Pulaski County Hunter Guide

London Ranger District, Daniel Boone National Forest

Public land · 18 mi from Pulaski County

Stearns Ranger District, Daniel Boone National Forest

Public land · 22 mi from Pulaski County

Daniel Boone National Forest

Public land · 22 mi from Pulaski County

Shooting Ranges Near Monticello

Range · 24 mi from Pulaski County

Lincoln County

County · 25 mi from Pulaski County

National forestDaniel Boone National ForestNational forest · 710,298 ac · Zones 1, 2, 3, 4 WMALake Cumberland WMAWMA · 38,788 ac · Zones 3, 4 WMABeaver Creek WMAWMA · 17,753 ac · Zones 3, 4 · Quota hunts WMACane Creek WMAWMA · 6,677 ac · Zone 3 · Quota hunts

Pulaski County whitetail rules for 2026-27

Deer Zone 3 is the line that matters in Pulaski County; KDFWR lists 13 counties in it this season. Zone 3 matches the four-deer bag of Zone 2, but only one antlerless deer may be taken with a firearm or air gun. Returning hunters will find Pulaski County in the same zone as in 2025-26.

KDFWR wording for Zone 3: “Up to 4 deer; only 1 antlerless deer with a firearm or air gun (1 antlered max statewide).” 301 KAR 2:172

Hunt	Weapons	Begins	Finishes	Span	Bag rule	Page
Archery	Bows	Sep 5, 2026	Jan 18, 2027	136	Zone bag	Guide p. 12
Youth, senior crossbow	Crossbow	Sep 5, 2026	Jan 18, 2027	136	Zone bag	Guide p. 12
Crossbow	Crossbow, bows	Sep 19, 2026	Jan 18, 2027	122	Zone bag	Guide p. 12
CWD antlerless	Any method	Sep 25, 2026	Sep 28, 2026	4	Antlerless only	Guide p. 12
Youth gun	Any legal method	Oct 10, 2026	Oct 18, 2026	9	Zone bag	Guide p. 12
Early Muzzleloader	Muzzleloader, bows	Oct 17, 2026	Oct 18, 2026	2	Zone bag	Guide p. 12
Modern gun	Any legal deer gun	Nov 14, 2026	Nov 29, 2026	16	Zone bag	Guide p. 12
Late Muzzleloader	Muzzleloader, bows	Dec 12, 2026	Dec 20, 2026	9	Zone bag	Guide p. 12
Free youth weekend	Any legal method	Dec 26, 2026	Dec 27, 2026	2	Either sex	Guide p. 12

Mark November 14 for the Zone 3 gun opener, November 29 for the close, and December 12 to December 20, 2026 for late muzzleloader. October brings the youth gun days (October 10 to October 18, 2026) and early muzzleloader (October 17 to October 18, 2026). The long archery season opens September 5 and closes January 18, 2027, with crossbow from September 19.

Hunter orange on the head, back and chest is required of all hunters in Pulaski County while firearm deer seasons are open, even bowhunters. A free youth weekend on December 26 to December 27, 2026 gives young hunters one more gun chance.

A January 9-11, 2027 antlerless-only firearms season in Zones 1-3 was adopted in 301 KAR 2:172 effective November 5, 2026; KDFWR's guide still lists it as pending. 301 KAR 2:172

Deer Zone 3

About deer

Zone hub

Zones and bags from 301 KAR 2:172 and the 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide; hunter orange from the guide. Checked November 10, 2026.

Pulaski County chronic wasting disease rules

Pulaski County deer fall under the CWD Surveillance Zone rules, a 23-county area this season. The zone expanded following a positive deer in Pulaski County during the 2025-26 season. Pulaski County also got the four-day CWD antlerless season, September 25 to September 28, 2026, antlerless deer only, and every head had to be turned in for testing. Deer taken in Pulaski County from November 14 to November 16, 2026 must be brought to a staffed check station, one of two in the county.

