South Shore WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
South Shore WMA is 98 acres of public hunting land in Greenup County, in KDFWR's Northeast region. Hunters telechecked 0 deer on the area in the 2025-26 season, 0 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.
South Shore WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 98 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Greenup County |
| KDFWR region | Northeast region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 1 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 0 (0 antlered bucks, 0 does) |
| Elevation | Minimum 480 feet, maximum 550 feet |
| Contact | 606-776-2620 |
| Nearest towns | South Shore (next to it), Greenup (13 mi) and Wurtland (15 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on South Shore 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 to all hunting and public access Nov. 15-Jan. 15 except for waterfowl and dove hunting when statewide seasons are open.
- Open for muzzleloader deer season. Closed for December muzzleloader deer season.
- Centerfire rifles and handguns may not be used to take deer.
Source: KDFWR's page for South Shore WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on South Shore WMA?
Hunters telechecked 0 deer on South Shore WMA in the 2025-26 season: 0 antlered bucks, 0 button bucks and 0 does. Over the 9 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 7 deer a season, from 2 in 2024-25 to 11 in 2016-17.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2021-22 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2019-20 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 2018-19 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2017-18 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
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 2021 and 2 in 2017 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is South Shore WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 66.33% open land, 20.41% forest, 11.22% wetland and 2.04% open water. Elevation runs from 480 feet to 550 feet.
Which county is South Shore WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenup County | 98 | 1 | 1,007 | 59th |
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 South Shore WMA?
Located north of US 23, on the eastern edge of the City of South Shore. Consists entirely of Ohio River bottomland. Twenty-two acres of seasonal wetland with the remainder being grassland and brushy tree rows. Open only to waterfowl hunting Nov. 15 - Jan. 15, annually. Open to hunting according to statewide regulations during other times of the year with the exceptions that: (1) Center fire rifles or handguns may not be used for hunting at any time, and (2) Steel or other non-toxic shot is required for all dove hunting. Good opportunities for bird-watching and wildlife photography outside of the waterfowl hunting season. Two shallow wetlands on South Shore WMA attract a wide variety of waterfowl, shorebirds, and herons fall through spring. Three waterfowl blinds are available for wildlife viewing and photography beginning Feb. 1. Blinds will continue to be available for hunting only from autumn through the end of January. Blinds remain open until the wetlands dry out, usually from late May to late June. Access to the blinds from the parking area near the WMA entrance by foot travel only. Blinds are a one-quarter to a one-half mile walk from the parking area. Depending on the water levels, appropriate clothing such as rubber boots or chest-high waders are recommended. Each blind can accommodate most camera equipment and up to four people, benches are provided for seating. Owned by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways within 5 miles: US 23, KY 7, KY 1043 and KY 784. Nearest towns: South Shore (next to it), Greenup (13 miles), Wurtland (15 miles) and Worthington (16 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Tygarts State Forest (25.8 miles), Old Trace Creek WMA (28.7 miles), Grayson Lake WMA (32.8 miles) and Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge (33.5 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt South Shore WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for South Shore WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on South Shore WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 0 deer on South Shore WMA in the 2025-26 season: 0 antlered bucks and 0 does. The most taken with firearms (0).
What county is South Shore WMA in?
All of it is in Greenup County, by KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is South Shore WMA in?
Greenup 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, South Shore 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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