Kentucky › Hunting seasons › Kentucky CWD Surveillance Zone
CWD
Kentucky CWD Surveillance Zone
The 23 counties in the 2026-27 CWD Surveillance Zone, the mandatory check, the CWD antlerless season, carcass and baiting rules.
Photo: Lynn Freeny (U.S. Department of Energy) (Public domain (U.S. Government work))
The 23 CWD Surveillance Zone counties
CWD detected in Kentucky and all border states; CWD Surveillance Zone in 23 counties for 2026-27 (9 added after a 2025-26 detection in Pulaski County). The zone for 2026-27 is the 23 counties printed in the 2026-27 guide; 21 of them sit in Deer Zones 1 to 3 and take part in the CWD antlerless season, while McCreary and Whitley are in Deer Zone 4. Sept. 25-28, 2026, antlerless only, any method, Zone 1-3 CWD counties; mandatory head drop-off for testing.
| County | Deer zone | CWD antlerless | Mandatory check | KDFWR region | Deer 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballard | Zone 1 | Yes | No | Purchase Region | 575 |
| Breckinridge | Zone 1 | Yes | No | Green River Region | 3,091 |
| Calloway | Zone 1 | Yes | No | Purchase Region | 1,811 |
| Carlisle | Zone 1 | Yes | No | Purchase Region | 628 |
| Casey | Zone 2 | Yes | No | Southeast Region | 1,428 |
| Fulton | Zone 1 | Yes | No | Purchase Region | 372 |
| Graves | Zone 1 | Yes | No | Purchase Region | 2,698 |
| Hardin | Zone 1 | Yes | No | Green River Region | 3,545 |
| Henderson | Zone 1 | Yes | Yes | Green River Region | 1,274 |
| Hickman | Zone 1 | Yes | No | Purchase Region | 552 |
| Laurel | Zone 3 | Yes | No | Southeast Region | 1,593 |
| Lincoln | Zone 2 | Yes | No | Southeast Region | 1,491 |
| Marshall | Zone 1 | Yes | No | Purchase Region | 1,201 |
| McCracken | Zone 1 | Yes | No | Purchase Region | 863 |
| McCreary | Zone 4 | No | Yes | Southeast Region | 441 |
| Meade | Zone 1 | Yes | No | Green River Region | 1,575 |
| Pulaski | Zone 3 | Yes | Yes | Southeast Region | 2,359 |
| Rockcastle | Zone 3 | Yes | No | Southeast Region | 737 |
| Russell | Zone 3 | Yes | No | Southeast Region | 597 |
| Union | Zone 1 | Yes | No | Green River Region | 915 |
| Wayne | Zone 3 | Yes | Yes | Southeast Region | 1,057 |
| Webster | Zone 1 | Yes | No | Green River Region | 1,629 |
| Whitley | Zone 4 | No | No | Southeast Region | 1,086 |
Source: Guide p. 15, KDFWR CWD page and Harvest app (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources); checked November 10, 2026.
Mandatory CWD check, November 14 to 16, 2026
Deer taken Nov. 14-16, 2026 in Henderson, McCreary, Pulaski and Wayne counties must be brought to a staffed check station (9 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time, two per county).
| Check county | Clock for the station hours |
|---|---|
| Henderson | Central Time |
| McCreary | Eastern Time |
| Pulaski | Eastern Time |
| Wayne | Eastern Time |
Source: Guide p. 15 (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources); checked November 10, 2026.
CWD rules for hunters in and out of the zone
| Topic | Rule |
|---|---|
| CWD antlerless season | Sept. 25-28, 2026, antlerless only, any method, Zone 1-3 CWD counties; mandatory head drop-off for testing. |
| Row note | Mandatory head drop-off for CWD testing for deer taken this season. Zone 4 CWD counties (McCreary, Whitley) cannot use firearms these four days. |
| Carcass rules | 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. |
| Baiting in the 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. |
| Feeding season | Recreational feeding of wildlife banned statewide Mar. 1-Jul. 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. |
| Free testing | Free voluntary testing statewide at 24/7 drop-off sites or by mail-in kit (Shoot for Samples giveaway). |
| Shoot for Samples | Each CWD sample enters the hunter in the Shoot for Samples giveaway. |
| Carcass import | No whole cervid carcasses or high-risk parts from other states or provinces. |
Source: Guide p. 15, Guide p. 10 and 301 KAR 2:015 (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources); checked November 10, 2026.
More Kentucky season tools
Small game zones
Western, Eastern and Grouse Zone counties.
Waterfowl zones
Statewide ducks and geese, September goose zones.
Quota hunts
All 38 deer quota hunts and other drawn hunts.
All species
All 34 species pages.
Deer zones
Four deer zones by county.
Bear zones
Three bear zones, 47 counties.
Elk zone
Sixteen counties, 500 permits.
Draws and applications
Windows, fees and points.
White-tailed buck crossing a leaf-strewn trail in fall woodsPhoto: Joseph Gage (CC BY-SA 2.0)
White-tailed buck in velvet among tall green grassPhoto: Tom Koerner (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) (CC BY 2.0)
Young white-tailed buck standing in green grassPhoto: yrjö jyske (CC BY 2.0)
CWD Surveillance Zone questions
Which 23 counties make up the 2026-27 surveillance zone?
Ballard, Breckinridge, Calloway, Carlisle, Casey, Fulton, Graves, Hardin, Henderson, Hickman, Laurel, Lincoln, Marshall, McCracken, McCreary, Meade, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Russell, Union, Wayne, Webster and Whitley.
When is the CWD antlerless season?
Sept. 25-28, 2026, antlerless only, any method, Zone 1-3 CWD counties; mandatory head drop-off for testing.
Where is CWD check mandatory?
Deer taken Nov. 14-16, 2026 in Henderson, McCreary, Pulaski and Wayne counties must be brought to a staffed check station (9 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time, two per county). Times are on local clock time: Central Time in the western 41 counties, Eastern Time elsewhere.
Can I bait deer in the CWD 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.
Can I take a deer carcass out of the zone?
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.
Is CWD testing free?
Free voluntary testing statewide at 24/7 drop-off sites or by mail-in kit (Shoot for Samples giveaway).
Why were counties added this year?
CWD detected in Kentucky and all border states; CWD Surveillance Zone in 23 counties for 2026-27 (9 added after a 2025-26 detection in Pulaski County).
Do McCreary and Whitley get the CWD antlerless season?
No. McCreary and Whitley are in Deer Zone 4; Mandatory head drop-off for CWD testing for deer taken this season. Zone 4 CWD counties (McCreary, Whitley) cannot use firearms these four days.