Martins Fork WMA and State Natural Area: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Martins Fork WMA and State Natural Area is 1,599 acres of public hunting land in Harlan County, in KDFWR's Southeast region. Hunters telechecked 2 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 2 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.
Martins Fork WMA and State Natural AreaOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 1,599 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Harlan County |
| KDFWR region | Southeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 4 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 2 (2 antlered bucks, 0 does) |
| Elk | In the Elk Management Zone, hunting unit 2 |
| Elevation | Minimum 1575 feet, maximum 3074 feet |
| Contact | (502)330-0303 |
| Nearest towns | Harlan (11 mi), Loyall (11 mi) and Pineville (15 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Martins Fork WMA and State Natural Area?
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 Martins Fork WMA and State Natural Area, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Martins Fork WMA and State Natural Area?
Hunters telechecked 2 deer on Martins Fork WMA and State Natural Area in the 2025-26 season: 2 antlered bucks, 0 button bucks and 0 does. Over the 5 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 2 deer a season, from 1 in 2024-25 to 2 in 2025-26.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
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: 1 in 2024, 1 in 2023, 1 in 2022 and 1 in 2021 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is Martins Fork WMA and State Natural Area?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 99.56% forest and 0.19% open land. Elevation runs from 1575 feet to 3074 feet.
Which county is Martins Fork WMA and State Natural Area in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlan County | 1,593 | 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 Martins Fork WMA and State Natural Area?
The property borders the eastern boundaries of Shillalah Creek WMA and Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. From Harlan, take US-421S to KY-987, watch for signs to Martin’s Fork Lake. Gated access located on KY-987, approximately 5 miles east of the Bell County line. Access is by foot traffic only. Hunting is open under statewide seasons. Management of this site is shared between the Kentucky Division of Water Wild Rivers Program, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways within 5 miles: KY 987, KY 2005 and KY 72. Nearest towns: Harlan (11 miles), Loyall (11 miles), Pineville (15 miles) and Evarts (16 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Shillalah Creek WMA (next to it), Martins Fork Lake WMA (6.4 miles), Cranks Creek WMA (8.9 miles) and Asher Hunting Access Area (10 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Martins Fork WMA and State Natural Area in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Martins Fork WMA and State Natural Area: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Martins Fork WMA and State Natural Area last season?
Hunters telechecked 2 deer on Martins Fork WMA and State Natural Area in the 2025-26 season: 2 antlered bucks and 0 does. The most taken with firearms (2).
What county is Martins Fork WMA and State Natural Area in?
All of it is in Harlan County, by KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Martins Fork WMA and State Natural Area in?
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.
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, Martins Fork WMA and State Natural Area.
- 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 Harlan County deer harvest