By Vernon Summerlin

When you're heading to the Daniel Boone Jeep Jamboree this August, there's something you should know. Bountiful angling and hunting domains lie within an hour's drive of the Horse Capital of the World, Lexington, Kentucky--the state's second largest city and geographic center of "Bluegrass country." 

First, follow these steps:

1. Lay out a map of Kentucky.
2. Place the point of a compass (the instrument used for drawing circles) in the center of the hub of Lexington.
3. Circumscribe the city with a 50-mile radius.
4. Count the number of streams, lakes, and Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) within the circle.

Now do you see the angling and hunting potential in this small circle in the Commonwealth? If you're amazed, continue reading for details. If you're unimpressed, call the undertaker--you're done!

Look at your circle as a clock face; now, we'll take a trip around it starting at three o'clock.

Three O'Clock

Part of the Daniel Boone National Forest falls within the circle. This national forest stretches from northeastern Kentucky southwestward to the Tennessee border, with a large separate pocket in the southeastern corner of the state. Here, 693,043 acres are open for public angling and hunting free of charge.

Hunters will feast on a variety of game: white-tailed deer, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, quail, woodcock, duck, squirrel, rabbit, fox, raccoon, and more. Requirements for hunting in the national forest include a valid hunting license and following the regulations of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The Daniel Boone National Forest was known as the Cumberland National Forest; it was re-named in 1966 for Daniel Boone, who explored the Kentucky wilderness (Life and Times of Daniel Boone). The national forest also offers camping, picnicking, hiking, power boating, swimming, canoeing, water skiing, and nature study. Developed campgrounds accommodate tents to trailers.

Cave Run Lake on Licking River is an 8270-acre reservoir at the north end of the forest, about 15 miles southwest of Morehead, Kentucky (it's a little out of your circle, but well-worth your attention). There, you will discover largemouth bass, bream, crappie, catfish, and most notably, muskie. Trophy muskie are caught in Cave Run Lake, and the lake is the one of the most outstanding muskie lakes in the country. 

Just south of Cave Run Lake is Pioneer Weapons Hunting Area, a 7480-acre tract in the Morehead Ranger District. Hunters use old-time weapons, including longbow, crossbow, muzzleloading rifles, shotguns, and pistols to kill deer, turkey, squirrel, and ruffed grouse. Modern breech loading firearms are a no-no. 

Old-time and modern arms may soon be used on game not seen here for more than a century. "Ol' Dan'l" shot these big beasts in his day, but modern hunters haven't had the pleasure of putting an elk in their sights. By the mid-1800s, elk and bison were gone from Kentucky because of infringing civilization and unregulated killing.

More Travels in the Area Click Here:

Wild elk again range freely over a portion of the state. For the past two decades, the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources worked hard to re-establish the state's white-tailed deer population. They are applying that same effort to bring back the elk. And as with deer, a limited hunting season for elk may soon be open.

As we move clockwise from Daniel Boone National Forest, we next encounter the Kentucky River. 

Four O'Clock

One of the most under-utilized fishing and hunting areas in Kentucky is the Kentucky River. Beginning in the foothills of the Appalachians, the river meanders northwesterly below Lexington, through Frankfort, and empties into the Ohio River at Carrollton. Within our 100-mile diameter circle, the Kentucky River offers anglers opportunities to catch smallmouth bass, Kentucky bass, largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, sauger, stripe, hybrid, striper, and muskie. At various times of the year, these species tend to concentrate in the tailwaters of the Kentucky River dams.

Five O'Clock

Next on our clock face circle is 1,690-acre Central Kentucky WMA in Madison County. It's nine miles southeast of Richmond with rolling-to-flat terrain, fields, wooded areas, about 15 acres of oak-hickory timber along ridge slopes, cedar thickets in abandoned cropland areas, and streams. 

The poorly drained soils stay wet in spring and fall, providing excellent small game habitat. You can see quail, rabbit, squirrel, dove, deer, and, on rare occasions, grouse and woodcock. This WMA is also used for field trials, bird dog training, and trap and skeet shooting during scheduled club shoots (call 606-986-4130 for information). You can also fish in ponds for largemouth bass, bluegill, and channel catfish. 

Seven O'Clock

Herrington Lake lies about 20 miles southwest of Lexington. This 2500-acre reservoir on the Dix River in Mercer and Garrard Counties offers largemouth bass, crappie, bream, catfish, stripe, and hybrids. This lake has many feeder creeks, and the tailrace has excellent fishin--it is just upstream from the Kentucky River.

