Wildlife management area · Ballard County

Ballard Wildlife Management Area

Live · updated Jul 29, 6:51 PM ET

Inside 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: 5:28 AM – 8:36 PM CT · 30 min before sunrise to 30 min after sunset

2026-27 season · verified 2026-07-27 · source

57/100

Whitetail Deer season is closed at this spot today.

FAIR conditions

66°F (warm) Above the comfortable band; activity tails off midday
6 mph wind A steady breeze covers your movement and noise; deer stay on their feet
Wind out of the N 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: 5:28 AM – 8:06 PM CT · ½ hour before sunrise to sunset (all day — no noon closure)

2026-27 season · verified 2026-07-27 · source

74/100

Wild Turkey season is closed at this spot today.

GOOD conditions

66°F Right in the comfortable activity band
6 mph (light) Calm, quiet air; gobbles carry and birds relax
Wind out of the N 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: 5:28 AM – 8:06 PM CT · ½ hour before sunrise to sunset

2026-27 season · verified 2026-07-27 · source

52/100

Ducks season is closed at this spot today.

FAIR conditions

66°F (hot) Well above the comfortable band; animals lie up and move after dark
6 mph wind Enough wind to keep birds moving
Wind out of the N 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: 5:28 AM – 8:06 PM CT · ½ hour before sunrise to sunset

2026-27 season · verified 2026-07-27 · source

59/100

Canada Geese season is closed at this spot today.

FAIR conditions

66°F (warm) Above the comfortable band; activity tails off midday
6 mph wind Enough wind to keep birds moving
Wind out of the N 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

66°F

the cool hunt window the score uses

Daytime high

87°F

today

Wind

6 mph N

plan your scent

Barometer

1012.5 mb

steady

Moon

100%

full

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.