Hensley-Pine Mountain WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Hensley-Pine Mountain WMA is 4,838 acres of public hunting land in Letcher and Harlan counties, in KDFWR's Southeast region. Hunters telechecked 25 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 22 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.
Hensley-Pine Mountain WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 4,838 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Letcher County, Harlan County |
| KDFWR region | Southeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 4 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 25 (22 antlered bucks, 3 does) |
| Elk | In the Elk Management Zone, hunting unit 5 |
| Elevation | Minimum 1517 feet, maximum 2863 feet |
| Contact | (606)-654-2533 |
| Nearest towns | Whitesburg (3 mi), Lynch (3 mi) and Benham (3 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Hensley-Pine Mountain 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
- Closed to bear hunting.
- Portions of the WMA are open during quota elk hunts to persons who possess the appropriate elk hunting permit.
Source: KDFWR's page for Hensley-Pine Mountain WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Hensley-Pine Mountain WMA?
Hunters telechecked 25 deer on Hensley-Pine Mountain WMA in the 2025-26 season: 22 antlered bucks, 0 button bucks and 3 does. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 30 deer a season, from 18 in 2019-20 to 57 in 2016-17.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 25 | 22 | 3 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 27 | 25 | 2 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 2023-24 | 35 | 28 | 7 | 27 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 2022-23 | 35 | 30 | 5 | 30 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 2021-22 | 27 | 25 | 1 | 23 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 29 | 27 | 2 | 25 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 18 | 15 | 2 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 25 | 22 | 2 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 2017-18 | 23 | 18 | 4 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 2016-17 | 57 | 42 | 15 | 40 | 8 | 1 | 8 |
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: 4 in 2025, 2 in 2024, 6 in 2023 and 5 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
Elk telechecked on the area: 1 in 2017-18 (0 bulls, 1 cow) and 1 in 2016-17 (0 bulls, 1 cow). See Kentucky elk hunting.
What kind of ground is Hensley-Pine Mountain WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 98.8% forest and 1.12% open land. Elevation runs from 1517 feet to 2863 feet.
Which county is Hensley-Pine Mountain WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letcher County | 4,781 | 4 | 549 | 100th |
| Harlan County | 57 | 4 | 509 | 104th |
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 Hensley-Pine Mountain WMA?
From Whitesburg travel US 119 south 5 miles to Little Shepherd Trail (CR-1087). Mountainous and steep, with narrow ridges and numerous rock outcroppings. Entirely forested in mixed hardwoods. Sightseeing, hiking on Little Shepherd Trail. There is no horse trailer parking available on the WMA. Owned by Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways through the area: KY 1679. Nearest towns: Whitesburg (3 miles), Lynch (3 miles), Benham (3 miles) and Cumberland (4 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Jefferson National Forest (3.4 miles), Elk Horn Coal Hunting Access Area (7.8 miles), RH Group WMA (8.4 miles) and Continental Hunting Access Area (9.7 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Hensley-Pine Mountain WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Hensley-Pine Mountain WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Hensley-Pine Mountain WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 25 deer on Hensley-Pine Mountain WMA in the 2025-26 season: 22 antlered bucks and 3 does. The most taken with firearms (21).
What county is Hensley-Pine Mountain WMA in?
Letcher County (4,781 acres) and Harlan County (57 acres), measured on KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Hensley-Pine Mountain WMA in?
Letcher County is in Zone 4 and Harlan 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 Hensley-Pine Mountain WMA?
Yes. KDFWR's Telecheck reports show 1 elk in 2017-18 and 1 elk in 2016-17 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, Hensley-Pine Mountain 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 Letcher County deer harvest Harlan County deer harvest