Wildlife management area · Ballard County
Ballard Wildlife Management Area
8,014 acres · 37.152, -89.060 ↗
Live · updatedInside a CWD Disease Surveillance Area. CWD was first confirmed in a wild Kentucky deer on Dec 6, 2023 (western Kentucky); a second wild case was confirmed Oct 2025 in Pulaski County. KDFWR’s CWD Surveillance Zone covers 23 counties: Ballard, Breckinridge, Calloway, Carlisle, Casey, Fulton, Graves, Hardin, Henderson, Hickman, Laurel, Lincoln, Marshall, McCracken, McCreary, Meade, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Russell, Union, Wayne, Webster and Whitley. In the zone, whole carcasses and high-risk parts may not leave the zone (deboned meat, cleaned skull caps/antlers, hides and finished mounts may). Bringing whole carcasses/high-risk parts of deer, elk, moose or caribou into Kentucky from out of state is illegal. Baiting is prohibited on all WMAs. Confirm the current zone map and rules with KDFWR.
Whitetail Deer
Legal light: 6:18 AM – 7:16 PM CT · 30 min before sunrise to 30 min after sunset
2026-27 season · verified 2026-07-27 · source
Slow conditions for Whitetail Deer today.
SLOW conditions
- 59°F (warm) Above the comfortable band; activity tails off midday
- Dead calm Scent hangs and carries; deer are edgy, so play the wind carefully
- Wind out of the NE Pick a stand that keeps your scent off the bedding and approach
- Bright moon Heavy nighttime feeding under a full moon can slow midday movement
- Ground Woody Wetlands · 315 ft (NLCD land cover / USGS elevation)
Wild Turkey
Legal light: 6:18 AM – 6:46 PM CT · ½ hour before sunrise to sunset (all day — no noon closure)
2026-27 season · verified 2026-07-27 · source
Good day to hunt Wild Turkey.
GOOD conditions
- 59°F Right in the comfortable activity band
- Calm Calm, quiet air; gobbles carry and birds relax
- Wind out of the NE Set up so a called bird approaches without the wind in your face
- Clear morning Bluebird calm mornings are classic gobbling weather
- Full moon Birds feed at night and fly down late; mornings can start slow
- Ground Woody Wetlands · 315 ft (NLCD land cover / USGS elevation)
Ducks
Legal light: 6:18 AM – 6:46 PM CT · ½ hour before sunrise to sunset
2026-27 season · verified 2026-07-27 · source
Ducks season is closed at this spot today.
SLOW conditions
- 59°F (warm) Above the comfortable band; activity tails off midday
- Dead calm Slick water; birds raft up and loaf, and decoying is tough
- Wind out of the NE Set the spread so birds finish into the wind, coming over the guns
- Ground Woody Wetlands · 315 ft (NLCD land cover / USGS elevation)
Canada Geese
Legal light: 6:18 AM – 6:46 PM CT · ½ hour before sunrise to sunset
2026-27 season · verified 2026-07-27 · source
Slow conditions for Canada Geese today.
SLOW conditions
- 59°F (warm) Above the comfortable band; activity tails off midday
- Dead calm Slick water; birds raft up and loaf, and decoying is tough
- Wind out of the NE Set the spread so birds finish into the wind, coming over the guns
- Ground Woody Wetlands · 315 ft (NLCD land cover / USGS elevation)
Conditions at the pin
Dawn/dusk low
59°F
the cool hunt window the score uses
Daytime high
75°F
today
Wind
2 mph NE
plan your scent
Barometer
1017.3 mb
steady
Moon
100%
full
Mostly Sunny
The ground
County herd density
2.32 deer/sq mi
Ballard County took 573 deer last season
Habitat
Cultivated Crops
food + cover edge across the tract
Elevation
315 ft
USGS surface elevation
Access: Ohio River wetlands in Ballard County (far western KY); a renowned waterfowl area with controlled hunts.
Where it is
Scout a different spot → All Kentucky land How this score works
Public-land data: KDFWR — Public Land (verified 2026-07-27). Conditions from the NWS, USGS and NLCD, recomputed each rebuild.