Three new counties included as part of CWD Surveillance Zone
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Sept. 3, 2024) — Archery season for deer opens Sept. 7, 2024, the official launch of Kentucky’s 2024-25 season. Over the next four and a half months, which include archery and firearm seasons, hunters can expect cool fall mornings, the sound of leaves crunching as deer walk through the woods, and plenty of opportunities to fill their tag.
During the 2023-24 deer season, hunters took nearly 141,000 deer, the seventh highest harvest on record and in line with harvest numbers from the last ten years.
“We expect the deer harvest for the 2024-25 season to be around 140,000 deer, similar to previous years” said Joe McDermott, Deer Program coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “Kentucky holds about 25 deer per square mile statewide, providing tremendous opportunity in both the quantity and quality of deer. Kentucky remains a top state for Boone and Crockett record bucks.”
Because of the variety of methods and seasons offered, there are a few requirements hunters must know before going afield.
Hunting licenses and permits can be purchased online at fw.ky.gov and at authorized license agents throughout the state. Allowable equipment for deer hunting includes archery, crossbow, muzzleloader and modern gun, but they each have specific dates they can be utilized.
Season Dates
Archery: Sept. 7, 2024 – Jan. 20, 2025
Crossbow: Sept. 21, 2024 – Jan. 20, 2025
Youth-only: Oct. 12-13, 2024
Muzzleloader: Oct. 19-20, 2024 and Dec. 14-22, 2024
Modern gun: Nov. 9-24, 2024
Free Youth Weekend: Dec. 28-29, 2024
Valid proof of hunter education certification is required for hunters born after 1974. Hunter education classes are available in person and online. Hunters can find a course that best suits their needs and sign up online. For new hunters without hunter education certification, a free temporary exemption permit is available. This allows a person to hunt for one year before certification is required but they must be accompanied in the field by an adult who is hunter education-certified or born before 1975.
Kentucky’s statewide deer permit allows hunters to take up to four deer. Reference the 2024-25 Fall Hunting and Trapping Guide for a summary of regulations. Each hunter may only harvest one antlered deer statewide per year. Harvest limits for antlerless deer and method restrictions vary across Kentucky’s four deer zones, which are designated based on deer population density.
Immediately upon recovery of a harvested deer, a hunter must record a harvest log consisting of game species, sex, county and date on the back of the hunting license or elsewhere and kept in their possession. Before midnight, each harvest must be reported to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, even if the hunter is license exempt. Hunters can report their harvest by calling the department’s telecheck number at 1-800-245-4263, or by using the online MyProfile.
Hunters in western Kentucky need to be aware of specific requirements within the Chronic Wasting Disease Surveillance Zone.
In December 2023, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) was detected in Ballard County, marking the first time CWD has been documented in Kentucky. CWD is a fatal neurologic disease that affects white-tailed deer, elk and other members of the deer family.
Following the CWD Response Plan, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife expanded its CWD Surveillance Zone to include Ballard, Carlisle and McCracken counties. The zone also continues to include Calloway, Marshall, Graves, Hickman and Fulton counties. Special regulations, including a ban on deer baiting and carcass transportation restrictions, apply in this zone.
As part of the department’s CWD monitoring efforts, all deer harvested within the surveillance zone November 9-11, November 16-17 and November 23-24 (weekends during modern gun season, plus the Monday after opening weekend) must be brought to a CWD check station or a CWD Sample Drop-Off site within the zone. Drop-off sites accept only the heads of harvested animals and are also available for use outside of mandatory check dates.
“CWD sampling is important,” McDermott said. “Hunters can play a key role in helping us gather the data needed to manage and limit spread of the disease. We have options available for hunters across the state to have their deer sampled.”
Hunters outside of the CWD Surveillance Zone can support the department’s CWD monitoring efforts by dropping off the heads of legally harvested and telechecked deer at CWD Sample Drop-Off sites located across the state.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), no evidence suggests that CWD can infect people. Routine safety precautions should be followed when handling, processing and consuming meat from harvested game. Hunters should not harvest or handle any animals that appear sick or unhealthy.
Hunters can report sick or dead deer to the department by contacting the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Information Center at 1-800-858-1549 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Eastern) on weekdays, excluding holidays, or by submitting observations online.
Always obtain permission before hunting private land. For those without private land hunting access, the department’s online public lands directory lists all public lands open to hunting in Kentucky and corresponding hunting regulations.
“Kentucky Fish and Wildlife provides more than 1.6 million acres of public land accessible to hunters,” said Derek Beard, Wildlife Division assistant director. “We encourage hunters to review the hunting guide as many public hunting areas have different regulations including season dates, legal methods, and bag limits.”
Many resources for new hunters are available via Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s Learn to Hunt Deer webpage. Practice is encouraged to gain proficiency in any hunting method before going afield. For assistance locating a place to shoot a rifle or muzzleloader, hunters can visit the interactive online Kentucky shooting range map. Hunters can familiarize themselves with the regulations and know their local deer zone limitations before hunting. Solo hunters should let someone know where they will be hunting in case of an emergency.
“Hunting public land can be a challenge but using resources available to you can lead to a very rewarding experience,” Beard said.
Suspected illegal activity may be anonymously reported using the KFWLaw smartphone app. Tips can also be submitted by texting the keyword “KFWLaw” along with a message to 847411 (tip 411) or by calling 800-25-ALERT.
(Nathan Brooks – Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources)