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Harvest reporting
Kentucky Telecheck and Harvest Reporting
How Telecheck works for deer, elk, turkey, bear, bobcat, river otter and sandhill crane: the harvest log, the deadline, the phone and online check, carcass tags and proof of sex, plus the CWD check in November and what Telecheck adds up to in the KDFWR Harvest Results app.
Photo: Joseph Gage (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Checking game in through Kentucky Telecheck
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1. Log it | Record the harvest on a harvest log (species, sex, date, county) before moving the carcass. |
| 2. Report it | Report by phone at 1-800-245-4263 or online through My Profile at fw.ky.gov. |
| 3. Write it down | Write the confirmation number on the harvest log. |
| 4. Tag it if it leaves you | Hand-made tag (name, phone, confirmation number) if the animal leaves the hunter's possession. |
| 5. Keep proof of sex | Keep head or genitalia attached if head or hide is removed before telecheck (deer, elk). |
| Topic | KDFWR rule |
|---|---|
| Species | Deer, elk, turkey, bear, bobcat, river otter and sandhill crane. |
| Deadline | By midnight on the day recovered and before processing; bear by 8 p.m. Eastern Time the day taken plus a call to 1-800-858-1549 within 24 hours for physical check and tag; bobcat and otter before leaving Kentucky. |
| Small game | Not required. |
| Bobcat and otter pelts | CITES tag for bobcat and otter pelts sold or exported. |
| Elk hunters | All quota elk hunters must file a post-season survey by the last day of February. |
| False entries | Entering false information in Telecheck is unlawful. |
Sources: 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 6; 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 7; 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 11; 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 16; 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 21. Checked: each number traced to its page on November 10, 2026.
The Kentucky mandatory CWD check
| CWD rule | KDFWR text |
|---|---|
| Mandatory check | Deer taken November 14 to 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 (Central or Eastern), two per county). |
| CWD antlerless season | September 25 to 28, 2026, antlerless only, any method, Zone 1-3 CWD counties; mandatory head drop-off for testing. |
| 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. |
| Free testing | Free voluntary testing statewide at 24/7 drop-off sites or by mail-in kit (Shoot for Samples giveaway). |
The staffed check covers Henderson, McCreary, Pulaski and Wayne counties from November 14 to November 16, 2026, the first three days of modern gun season; the other 19 counties of the CWD Surveillance Zone use the normal Telecheck.
Sources: 2026-27 Hunting & Trapping Guide, page 13; KDFWR page. Checked: each number traced to its page on November 10, 2026.
What Kentucky Telecheck adds up to
Every check feeds the Harvest Results app, which KDFWR opens to the public by county, species and license year.
| Species | Latest year | Checked | Year before |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | 2025-26 | 145,525 | 149,919 |
| Elk | 2025-26 | 187 | 207 |
| Spring turkey | spring 2026 | 36,448 | 30,661 |
| Fall turkey | 2025-26 | 1,225 | 1,469 |
| Black bear | 2025-26 | 205 | 229 |
County pages carry the same Telecheck numbers county by county. Sources: KDFWR Harvest Results app; 2025-26 Kentucky White-tailed Deer Report. Checked: each number traced to its page on November 10, 2026.
Kentucky Telecheck questions
Where are Kentucky deer checked for CWD in November?
Deer taken November 14 to 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 (Central or Eastern), two per county).
What if someone else drives my deer to the processor?
Hand-made tag (name, phone, confirmation number) if the animal leaves the hunter's possession.
Do Kentucky elk hunters report anything else?
All quota elk hunters must file a post-season survey by the last day of February.
Can I get my Kentucky deer tested for CWD?
Free voluntary testing statewide at 24/7 drop-off sites or by mail-in kit (Shoot for Samples giveaway).
What is the Kentucky Telecheck phone number?
1-800-245-4263; hunters can also check online through My Profile at fw.ky.gov.
How long do I have to Telecheck a deer in Kentucky?
By midnight on the day recovered and before processing; bear by 8 p.m. Eastern Time the day taken plus a call to 1-800-858-1549 within 24 hours for physical check and tag; bobcat and otter before leaving Kentucky.
Do I Telecheck squirrels and rabbits in Kentucky?
No. Not required.
Which Kentucky species must be Telechecked?
Deer, elk, turkey, bear, bobcat, river otter and sandhill crane.
Before a Kentucky hunt: the guides
Every fee, date and count on this page was read from a KDFWR guide, a 301 KAR section or a KDFWR app and looked over once more on November 10, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Tom Koerner (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) (CC BY 2.0); Jason Lupardus (National Wild Turkey Federation, posted by Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area) (Public Domain Mark 1.0); USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public domain); Alabama Extension (CC0 1.0).