Since 2010, the hottest counties for P&Y entries (white stars on map) have continued to reflect that broad pattern. For a long time it's been a consistent producer of quality bucks on both public and private land. Find season dates and bag limits here. Make sure your deer is 15in wide or it will cost you. Just want to try something new this year. 6200 some odd acres. Size: 60,000 acres Honestly man and I dont mean this in a bad way but Ive been very fortunate and taken nice deer on public land in a couple different states so I feel like my advice might help you. It may not display this or other websites correctly. The last time I was down there it was tore up with rubs and I saw probably a 140" buck. In addition, archery hunters will for the first time have the run of Ballard from September 1 to October 14; after that, all but 400 acres will close to provide refuge to migrating waterfowl. Entrance GPS coordinates: Latitude N 37.1332, Longitude W -88.8139 Area Habitat: open land 34.74%, forest 46.58%, wetland 18.09%, open water 0.62%. Therefore, this is perfect for hunters who like taking their kids hunting with them. 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. "Camera use facilitates trophy whitetail production in two ways," he points out. Selected hunters may bring a hunting party totaling no more than 10 members, including the administrator and designated co-administrator. My advice would be to get as close to the river as you can, in some of the more remote areas. Whatever the reason, Kentucky has indeed managed to find the "sweet spot" of hunting opportunity for trophy deer. lol did not realize i didn't put the name of the wma but yes the one I was talking about is west kentucky wma. If you travel down the road between the A area and area 4 there will be a creek that you cross, right after you cross the creek there is a field that has a small strip of woods on the south side and big hardwoods on the north side. Like another said just head to nearest wma and scout. Y outh Seasons and Youth Lottery Hunts. Ballard has the best buck-to-doe ratio of any public hunting area in the state at one buck for every two does, Yancy says, and it also has an excellent age-class structure that features a lot of older bucks. Starting this year, more sportsmen will be able to take advantage of these numbers. Hopefully by archery season you will have a game plan that will give you the best chance to get one with a bow. Quota and firearm deer hunting for the 2022 season is over. 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 In Oklahoma, Osage county holds the record for most bucks harvested during the archery season with 681 bucks during the 2019-20 season . The Pennyrile State Forest is the largest public land area on this list and that is why it is at number one. Because of that, I prefer to hunt Rich. This WMA is vast, covering more than 16,000 acres in Osage County. Kentucky Hunting is the leading online community for outdoors enthusiasts to discuss hunting, fishing, archery, and life in Kentucky. Georgia Hunting Leases Available NOW!100 acres prime deer Oct 16 South Texas Dove Hunting/Lease San Antonio $60 Oct 16 South Texas .Louisiana - On July 19, 2022, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) released its 2022-23 hunting regulations pamphlet online. JavaScript is disabled. Hardin County was the number one deer producing county in the entire state of Kentucky last season. While it may be hard to replicate that harvest, there are still big bucks lurking around Pennyrile. Camp is setup in Kentucky! Ainsley Whitley is a contributing writer for various branded properties that together attract more than 280 million readers seeking influential content. If it's like last year, Archery will open under statewide regulations, As far as gun hunts they'll do the youth hunt and a quoata, Shotgun or ML only. They are categorized into high, moderate and low management levels. Deer were trapped and moved all over the state, so "our deer are quite genetically homogenous," Yancy said. This allows them to keep an eye out for any predator or hunter that may enter the bedding area. July 26, 2022 By Bernie Barringer. Mostly wooded but has some ag fields on the wma. 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 got drawn for a quota here and have never been there.Does anybody know anything about this place any help is appreciated. I didnt include Kleber WMA on this list because it is not underrated. In my experiences, most hunters do not do this at Rich WMA. Kentucky Hunting is the leading online community for outdoors enthusiasts to discuss hunting, fishing, archery, and life in Kentucky. West Tennessee Wildlife Management Areas (Region 1) *The numbers for each WMA and on the map correspond to the numbers in the hunting guide. