Online applications will be taken Nov. 1 to 15 for youth and mobility-impaired waterfowl quota hunts at two state-owned fish hatcheries near Frankfort and Morehead. Hunts begin Jan. 6, 2024 and recur each Saturday and Sunday through January.
There are five waterfowl hunting blinds available at Minor E. Clark Fish Hatchery in Rowan County and two at Peter W. Pfeiffer Fish Hatchery in Franklin County. Drawn hunters must provide their own decoys, place them, and retrieve their own birds.
Interested youth or mobility-impaired waterfowl hunters may apply online for one or more of the special hunts by visiting the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife homepage at fw.ky.gov and clicking on the “Hunt” tab, followed by the “Quota Hunts” tab. Applications must be submitted before midnight (Eastern) on Nov. 15, 2023. Hunt dates in 2024 are Jan. 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, and 28.
Youths aged 15 or younger may apply for these quota hunts. A mentor aged 18 or older must accompany each youth hunter. The mentor may hunt as well. Each youth may only have one adult mentor. However, a mentor may have two youth hunters in the blind, or two adult mentors may hunt with two youth hunters in a blind.
Mobility-impaired hunters who are drawn for a hunt may only have one assistant in the blind with them. The assistant may also hunt.
Drawn hunters will receive in the mail in late November a quota hunt permit notifying them of the dates for which they were drawn, detailed maps and other instructions concerning the hunt.
Before going afield, each waterfowl hunter must complete the annual Harvest Information Program (HIP) survey in their My Profile account at fw.ky.gov then record their HIP survey confirmation number on their license.
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
Not new into hunting, have dove hunted before but have never waterfowled hunted before. Really want to learn how.