Paul Van Booven WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Paul Van Booven WMA is 2,287 acres of public hunting land in Breathitt County, in KDFWR's Southeast region. Hunters telechecked 9 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 8 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.
Paul Van Booven WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 2,287 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Breathitt County |
| KDFWR region | Southeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 4 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 9 (8 antlered bucks, 1 doe) |
| Elk | In the Elk Management Zone, hunting unit 4 |
| Elevation | Minimum 739 feet, maximum 1543 feet |
| Contact | (606)-654-2533 |
| Nearest towns | Hazard (10 mi), Hindman (11 mi) and Jackson (12 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Paul Van Booven 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 muzzleloader, modern gun, and youth-only deer seasons.
- Closed for elk quota hunting.
Source: KDFWR's page for Paul Van Booven WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Paul Van Booven WMA?
Hunters telechecked 9 deer on Paul Van Booven WMA in the 2025-26 season: 8 antlered bucks, 0 button bucks and 1 doe. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 6 deer a season, from 3 in 2022-23 to 11 in 2016-17.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 2023-24 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2020-21 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2017-18 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2016-17 | 11 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 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: 1 in 2025, 6 in 2024, 1 in 2023 and 4 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
Elk telechecked on the area: 1 in 2020-21 (0 bulls, 1 cow), 1 in 2019-20 (0 bulls, 1 cow), 2 in 2017-18 (1 bull, 1 cow) and 3 in 2016-17 (0 bulls, 3 cows). See Kentucky elk hunting.
What kind of ground is Paul Van Booven WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 69.79% forest, 30% open land and 0.13% open water. Elevation runs from 739 feet to 1543 feet.
Which county is Paul Van Booven WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breathitt County | 2,281 | 4 | 633 | 92nd |
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 Paul Van Booven WMA?
Located off Kentucky HWY 476. From Jackson - travel approximately 6 miles on HWY 15 south, then east on HWY 476 approximately 12 miles. At Breathitt/Perry County line, turn left on Buckhorn Creek RD and travel less than one mile to gated entrance on the right. Area is gated and foot travel only is allowed behind any locked gate. Directions from Hazard - travel approximately 7 miles east on HWY 80, then west on HWY 476 approximately 14 miles. Turn right on Buckhorn Creek RD and follow directions above. Paul Van Booven WMA is located in southeast Breathitt County. The WMA consists of over 2,000 acres of reclaimed surface mines and forests. The University of Kentucky owned property is the site of many ongoing research projects related to forest management and mine reclamation. Good to moderate populations of elk, quail, rabbits, deer, turkey and songbirds exist on the area. The area is open for hunting under statewide regulations except for archery/crossbow only for deer.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways within 5 miles: KY 476, KY 80, KY 15 and KY 1087. Nearest towns: Hazard (10 miles), Hindman (11 miles), Jackson (12 miles) and Vicco (14 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Robinson Forest WMA (next to it), Wells Hunting Access Area (3.5 miles), Betterment Wildlife Hunting Access Area (10.1 miles) and Daniel Boone National Forest (12.1 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Paul Van Booven WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Paul Van Booven WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Paul Van Booven WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 9 deer on Paul Van Booven WMA in the 2025-26 season: 8 antlered bucks and 1 doe. The most taken with firearms (7).
What county is Paul Van Booven WMA in?
All of it is in Breathitt County, by KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Paul Van Booven WMA in?
Breathitt 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 Paul Van Booven WMA?
Yes. KDFWR's Telecheck reports show 1 elk in 2020-21, 1 elk in 2019-20 and 2 elk in 2017-18 on the area. Elk hunting is by quota permit; see Kentucky elk hunting.
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Where these numbers come from
- Area rules, size, habitat, contact and directions: KDFWR, Paul Van Booven 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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