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Kentucky game law, rule by rule
Kentucky Hunting Laws
Legal and protected species, the weapons allowed in each season, 21 method rules, hunter orange, baiting and the penalty rows of KRS 150.990, all read from the 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide, the waterfowl guide and the statutes.
Photo: Maslowski, Steve, USFWS (Public domain)
What Kentucky hunters may and may not take
Wild pig is on the protected list for a different reason: KDFWR ended pig hunting on June 6, 2024 and relies on trapping to remove them.
| Group | Species KDFWR lists | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Big game | white-tailed deer, elk, black bear, wild turkey | Elk inside the 16-county zone by drawn quota permit only; bear only in the 47-county bear zone. |
| Small game | gray squirrel, fox squirrel, eastern cottontail, northern bobwhite, ruffed grouse | Pheasant only on quota hunts at three WMAs. |
| Furbearers | mink, muskrat, beaver, raccoon, opossum, gray fox, red fox, least weasel, long-tailed weasel, river otter, bobcat, coyote, striped skunk | |
| Migratory birds | mourning dove, white-winged dove, Eurasian collared dove, Virginia rail, sora, common gallinule, purple gallinule, American woodcock, Wilson's snipe, sandhill crane, American crow, ducks, coot, mergansers, Canada goose, cackling goose, white-fronted goose, brant, snow goose, Ross' goose | King rail protected. |
| Other legal game | bullfrog, groundhog, snapping turtle, softshell turtles, house sparrow, European starling, exotic (non-native) hoofed wildlife |
Protected in Kentucky
| Animal | Rule |
|---|---|
| Eastern spotted skunk | Protected year-round; may not be taken or possessed; report incidental trapping. |
| Alligator snapping turtle | May not be harvested. |
| Birds of prey and native songbirds | Protected under state and federal law; may not be taken. |
| King rail | Protected; cannot be hunted in Kentucky. |
| Federally threatened or endangered species | Protected under state and federal law; may not be harvested (301 KAR 3:061). |
| Wild pig | Hunting prohibited since June 6, 2024 (eradication by trapping); landowners may shoot pigs damaging their property in daylight and must report within 24 hours. |
| Black bear (cubs, small bears, denned bears) | No female with cubs, no bear under 75 pounds, no bears in dens or at trash cans/dumpsters; bear reserves closed. |
Sources: 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 10; 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 26; 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 23; Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Guide, page 5; 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 27; 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 24; 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 16. Checked: source pages opened again November 10, 2026.
Kentucky guns and bows by season
Each row is the KDFWR summary for that season; 301 KAR 2:172, 2:300 and 2:132 hold the full text.
| Season | Legal | Not legal |
|---|---|---|
| Deer, modern gun | Centerfire rifle or handgun (any caliber), shotgun 10 gauge or smaller with slugs/sabots, muzzleloaders, .35 caliber+ external-tank air guns; magazines max 10 rounds; scopes allowed. | Fully automatic firearms; full metal jacket or tracer ammunition; rimfire. |
| Deer, muzzleloader | Muzzle-loading rifles, handguns (any caliber) and shotguns (10 gauge or smaller) with round ball, conical or saboted bullets; open sights or scopes; archery and crossbow. | Breech-loading firearms. |
| Deer, archery and crossbow | Bows of any draw weight; crossbows with a working safety; broadheads at least 7/8 inches (fixed or mechanical). | Chemically treated arrows or broadheads. |
| Black bear | Modern rifle 6.5 mm (.264) or larger (10-round magazine max), muzzleloading rifle .45+, shotgun 20-10 gauge single projectile, centerfire handgun .264+ with case 1.285 inches+; archery/crossbow. | Fully automatic firearms; full metal jacket or tracer ammunition; bait. |
| Elk | Modern rifle .270 or larger (10-round max), muzzleloading rifle .50+, shotgun 20 gauge or larger single projectile, centerfire handgun .270+ with case 1.285 inches+; archery/crossbow (7/8 inches broadheads). | Fully automatic firearms; full metal jacket or tracer ammunition. |
| Fall turkey | Shotguns .410-10 gauge (breech-loaders plugged to 3), lead or non-toxic shot number 4 or smaller; bows and crossbows with non-barbed 7/8 inches broadheads. | Rifles; electronic calls; live decoys. |
| Small game | Rimfire rifle or handgun, .410 handgun, shotguns 10 gauge or smaller (plugged to 3) with shot number 2 or smaller, muzzleloading rifles, archery/crossbow, .177-.25 air guns, falconry, slingshots, dogs. | – |
| Furbearers | Centerfire or rimfire rifle, muzzleloader, shotgun 10 gauge or smaller (shoulder-fired, plugged to 3), bow, crossbow, .22+ air gun, calls, falconry, dogs. | Single-projectile shotgun shells at night. |
| Waterfowl and migratory birds | Shotgun 10 gauge or smaller plugged to 3 shells; non-toxic shot no larger than T for waterfowl and cranes; shells max 3.5 inches. | Lead shot for waterfowl/cranes; rifles; recorded calls (except light goose conservation order); sink boxes. |
Sources: 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 12; 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 16; 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 20; 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 22; 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 26; 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 24; Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Guide, page 8. Checked: source pages opened again November 10, 2026.
