Kentucky Ridge Forest WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Kentucky Ridge Forest WMA is 3,505 acres of public hunting land in Bell County, in KDFWR's Southeast region. Hunters telechecked 40 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 33 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.
Kentucky Ridge Forest WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 3,505 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Bell County |
| KDFWR region | Southeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 4 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 40 (33 antlered bucks, 7 does) |
| Elk | In the Elk Management Zone, hunting unit 2 |
| Elevation | Minimum 1002 feet, maximum 2229 feet |
| Contact | (606)-654-2533 |
| Nearest towns | Pineville (2 mi), Middlesborough (8 mi) and Barbourville (8 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Kentucky Ridge 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 Kentucky Ridge Forest WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Kentucky Ridge Forest WMA?
Hunters telechecked 40 deer on Kentucky Ridge Forest WMA in the 2025-26 season: 33 antlered bucks, 0 button bucks and 7 does. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 42 deer a season, from 20 in 2017-18 to 59 in 2016-17.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 40 | 33 | 7 | 30 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| 2024-25 | 49 | 44 | 5 | 37 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| 2023-24 | 35 | 31 | 3 | 24 | 5 | 2 | 4 |
| 2022-23 | 42 | 34 | 8 | 32 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 2021-22 | 40 | 37 | 3 | 29 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| 2020-21 | 48 | 41 | 6 | 39 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| 2019-20 | 40 | 38 | 2 | 33 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 2018-19 | 44 | 35 | 9 | 30 | 10 | 2 | 2 |
| 2017-18 | 20 | 17 | 3 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 2016-17 | 59 | 34 | 23 | 28 | 15 | 5 | 11 |
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: 13 in 2025, 15 in 2024, 9 in 2023 and 5 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
Elk telechecked on the area: 3 in 2025-26 (2 bulls, 1 cow), 1 in 2021-22 (0 bulls, 1 cow) and 1 in 2016-17 (0 bulls, 1 cow). See Kentucky elk hunting.
What kind of ground is Kentucky Ridge Forest WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 98.15% forest and 1.77% open land. Elevation runs from 1002 feet to 2229 feet.
Which county is Kentucky Ridge Forest WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell County | 3,504 | 4 | 661 | 89th |
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 Kentucky Ridge Forest WMA?
4 miles west of Pineville on KY 92, borders Kentucky Ridge State Forest. Access roads closed except during open hunting seasons. Mountainous terrain, primarily forested with some early succession stages on reclaimed mining land. Owned by Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and Kentucky Division of Forestry, portions purchased with funds from the Heritage Lands Conservation Fund.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways within 5 miles: KY 190, KY 225, KY 92 and US 25. Nearest towns: Pineville (2 miles), Middlesborough (8 miles), Barbourville (8 miles) and Williamsburg (19 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Kentucky Ridge State Forest (next to it), Cumberland Forest WMA (next to it), Fortner-Davis WMA (2.8 miles) and Asher Hunting Access Area (9.5 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Kentucky Ridge Forest WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Kentucky Ridge Forest WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Kentucky Ridge Forest WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 40 deer on Kentucky Ridge Forest WMA in the 2025-26 season: 33 antlered bucks and 7 does. The most taken with firearms (30).
What county is Kentucky Ridge Forest WMA in?
All of it is in Bell County, by KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Kentucky Ridge Forest WMA in?
Bell 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 Kentucky Ridge Forest WMA?
Yes. KDFWR's Telecheck reports show 3 elk in 2025-26, 1 elk in 2021-22 and 1 elk in 2016-17 on the area. Elk hunting is by quota permit; see Kentucky elk hunting.
Get a Kentucky hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Kentucky are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
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, Kentucky Ridge 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.