YesCWD zone

YesStaffed check

YesCWD antlerless

3Deer zone

9 a.m.-7 p.m. ESTCheck hours

Before driving home, debone the deer: only meat, antlers, clean skull caps, teeth, hides and finished taxidermy may leave the zone. Feed and bait rules in the zone need care this year; both the agency statement and the regulation wording follow.

Carcass rule: No whole carcasses or high-risk parts (head, skull/skull cap with brain, spine) may leave the zone or enter Kentucky from other states/provinces; deboned meat, antlers, clean skull caps/skulls/teeth, hides and finished taxidermy allowed.

KDFWR statement on baiting: 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. Guide p. 10

Testing is free statewide at drop-off sites open around the clock or by mail-in kit.

CWD details

CWD at KDFWR

From the 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide, the KDFWR CWD Surveillance Zone page and baiting rules. Checked November 10, 2026.

Pulaski County zone lines for every game

Black bear, Zone 2

KDFWR places Pulaski County in Bear Zone 2, so the Zone 2 archery, dog and firearm dates apply. In Zone 2 the bear calendar reads archery October 24 to October 28, dogs October 19 to October 23 and October 29 to November 6, firearm December 12 to December 16. Bears under 75 pounds and females with cubs are off limits, and the bag is one bear a year.

Season	Begins	Ends	Blocks	Page
Chase only	Jun 1, 2026	Sep 30, 2026	2 parts	Guide p. 18
Archery, crossbow	Oct 24, 2026	Oct 28, 2026	One	Guide p. 18
With dogs	Oct 19, 2026	Nov 6, 2026	2 parts	Guide p. 18
Firearm	Dec 12, 2026	Dec 16, 2026	One	Guide p. 18

Feeding or baiting bears is against the rules, including leaving garbage out. Hound owners can run bears without harvest during the chase-only season in summer and again in September. Bear hunting with dogs is not allowed at Cane Creek WMA, Daniel Boone National Forest and Beaver Creek WMA.

No bear quota; bear permits are over the counter. 301 KAR 2:300

Bear Zone 2 details

Black bear guide

Elk

Pulaski County is not elk zone ground, so any elk here falls under the out-of-zone permit and deer season dates. The out-of-zone elk sits outside the deer limit and needs no deer permit.

Follows deer season dates and methods; needs annual hunting license plus Out-of-Zone Elk Permit; no deer permit required. 1 elk of either sex per license year (not counted in deer bag) Guide p. 23

Small game and birds

The Eastern Zone small game season covers Pulaski County, running November 1 to November 13 and November 16 to January 31 for rabbit and quail. Ruffed grouse can be hunted here, since the county is one of 53 in the Grouse Zone. Trappers here work Otter Zone 2, where a sub-limit applies to Zone 2 otters.

Read off the KDFWR map, Pulaski County is in the Eastern September goose zone (September 16 to September 30, 2026). Ducks, coots and mergansers have one statewide season, split into two parts between November 26 and January 31, 2027.

September goose zone counties are read from the KDFWR zone map; they agree with the 301 KAR 2:225 rule. Waterfowl guide p. 11

Rule	Here
Small game zone	Eastern
Grouse Zone	Yes
Otter zone	2
September goose	Eastern (map)
Bear zone	2
Elk zone	No
Wildlife district	IX

Small game zones

Goose zones

From the 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide, the Kentucky Hunting Guide for Migratory Birds and Waterfowl, bear zone rules, elk rules and small game zones. Checked November 10, 2026.

Pulaski County hunting dates by zone

Pulaski County readers can open the cited guide page on any line; each row links the page it came from.

