37 S.

← All Kentucky areas

Clay WMA

2026-27 season.

Check before you hunt. Confirm these dates in Kentucky Public Lands Hunting 2026-27. Seasons, closures and area rules can change.

Deer

Follows the statewide seasons, archery only.

  • Archery and crossbow: Sep 5 – Jan 18
  • Youth: Oct 10–18, Dec 26–27
  • Muzzleloader: Oct 17–18, Dec 12–20
  • Modern firearms: Nov 14–29

In the guide: “Deer - Archery/Crossbow: Archery and crossbow hunting prohibited on main tract during the quota fox hunting field trials, Sept. 9-12; Sept. 23-26; Feb. 24-27, 2027.”

Oct 10–18, Dec 26–27

Follows the statewide season (youth Oct 10–18, Dec 26–27), firearms only. Only for youth hunters.

In the guide: “Deer - Youth Gun: Open under statewide regulations”

Oct 17–18, Dec 12–20

Follows the statewide seasons, muzzleloader only.

  • Youth: Oct 17–18
  • Muzzleloader: Oct 17–18, Dec 12–20

In the guide: “Deer - Muzzleloader: Open under statewide regulations”

Nov 7–8

Firearms, either sex. Quota hunt, 225 hunters drawn.

In the guide: “Deer - Modern Gun: [quota] Clay WMA: Nov. 7-8, 225 slots. Limit four, only one of which may be antlered, during quota hunt. Hunters awarded one preference point for each antlerless deer harvested, up to four.”

Bear

Follows the statewide seasons.

  • Zone 2 hunt with dogs: Oct 19–23, Oct 29 – Nov 6
  • Zone 2 archery/crossbow: Oct 24–28
  • Zone 2 firearm: Dec 12–16

In the guide: “Bear: Open only in bear zone. (Bath and Fleming county portions, Bear Zone 2)”

Turkey

Follows the statewide seasons.

  • Archery: Sep 5 – Jan 18
  • Crossbow: Oct 1–18, Nov 14 – Dec 31
  • Shotgun: Oct 24–30, Dec 5–11

In the guide: “Turkey: Open under statewide regulations”

Dove and woodcock

Follows the statewide seasons.

  • Dove: Sep 1 – Oct 26, Nov 26 – Dec 6, Dec 19 – Jan 10
  • Woodcock: Oct 24 – Nov 13, Nov 16 – Dec 9

In the guide: “Migratory birds p. 7 · Wildlife Management Areas not listed here or in the Closed Areas section are open under statewide regulations: dove, woodcock”

Ducks and teal

Follows the statewide season (ducks and teal Sep 19–23, Nov 26–29, Dec 7 – Jan 31).

In the guide: “Migratory birds p. 11 · Areas owned or managed by the KDFWR that are not listed below are open to statewide seasons and limits: ducks”

Geese

Follows the statewide seasons.

  • September canada goose (eastern zone): Sep 16–30
  • Goose (eastern zone): Nov 26 – Feb 15

In the guide: “Migratory birds p. 11 · Areas owned or managed by the KDFWR that are not listed below are open to statewide seasons and limits: geese (September Canada goose Eastern Zone)”

Rabbit

Nov 3–6, Nov 9–13, Nov 16 – Dec 31

Any legal weapon.

In the guide: “Rabbit: Open Nov. 3 - Dec. 31, except closed Nov. 7-8 for the deer quota hunt during the opening weekend of modern gun deer season, and in the pheasant quota hunt units during pheasant quota hunts Dec. 4-7.”

Squirrel

Follows the statewide season (Aug 15 – Nov 13, Nov 16 – Feb 28).

In the guide: “Squirrel: Open under statewide regulations”

Grouse and quail

Nov 1–6, Nov 9–13, Nov 16 – Dec 31

Any legal weapon, Tuesdays and Saturdays only, shooting ends at 3 pm.

In the guide: “Grouse, Quail: Open until 3 p.m. (local time) on Tuesdays and Saturdays from Nov. 1 - Dec. 31, except closed Nov. 7-8 for the deer quota hunt and in the pheasant quota hunt units during pheasant quota hunts Dec. 4-7. Daily bag limit is four quail and two grouse.”

Raccoon, furbearers, and coyote

Follows the statewide seasons.

  • Raccoon: Oct 1 – Nov 13, Nov 16 – Feb 28
  • Furbearers, hunting and trapping: Nov 16 – Feb 28
  • Furbearers, water-set trapping: Mar 1–31
  • Coyote: Aug 1 – Nov 13, Nov 16 – Mar 31

In the guide: “Furbearer: Open under statewide regulations”

Closed Nov 14–15.

In the guide: “Two-day closure: Hunting for squirrels, rabbits, quail, grouse and furbearers is closed the first two days of modern firearms season for deer on WMAs.”

Area rules

Archery and crossbow hunting are prohibited on the main tract during the quota fox hunting field trials, Sept. 9-12 and 23-26 and Feb. 24-27; the main tract is closed to public use then except to registered participants. During the pheasant quota hunt period, pheasant quota hunt units close to small game hunting for four days starting the first Friday in December. Pheasant quota hunts, either sex, limit two, Dec. 4, 5 and 6; open Dec. 7 only to drawn hunters, limit three; open Dec. 8-31, daily limit three. Rabbit, quail and grouse hunters must check in and out at a kiosk and display a department hang-tag. The guide says the Fleming and Bath county portions are Zone 3 for bear; its bear zone map puts both counties in Zone 2, which is what the bear rule follows.

Nearby areas

Fleming WMA around 15 miles away

Simon Kenton WMA around 20 miles away

Griffith Woods WMA around 25 miles away

Pioneer Weapons WMA around 25 miles away

Sunny Brook WMA around 30 miles away

County zone deer bag limits apply on all WMAs; quota deer hunters may take up to two deer on a quota hunt in Zones 2, 3 and 4, only one antlered, and any buck counts toward the statewide one-buck limit. Hunting for squirrels, rabbits, quail, grouse and furbearers is closed the first two days of modern firearms deer season (Nov. 14-15) on WMAs. Dogs must be leashed on WMAs from March 1 until the third Saturday in August, with exceptions. Camping only where designated; no baiting; no nails or screw-in steps in trees; trail cameras must carry the owner's customer ID. Hunter orange during any firearms season for deer, bear or elk, also on ground blinds, except on WMAs where firearms hunting for those species is prohibited. Public dove fields are closed to all access from Aug. 15 until sunrise Sept. 1; on WMAs and leased fields, dove shooting hours are 11 a.m. to sunset Sept. 1-Oct. 26. Areas manipulated for dove hunting are not legal for waterfowl hunting. Youth-only waterfowl days are Nov. 21 and Feb. 13, and military/veteran-only days Nov. 22 and Feb. 14. A light goose conservation order runs Feb. 16-Mar. 31 with a free permit. Sandhill cranes (Dec. 7-Jan. 31) are by drawn permit only. During WMA deer quota hunts, only drawn hunters and one non-hunting assistant each may be on the area.

Our apps