37 S.

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Pennyrile State Forest

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

Sep 5 – Nov 6, Nov 9 – Jan 18

Follows the statewide seasons, archery only.

  • Archery and crossbow: Sep 5 – Nov 6, Nov 9 – 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: Closed during department-administered quota hunts.”

Nov 7–8

Firearms, either sex. Quota hunt, 300 hunters drawn.

In the guide: “Deer - Modern Gun: [quota] Pennyrile State Forest/Tradewater WMA: Nov. 7-8, 300 slots. Hunters awarded one preference point for each antlerless deer harvested, up to four.”

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”

Rabbit and quail

Follows the statewide season (rabbit, western zone and quail, western zone Nov 16 – Feb 10).

In the guide: “Rabbit, Quail: Open under statewide regulations (Western Zone)”

Squirrel

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

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

Grouse

Dec 1–31

Any legal weapon.

In the guide: “Hunting guide p. 26 · Grouse hunting is also allowed on Pennyrile State Forest, Tradewater WMA and Ft. Knox during the month of December, except during quota deer hunts.”

Raccoon, furbearers, and coyote

Follows the statewide seasons.

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

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

Area rules

Closed to deer muzzleloader and youth gun seasons. The deer quota hunt is shared with Tradewater WMA.

Nearby areas

Tradewater WMA around 2 miles away

Jones-Keeney WMA around 5 miles away

Clear Creek WMA around 15 miles away

Blackford Oaks WMA around 25 miles away

Harris-Dickerson WMA around 25 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.

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