Kentucky hunting methods and limits
| Topic | Rule |
|---|---|
| Landowner permission | Verbal or written permission required to enter another person's land to hunt, trap or fish; railroad tracks and rights-of-way are private. |
| Roads | No firearm, bow or crossbow discharge upon or across a public roadway. |
| Vehicles and boats | No taking wildlife from a vehicle; boats may be used (not under power) for small game, furbearers and waterfowl; disabled hunters may use a stationary vehicle with an exemption. |
| Drones and aircraft | No manned or unmanned aircraft to hunt or harass wildlife. |
| Dogs | No dogs for deer or elk or spring turkey; dogs may flush turkeys in fall; bear dogs only in legal seasons with approved breeds; leashed tracking dogs may recover deer, elk and bear; rabbits, foxes, coyotes, raccoons and opossums may be run year-round. |
| Electronic calls | Not for deer, turkey or elk; legal for furbearers in season and crows. |
| Spotlighting | No casting artificial light where wildlife or livestock may be; no taking wildlife with lights except raccoons, opossums, coyotes (in light periods), frogs and fish. |
| Suppressors | Suppressors may be used to hunt legal game with a valid license. |
| Firearms carry | Anyone who may legally possess firearms may carry them while hunting, including in archery seasons; only legal methods may take game. |
| Felons | Convicted felons may not possess or hunt with any firearm, including muzzleloaders (KRS 527.040). |
| Fire, explosives, gas | No taking wildlife with fire, explosives, smoke or gas. |
| Roosting and decoys (turkey) | No shooting roosting turkeys; no live turkey decoys. |
| Swimming animals | No taking deer, elk or bear while swimming; no deer/elk/spring turkey from horseback. |
| Antler traps | Devices to entangle or trap deer antlers are illegal; shed antlers legal to possess. |
| Wanton waste | Reasonable effort to recover big game and upland birds and remove edible parts. |
| Carcass import | No whole cervid carcasses or high-risk parts from other states or provinces. |
| Live wildlife | No possessing, buying or selling live native wildlife without permits; orphaned wildlife only by licensed rehabilitators. |
| WMA rules | No bait, no nails/screw-ins in trees, stands marked and timed, trail cameras labeled with customer ID, no camping except designated sites, 10+ person events need a permit, small game and furbearer closed first two days of modern gun deer season. |
| Tree stands on WMAs and Daniel Boone NF | No nails, spikes, screw-ins, wire or tree climbers; portable stands up to 2 weeks before and removed 1 week after; name and address on stand. |
| Discharge near buildings (WMAs) | No firearm discharge within 100 yards of a residence or occupied building on or off a WMA. |
| Bobwhite shoot-to-train | Pen-reared banded quail may be shot for dog training on private land August 15 to May 15 (outside quail season) with an application. |
Sources: 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 7; 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 8; 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 9; 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 12; 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 13; 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 28; 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 29. Checked: source pages opened again November 10, 2026.
Kentucky hunter orange in full
| Hunter orange | Rule |
|---|---|
| Who and when | Solid, unbroken hunter orange visible from all sides on the head, back and chest for all hunters and persons accompanying them, hunting any species in daylight during modern gun, muzzleloader and youth firearm deer seasons, and firearm elk (in the elk zone) or bear seasons. Includes archery/crossbow and turkey hunters and trappers. |
| Garment | Mesh allowed if openings are no wider than a quarter inch; small portion of another color allowed; camouflage orange alone does not qualify. |
| Exceptions | Waterfowl and dove hunters; Furbearer hunters at night during a furbearer season; State-owned or -managed WMAs where firearm deer, elk and bear hunting is prohibited; Bear archery/crossbow-only season. |
| Ground blinds | During gun deer seasons on WMAs, in state parks and on gun quota hunts, attach a solid orange hat or vest to a ground blind visible from all sides; occupants still wear orange. |
| Free youth weekend | Required for all hunters and trappers December 26 to 27, 2026 (free youth deer weekend). |
Sources: 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 8; 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 10; 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 16. Checked: source pages opened again November 10, 2026.
