Old Trace Creek WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Old Trace Creek WMA is 874 acres of public hunting land in Lewis County, in KDFWR's Northeast region. Hunters telechecked 6 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.
Old Trace Creek WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 874 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Lewis County |
| KDFWR region | Northeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 1 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 6 (4 antlered bucks, 2 does) |
| Elevation | Minimum 780 feet, maximum 1140 feet |
| Contact | (606)-780-0854 |
| Nearest towns | Olive Hill (7 mi), Vanceburg (14 mi) and Morehead (16 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Old Trace Creek 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 Old Trace Creek WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Old Trace Creek WMA?
Hunters telechecked 6 deer on Old Trace Creek WMA in the 2025-26 season: 4 antlered bucks, 0 button bucks and 2 does. Over the 8 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 6 deer a season, from 3 in 2021-22 to 11 in 2019-20.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 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: 1 in 2025, 1 in 2024, 3 in 2023 and 1 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is Old Trace Creek WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 96.22% forest and 3.89% open land. Elevation runs from 780 feet to 1140 feet.
Which county is Old Trace Creek WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis County | 769 | 1 | 1,289 | 45th |
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 Old Trace Creek WMA?
Located in Lewis County, Old Trace Creek Wildlife Management Area was purchased with Kentucky Wetland and Stream Mitigation (FILO) Fund for stream restoration. The property is about 95% forested with the remaining open land being creek drainages and a couple of small fields. Old Trace Creek has moderate to steep terrain with several forested ridges and benches. There is abundant opportunity for game species as most of the tract is upland oak forest. Old Trace Creek is under statewide regulations for hunting season and bag limits. The easternmost tract is being used for management purposes only; it is currently closed to public use To access the property, take exit 156 off I-64. Turn left, then take another left almost immediately onto KY 59. Travel approximately 6 miles; the parking area for the first tract is on the right. For the second tract, continue on KY 59, then turn left onto Old Trace Creek Road (Old Trace Hill Road) and go 1 mile. The property is on the right. Old Trace Creek WMA is owned by Ky. Dept. Fish and Wildlife Resources.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways within 5 miles: I-64, KY 59, KY 1068 and KY 2. Nearest towns: Olive Hill (7 miles), Vanceburg (14 miles), Morehead (16 miles) and Grayson (17 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Tygarts State Forest (3.1 miles), Daniel Boone National Forest (4.7 miles), Grayson Lake WMA (14.3 miles) and Ed Mabry - Laurel Gorge WMA (15.3 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Old Trace Creek WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Old Trace Creek WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Old Trace Creek WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 6 deer on Old Trace Creek WMA in the 2025-26 season: 4 antlered bucks and 2 does. The most taken with firearms (4).
What county is Old Trace Creek WMA in?
All of it is in Lewis County, by KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Old Trace Creek WMA in?
Lewis 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, Old Trace Creek 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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