 26 | 3 | 0 | 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, 11 in 2024, 15 in 2023 and 5 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is Doug Travis WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 38.72% open land, 30.11% wetland, 28.34% forest and 2.86% open water. Elevation runs from 280 feet to 456 feet.
Which county is Doug Travis WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlisle County | 3,623 | 1 | 628 | 93rd |
| Hickman County | 508 | 1 | 552 | 99th |
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 Doug Travis WMA?
South of Wickliffe along Mississippi River. From Paducah, take HWY 62 (west) to Bardwell, then pick up HWY 123 to its intersection with HWY 877 at Berkley. Continue south on HWY 123 to the WMA office driveway on the right less than ½ mile from the intersection. From Wickliffe, take HWY 51(south) to Bardwell and pick up HWY 123 to Berkley. Bottomland hardwood forest, cypress sloughs, moist-soil units and cropland. Several oxbow lakes for fishing from bank or small boats. Great blue heron rookery. Populations of deer, turkey, squirrel, furbearers and waterfowl exist on the area. Open to statewide hunting regulations, except special regulations apply for waterfowl hunting on portions of the area. Portions of the area are closed to all access Nov. 1-March 15. Owned by Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways within 5 miles: KY 123, US 51, KY 80 and KY 58. Nearest towns: Columbus (next to it), Arlington (4 miles), Bardwell (5 miles) and Wickliffe (7 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Winford WMA (5 miles), Coil Estate WMA (5.2 miles), Obion Creek WMA (9.2 miles) and Boatwright WMA (9.7 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Doug Travis WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Doug Travis WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Doug Travis WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 21 deer on Doug Travis WMA in the 2025-26 season: 6 antlered bucks and 15 does. The most taken with firearms (18).
What county is Doug Travis WMA in?
Carlisle County (3,623 acres) and Hickman County (508 acres), measured on KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Doug Travis WMA in?
Carlisle County is in Zone 1 and Hickman 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, Doug Travis 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 Carlisle County deer harvest Hickman County deer harvest