Stephens Creek WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Stephens Creek WMA is 398 acres of public hunting land in Gallatin County, in KDFWR's Bluegrass region. Hunters telechecked 6 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.
Stephens Creek WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 398 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Gallatin County |
| KDFWR region | Bluegrass region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 1 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 6 (3 antlered bucks, 3 does) |
| Elevation | Minimum 470 feet, maximum 800 feet |
| Contact | (859) 428-2262 |
| Nearest towns | Sparta (4 mi), Ghent (4 mi) and Warsaw (5 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Stephens 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 Stephens Creek WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Stephens Creek WMA?
Hunters telechecked 6 deer on Stephens Creek WMA in the 2025-26 season: 3 antlered bucks, 0 button bucks and 3 does. Over the 8 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 5 deer a season, from 1 in 2023-24 to 8 in 2022-23.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2023-24 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2020-21 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2018-19 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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: 4 in 2024, 3 in 2022, 1 in 2021 and 1 in 2020 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is Stephens Creek WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 91.46% forest and 8.29% open land. Elevation runs from 470 feet to 800 feet.
Which county is Stephens Creek WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gallatin County | 398 | 1 | 425 | 111th |
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 Stephens Creek WMA?
Off Kentucky 184, 12.7 miles northeast of Carrolton on US 42 or half mile southwest of the intersection of US 42 and Hwy 1039. WMA is 1 and ¼ mile south of US 42, on Kentucky 184. Primarily upland hardwoods with scattered open fields. Steep terrain. No ATV’s, camping, horseback riding, or rock climbing is allowed on the WMA. Owned by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. The area is open under statewide regulations for all game species.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways within 5 miles: I-71, US 42, KY 47 and KY 35. Nearest towns: Sparta (4 miles), Ghent (4 miles), Warsaw (5 miles) and Sanders (6 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Twin Eagle WMA (11 miles), Dr. Norman and Martha Adair WMA (15.5 miles), Kentucky River WMA (15.5 miles) and Curtis Gates Lloyd WMA (19.1 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Stephens Creek WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Stephens Creek WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Stephens Creek WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 6 deer on Stephens Creek WMA in the 2025-26 season: 3 antlered bucks and 3 does. The most taken with firearms (6).
What county is Stephens Creek WMA in?
All of it is in Gallatin County, by KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Stephens Creek WMA in?
Gallatin 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, Stephens 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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