John C. Williams WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
John C. Williams WMA is 1,073 acres of public hunting land in Nelson County, in KDFWR's Bluegrass region. Hunters telechecked 17 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 7 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.
John C. Williams WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 1,073 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Nelson County |
| KDFWR region | Bluegrass region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 1 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 17 (7 antlered bucks, 9 does) |
| Elevation | Minimum 419 feet, maximum 485 feet |
| Contact | (502) 477-9024 |
| Nearest towns | Lebanon Junction (4 mi), New Haven (8 mi) and Elizabethtown (10 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on John C. Williams 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 the modern gun deer season.
Source: KDFWR's page for John C. Williams WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on John C. Williams WMA?
Hunters telechecked 17 deer on John C. Williams WMA in the 2025-26 season: 7 antlered bucks, 1 button buck and 9 does. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 12 deer a season, from 5 in 2019-20 to 17 in 2025-26.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 17 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 1 |
| 2024-25 | 17 | 5 | 12 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 1 |
| 2023-24 | 14 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 3 |
| 2022-23 | 15 | 2 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| 2021-22 | 14 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 13 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 |
| 2019-20 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 15 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 3 |
| 2016-17 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 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: 4 in 2025, 1 in 2024, 2 in 2023 and 1 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is John C. Williams WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 50.51% open land, 33.74% forest, 15.56% wetland and 0.09% open water. Elevation runs from 419 feet to 485 feet.
Which county is John C. Williams WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson County | 1,072 | 1 | 2,591 | 9th |
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 John C. Williams WMA?
Less than two miles southeast of Boston. From Martha Layne Collins-Bluegrass PKWY, take Exit 10, go north on KY-52 about 1 mile after crossing Beech Fork. From I-65, take exit 105 for KY-61 toward Boston/Lebanon Jct. Turn onto KY-61 S, go 4.1 mi, turn onto KY-61 S/US-62 W/Old Boston RD. There is no public road access to the western most tract. The only access to that tract is by boat from the Rolling Fork River or by permission of adjacent property owners. Flat terrain with open fields, wetlands, moist soil unit. Fishing opportunity in Beech Fork. Owned by Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways within 5 miles: I-65, KY 61, US 62 and KY 733. Nearest towns: Lebanon Junction (4 miles), New Haven (8 miles), Elizabethtown (10 miles) and Bardstown (11 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Fort Knox Military Reservation (3.6 miles), Knobs State Forest and WMA (5.9 miles), Rolling Fork WMA (14.5 miles) and Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area (19.7 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt John C. Williams WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for John C. Williams WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on John C. Williams WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 17 deer on John C. Williams WMA in the 2025-26 season: 7 antlered bucks and 9 does. The most taken with archery (8).
What county is John C. Williams WMA in?
All of it is in Nelson County, by KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is John C. Williams WMA in?
Nelson 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, John C. Williams 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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