Elk Forest WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Elk Forest WMA is 16,587 acres of public hunting land in Leslie, Clay, Bell and Knox counties, in KDFWR's Southeast region. Hunters telechecked 16 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 15 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.
Elk Forest WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasNational forestLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 16,587 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Leslie County, Clay County, Bell County, Knox County |
| KDFWR region | Southeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 4 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 16 (15 antlered bucks, 1 doe) |
| Elk | In the Elk Management Zone, hunting units 2 and 3 |
| Elevation | Minimum 1040 feet, maximum 2440 feet |
| Contact | 606-654-2533 |
| Nearest towns | Loyall (7 mi), Harlan (8 mi) and Pineville (11 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Elk 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 Elk Forest WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Elk Forest WMA?
Hunters telechecked 16 deer on Elk Forest WMA in the 2025-26 season: 15 antlered bucks, 0 button bucks and 1 doe. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 14 deer a season, from 9 in 2019-20 to 19 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 16 | 15 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2024-25 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 19 | 16 | 2 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 2022-23 | 15 | 14 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2021-22 | 12 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 2020-21 | 19 | 16 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2019-20 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2018-19 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 2017-18 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
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: 14 in 2025, 1 in 2024, 1 in 2023 and 2 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
Elk telechecked on the area: 4 in 2025-26 (2 bulls, 2 cows), 1 in 2024-25 (1 bull, 0 cows), 9 in 2023-24 (6 bulls, 3 cows), 8 in 2022-23 (3 bulls, 5 cows) and 12 in 2021-22 (8 bulls, 4 cows). See Kentucky elk hunting.
What kind of ground is Elk Forest WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 92.31% forest, 7.67% open land and 0.01% open water. Elevation runs from 1040 feet to 2440 feet.
Which county is Elk Forest WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leslie County | 8,410 | 4 | 565 | 98th |
| Clay County | 4,865 | 4 | 926 | 68th |
| Bell County | 2,806 | 4 | 661 | 89th |
| Knox County | 502 | 4 | 804 | 78th |
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 Elk Forest WMA?
The area lies between KY 66 and US 421 south of Hal Rogers PKWY in the area where Clay, Bell and Leslie counties meet. The area is a mixture of mature hardwoods and reclaimed coal mining land. The strip benches and other remains of mining Elk Forest WMA provide access to interior. The area is open to statewide regulations for deer, turkey, small game hunting. There are few viable fishing opportunities on the area. Be sure to follow all signage as some areas are off-limits to the public. This property is located within Elk Hunting Units 2 and 3. Please refer to the elk portion of our website. Elk Forest WMA is privately owned.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways through the area: KY 66, KY 1850 and KY 1780. Nearest towns: Loyall (7 miles), Harlan (8 miles), Pineville (11 miles) and Hyden (13 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Asher Hunting Access Area (next to it), Boone Forestlands WMA (next to it), Cumberland Forest WMA (next to it) and Daniel Boone National Forest (next to it).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Elk Forest WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Elk Forest WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Elk Forest WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 16 deer on Elk Forest WMA in the 2025-26 season: 15 antlered bucks and 1 doe. The most taken with firearms (15).
What county is Elk Forest WMA in?
Leslie County (8,410 acres), Clay County (4,865 acres), Bell County (2,806 acres) and Knox County (502 acres), measured on KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Elk Forest WMA in?
Leslie County is in Zone 4, Clay County is in Zone 4, Bell County is in Zone 4 and Knox 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 Elk Forest WMA?
Yes. KDFWR's Telecheck reports show 4 elk in 2025-26, 1 elk in 2024-25 and 9 elk in 2023-24 on the area. Elk hunting is by quota permit; see Kentucky elk hunting.
Get a Kentucky hunt plan when they open
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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, Elk 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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