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. In some areas, a user permit is required. They are strict on their rules, so read up. Try Fort Campbell. West Kentucky WMA Get Directions Return to Search WMA Overview Size: 6425 acres Location: McCracken Contact: (270) 488-3233 Elevation: minimum 297 feet, maximum 451 feet. This is a place that is enjoyed by visitors all year round. Nevertheless, whenever this resident of western Kentucky has an opportunity to turn loose his pack of beagles in prime swamp rabbit habitat, deer hunting usually becomes a secondary priority. The best hunting area I have found is Fort Knox military reservation.deer numbers are good (not as good as when I started hunting there in the 1990s though) and the CHANCE for a B&C buck is legitimate (Ft Knox posts lots of pictures of big bucks harvested each year). They're well equipped to fill buck tags at the time of year when antlered deer are most vulnerable. The deadline to register by phone is 3:30 p.m. (CST) on Jan. 5. Ballard Wildlife Management Area Location: west Kentucky Size: 8,600 acres ZIP: 42056 Ballard has the best buck-to-doe ratio of any By I hunted it quite a few times but the last time was about 15 years ago. 5 Underdated Forests and Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) for Deer Hunting In Kentucky. Therefore, it seems only fitting that his pursuit of a particular giant buck actually began during a rabbit hunt in November 2012. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Can you field dress in a WMA and discard the remains in the WMA in Georgia? If any old whitetail just won't do and you're on the hunt for trophy bucks, Kentucky has you covered. 8Z on Kodiak Island was second with 4,797. "First, by capturing images of older and/or larger-antlered bucks in an area, they encourage local hunters to pass up younger/lesser animals. Kentucky is one of the premier deer hunting states in the country, with many regions experiencing a year-by-year increase in deer population and harvest. If I remember right, the WMA list on kdfwr has what you can kill, limitations etc. Search the dept website and check harvest numbers on wmas. What would you guys consider the best WMA for deer numbers and best chance to get one with a bow ? Its one of the more difficult tracts of public land to trek in the western part of the state because of its large ridges and thick forests. First off, the location of this public land area is incredible. Haynes Shelton discusses what to look for when choosing the magnification range when it comes to the scope on your deer rifle. Most areas are open to archery and crossbow hunting for deer except during the Dec. 12-13 quota gun hunt. Feb 16, 2015 #2 G grasskiller Member Good wma not much pressure and a lot of places for a big buck to hide. According to the biologist, some biologists in the agency also believe the advent of affordable digital trail cameras has played a big role. "In much of western and central Kentucky we have fertile land with a good balance of cover and crops," the biologist says. West Kentucky WMA, McCracken County. Deer. I have hunted down there prbably 7 or 8 times. Rich WMA consists of ridge after ridge, with some low bottom areas where deer like to travel. Walnut Road, Lot #WP001 , Boaz, KY 42027 (Graves County) Size: 21.5 acres . Sept. 30. Food Preparation, Camp Cooking and Recipes. It will tell you how many were killed each year and with what weapon. i would go to lbl if u were u.its closest to bama and the biggest by far.over 100,000 acres..big bucks and less crowded simply due to its size. For more on record-class bow bucks from Kentucky and across North America, visit Pope and Young Club. I would hunt in area 4 right across the road from the A area. Write, email or call Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources for additional information. Im hoping those bucks made it through the season and they come back bigger and better, but its not likely when hunting public land. Good luck. Whatever the reason, Kentucky has indeed managed to find the "sweet spot" of hunting opportunity for trophy deer. Thanks! I know nothing about this state and being this far away I would be going by your guys help. There is alot of deer down there. Tim Young remembers, "Man, he looked big." Mike Clerkin