Tradewater WMA: deer harvest, 2026-27 rules and access
Tradewater WMA is 727 acres of public hunting land in Christian and Hopkins counties, in KDFWR's Purchase region. Hunters telechecked 2 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.
Tradewater WMAOther KDFWR public hunting areasLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 727 acres (KDFWR) |
|---|---|
| County | Christian County, Hopkins County |
| KDFWR region | Purchase region |
| Deer zone of the county | Zone 1 |
| Deer telechecked, 2025-26 | 2 (0 antlered bucks, 2 does) |
| Elevation | Minimum 373 feet, maximum 641 feet |
| Contact | (270) 753-6913 |
| Nearest towns | Dawson Springs (next to it), St. Charles (6 mi) and Nortonville (11 mi) |
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Tradewater 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 archery/crossbow deer season during department-administered quota hunts.
- Closed to muzzleloader and youth-only deer seasons.
- Closed to modern gun deer season except for quota hunts.
Source: KDFWR's page for Tradewater WMA, read October 2026. Statewide seasons: 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, page 10.
How many deer are taken on Tradewater WMA?
Hunters telechecked 2 deer on Tradewater WMA in the 2025-26 season: 0 antlered bucks, 0 button bucks and 2 does. Over the 10 seasons KDFWR reports, the area averaged 4 deer a season, from 1 in 2017-18 to 9 in 2023-24.
| Season | Deer telechecked | Antlered bucks | Does | Firearms | Archery | Crossbow | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 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, 1 in 2024, 3 in 2023 and 3 in 2022 (KDFWR Harvest Data, spring season).
What kind of ground is Tradewater WMA?
KDFWR describes the area's habitat as 85.28% forest, 9.08% wetland and 5.78% open land. Elevation runs from 373 feet to 641 feet.
Which county is Tradewater WMA in?
| County | Acres of the area in it | Deer zone | County deer, 2025-26 | Rank of 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian County | 446 | 1 | 3,002 | 3rd |
| Hopkins County | 281 | 1 | 2,486 | 10th |
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 Tradewater WMA?
Hopkins-Christian county line, shares boundary with Pennyrile Forest. McKnight RD connects both properties, allows access from KY 1338. Access south of Dawson Springs on KY 109. From Madisonville, take US 41 south, I-69 west then KY 109 south to WMA. From Hopkinsville, take US 68 west to KY 109 north. Additional entry points on both sides of road ½ mile south of Tradewater River bridge. Steep, hilly terrain, some steep bluffs, almost completely forested. Hiking-birding trail with unique rock overhangs, bluffs and small caves. Owned by Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
From KDFWR's page for the area.
Highways through the area: KY 109. Nearest towns: Dawson Springs (next to it), St. Charles (6 miles), Nortonville (11 miles) and Crofton (11 miles).
The closest other public hunting areas with a page here: Pennyrile State Forest (next to it), Jones-Keeney WMA (3.1 miles), Clear Creek WMA (10.5 miles) and Peabody WMA (13.6 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When can you hunt Tradewater WMA in 2026-27?
KDFWR's 2026-27 rules for Tradewater WMA: Open under statewide rules and regulations in effect for the county.
How many deer were killed on Tradewater WMA last season?
Hunters telechecked 2 deer on Tradewater WMA in the 2025-26 season: 0 antlered bucks and 2 does. The most taken with firearms (1).
What county is Tradewater WMA in?
Christian County (446 acres) and Hopkins County (281 acres), measured on KDFWR's boundary.
What deer zone is Tradewater WMA in?
Christian County is in Zone 1 and Hopkins 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, Tradewater 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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