More than 60,000 acres of public access added with new Pocahontas Wildlife Management Area
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Oct. 10, 2024) — The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources has opened an additional 60,233 acres for public hunting in eastern Kentucky via the landowner-cooperator program.
The new Pocahontas Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is comprised of three main blocks of land spread over Martin, Pike and Harlan counties and two smaller blocks in Johnson and Floyd counties, providing public access for hunting, fishing and nature study.
Comprising terrain that has seen a combination of coal and timber harvest activity, the properties offer large tracts of land with mature timber, as well as reclaimed surface-mined land consisting of shrubs and grass. Together, these land areas offer a diverse habitat for a range of hunted and non-game species.
“Although these properties are part of our elk hunting program, they are open for all hunting seasons under statewide regulations,” said John Hast, elk and bear program coordinator for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “In addition to elk, these parcels should also be good for deer, bear, turkey and small game hunting, in most cases.”
Altogether, the Pocahontas WMA properties provide approximately 25 percent of the almost 233,000 public acres now available through the department’s elk hunting access program. Through an agreement with Pocahontas Surface Interests, LLC., Kentucky Fish and Wildlife will facilitate and oversee public hunting activities on the various parcels.
The elk hunting access program provides opportunities for landowners who open their property to public hunting to receive landowner-cooperator permits for elk hunting (see KRS 150.178). For each 5,000 acres enrolled in a public hunting agreement with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, the landowner receives one either-sex elk permit each year. Landowners may give away or sell these permits.
“Opening up such a large collection of properties is a boon to Kentucky hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts,” Hast said. “Not only is this a beneficial use of reclaimed land, but it’s a smart property management tool for Pocahontas Surface Interests and potentially other companies like it.”
Following a nearly 25-year elk restoration effort, Kentucky offers more elk hunting opportunities than any other eastern state. Kentucky’s elk management zone is 4.1 million acres in size and includes the 16 southeasternmost counties in the state.
Kentucky’s Elk Management Plan calls for expanding elk-related recreation opportunities throughout the zone to help manage future herd populations and habitat improvements across the region. The landowner-cooperator program helps the department acquire private lands of meaningful size to help manage Kentucky’s elk herd effectively, and provides a number of benefits to the landowner, such as land management expertise, elk hunting permits, law enforcement presence and liability protection.
Portions of Pocahontas WMA are elk-regulated hunting areas where a hunter must be drawn for that specific area in which they want to hunt. All persons who hunt elk in Kentucky must have an elk permit. Elk quota hunt permits for 2024 have already been issued, but the application period for the 2025 elk hunt drawing opened Aug. 1. Apply online via the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife License Sales page.
Updated WMA information and mapping are available on the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife website’s Public Lands Search page. Type “Pocahontas WMA” in the search box in the top right corner of the fw.ky.gov homepage.
Licenses and permits are sold online through Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s website on the License Sales portal and at vendor locations across the state. A list of license agents by county is available on the department’s website.