Kentucky Small Game and Grouse Zones

Small game, grouse and otter rows by zone

Western Zone = wildlife districts I and II (301 KAR 4:010); Eastern = districts III-IX. Rabbit and quail. The Western Zone holds 29 counties and the Eastern Zone 91; the Western rabbit and quail seasons open later, on the third day of modern gun deer season. Ruffed grouse are open only in the 53 Grouse Zone counties. River otters are taken statewide, but no more than 6 of the 10-otter limit may come from Otter Zone 2 (62 counties). Squirrels are statewide.

Species	Season	Area	Dates	Bag	Source
Rabbit	Rabbit	Eastern zone	Nov 1–13, 2026 Nov 16–Jan 31, 2027	4 daily, 8 possession	Guide p. 27
Rabbit	Rabbit	Western zone	Nov 16–Feb 10, 2027	4 daily, 8 possession	Guide p. 27
Quail	Quail	Eastern zone	Nov 1–13, 2026 Nov 16–Jan 31, 2027	8 daily, 16 possession	Guide p. 27
Quail	Quail	Western zone	Nov 16–Feb 10, 2027	8 daily, 16 possession	Guide p. 27
Rabbit	Rabbit Trapping	Eastern zone	Nov 16–Jan 31, 2027	4 daily, 8 possession	Guide p. 27
Rabbit	Rabbit Trapping	Western zone	Nov 16–Feb 10, 2027	4 daily, 8 possession	Guide p. 27
Grouse	Grouse	Grouse Zone	Nov 1–13, 2026 Nov 16–Feb 28, 2027	4 daily, 8 possession	Guide p. 27
River otter	Zone 2 sub-limit	Otter Zone 2	Nov 16–Mar 31, 2027	No more than 6 of the 10-otter limit from Otter Zone 2	Guide p. 25

Source: 301 KAR 2:122, 301 KAR 2:251 and Guide p. 28 (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources); checked November 10, 2026.

Every county and its small game zones

County	Rabbit and quail zone	Wildlife district	Grouse Zone	Otter zone
Adair	Eastern	IV	Yes	2
Allen	Western	II	No	2
Anderson	Eastern	VI	No	1
Ballard	Western	I	No	1
Barren	Eastern	IV	No	2
Bath	Eastern	VIII	Yes	1
Bell	Eastern	IX	Yes	2
Boone	Eastern	V	No	1
Bourbon	Eastern	VIII	No	1
Boyd	Eastern	VIII	Yes	2
Boyle	Eastern	VI	No	2
Bracken	Eastern	V	Yes	1
Breathitt	Eastern	VII	Yes	2
Breckinridge	Eastern	III	No	1
Bullitt	Eastern	III	No	1
Butler	Western	II	No	2
Caldwell	Western	I	No	1
Calloway	Western	I	No	1
Campbell	Eastern	V	Yes	1
Carlisle	Western	I	No	1
Carroll	Eastern	V	No	1
Carter	Eastern	VIII	Yes	2
Casey	Eastern	VI	No	2
Christian	Western	I	No	1
Clark	Eastern	VI	Yes	2
Clay	Eastern	IX	Yes	2
Clinton	Eastern	IX	Yes	2
Crittenden	Western	I	No	1
Cumberland	Eastern	IV	Yes	2
Daviess	Western	II	No	1
Edmonson	Eastern	IV	No	2
Elliott	Eastern	VIII	Yes	2
Estill	Eastern	VI	Yes	2
Fayette	Eastern	VI	No	1
Fleming	Eastern	VIII	Yes	1
Floyd	Eastern	VII	Yes	2
Franklin	Eastern	VI	No	1
Fulton	Western	I	No	1
Gallatin	Eastern	V	No	1
Garrard	Eastern	VI	Yes	2
Grant	Eastern	V	No	1
Graves	Western	I	No	1
Grayson	Eastern	IV	No	1
Green	Eastern	IV	No	2
Greenup	Eastern	VIII	Yes	2
Hancock	Western	II	No	1
Hardin	Eastern	IV	No	1
Harlan	Eastern	VII	Yes	2
Harrison	Eastern	V	Yes	1
Hart	Eastern	IV	No	2
Henderson	Western	II	No	1
Henry	Eastern	V	No	1
Hickman	Western	I	No	1
Hopkins	Western	II	No	1
Jackson	Eastern	IX	Yes	2
Jefferson	Eastern	III	No	1
Jessamine	Eastern	VI	No	2
Johnson	Eastern	VII	Yes	2
Kenton	Eastern	V	No	1
Knott	Eastern	VII	Yes	2
Knox	Eastern	IX	Yes	2
LaRue	Eastern	IV	No	1
Laurel	Eastern	IX	Yes	2
Lawrence	Eastern	VII	Yes	2
Lee	Eastern	VI	Yes	2
Leslie	Eastern	VII	Yes	2
Letcher	Eastern	VII	Yes	2
Lewis	Eastern	VIII	Yes	2
Lincoln	Eastern	VI	Yes	2
Livingston	Western	I	No	1
Logan	Western	II	No	2
Lyon	Western	I	No	1
Madison	Eastern	VI	Yes	2
Magoffin	Eastern	VII	Yes	2
Marion	Eastern	IV	No	2
Marshall	Western	I	No	1
Martin	Eastern	VII	Yes	2
Mason	Eastern	VIII	Yes	1
McCracken	Western	I	No	1
McCreary	Eastern	IX	Yes	2
McLean	Western	II	No	1
Meade	Eastern	III	No	1
Menifee	Eastern	VIII	Yes	2
Mercer	Eastern	VI	No	2
Metcalfe	Eastern	IV	No	2
Monroe	Eastern	IV	No	2
Montgomery	Eastern	VIII	Yes	2
Morgan	Eastern	VIII	Yes	2
Muhlenberg	Western	II	No	1
Nelson	Eastern	IV	No	1
Nicholas	Eastern	VIII	Yes	1
Ohio	Western	II	No	1
Oldham	Eastern	III	No	1
Owen	Eastern	V	No	1
Owsley	Eastern	VII	Yes	2
Pendleton	Eastern	V	Yes	1
Perry	Eastern	VII	Yes	2
Pike	Eastern	VII	Yes	2
Powell	Eastern	VI	Yes	2
Pulaski	Eastern	IX	Yes	2
Robertson	Eastern	V	Yes	1
Rockcastle	Eastern	VI	Yes	2
Rowan	Eastern	VIII	Yes	1
Russell	Eastern	IX	Yes	2
Scott	Eastern	VI	No	1
Shelby	Eastern	III	No	1
Simpson	Western	II	No	2
Spencer	Eastern	III	No	1
Taylor	Eastern	IV	No	2
Todd	Western	II	No	2
Trigg	Western	I	No	1
Trimble	Eastern	V	No	1
Union	Western	II	No	1
Warren	Western	II	No	2
Washington	Eastern	IV	No	2
Wayne	Eastern	IX	Yes	2
Webster	Western	II	No	1
Whitley	Eastern	IX	Yes	2
Wolfe	Eastern	VIII	Yes	2
Woodford	Eastern	VI	No	1

