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Kentucky Shooting Gear: Legal Hunting Arms by Season, the Range Permit and Where to Buy
KDFWR legal weapons for deer, bear, elk, turkey, small game, furbearers and waterfowl from the 2026-27 guides, the March 2026 range permit, hunter orange, and 17 chain stores in 12 Kentucky towns.
Photo: HeyRocker (CC BY 2.0)
Legal hunting arms by Kentucky season
The 2026-27 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide and the migratory bird guide set the arms for each season; a rifle zeroed at a tube range still has to match the season you hunt.
| Season | Legal | Not legal | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer modern gun | Centerfire rifle or handgun (any caliber), shotgun 10 ga or smaller with slugs/sabots, muzzleloaders, .35 cal+ external-tank air guns; magazines max 10 rounds; scopes allowed. | Fully automatic firearms; full metal jacket or tracer ammunition; rimfire. | Guide p. 14 |
| Deer muzzleloader | Muzzle-loading rifles, handguns (any caliber) and shotguns (10 ga or smaller) with round ball, conical or saboted bullets; open sights or scopes; archery and crossbow. | Breech-loading firearms. | Guide p. 14 |
| Deer archery and crossbow | Bows of any draw weight; crossbows with a working safety; broadheads at least 7/8 in. (fixed or mechanical). | Chemically treated arrows or broadheads. | Guide p. 14 |
| Bear | Modern rifle 6.5 mm (.264) or larger (10-round magazine max), muzzleloading rifle .45+, shotgun 20-10 ga single projectile, centerfire handgun .264+ with case 1.285 in.+; archery/crossbow. | Fully automatic firearms; FMJ or tracer ammunition; bait. | Guide p. 18 |
| Elk | Modern rifle .270 or larger (10-round max), muzzleloading rifle .50+, shotgun 20 ga or larger single projectile, centerfire handgun .270+ with case 1.285 in.+; archery/crossbow (7/8 in. broadheads). | Fully automatic firearms; FMJ or tracer ammunition. | Guide p. 22 |
| Fall turkey | Shotguns .410-10 ga (breech-loaders plugged to 3), lead or non-toxic shot No. 4 or smaller; bows and crossbows with non-barbed 7/8 in. broadheads. | Rifles; electronic calls; live decoys. | Guide p. 24 |
| Small game | Rimfire rifle or handgun, .410 handgun, shotguns 10 ga or smaller (plugged to 3) with shot No. 2 or smaller, muzzleloading rifles, archery/crossbow, .177-.25 air guns, falconry, slingshots, dogs. | – | Guide p. 28 |
| Furbearer hunting | Centerfire or rimfire rifle, muzzleloader, shotgun 10 ga or smaller (shoulder-fired, plugged to 3), bow, crossbow, .22+ air gun, calls, falconry, dogs. | Single-projectile shotgun shells at night. | Guide p. 26 |
| Waterfowl and migratory birds | Shotgun 10 ga or smaller plugged to 3 shells; non-toxic shot no larger than T for waterfowl and cranes; shells max 3.5 in. | Lead shot for waterfowl/cranes; rifles; recorded calls (except light goose conservation order); sink boxes. | Waterfowl guide p. 10 |
Carry, suppressor and orange rules
Rules from laws.json and the hunter orange section of the 2026-27 guide that matter when the range gear goes hunting.
| Topic | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Roads | No firearm, bow or crossbow discharge upon or across a public roadway. | Guide p. 10 |
| Drones and aircraft | No manned or unmanned aircraft (drones) to hunt or harass wildlife. | Guide p. 10 |
| Electronic calls | Not for deer, turkey or elk; legal for furbearers in season and crows. | Guide p. 11 |
| Suppressors | Suppressors may be used to hunt legal game with a valid license. | Guide p. 11 |
| Firearms carry | Anyone who may legally possess firearms may carry them while hunting, including in archery seasons; only legal methods may take game. | Guide p. 10 |
| Discharge near buildings (WMAs) | No firearm discharge within 100 yards of a residence or occupied building on or off a WMA. | Guide p. 30 |
| Hunter orange | 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. | Guide p. 10 |
| Orange garment | Mesh allowed if openings are no wider than 1/4 inch; small portion of another color allowed; camouflage orange alone does not qualify. | Guide p. 10 |
The KDFWR range permit
Properties on the list: Curtis Gates Lloyd WMA, Higginson-Henry WMA, John A. Kleber WMA, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Headquarters, Miller Welch-Central Kentucky WMA, Taylorsville Lake WMA, Veterans Memorial WMA and West Kentucky WMA.
Kentucky introduced its range permit in March 2026 for 8 department properties, priced at $26.43 a year or $5.29 a day unless you already hold an annual hunting or fishing license, which makes it free. Federal ranges are outside the rule, registered event shooters are exempt, and a shooter aged 15 or less comes with an adult.
KDFWR and federal rows from the KDFWR shooting range page and range map (Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources), including the March 2026 permit list; park rows from the same map. Checked November 10, 2026. Times are on local clock time: Central Time in the western 41 counties, Eastern Time elsewhere.