Animal	Season name	Covers	Ticket	Begins	Ends	Segments	Open?	Page
Deer	Archery	Statewide	Permit	Sep 5, 2026	Jan 18, 2027	One		Guide p. 12
Deer	Youth, senior crossbow	Statewide	Permit	Sep 5, 2026	Jan 18, 2027	One		Guide p. 12
Deer	Crossbow	Statewide	Permit	Sep 19, 2026	Jan 18, 2027	One		Guide p. 12
Deer	CWD antlerless	CWD counties	Permit	Sep 25, 2026	Sep 28, 2026	One		Guide p. 12
Deer	Youth gun	Statewide	Permit	Oct 10, 2026	Oct 18, 2026	One		Guide p. 12
Deer	Early Muzzleloader	Statewide	Permit	Oct 17, 2026	Oct 18, 2026	One		Guide p. 12
Deer	Deer quota hunts	3 hunts	Quota permit	Oct 25, 2026	Nov 30, 2026	3 parts		KDFWR page
Deer	Modern gun	Zone 3	Permit	Nov 14, 2026	Nov 29, 2026	One		Guide p. 12
Deer	Late Muzzleloader	Zone 3	Permit	Dec 12, 2026	Dec 20, 2026	One		Guide p. 12
Deer	Free youth weekend	Statewide	Permit	Dec 26, 2026	Dec 27, 2026	One		Guide p. 12
Elk	Out-of-zone elk	Deer dates	Permit	–	–	–	No dates	Guide p. 23
Black bear	Chase only	Bear Zone 2	Permit	Jun 1, 2026	Sep 30, 2026	2 parts		Guide p. 18
Black bear	With dogs	Bear Zone 2	Permit	Oct 19, 2026	Nov 6, 2026	2 parts		Guide p. 18
Black bear	Archery, crossbow	Bear Zone 2	Permit	Oct 24, 2026	Oct 28, 2026	One		Guide p. 18
Black bear	Firearm	Bear Zone 2	Permit	Dec 12, 2026	Dec 16, 2026	One		Guide p. 18
Turkey	Fall Archery	Statewide	Permit	Sep 5, 2026	Jan 18, 2027	One		Guide p. 24
Turkey	Fall Crossbow	Statewide	Permit	Oct 1, 2026	Dec 31, 2026	2 parts		Guide p. 24
Turkey	Fall Shotgun	Statewide	Permit	Oct 24, 2026	Dec 11, 2026	2 parts		Guide p. 24
Turkey	Spring 2027	Dates pending	Permit	–	–	–	No dates	301 KAR 2:142
Turkey	Youth spring 2027	Dates pending	Permit	–	–	–	No dates	301 KAR 2:142
Squirrel	Fall Squirrel	Statewide	License	Aug 15, 2026	Feb 28, 2027	2 parts		Guide p. 27
Squirrel	Squirrel Trapping	Statewide	License	Nov 16, 2026	Feb 28, 2027	One		Guide p. 27
Squirrel	Spring 2027	Dates pending	License	–	–	–	No dates	301 KAR 2:122
Rabbit	Rabbit	Eastern zone	License	Nov 1, 2026	Jan 31, 2027	2 parts		Guide p. 27
Rabbit	Rabbit Trapping	Eastern zone	License	Nov 16, 2026	Jan 31, 2027	One		Guide p. 27
Quail	Quail	Eastern zone	License	Nov 1, 2026	Jan 31, 2027	2 parts		Guide p. 27
Grouse	Grouse	Grouse Zone	License	Nov 1, 2026	Feb 28, 2027	2 parts		Guide p. 27
Small game	Falconry	Statewide	License	Sep 1, 2026	Mar 30, 2027	One		Guide p. 27
Small game, furbearers	Free youth week	Statewide	License	Dec 26, 2026	Jan 1, 2027	One		Guide p. 27
Groundhog	Groundhog	Statewide	License	Mar 1, 2026	Feb 28, 2027	One		Guide p. 29
Crow	Crow	Statewide	License	Sep 1, 2026	Feb 28, 2027	2 parts		Guide p. 29
Bullfrog	Bullfrog	Statewide	License	May 16, 2026	Oct 31, 2026	One		Guide p. 29
Turtles	Turtles	Statewide	License	Mar 1, 2026	Feb 28, 2027	One		Guide p. 29
Exotic hoofed	Exotic hoofed wildlife	Statewide	License	Mar 1, 2026	Feb 28, 2027	One		Guide p. 29
Ducks	Regular duck	Statewide	License	Nov 26, 2026	Jan 31, 2027	2 parts		Waterfowl guide p. 10
Ducks	Falconry	Statewide	License	Nov 26, 2026	Feb 21, 2027	One		Waterfowl guide p. 10
Teal, wood duck	September teal	Statewide	License	Sep 19, 2026	Sep 23, 2026	One		Waterfowl guide p. 10
Waterfowl	Youth days	Statewide	License	Nov 21, 2026	Feb 13, 2027	2 parts		Waterfowl guide p. 11
Waterfowl	Veteran, military days	Statewide	License	Nov 22, 2026	Feb 14, 2027	2 parts		Waterfowl guide p. 11
Canada goose	September goose	Eastern (map)	License	Sep 16, 2026	Sep 30, 2026	One		Waterfowl guide p. 10
Dark geese	Goose	Statewide	License	Nov 26, 2026	Feb 15, 2027	One		Waterfowl guide p. 10
Light geese	Light Goose	Statewide	License	Nov 26, 2026	Feb 15, 2027	One		Waterfowl guide p. 10
Light geese	Conservation order	Statewide	License	Feb 16, 2027	Mar 31, 2027	One		Waterfowl guide p. 10
Geese	Falconry	Statewide	License	Nov 26, 2026	Feb 15, 2027	One		Waterfowl guide p. 10
Dove	Dove	Statewide	License	Sep 1, 2026	Jan 10, 2027	3 parts		Waterfowl guide p. 7
Woodcock	Woodcock	Statewide	License	Oct 24, 2026	Dec 9, 2026	2 parts		Waterfowl guide p. 7
Snipe	Snipe	Statewide	License	Sep 16, 2026	Jan 31, 2027	2 parts		Waterfowl guide p. 7
Rails	Rail	Statewide	License	Sep 1, 2026	Nov 9, 2026	One		Waterfowl guide p. 7
Gallinules	Gallinule	Statewide	License	Sep 1, 2026	Nov 9, 2026	One		Waterfowl guide p. 7
Sandhill crane	Crane, by permit	Statewide	Quota permit	Dec 7, 2026	Jan 31, 2027	One		Waterfowl guide p. 8
Raccoon, opossum	Hunting	Statewide	License	Oct 1, 2026	Feb 28, 2027	One		Guide p. 25
Coyote	Hunting	Statewide	License	Mar 1, 2026	Feb 28, 2027	One		Guide p. 25
Coyote	Night, with lights	Statewide	License	Dec 1, 2026	Mar 31, 2027	One		Guide p. 25
Bobcat	Hunting	Statewide	License	Nov 21, 2026	Feb 28, 2027	One		Guide p. 25
River otter	Hunting	Statewide	License	Nov 16, 2026	Feb 28, 2027	One		Guide p. 25
River otter	Zone 2 sub-limit	Otter Zone 2	License	Nov 16, 2026	Mar 31, 2027	One		Guide p. 25
Other furbearers	Hunting	Statewide	License	Nov 16, 2026	Feb 28, 2027	One		Guide p. 25
Furbearers	Trapping	Statewide	License	Nov 16, 2026	Mar 31, 2027	2 parts		Guide p. 25
Wild pig	No season	No season	None	–	–	–	No dates	Guide p. 29

Goose zones are read from a map. Goose zones marked (map) are read from the KDFWR zone map.

Dates from the 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide and the Kentucky Hunting Guide for Migratory Birds and Waterfowl, checked against the KDFWR Season Dates app; zone county lists from 301 KAR and KDFWR zone layers; quota hunts from the KDFWR Quota Hunts page (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources); checked November 10, 2026.

Pulaski County hunts by draw

KDFWR scheduled 3 deer quota hunts on public ground in Pulaski County, offering 382 slots. Drawing for these hunts is done; the September 2026 window charged $3 per hunt. The 2025 minimum point figure hints at how hard each hunt is to draw.

Where	Hunt	When	Slots	Min points	Area type
Beaver Creek WMA	2	Nov. 7-8	330	0	WMA
Cane Creek WMA	5	Oct. 25- Nov. 30	30	–	WMA
Cane Creek WMA	6	Nov. 7-8	22	–	WMA

All quota hunts

Preference points

From the KDFWR Quota Hunts page (Sept. 1-30, 2026 online only, $3 per hunt) and the land records. Checked November 10, 2026.

Pulaski County harvest since 2016-17

In 2025-26, Pulaski County produced 2,359 checked deer, good for 12th place out of 120. At 3.6 deer per square mile, the county ranks 54th for harvest density. From 1,463 in 2016-17 to 2,359 now is a 61% rise. Harvest topped out at 2,512 in 2024-25 and bottomed at 1,380 in 2017-18.

Of last season's deer, 55% were antlered bucks, 5% button bucks and 39% does. Weapon totals: firearms 1,588, archery 318, crossbow 330, muzzleloader 123. Today's Zone 3 county list accounted for 11,395 deer, and Pulaski County gave 21%.

Kind	Deer	Portion
All deer	2,359	100%
Male	1,432	61%
Antlered buck	1,307	55%
Button buck	125	5%
Female	927	39%
Modern firearm	1,588	67%
Muzzleloader	123	5%
Archery	318	13%
Crossbow	330	14%

Wild turkey

In spring 2026, 659 turkeys were reported from Pulaski County (4th statewide). The fall count for 2025-26 was 15. Spring 2027 turkey dates are not published yet.

Year	Checked
spring 2022	459
spring 2023	653
spring 2024	581
spring 2025	607
spring 2026	659
fall 2025-26	15

Elk

Telecheck shows 3 elk from Pulaski County across the years since 2016-17.

Black bear

The bear tally here is 12 since 2017-18, with 2 last season.

White-tailed buck in velvet bounding across a grassy hillsidePhoto: Jacob W. Frank (National Park Service) (Public Domain Mark 1.0)

Reporting steps

Big buck lists

Harvest from the KDFWR Harvest Results app (Telecheck; license years, 2025-26 = the latest); turkey from the same app. Checked November 10, 2026.

Pulaski County land open to hunters

Pulaski County has 9 open hunting areas on record; the largest is Daniel Boone National Forest. The public hunting footprint is about 55,014 GIS acres, 13% of all land here.

Map layers give these acreages; nature preserves and other Park Service land are closed to hunting.

Kind	Mapped acres	Open?
KDFWR wildlife management areas	12,755	Open to hunting
National forest land	37,253	Open to hunting
Corps of Engineers land	10,799	Rules vary
State parks	331	Drawn hunts only
Nature preserves	2,024	Closed
Other Park Service land	33	Closed

Daniel Boone National Forest runs to about 710,298 acres and is managed by the Forest Service. Roughly 95% of Daniel Boone National Forest is forest. Game listed for it includes white-tailed deer, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, bobwhite quail. At roughly 38,788 acres, Lake Cumberland WMA is a WMA looked after by KDFWR. Expect mainly forest there (89%). Game listed for it includes white-tailed deer, wild turkey, squirrel, rabbit. It crosses county lines (5 counties, Zones 3, 4); the most liberal zone governs. At roughly 17,753 acres, Beaver Creek WMA is a WMA looked after by KDFWR. The habitat breakdown puts forest first at 96%. Game listed for it includes white-tailed deer, wild turkey, squirrel, rabbit. It crosses county lines (2 counties, Zones 3, 4); the most liberal zone governs.

Rockcastle River WMAWMA · 2,922 ac · Zone 3
Buck Creek WMAWMA · 850 ac · Zone 3
Ping-Sinking Valley WMAWMA · 806 ac · Zone 3
Daniel Boone National Forest – London Ranger DistrictRanger district · 209,423 ac · Zones 3, 4

General Burnside Island State Park and Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument are off limits to hunters.

Closed place	Type	Status	Source
General Burnside Island State Park	State park	Closed	301 KAR 2:178
Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument	Park Service unit	Closed	36 CFR 2.2

Public areas near Pulaski County:

RH Group WMAWMA · 1 mile from the line
Meadow Creek WMAWMA · 2 miles from the line
Big South Fork National River and Recreation AreaRiver and rec area · 5 miles from the line
Cedar Creek Lake WMAWMA · 6 miles from the line
Dix River WMAWMA · 9 miles from the line
R. F. Tarter WMAWMA · 9 miles from the line

Hunting land

Where not to hunt

Land records from KDFWR, the Kentucky Division of Forestry, Kentucky State Parks and federal managers; GIS acres from the KDFWR Public Hunting Areas layer and PAD-US (map measures, not official acreages); closures under 301 KAR 2:178 and 400 KAR 2:090. Checked November 10, 2026.

Help and services near Pulaski County

The Southeast Region regional coordinator answers at (606) 344-0585, or by e-mail at FW.SoutheastRegion@ky.gov. For a walk-in office, the Southeastern Fisheries District Office in Williamsburg is closest, about 35 miles away.

Southeast Region
Regional coordinator

(606) 344-0585

FW.SoutheastRegion@ky.gov

KDFWR Southeastern Fisheries District Office
2073 N. Highway 25W., Williamsburg

(606) 549-1332

Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (headquarters)
#1 Sportsman's Lane, Frankfort

(502) 564-3400

(800) 858-1549

Towns to start from in Pulaski County:

Somerset12,389 people
Burnside718 people

Shops and services near Pulaski County follow; directory listings can go stale, so phone before driving over.

Recoil Firearms and Supply
Somerset, Pulaski County

(606) 425-5532

Caney Fork Sportsman Center
Somerset, Pulaski County · about 2 mi away

(606) 679-8643

AC Hunting & Accessories
Somerset, Pulaski County · about 5 mi away

(606) 271-0403

Summit Meat Processing
Science Hill, Pulaski County · about 7 mi away

(606) 423-9369

Web listing

Wolf's Guns
Somerset, Pulaski County · about 7 mi away

(606) 678-5486

Web listing

Farmers Taxidermy
Nancy, Pulaski County · about 10 mi away

Brothers Wildlife Preservation Taxidermy
Somerset, Pulaski County · about 10 mi away

Gobblers Roost Taxidermy
Eubank, Pulaski County · about 15 mi away

Agency contacts

Processors

Taxidermist directory

Regional coordinator phone and e-mail from the KDFWR regional biologists map; offices from the KDFWR Contact Us page and fisheries district layer; services from the KDFWR taxidermist and processor list and directories. Checked November 10, 2026.

Hunting dates and winners in Pulaski County

UKC nite hunt held in the county posted 5 results, listed below.

Published winners

Date	Who hosted	First	Open
Jul 11, 2026	Long Hollow CHC (cast 2 of the night)	Crafts Big Jim (BLU) won the cast at 225+	Type page
Jul 11, 2026	Long Hollow CHC (cast 1 of the night)	7-oaks Hardtime Ella (ENG) won the cast at 400+	Type page
Jul 10, 2026	Long Hollow CHC (cast 2 of the night)	Cridlin's Hardtime Blue Duck (ENG) won the cast at 400+	Type page
Jul 10, 2026	Long Hollow CHC (cast 1 of the night)	Rodeo's Northern Ravin (TW) won the cast at 350+	Type page
Jul 3, 2026	Buck Creek Coon Club (cast 1 of the night)	Drive's Storm Warning (TW) won the cast at 650+	Type page

Kentucky events hub

UKC coon hunts

Spotted a flyer for a local hunt night? Tell us

Listings and results from the KDFWR calendar, the DU and NWTF feeds, UKC and American Field, read November 9, 2026.

Pulaski County: benches and clay fields

3 ranges in Pulaski County; Keno Shooting Range is a KDFWR, federal or park range.