Source: 301 KAR 4:010, 301 KAR 2:122 and 301 KAR 2:251 (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources); checked November 10, 2026.

County lists for each zone

Western Zone

Grouse Zone

Otter Zone 2

Source: 301 KAR 2:122 and 301 KAR 2:251 (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources); checked November 10, 2026.

Other KDFWR rule pages

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.

Legal shooting hours

Hours for every county seat.

Eastern cottontail sitting in a clover meadowPhoto: B. Raeburn (National Park Service) (Public Domain Mark 1.0)

Eastern cottontail rabbit at the edge of a fieldPhoto: mbarrison (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Eastern cottontail rabbit sitting in grassPhoto: Jim, the Photographer (CC BY 2.0)

Small game zone questions

Which counties are in the Western small game zone?

Allen, Ballard, Butler, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Crittenden, Daviess, Fulton, Graves, Hancock, Henderson, Hickman, Hopkins, Livingston, Logan, Lyon, Marshall, McCracken, McLean, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Simpson, Todd, Trigg, Union, Warren and Webster.

Why does the Western Zone open later?

Opens the third day of modern gun deer season.

Where can I hunt ruffed grouse?

In the 53 Grouse Zone counties. Closed Nov. 14-15. Also open in December on Pennyrile State Forest, Tradewater WMA and Fort Knox (except during quota deer hunts).

What are the rabbit and quail limits?

4 daily, 8 possession. Quail: 8 daily, 16 possession.

How does the otter zone limit work?

10 per season, only 6 from Otter Zone 2.

Is squirrel season zoned?

No. Squirrel rows are statewide: Aug 15 to Nov 13, 2026; Nov 16, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027.

What decides the Western and Eastern zones?

Western Zone = wildlife districts I and II (301 KAR 4:010); Eastern = districts III-IX. Rabbit and quail.

Are small game seasons closed during the gun deer opener?

Yes for rabbit, quail, grouse and squirrel: the rows note a closure on November 14 and 15, 2026, the first two days of modern gun deer season.

Kentucky Small Game Zones