heads to Buffalo County, Wisconsin to bowhunt whitetails. Spring squirrel hunting in Kentucky can be one of the most fun times of the year! They stay near the logging roads and hope a deer goes walking by. Stalk Em Spring squirrel hunting in Kentucky can be [], Squirrel Hunting in Kentucky Opens May 15, Deer Hunting On Public Land Kentucky Outdoors Media, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFP-jOHTsc0&t=8s, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6ETHU_ypZY&t=5s, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYOoABQMAEI&t=4s. Thanks! Hunters can hunt squirrel, white-tailed deer, wild turkey and resident Canadian geese during the specified seasons. New this year, WK WMA will have both Quota Gun Hunt and a "Open" Gun Hunt. How are they doing the gun hunt in West Ky this year? Kentucky Fish and Wildlife owns, leases, or manages more than 85 wildlife management areas (WMAs) for public use. With nearly a third of the area covered in water, you can bet that youll find bucks bedded near some swampy, nasty places. One of the more attractive features at Rough River Lake WMA is the number of oxbows that can be hunted. No vehicles/ATV's. No permanent stands, etc. No tags are required for does and only one of your bucks has an antler restriction. That makes the hunting tougher for with bow or gun. While I often e-scout a public land area on OnX before Kentucky public land deer hunting, Doug Travis is so diverse, I think a person needs to see it first-hand before walking in with their bow. Early season is the key here. During the 2013 deer season, hunters bagged a record 4,069 deer, which was more than in any other county. But a clearly defined chunk of Kentucky is a great place to start your search. You must log in or register to reply here. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife conducts quota hunts for deer, pheasant and migratory birds (waterfowl and mourning doves). The hunter tipped off his local game warden after tracking down the poached deer's gut pile deep in Idaho backcountry. Late fall shotgun turkey season starts Saturday December 2, 2022 Derek Aaron WJRS News Local hunters have one final opportunity to harvest wild turkeys with a shotgun this year during the late fall shotgun season, which opens tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 3rd and runs through Friday, Dec. 9th. Hunting during rifle season, or late muzzleloader, will likely be the easiest path to finding a big buck at Kentucky Ridge Forest. As a reminder, results are missing for several 2017/2018 & 2018/2019 seasons hunts. "No, not really," he says. Top 5 Kentucky Public Hunting Area 21,688 views Oct 16, 2017 90 Dislike Share LandRater.com 574 subscribers Top 5 Kentucky Public Hunting Areas for Deer and Turkey Explore public land in your. Where's the best place to go looking for one of these big guys in bow season? The Blue Grass Region is the best area in the state of Kentucky for deer hunting, with Owen county leading the pack. CLOTHING - Get 10% off Legendary Whitetails gear w/code THP18 http://bit. Food Preparation, Camp Cooking and Recipes. Hunters must have an annual hunting license for hunting grouse in Kentucky. WMA located approximately 10 miles west of Henderson, KY, consists of 6 units. Take bowhunters advice and scout if you get a chance. Deer: Balancing Expectations for Small Properties, Get to Know Your Neighbors for Better Deer Herd Management, Big Buck Profile: Reid Crawford Kansas Buck, Choosing Correct Magnification for Rifle Scope, Big Buck Profile: Troy Metzger's East Illinois Giant. Four other counties had an impressive season, each with a harvest of more than 1,500 deer. Good deer, turkey, waterfowl and small game hunting. I think I have 2 priority points. You are using an out of date browser. Lace your boots up and put some time in now. It may not display this or other websites correctly. If you're going to hunt in November, one of those would be better due to no gun hunters. 2023-2024 archery dates will be announced later in 2023.; 2022-23 Tennessee Deer Season (Author image) Sportsmen and women have it pretty good in my home state of Kentucky. Some of these governments allow the use of hunting equipment such as firearms, crossbows, and bows within their boundaries. Be sure to always check regulations before an adventure Kentucky public land deer hunting. "Catoosa is one of the more popular public hunting areas in the state for big deer," according to Ratajczak. Same as some already said. Additionally, hunt data for most Redlands WMA hunts .