While it's tempting to say the one-buck limit simply forced hunters to become more selective in buck harvest, that might not be the full answer. Kentucky Hunting is the leading online community for outdoors enthusiasts to discuss hunting, fishing, archery, and life in Kentucky. Subscriber Services. Divide #acres by # of deer harvested. Hunters may only If you really want to be different, you can access more remote parts of Pennyrile if you access it through Lake Beshear. One of the more attractive features at Rough River Lake WMA is the number of oxbows that can be hunted. In this edition of "From The Stand," Pat Hogan explains the importance of being aware of proper clearance when using your bow or crossbow out in the field. These areas in which deer will travel and you may have some luck with buck movement during the mid-day. West Kentucky WMA deer hunt spots reduced because of flooding Dave Baker/Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife 800-858-1549 KY FRANKFORT, Ky. (Jan. 14, 2020) High water from the Ohio River continues to impact portions of West Kentucky Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in McCracken County. But a clearly defined chunk of Kentucky is a great place to start your search. There are some WMA's, like the dam/Peninusula area at Barren River Reservoir that are primitive weapons only. You must log in or register to reply here. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. He sold his first story to Field & Stream a few years later and has been contributing to the brand ever since. 5 Underdated Forests and Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) for Deer Hunting In Kentucky. JavaScript is disabled. Doug Travis WMA Size: 4,132 acres Location: Carlisle & Hickman Counties Total Harvest 2020: 30 Bucks: 16 Does: 14 Terrain: Diverse; Easy to moderate; Wetlands and open water make up 34% of land Christian, Graves, Trigg and Livingston rounded out the top five counties with between 1,737 and 2,910 deer taken in each. Food Preparation, Camp Cooking and Recipes. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. 1 buck killed in Kentucky in 2006 an incredible 19-pointer that measured 246 3/8. JavaScript is disabled. Just $1 per month . Maps - Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife More Maps Public Lands and Hunting Maps Public Hunting area map* Wildlife Management Area and Public Lands Search Kentucky's Hunting and Fishing Access Sites Game Maps "Know Before You Go" CWD Interactive Map Specific Species Hunting Maps Dove Hunting Field Map Elk Hunting map Elk Hunting map* They are categorized into high, moderate and low management levels. Dog-Deer Kentucky Fish and Wildlife owns, leases, or manages more than 85 wildlife management areas (WMAs) for public use. Hiwassee and Yuchi wildlife refuges have growing deer herds the state would. Probably wont be able to get in to scout as im in college and i get out that friday before the start of the hunt. Be sure to always check regulations before an adventure Kentucky public land deer hunting. As well as Clay wma in nicholus co. Yah, just send everyone to Owen County the second week of Novemberplenty of land, deer, and hardly any hunters! Mike Clerkin heads to the legendary Buffalo County, Wisconsin, in search of early season whitetail action. Emailed registrations will be accepted through Jan. 8. They monitor it closely. And the first of those reasons is the number of hunters. Within Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge, there are four designated hunt areas. Sept. 30. But a clearly defined chunk of Kentucky is a great place to start your search. Go get em. Itll make you a better deer hunter and itll make you prouder of your accomplishment when you do find the deer your after. The archery areas on Campbell were like hunting in a park. Youll find several smaller areas that fall between the water and private land, but a quick paddle can get you there quickly and away from other hunters. . While some hunting is allowed, some animals are protected, including turtles, crawfish and bullfrogs. According to Benton County Sheriff Kenny Christopher, 55-year-old. This will be some of the most difficult terrain to hunt in Kentucky. Eastern Kentucky is not known as the best part of the state to deer hunt, but there are some giants in that part of the state. That has been several years ago on the youth mentor hunt. In February, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources bought nearly 1,200 acres along the Pond River to add to the Peabody Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Number of Fields: 6+ Crop: 20+ acres, Sunflower. Four other counties had an impressive season, each with a harvest of more than 1,500 deer. With nearly a third of the area covered in water, you can bet that youll find bucks bedded near some swampy, nasty places. they did close a bunch of areas due to 9-11, so maybe all the deer moved into those areas.. hope you have better luck than we did!! Horseback riding allowed on maintained roads. Terrain: Hard; You can experience a big change in elevation when hunting this area. Several years back the population was much better than it is now. Size: 60,000 acres They have tons of deer as well. That's probably because in this region moderate deer numbers live among the state's most optimum juxtaposition of row-crop agriculture and oak-hickory woodlands.". Begley of Clay County, Ky harvested a 217 2/8-inch buck on Nov. 14, 2020 in Fayette . Whatever the reason, Kentucky has indeed managed