Keno Shooting Range

Federal range

Burnside, Pulaski County

Covers: rifle, handgun

Public (federal) · KDFWR range map, checked Nov 9, 2026

Tel 606-376-5323

Drive

Homepage

Lake Cumberland Indoor Range

indoor range

Somerset, Pulaski County

Covers: handgun

Access not stated · boisegunclub.com, checked Nov 9, 2026

Tel 570-514-6595

Drive

Homepage

Pulaski Outdoorsmen

outdoor range

Somerset, Pulaski County

Covers: trap, skeet, rifle, handgun, rimfire

Access not stated · boisegunclub.com, checked Nov 9, 2026

Tel 606-219-1099

Drive

The closest KDFWR permit range is Miller Welch-Central Kentucky WMA Range on Miller Welch-Central Kentucky WMA, about 42 miles away; the permit is free with an annual license.

Adjacent counties add 6.

Upcoming here

When, name	Type	Link
Dec 19-20, 2026 R.K Somerset Gun & Knife Show	Gun show	Posted at

Range map

Event calendar

Ranges from the KDFWR range layer, club sites and directory listings, checked November 10, 2026.

Pulaski County legal light on key dates

Pulaski County hunters can be afield from half an hour before sunrise until half an hour after sunset for deer, elk, bear, turkey and small game, and the times below are worked out for Pulaski County itself.

Date	Event	Sunrise	Sunset	General rule	Bird rule	Zone
Sep 5, 2026	Deer archery opens	7:11 a.m.	8:03 p.m.	6:41 a.m. to 8:33 p.m.	6:41 a.m. to 8:03 p.m.	EDT
Sep 19, 2026	Deer crossbow opens	7:23 a.m.	7:42 p.m.	6:53 a.m. to 8:12 p.m.	6:53 a.m. to 7:42 p.m.	EDT
Sep 25, 2026	CWD antlerless opens	7:27 a.m.	7:33 p.m.	6:57 a.m. to 8:03 p.m.	6:57 a.m. to 7:33 p.m.	EDT
Oct 10, 2026	Youth gun opens	7:40 a.m.	7:10 p.m.	7:10 a.m. to 7:40 p.m.	7:10 a.m. to 7:10 p.m.	EDT
Oct 17, 2026	Early muzzleloader	7:47 a.m.	7:00 p.m.	7:17 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.	7:17 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.	EDT
Oct 24, 2026	Bear Zone 2 archery	7:53 a.m.	6:51 p.m.	7:23 a.m. to 7:21 p.m.	7:23 a.m. to 6:51 p.m.	EDT
Nov 14, 2026	CWD check begins; Zone 3 gun opener	7:16 a.m.	5:30 p.m.	6:46 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.	6:46 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.	EST
Nov 26, 2026	Duck season opens	7:28 a.m.	5:24 p.m.	6:58 a.m. to 5:54 p.m.	6:58 a.m. to 5:24 p.m.	EST
Nov 29, 2026	Zone 3 gun closes	7:31 a.m.	5:23 p.m.	7:01 a.m. to 5:53 p.m.	7:01 a.m. to 5:23 p.m.	EST
Dec 12, 2026	Bear Zone 2 firearm; late muzzleloader	7:42 a.m.	5:22 p.m.	7:12 a.m. to 5:52 p.m.	7:12 a.m. to 5:22 p.m.	EST
Dec 21, 2026	Shortest day	7:48 a.m.	5:24 p.m.	7:18 a.m. to 5:54 p.m.	7:18 a.m. to 5:24 p.m.	EST
Dec 26, 2026	Free youth weekend	7:50 a.m.	5:27 p.m.	7:20 a.m. to 5:57 p.m.	7:20 a.m. to 5:27 p.m.	EST

Rounded to the minute. Times are on local clock time: Central Time in the western 41 counties, Eastern Time elsewhere.

Hours rules from the 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide; sunrise and sunset from the NOAA solar formula at this point on Eastern Time; checked November 10, 2026. Legal hours across Kentucky.

Gear worth carrying around Pulaski County

Pulaski County hunters get four items suited to a Kentucky year, from the September bow opener to February rabbits.

Amazon links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you.

Climbing stand

A climber lets you shift with the acorns from one hardwood ridge to the next through the archery months.

Skinning knife

A December bear hunt in steep country goes smoother with a skinning knife.

Box call

Set up along a field edge with a box call within reach.

Chest waders

Flooded crop fields and slough edges both mean standing in cold water.