Knobs State Forest and WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Knobs State Forest and WMA is 1,537 acres of public hunting land in Bullitt County, in KDFWR's Bluegrass region. Hunters telechecked 16 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 4 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.
Knobs State Forest and WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 1,537 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Bullitt County |
| KDFWR region | Bluegrass region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 1 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 16 (4 antlered bucks, 11 does) |
| Elevation | Minimum 467 feet, maximum 941 feet |
| Contact | (502) 477-9024 |
| Nearest towns | Lebanon Junction (3 mi), Shepherdsville (6 mi) and Fox Chase (11 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Knobs State Forest and 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 for the modern gun deer season.
Source: KDFWR's page for Knobs State Forest and WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Knobs State Forest and WMA?
Hunters telechecked 16 deer on Knobs State Forest and WMA in the 2025-26 season: 4 antlered bucks, 1 button buck and 11 does. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 17 deer a season, from 11 in 2020-21 to 33 in 2019-20.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 16 | 4 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 1 |
| 2024-25 | 17 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 2 |
| 2023-24 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 2 |
| 2022-23 | 23 | 12 | 10 | 3 | 13 | 5 | 2 |
| 2021-22 | 15 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 1 |
| 2020-21 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 2019-20 | 33 | 12 | 21 | 6 | 15 | 8 | 4 |
| 2018-19 | 15 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 3 |
| 2017-18 | 15 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 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: 6 in 2025, 2 in 2024, 9 in 2023 and 1 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is Knobs State Forest and WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 97.2% forest and 2.86% open land. Elevation runs from 467 feet to 941 feet.
Which county is Knobs State Forest and WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullitt County | 1,537 | 1 | 1,732 | 27th |
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 Knobs State Forest and WMA?
Located 28 miles south of Louisville near Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest and the Camp Crooked Creek Boy Scout Camp. It is east of I-65 and south of Clermont, and may be accessed from the west via Pioneer Drive and Crooked Creek RD east of KY 61 and via KY 733 from the south. Boundaries are marked with State Forest and WMA markers as well as red blazing on trees. There are currently 3 small parking areas, two of which are on the right (south) side of Crooked Creek RD; the first is near the entrance and the second is further down across the creek (there may be running water present, use caution if attempting to cross). The third parking area is at KY 733. An information kiosk (board) is at the first parking area. There is a turnaround at the end of Crooked Creek RD. The best hunting opportunities are deer, turkey, and squirrel due to the extensive (about 1500 acres) oak-hickory woodland. There are some fields on the area (about 45 acres) along Crooked Creek RD so rabbit or quail hunting may be fruitful. The area is open under statewide regulations for all hunting and trapping seasons, except firearms may not be used to take deer. Trapping is by permit only (call 502-477-9024 to apply). Do not park in the road or on roadsides; park in one of the three designated areas only. There are no ponds or lakes on the Knobs State Forest & WMA so fishing opportunities are restricted to Crooked Creek, which is intermittent (it dries up periodically). Thus fishing is not recommended. Owned by Kentucky Division of Forestry and Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife portions purchased with funds from the Heritage Lands Conservation Fund.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways within 5 miles: I-65, KY 61, KY 245 and KY 733. Nearest towns: Lebanon Junction (3 miles), Shepherdsville (6 miles), Fox Chase (11 miles) and Hebron Estates (11 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Fort Knox Military Reservation (2.8 miles), John C. Williams WMA (5.9 miles), Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area (17.5 miles) and Taylorsville Lake WMA (19.7 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Knobs State Forest and WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Knobs State Forest and WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Knobs State Forest and WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 16 deer on Knobs State Forest and WMA in the 2025-26 season: 4 antlered bucks and 11 does. The most taken with archery (9).
What county is Knobs State Forest and WMA in?
All of it is in Bullitt County, by KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Knobs State Forest and WMA in?
Bullitt 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.
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, Knobs State Forest and 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 Bullitt County deer harvest