Nine O'Clock

Now swing around to the nine o'clock position. Taylorsville Lake, 3,050 acres, is located in Spencer, Nelson, and Anderson Counties in the Taylorsville WMA. The dam is located on the Salt River 60 miles above the stream's confluence with the Ohio River, and about four miles above Taylorsville in Spencer County. Largemouth bass, crappie, bream, stripers, stripe, and catfish are available to your hook.

The 10,741-acre Taylorsville WMA consists of steep, oak-hickory slopes, open bottomlands along the Salt River, old fields and successional habitat, and cool- and warm-season grass fields. The WMA has enjoyed several continuing cooperative wildlife projects with Ducks Unlimited, Quail Unlimited, the National Wild Turkey Federation, and local farmers. Examples of sound wildlife practices can be found over the entire area; for example, fescue conversion projects to native grasses, cool season grass, legume plantings, moist soil management, and other practices beneficial to wildlife.

Taylorsville WMA offers a variety of hunting opportunities for deer, turkey, squirrel, rabbit, waterfowl, and quail. Hunting pressure is moderate-to-heavy because of its proximity to several urban areas. 

Ten O'Clock

At this position is the 317-acre Guist Creek Lake in Shelby County, northeast of Shelbyville. Largemouth bass, hybrids, bream, crappie, and catfish make up the anglers' fare. 

Eleven O'Clock

Kentucky River WMA in Henry County, one mile west of Gest near Lock 3, has Kentucky River flood plains, old fields, and oak-hickory forests containing deer, turkey, squirrel, rabbit, and dove. Ten acres along Raccoon Branch are managed for waterfowl. 

Just east of Kentucky River WMA is John A. Kleber WMA. Its 2,575 acres in Owen and Franklin Counties on KY 368 (Cedar Road) lies between US 127 and KY 227. It has steep hillsides, narrow ridge tops, and flood plains, plus a combination of woods, brush, and grasslands with quail, deer, squirrel, rabbit, turkey, groundhog, and raccoon. A small pond and Cedar Creek provide limited angling opportunities. 

At the same place on the clock--but farther northwest from Lexington--is Twin Eagle WMA. This 166-acre WMA in Owen County on KY 355 has steep Kentucky River terrace terrain, woods, croplands, grasslands, and sloughs. Dove, rabbit, quail, squirrel, deer, turkey, and occasionally ducks are your hunting opportunities. Fishing is also available.

Twelve O'Clock

At the noon position are two additional small lakes, Boltz and Williamstown, which lie on the western and eastern side on I-75, respectively. Catfish, largemouth bass, bream, and crappie swim these waters.

Two O'Clock

Swinging around to the two o'clock position, you'll find the Clay WMA. It contains 4,901 acres in Nicholas County, eight miles northeast of Carlisle on KY 32. Take KY 3315 (Cassidy Creek Road) south to the WMA. It contains primarily woodlands, with 1,700 cleared acres and steep to rolling terrain. Squirrel, deer, dove, quail, grouse, rabbit, raccoon, otter, turkey, groundhog, and fox inhabit the area. Fishing on the Licking River on the eastern border of the WMA gives anglers the chance to hook bass, bream, crappie, and catfish. 

These are not all of the angling and fishing spots within the circle; some are left for you to discover, but they are enough to lead you to the bounty of Kentucky's Bluegrass Region. 

Before You Go

• Guest fishing license choices include: non-resident annual fishing, $30; non-resident 3-day fishing, $12.50; non-resident 15-day fishing, $20.
  
• Guest hunting license choices include: non-resident annual hunting, $95 (identical to a resident license, except required of persons who are not Kentucky residents, and required for deer or turkey hunters.); non-resident five-day hunting $27.50 (may not be used for deer or turkey hunting). 
  
• Guest trapping license: non-resident trapping $115. 
  
• For complete information on fishing or hunting in Kentucky, contact the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Division of Information & Education, #1 Game Farm Road, Frankfort, KY 40601; 800-858-1549.

For more information on this and other Jeep Jamborees, please visit http://www.jeepunpaved.com/jamboree/index.asp. 

Photos by Vernon Summerlin.
Copyright (c) 2000 by Vernon Summerlin. All rights reserved.