Academy, Bass Pro and more near Kentucky shooters
17 chain stores in Kentucky are on file: 6 Dunham's Sports, 6 Academy Sports + Outdoors, 2 Cabela's, 2 Sportsman's Warehouse and 1 Bass Pro Shops.
| Chain | Town | Street | County | Firearms dept | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunham's Sports | Alexandria | 6905 Alexandria Pike | Campbell | Not stated | page |
| Dunham's Sports | Ashland | 256 Russell Road | Boyd | Not stated | page |
| Cabela's | Bowling Green | 3395 Nell O'Bryan Court | Warren | Not stated | page |
| Dunham's Sports | Bowling Green | 2625 Scottsville Road | Warren | Not stated | page |
| Sportsman's Warehouse | Crescent Springs | 520 Clock Tower Way | Kenton | Not stated | page |
| Academy Sports + Outdoors | Elizabethtown | 1507 Ring Road | Hardin | Yes | page |
| Academy Sports + Outdoors | Lexington | 3220 Nicholasville Road | Fayette | Yes | page |
| Cabela's | Lexington | 1510 Conservation Way | Fayette | Not stated | page |
| Sportsman's Warehouse | Lexington | 2200 War Admiral Way | Fayette | Not stated | page |
| Academy Sports + Outdoors | Louisville | 13401 Shelbyville Road | Jefferson | Yes | page |
| Academy Sports + Outdoors | Louisville | 4901 Outer Loop | Jefferson | Yes | page |
| Bass Pro Shops | Louisville | 5100 Norton Healthcare Blvd | Jefferson | Not stated | page |
| Dunham's Sports | Madisonville | 401 Madison Square Drive | Hopkins | Not stated | page |
| Dunham's Sports | Maysville | 425 Market Square Drive | Mason | Not stated | page |
| Academy Sports + Outdoors | Owensboro | 3051 Highland Pointe Dr | Daviess | Yes | page |
| Academy Sports + Outdoors | Paducah | 150 McBride Lane | McCracken | Yes | page |
| Dunham's Sports | Somerset | 2835 S. Highway 27 Suite 390 | Pulaski | Not stated | page |
Store rows from shoot_stores.json: Academy Sports + Outdoors store locator, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s store sitemaps, Sportsman’s Warehouse store pages and the Dunham’s Sports store list (which does not say which stores sell firearms); retrieved November 10, 2026. Plain links, no commission.
A Kentucky range day: what rides along
Four light items that keep a long drive to a sportsman club from turning into a wasted afternoon.
Amazon links are affiliate links; a purchase may earn this site a commission at no cost to you. Amazon does not sell guns or ammunition.
A Kentucky clays morning: what rides along
A pouch, a choke set, a vest and a hand thrower for practice between club shoots.
Amazon links are affiliate links; a purchase may earn this site a commission at no cost to you. Amazon does not sell guns or ammunition.
A Kentucky 3D shoot: what rides along
Four items that keep a hunting bow true from the archery opener to January.
Amazon links are affiliate links; a purchase may earn this site a commission at no cost to you. Amazon does not sell guns or ammunition.
Ranges, laws and licenses
- Kentucky shooting ranges120 listed
- Shooting events430 dates
- Hunting lawsKRS and 301 KAR
- Hunting licenseFees and permits
More shooting pages after Kentucky shooting
Kentucky gear questions
Can I hunt waterfowl with lead shot in Kentucky?
No. Shotgun 10 ga or smaller plugged to 3 shells; non-toxic shot no larger than T for waterfowl and cranes; shells max 3.5 in. Not legal: Lead shot for waterfowl/cranes; rifles; recorded calls (except light goose conservation order); sink boxes.
Are suppressors legal for hunting in Kentucky?
Suppressors may be used to hunt legal game with a valid license.
Which stores in Kentucky list a firearms department?
Academy Sports + Outdoors (Elizabethtown), Academy Sports + Outdoors (Lexington), Academy Sports + Outdoors (Louisville), Academy Sports + Outdoors (Owensboro) and Academy Sports + Outdoors (Paducah).
How many chain stores are listed?
17: 6 Dunham's Sports, 6 Academy Sports + Outdoors, 2 Cabela's, 2 Sportsman's Warehouse and 1 Bass Pro Shops.
What does hunter orange require during gun deer season?
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.
What does the range permit cost?
Free with an annual Kentucky hunting or fishing license; otherwise $26.43 a year or $5.29 a day.
Does Amazon sell guns or ammunition?
No; the Amazon links here are for targets, hearing and eye protection, bags and archery gear.
Which rifles are legal for Kentucky modern gun deer season?
Centerfire rifle or handgun (any caliber), shotgun 10 ga or smaller with slugs/sabots, muzzleloaders, .35 cal+ external-tank air guns; magazines max 10 rounds; scopes allowed. Not legal: Fully automatic firearms; full metal jacket or tracer ammunition; rimfire.
Other photos on this page: simonov (CC BY-SA 2.0); kevin dooley (CC BY 2.0); LandBetweentheLakesKYTN (Public domain); Chris Yarzab (CC BY 2.0).