The Best Spring Turkey Counties in Kentucky, 2000 to 2026

IThe answer

Graves County tops the counties for 2026; Muhlenberg trails closely

For anyone asking which Kentucky county had the best turkey harvest, Graves County was the answer for 2026. Hunters there logged 778 birds. That put the county 32.0% above its average for 2021 to 2025. Muhlenberg followed, then Breckinridge, Pulaski and Christian, rounding out the leading five. According to the department's announcement, Graves had now led for a third consecutive year. Below, the table extends through 15th place and includes each county's harvest for 2025 alongside its average over five years.

The gaps narrow quickly farther down the rankings. The leader's advantage over tenth is 240 birds (778 versus 538). From tenth to 15th, the difference shrinks to 39 birds (499). Once you move beyond the first few places, the ground you can hunt matters more to choosing a county than its harvest total.

The ten counties atop the rankings supplied 17.5% of Kentucky's reported birds for 2026. Ten counties out of 120 represent 8.3%, putting their harvest slightly above twice an even share. The remaining 110 counties supplied 82.5% of reported kills. Counties beyond the leading ten therefore produced most of Kentucky's reported turkey harvest.

IILong-run leaders

The leading ten still include eight longtime leaders

One spring can make a county look better than its lasting performance. We looked for staying power by summing county harvest reports for every spring between 2000 and 2026. Muhlenberg has the largest cumulative count, followed in order by Logan, then Ohio, Hardin, Hart, Butler, Grayson, Breckinridge, Pulaski and Hopkins.

The leading counties for 2026 include eight from that cumulative group. Muhlenberg came 2nd, Breckinridge finished 3rd, Pulaski placed 4th, Hopkins ranked 6th, Ohio took 7th, Hardin landed 8th, Grayson was 9th and Logan claimed 10th. Butler's 518 birds put it 11th; Hart's 499 put it 15th. Graves and Christian made the leading ten for 2026 but do not appear among the cumulative leaders.

Graves deserves a closer look. Although absent from the cumulative 27-year ranking, it has the highest average for 2021 to 2025 among the table's 15 counties. As mentioned earlier, it has also topped the counties for three consecutive years. Its lead in 2026 amounts to more than a lone lucky spring. We did not examine why Graves falls outside the cumulative leaders.

IIIPer square mile

Ranking by harvest density changes the picture

County acreage is absent from a raw harvest count, which can give larger counties an advantage. The department's ranking for harvest per square mile shares very few counties with the count ranking. Pendleton's 1.82 tops the density list. Next come Robertson at 1.81, Anderson at 1.59, Muhlenberg at 1.56, Bracken at 1.48, Owen at 1.41 and Graves at 1.4. Only Muhlenberg and Graves appear among the leading ten under both measures. According to the release, southern and western counties recorded the most kills, while northern and central counties recorded more kills for each square mile. Pendleton placed 12th in our table with 512 birds, and Owen placed 14th with 500. Both fall within the leading 15 for total harvest and the leading ten for density.

IVStatewide total

The harvest peak rose by 351 birds

Reported kills increased from 18,243 during 2000 to 36,097 during 2010. For the fifteen springs that followed, totals ranged from 26,862 to 35,663. The count then reached 36,448 in 2026.

The lead over the 2010 harvest amounts to 351 birds, or 0.97%. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife reports 36,439 in its published announcement, which also describes a record. The harvest therefore still ranks highest, with a narrow edge. Three springs are separated by no more than 785 birds: the 2010 harvest was 36,097, the 2023 harvest was 35,663, and the 2026 harvest was 36,448. A single year's results would not persuade us to treat 2026 as a new normal. Harvest in 2026 exceeded 2025 by 18.9%, although the 2025 count was the lowest since 2022. Among the seven states covered by our regional comparison, that increase placed third.

VBiggest movers

Among the ten biggest increases, four counties fall beyond the leading 15

The largest increases do not always belong to counties reporting the largest harvests. Graves leads with +188 birds above its average, followed by Muhlenberg at +180. Trigg, Caldwell, Henderson and Harrison also qualified despite modest harvest totals. Trigg's 470 reported birds exceeded its average by 155.

The 18.9% statewide increase over 2025 does not prove that county gains share a cause. Two counties among the cumulative leaders fell short of their averages for five years. Logan's harvest was 6.5% under its average for 2021 to 2025; Hart's was 9.0% under. Harvest figures by themselves cannot tell us whether fewer turkeys, fewer people hunting or bad weather over a weekend explain those counties' results.

VIMethod and limits

Every total counts birds reported using Telecheck

For each county, we add together the birds reported through Telecheck, the state's system for reporting harvest, using Kentucky Fish and Wildlife's harvest data. These figures reflect turkey numbers along with hunter effort and access. We do not adjust county totals for county size or public land. The state release lists 2,373 birds harvested on public land, equal to 6.5% of the reported harvest total, with no county breakdown. It also lists 13,670 birds harvested during the general season's opening weekend alone (April 18 and 19).

We compared our summed county figures with the department's release. Its leading ten counties match ours, including their order. Eight county figures agree exactly; the other two are a bird apart. The release reports Christian at 639 versus our 640, and Grayson at 548 versus our 549. Statewide figures differ by nine birds: the release has 36,439 versus our 36,448. We did not pursue that difference.

VIIIn the field

Begin with counties shared by the two rankings

Begin with the eight counties shared by the current and cumulative rankings. Their production spans 27 springs, including another strong showing in 2026. Within that group, Hopkins (+32.9%) had the largest margin above its own average for 2021 to 2025, followed by Muhlenberg (+31.8%) and then Breckinridge (+27.5%). Logan fell below its own average. Let the average over five years settle close choices. Keep a county with a lone strong spring and no track record in the maybe category. For hunters weighing density, Muhlenberg belongs to that group of eight, and both it and Graves appear among the department's leading ten for harvest per square mile.

Next, consider something the table leaves unanswered: how much land is available for you to hunt? A county harvest total offers no information about public acreage or crowding on that ground. Our Illinois paper about the loneliest public turkey ground ranks tracts by acres per mapped parking area. That supplies another filter county harvest totals cannot provide.

For a single choice needing the fewest qualifications, choose Graves County. It reported the largest harvest for 2026, has the table's highest average over five years and ranks among the leading ten for density. The next issue is whether you can secure access to land there.