PAINTSVILLE LAKE WMA
Another top wild turkey area in eastern Kentucky is the Paintsville Lake WMA.

Located in portions of Johnson and Morgan counties, approximately four miles northwest of the town of Paintsville, this scenic region offers over 12,000 acres of public land. This is two-thirds hardwood forest with some old fields scattered about. Rolling, wooded hills are the primary turkey habitat of this region, and the lake helps round out the water needs of this ideal turkey country.

Best access is from old U.S. Route 460 with several perimeter roads available to hunters.

For hunters unfamiliar with this WMA, talking with local residents can help cut down on trial-and-error scouting time. A wealth of information is also available at local gas stations and bait stores.

Even though many of these folks may not hunt turkeys, they’ll more than likely have a hunter in the family. This region’s friendly people are usually more than willing to help point a stranger in the right direction.

Keep in mind the three requirements for turkey hideouts: trees, water and some open areas. Try to locate at least six possible hunting areas that show signs of turkey activity.

The reason for scouting as many locations as possible is that come opening day, another hunter may beat you to a specific area. Or toms may not be calling in one area, yet in another location, they may be gobbling up a storm.

As the saying goes, it’s good to have a back-up to the back-up when it comes to hunting grounds.

For scouting unfamiliar terrain, one of the handiest references is a good topographic map. Many department stores now carry a state-specific topographic atlas that’s broken down according to a statewide grid.

The Atlas & Gazetteer published by DeLorme is an excellent topographic reference. Back roads and waterways are shown in detail on these maps, along with the makeup of an area’s terrain.

Familiarity with maps and topography can only better your odds of finding gobblers, and such information can help prevent the extremely uncomfortable situation of getting lost.

If you happen to get turned around in the backwoods, a reliable compass and accurate map in your old daypack can be worth their weight in $50 bills.

For additional information on Paintsville Lake WMA, call 1-800-858-1549.