to find the "sweet spot" of hunting opportunity for trophy deer. In Oklahoma, Osage county holds the record for most bucks harvested during the archery season with 681 bucks during the 2019-20 season . "In much of western and central Kentucky we have fertile land with a good balance of cover and crops," the biologist says. "Be bear aware at all times, and never drag your game," Svoboda said. To hear many serious trophy bowhunters tell it, Kentucky must be a figment of someone's fertile imagination. We provide our hunters with an exciting Whitetail deer hunting experience in a true wilderness setting. Peabody wma is 46k + acres in west central Ky, good deer and turkey population I carry a gun cause a cop is too heavy Feb 3, 2020 #3 bfriendly Senior Member That sounds like a great time! I know nothing about this state and being this far away I would be going by your guys help. For a $24 license, you may kill 3 antlered deer and 213 does. All stands are community so you get to hunt the full 16000 acres. Hardin County was the number one deer producing county in the entire state of Kentucky last season. Trained as a high school English teacher and coach, Scott Bestul left that lucrative field to pursue anotheras a full-time freelance writer in 1990. Stan Potts heads to Montana with his rifle in search of a Big Sky buck. Rough River Lake WMA was not a top producing county for Kentucky public land deer hunting in 2020, but it is still a place where a hunter can get away from pressure and find nice deer. In some areas, a user permit is required. Same as some already said. It may not display this or other websites correctly. West Kentucky Whitetails, LLC offers free range deer hunts in Western Kentucky. With a little research and hard work, metro hunters can successfully . West Kentucky WMA offers a variety of recreational opportunities, including horseback riding trails, a skeet range, a mobility impaired archery range and hiking trails. I'd hunt Illinois. There is a lot that can be said about the Rough River Lake WMA. Therefore, it seems only fitting that his pursuit of a particular giant buck actually began during a rabbit hunt in November 2012. The fishing is outstanding, and the waterfowling is at least acceptable. July 26, 2022 By Bernie Barringer. According to veteran biologist David Yancy, deer project leader for the Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources, there are reasons for the state's continued productivity on trophy bucks. Deer hunts offered include a shotgun-only, youth-mentor hunt at the West Kentucky Wildlife Management Area (WMA) Dec. 15-18. Written by Mike Collins Kentuckians Cody Likins and Jakob Begley won the 2020 Quest Hunt Company Deer Hunting Competition. If you head out to Rich WMA this season, dont sit back and wait. Sept. 1. "You can take a boy out of ol' dixieland but you'll never take ol' dixie from a boy" -Lynyrd Skynyrd. That's where i'd hide if I was a deer! Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. View all 40 pictures. West Kentucky WMA, McCracken County. What a question for a public forum, laziest approach I've seen yet. Participating hunters must use Telecheck, the departments phone-in or online reporting system, to register their deer harvest. Ainsley Whitley is a contributing writer for various branded properties that together attract more than 280 million readers seeking influential content. You may be able to find areas in which multiple hollers converge into one open bottom, as well. I know the basics. Never hunted there, curious to see if anyone had any information on the place (what tract to hunt, what to setup on, etc.) i think you guys would have to best chance there. The shotgun and muzzleloader deer hunt for up to 140 hunters is scheduled Jan. 16-18, 2021. Contact us at 786-205-6593 or 786-457-4128 A 50% deposit is due upon booking of your hunt, with the balance due before AUGUST 1 All hunts are fully guided. This is a great time for hunters to get out and enjoy the woods. Ask Perry (PBeyer). Dont rely on info strangers on the internet give you. The last time I was down there it was tore up with rubs and I saw probably a 140" buck. The report *will be* updated to include results for bear-only and bear/deer hunts at a later date. Published Oct 24, 2007 6:19 PM EDT, Ballard Wildlife Management Area It's a question a lot of wildlife biologists and trophy hunters in other states probably have asked themselves. WMA Management Levels Wildlife Management Areas Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) are properties owned or managed by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources for conservation and public access. Opportunities are abundant in this state, with a population of around 900,000 deer and about seven hunters per square mile. Fee, advance application required of deer, waterfowl hunters. The Deer Tour has begun! Good luck. "Catoosa is one of the more popular public hunting areas in the state for big deer," according to Ratajczak. There will be pressure any where you go. Food Preparation, Camp Cooking and Recipes. I harvested a doe at Rich in late September, and had a chance at a few small bucks that I passed one. Application with up to five hunters allowed. Antler restrictions at the Cumberland Plateau site have limited the harvest for the. I did see an absolute monster on a quota hunt but did not get a shot at him. I've been there a few times on quota hunts and there are alot of deer there, but it seems like there are always twice as many people as deer.