Ross Creek WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Ross Creek WMA is 1,296 acres of public hunting land in Lee and Estill counties, in KDFWR's Southeast region. Hunters telechecked 1 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 1 antlered buck 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.
Ross Creek WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasNational forestLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 1,296 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Lee County, Estill County |
| KDFWR region | Southeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 4, Zone 3 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 1 (1 antlered buck, 0 does) |
| Elevation | Minimum 605 feet, maximum 1180 feet |
| Contact | (606)344-0585 |
| Nearest towns | Beattyville (7 mi), Ravenna (7 mi) and Irvine (8 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Ross 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 Ross Creek WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Ross Creek WMA?
Hunters telechecked 1 deer on Ross Creek WMA in the 2025-26 season: 1 antlered buck, 0 button bucks and 0 does. Over the 4 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 3 deer a season, from 1 in 2025-26 to 4 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 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, 2 in 2024, 1 in 2023 and 1 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is Ross Creek WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 88.27% forest, 10.88% open land, 0.23% open water and 0.15% wetland. Elevation runs from 605 feet to 1180 feet.
Which county is Ross Creek WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County | 1,199 | 4 | 311 | 117th |
| Estill County | 97 | 3 | 643 | 91st |
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 Ross Creek WMA?
From Irvine, travel 2.7 miles southeast on KY-89 S to KY-851. Turn slight left onto KY-851 and travel 6.5 miles to the next turn. Turn right to continue on KY- 851 for 2.8 miles. The WMA, and parking lot, will be on the right. Additional parking available at Lock and Dam 13. Ross Creek WMA, located in western Lee County (small portion in Estill county), consists of mostly forested habitat with moderately steep terrain. The area offers opportunity for deer, turkey and squirrel hunting. Anglers will enjoy walking to the Kentucky River. Ross Creek WMA was purchased and managed with Kentucky Wetland and Stream Mitigation Program funds pursuant to KRS 150.255. The property will be open under statewide hunting seasons.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways within 5 miles: KY 52, KY 399, KY 851 and KY 1209. Nearest towns: Beattyville (7 miles), Ravenna (7 miles), Irvine (8 miles) and Booneville (12 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Daniel Boone National Forest (next to it), Mill Creek WMA (13.2 miles), Miller Welch-Central Kentucky WMA (16.6 miles) and Blue Grass Army Depot (17.1 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Ross Creek WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Ross Creek WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Ross Creek WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 1 deer on Ross Creek WMA in the 2025-26 season: 1 antlered buck and 0 does. The most taken with firearms (1).
What county is Ross Creek WMA in?
Lee County (1,199 acres) and Estill County (97 acres), measured on KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Ross Creek WMA in?
Lee County is in Zone 4 and Estill 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, Ross 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.
Kentucky hunting All Kentucky WMAs Lee County deer harvest Estill County deer harvest