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Kentucky National Wildlife Refuge Hunting
Clarks River, Green River, the Kentucky islands of the Ohio River Islands refuge and the Kentucky part of Reelfoot: what 50 CFR part 32 opens on each.
Photo: Andy Eller (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) (CC BY 2.0)
The refuge permit system, refuge by refuge
Refuges are closed to hunting unless the Fish and Wildlife Service opens them, and the Kentucky section of the federal rules, 50 CFR 32.36, lists Clarks River and Green River and refers the Ohio River Islands refuge to 32.67 and Reelfoot to 32.61. Each opens only designated areas and needs a signed refuge permit or brochure on top of Kentucky licenses.
Clarks River NWR in Graves, Marshall and McCracken counties
Clarks River NWR: about 11,852 acres in Graves, Marshall and McCracken counties, under 50 CFR 32.36(a).
Signed refuge hunting/fishing permit (Rec Access) required for hunters 16 and older (FWS; 50 CFR 32.36(a)); access 2 hours before sunrise to 2 hours after sunset; waterfowl hunting until noon (Central Time).
Species named for this refuge: white-tailed deer, wild turkey, waterfowl, canada goose, snow goose, mourning dove, woodcock, snipe, coot, crow, squirrel, rabbit, bobwhite quail, raccoon, opossum, coyote, bobcat, fox, furbearers.
- Mentor/youth dove quota hunt (Quota Hunts page)
- Annual quota waterfowl hunts; applications Sept. 1 – Oct. 15 (FWS hunting page)
- Mentor/youth dove quota hunt (KDFWR Quota Hunts page)
| Hunt unit | Huntable (FWS layer) | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Teal Unit | Special Regulations Apply | 554 |
| Wood Duck Unit | Special Regulations Apply | 322 |
| Wolfe Waterfowl | Special Regulations Apply | 58 |
| Redhead Waterfowl | Special Regulations Apply | 116 |
| Mallard Point Waterfowl | Special Regulations Apply | 181 |
| Archery Deer Only | Special Regulations Apply | 100 |
| Closed to Spring Turkey Hunting | Special Regulations Apply | 43 |
| Open Hunt | Special Regulations Apply | 10,296 |
| Closed to Hunting | No | 184 |
Green River NWR in Henderson County
Green River NWR: about 2,196 acres in Henderson County, under 50 CFR 32.36(b).
The CFR opens designated areas of Green River (Horseshoe Bend and part of the Bluff Unit) for youth, senior, disabled and quota hunts, but the FWS hunt units layer marks all three units as not huntable and the refuge has no hunting page, so the sources disagree.
Signed refuge hunting brochure (FWS Form 3-2439) for hunters 12 and older; hunting permits sold through Rec Access; no waterfowl hunting before December; Tscharner East section of the Bluff Unit closed Nov. 1 – Mar. 31 (50 CFR 32.36(b); FWS refuge page).
Species named for this refuge: ducks, geese, coot, merganser, teal, mourning dove, white-tailed deer, wild turkey.
- Big game quota hunt in November (50 CFR 32.36(b)(1)(xvii), (3)(ix)); FWS: "For deer lottery hunts, applications are accepted from September 1st through September 30th each year."
| Hunt unit | Huntable (FWS layer) | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Bluff Hunt | No | 204 |
| Horseshoe Bend | No | 589 |
| Bluff No Hunt | No | 1,403 |
Reelfoot NWR in Fulton County
Reelfoot NWR: about 2,043 acres in Fulton County, under 50 CFR 32.61 (32.36(d) refers to it).
Long Point Unit (Fulton County): a valid hunting license and deer permit from either Kentucky or Tennessee is required for deer hunting; Zone 1 bag limits during the open archery season and quota youth hunt (301 KAR 2:178 Section 8(5)).
Species named for this refuge: white-tailed deer, wild turkey, squirrel, coyote, beaver, raccoon.
- Refuge firearms deer and turkey quota hunts by random drawing (50 CFR 32.61)
- 301 KAR 2:178 Section 8(5): quota gun hunt on the Long Point Unit
| Hunt unit | Huntable (FWS layer) | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Long Point Unit – KY | Special Regulations Apply | 2,034 |
Ohio River Islands NWR in Lewis County
Ohio River Islands NWR: about 381 acres in Lewis County, under 50 CFR 32.67 (32.36(c) refers to it).
Refuge hunting permit plus state licenses; Kentucky regulations apply on the two Kentucky islands (Manchester Islands 1 and 2, Lewis County) (FWS hunting page; KDFWR detail page).
Species named for this refuge: migratory game birds, squirrel, rabbit, fox, coyote, bobcat, opossum, raccoon, ruffed grouse, bobwhite quail, pheasant, crow, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, black bear.
| Hunt unit | Huntable (FWS layer) | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester #2 Island | Special Regulations Apply | 257 |
| Manchester #1 Island | Special Regulations Apply | 124 |
Mourning dove on the groundPhoto: Cindy Sue Causey (CC BY 2.0)
Close portrait of a mourning dovePhoto: Judy Gallagher (CC BY 2.0)
White-fronted geese and wigeonPhoto: USFWS/Southeast (Public domain)