By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today
Hunting seasons will be opening soon for more than a dozen game species, and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) says there have been more opportunities added for deer and bear seasons in the state.
Before going afield, KDFWR encourages hunters to reference the 2025-2026 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, available online and at vendors, to update themselves on new season dates and regulations. New regulations are in effect for deer, bear, dove and waterfowl hunting, in addition to changes on some public lands.
Kentucky’s archery deer season opens Saturday with crossbow season opening two weeks later, on Sept. 20. Both seasons close Jan. 19. New in 2025 is an extended youth-only modern gun season. Expanded to nine days from two, the season runs Oct. 11-19. The most popular fall hunting opportunity is the modern gun season, Nov. 8-23.
“The vast majority of our deer harvest comes from the modern gun season,” said Joe McDermott, the KDFWR deer program coordinator. “With the additional youth opportunity, we are looking for more antlerless deer to be harvested, especially in Zone 1 counties. We’ve added a special season for our Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Surveillance Zone counties as well.”
The “special season” is Sept. 27-28 for antlerless deer only and is open only in the fourteen counties in the CWD Surveillance Zone. Henderson, Union and Webster counties are new additions to the zone for 2025 to go along with Ballard, Breckinridge, Calloway, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hardin, Hickman, Marshall, McCracken and Meade. Modern guns are allowed during the special season, but only antlerless deer may be taken, regardless of equipment used.
Hunters in the CWD Surveillance Zone are advised to review the hunting and trapping guide as well as the Chronic Wasting Disease pages on the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife website for complete information on restrictions for the CWD zone. Updates on baiting, check stations and CWD Sample Drop-off Sites are included.
For questions and more information about the fall hunting seasons, contact the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife information center by calling 1-800-858-2549 or emailing Info.Center@ky.gov. The information center is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. except holidays. Also, visit the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife website to view the most current hunting and trapping guides for complete information on the fall hunting seasons.