R. F. Tarter WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
R. F. Tarter WMA is 1,171 acres of public hunting land in Adair and Russell counties, in KDFWR's Southeast region. Hunters telechecked 3 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 3 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.
R. F. Tarter WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 1,171 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Adair County, Russell County |
| KDFWR region | Southeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 1, Zone 3 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 3 (3 antlered bucks, 0 does) |
| Elevation | Minimum 770 feet, maximum 1077 feet |
| Contact | (270)283-0244 |
| Nearest towns | Russell Springs (6 mi), Jamestown (10 mi) and Columbia (12 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on R. F. Tarter 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.
- The CWD Antlerless Season (Sept. 25-28) is open on R.F. Tarter WMA in Russell County only. Areas of the WMA located in Adair County are not open for the special antlerless season.
Source: KDFWR's page for R. F. Tarter WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on R. F. Tarter WMA?
Hunters telechecked 3 deer on R. F. Tarter WMA in the 2025-26 season: 3 antlered bucks, 0 button bucks and 0 does. Over the 7 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 3 deer a season, from 2 in 2024-25 to 5 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2024-25 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2023-24 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| 2022-23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 2020-21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2018-19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2016-17 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 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: 2 in 2025, 3 in 2024, 1 in 2023 and 4 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is R. F. Tarter WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 98.29% forest and 1.54% open land. Elevation runs from 770 feet to 1077 feet.
Which county is R. F. Tarter WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adair County | 914 | 1 | 1,923 | 19th |
| Russell County | 256 | 3 | 597 | 96th |
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 R. F. Tarter WMA?
Located in northeast Adair County and northwest Russell county approximately 2 miles north of the junction between US-127and KY-76, access from Damron Creek RD. From HWY 206 take Dunnville RD 2.6 miles, turn right on Damron Creek RD and travel 2.4 miles to WMA, or in northern Russell County, travel 3.8 miles on Damron Creek RD from HWY 127. Terrain is steep with broad, forested ridges and narrow valleys. Approximately 30 acres of open land along Damron Creek RD. No maintained roads or developed facilities. Variety of songbirds and reptiles. Owned by Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resource
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways within 5 miles: KY 76, KY 206, US 127 and KY 80. Nearest towns: Russell Springs (6 miles), Jamestown (10 miles), Columbia (12 miles) and Liberty (13 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Green River Lake WMA (next to it), Dennis-Gray WMA (2.1 miles), Lake Cumberland WMA (6.5 miles) and Meadow Creek WMA (22.7 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt R. F. Tarter WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for R. F. Tarter WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on R. F. Tarter WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 3 deer on R. F. Tarter WMA in the 2025-26 season: 3 antlered bucks and 0 does. The most taken with archery (2).
What county is R. F. Tarter WMA in?
Adair County (914 acres) and Russell County (256 acres), measured on KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is R. F. Tarter WMA in?
Adair County is in Zone 1 and Russell County is in Zone 3. 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, R. F. Tarter 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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