Baiting under Kentucky law
| Game or place | Rule |
|---|---|
| What counts as bait | A baited area is any place where feed, grain or other substances capable of luring game have been placed; bona fide agriculture and food plots are not bait. |
| Deer | Legal on private land outside the CWD Surveillance Zone; in the zone allowed for 2026-27 without contact feeders; prohibited on WMAs, state parks and many federal lands. |
| Elk | Illegal inside the 16-county elk zone (bait present or within 30 days of removal) and on public land; legal outside the elk zone. |
| Bear | No bait or other lures (garbage counts as bait); no hunting or chasing from a baited area within 30 days of removal; feeding bears is illegal. |
| Turkey | No bait; no fall hunting within 600 feet of a baited site or for 30 days after bait is removed (includes deer bait). |
| Migratory birds | Federal rule: no hunting over bait; area stays baited 10 days after removal; areas manipulated for doves are not legal for waterfowl. |
| Public land | No baiting on WMAs, Big South Fork NRRA, Daniel Boone NF, Jefferson NF, Land Between The Lakes or state parks open to hunting. |
| Coyote | Animal carcasses may be used as bait for coyotes on private land. |
| Feeding season | Recreational feeding of wildlife banned statewide March 1 to July 31 (301 KAR 2:015) except in the curtilage of the home, non-hunting public areas and zoos; salt and mineral licks allowed outside the CWD zone. |
CWD Surveillance Zone: Allowed in the zone for 2026-27 except through contact feeders (troughs, funnel or gravity feeders); never on WMAs or public land. The regulation text (301 KAR 2:015 and 2:172) still prohibits baiting in the zone; this is the KDFWR 2026-27 statement.
Sources: 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 8; 301 KAR 2:015; KDFWR page. Checked: source pages opened again November 10, 2026.
Kentucky fines, jail and license loss
| Offense | Penalty or rule | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Each animal a separate offense | Each animal taken, possessed or sold and each device used illegally is a separate offense; license may be forfeited for the license year. | KRS 150.990 |
| General violations | $50-$500 fine where no other penalty is fixed; some sections (for example KRS 150.360 road/vehicle rules) $50-$500 and/or up to 6 months. | KRS 150.990 |
| Deer, turkey, bear (KRS 150.390) and illegal entry (150.092(4)) | $100-$1,000 and/or 30 days to 1 year; license forfeited 1-3 years; replacement cost of deer, turkey or bear. | KRS 150.990 |
| Elk | Illegally taking or possessing a wild elk: $1,000-$5,000 and/or up to 6 months, replacement cost or double gain, license forfeited 1-3 years. | KRS 150.990 |
| Trespass to hunt (KRS 150.092) | 1st offense $100-$300; 2nd $300-$1,000; later offenses 1-year license forfeiture and $1,000+ or up to 1 year jail; liable for property damage. | KRS 150.990 |
| Telecheck false information | Entering false information in Telecheck is unlawful. | Hunting guide |
| Quota hunt rules | Hunters who break quota hunt rules cannot apply for any quota hunt the next year and lose preference points. | Hunting guide |
Violations can be reported around the clock at 1-800-25-ALERT. KDFWR conservation officers enforce KRS Chapter 150 and the 301 KAR wildlife regulations.
Sources: KRS 150.990; 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 6; 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 32. Checked: source pages opened again November 10, 2026.
Kentucky hunting law questions
Why can no one hunt wild pigs in Kentucky now?
Hunting prohibited since June 6, 2024 (eradication by trapping); landowners may shoot pigs damaging their property in daylight and must report within 24 hours.
Is a .22 rimfire legal for Kentucky deer?
No. Fully automatic firearms; full metal jacket or tracer ammunition; rimfire.
May a Kentucky hunter put a suppressor on a hunting rifle?
Suppressors may be used to hunt legal game with a valid license.
May a Kentucky hunter scout or recover game with a drone?
No manned or unmanned aircraft to hunt or harass wildlife.
May a Kentucky deer hunter sit over a corn pile?
Legal on private land outside the CWD Surveillance Zone; in the zone allowed for 2026-27 without contact feeders; prohibited on WMAs, state parks and many federal lands. The regulation text (301 KAR 2:015 and 2:172) still prohibits baiting in the zone; this is the KDFWR 2026-27 statement.
What happens if I trespass to hunt in Kentucky?
1st offense $100-$300; 2nd $300-$1,000; later offenses 1-year license forfeiture and $1,000+ or up to 1 year jail; liable for property damage.
What is the penalty for poaching an elk in Kentucky?
Illegally taking or possessing a wild elk: $1,000-$5,000 and/or up to 6 months, replacement cost or double gain, license forfeited 1-3 years.
Do archers have to wear orange in Kentucky?
Yes, during the modern gun, muzzleloader and youth gun deer seasons and the firearm elk and bear seasons. Mesh allowed if openings are no wider than a quarter inch; small portion of another color allowed; camouflage orange alone does not qualify.
Straight to the Kentucky regulations
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife answers questions at 1-800-858-1549 on weekdays, and violations can be reported any hour at 1-800-25-ALERT.
Other photos on this page: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region (Public domain); USFWS Mountain Prairie (CC BY 2.0); Alabama Extension (CC0 1.0); USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0).