Kentucky Hunting Resources
Updated: October 7, 2026
Source: Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
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Harvest Tags
Kentucky Harvest Tags
Kentucky makes you supply your own tag. Ours is printed with Kentucky's exact field set on heavy weatherproof laminate, write-on face — fill it out in the rain, in the dark, and be legal before you drag.
Shop Harvest TagsIn Season Now
- Deer — Archerythru Jan 18
Statewide
- Deer — Crossbowthru Jan 18
Senior/youth crossbow season starts Sept. 5, 2026
- Deer — Youth-only Firearmsthru Oct 18
- Turkey — Fall Archerythru Jan 18
Statewide
- Turkey — Fall Crossbowthru Oct 18
Split season: second segment Nov 14 - Dec 31, 2026
- Migratory Birds — Dove (Mourning & White-Winged)thru Oct 26
Split 1
- Migratory Birds — Snipethru Oct 25
Split 1
- Small Game — Squirrel (Fall/Winter)thru Nov 13
Split 1
- Dove — Firearmthru Oct 26
Split season: Nov. 26 - Dec. 6, 2026 and Dec. 19, 2026 - Jan. 10, 2027
- Squirrel — Fallthru Nov 6
Split season: second segment Nov 9, 2026 - Feb 28, 2027
- Coyote — Any Legal Weaponthru Feb 28
May be hunted year-round, day or night.
- Dove — Statewidethru Oct 26
Split season: Nov 26 - Dec 6, 2026 and Dec 19, 2026 - Jan 10, 2027
- Virginia & Sora Rail — Statewidethru Nov 9
Statewide
- Wilson's Snipe — Statewidethru Oct 25
Split season: second segment Nov 26, 2026 - Jan 31, 2027
- Common & Purple Gallinule — Statewidethru Nov 9
Statewide
- Crow — Statewidethru Nov 7
Split season: second segment Jan 4 - Feb 28, 2027
- Deer — Youth/Senior Crossbowthru Jan 18
- Virginia & Sora Rail — Firearmthru Nov 9
- Snipe — Firearmthru Oct 25
Split season: Nov. 26, 2026 - Jan. 31, 2027
- Common & Purple Gallinule — Firearmthru Nov 9
- Crow — Firearmthru Nov 7
Split season: Jan. 4 - Feb. 28, 2027
- Deer — Youth-Onlythru Oct 18
Statewide
Opening Soon
- Deer — Muzzleloader (Early)opens Oct 17
- Deer — Muzzleloaderopens Oct 17
Early season; late season is Dec. 12-20, 2026
- Bear — Hunt with Dogsopens Oct 19
All Zones
- Bear — Archery/Crossbowopens Oct 24
Zones 2 & 3
- Turkey — Fall Shotgunopens Oct 24
Split season: second segment Dec 5-11, 2026
- Migratory Birds — Woodcockopens Oct 24
Split 1
- American Woodcock — Statewideopens Oct 24
Split season: second segment Nov 16 - Dec 9, 2026
- Woodcock — Firearmopens Oct 24
Split season: Nov. 16 - Dec. 9, 2026
- Bear — Hunt with Dogsopens Oct 29
Zones 2 & 3
- Small Game — Rabbitopens Nov 1
Eastern Zone, Split 1
- Small Game — Quailopens Nov 1
Eastern Zone, Split 1
- Small Game — Ruffed Grouseopens Nov 1
Grouse Zone only, Split 1
- Rabbit — Eastern Zone Huntingopens Nov 1
Split season: Nov. 16, 2026 - Jan. 31, 2027
- Quail — Eastern Zoneopens Nov 1
Split season: Nov. 16, 2026 - Jan. 31, 2027
- Rabbit & Quail — East Zoneopens Nov 9
East Zone.
- Rabbit & Quail — West Zoneopens Nov 9
West Zone.
- Rabbit/Quail — East Zoneopens Nov 9
East Zone
- Rabbit/Quail — West Zoneopens Nov 9
West Zone
- Deer — Modern Gun / Firearmsopens Nov 14
- Deer — Modern Gunopens Nov 14
Zones 1, 2, 3, and 4
- Deer — Modern Firearmsopens Nov 14
- Migratory Birds — Woodcockopens Nov 16
Split 2
- Small Game — Squirrel (Fall/Winter)opens Nov 16
Split 2
- Small Game — Rabbitopens Nov 16
Eastern Zone, Split 2
- Small Game — Quailopens Nov 16
Eastern Zone, Split 2
- Small Game — Ruffed Grouseopens Nov 16
Grouse Zone only, Split 2
- Squirrel — Trappingopens Nov 16
- Rabbit — Eastern Zone Trappingopens Nov 16
- Rabbit — Western Zone Huntingopens Nov 16
- Rabbit — Western Zone Trappingopens Nov 16
- Waterfowl — Youth-onlyopens Nov 21
Split season. Second segment: 2027-02-13.
- Waterfowl — Military/Veteran-onlyopens Nov 22
Split season. Second segment: 2027-02-14.
- Waterfowl — Duck, Coot & Merganseropens Nov 26
Split 1
- Waterfowl — Gooseopens Nov 26
Canada, White-Fronted, Brant, Snow, Ross
- Migratory Birds — Dove (Mourning & White-Winged)opens Nov 26
Split 2
- Migratory Birds — Snipeopens Nov 26
Split 2
- Duck, Coot, Merganser — Firearmopens Nov 26
Split season: Dec. 7, 2026 - Jan. 31, 2027
- Canada, White-fronted & Brant Goose — Firearmopens Nov 26
Statewide.
- Snow Goose — Firearmopens Nov 26
Statewide.
- Duck, Coot, Merganser — Statewideopens Nov 26
Split season: second segment Dec 7, 2026 - Jan 31, 2027
- Duck — Firearmopens Nov 26
Split season: Dec. 7, 2026 - Jan. 31, 2027. Includes Coot and Merganser.
- Goose — Firearmopens Nov 26
Canada/Cackling Goose, White-fronted Goose & Brant
- Canada/Cackling Goose, White-fronted Goose & Brant — Firearmopens Nov 26
- Elk — Firearmsopens Nov 28
Quota, Cow (Antlerless) Week 1
- Elk — Firearms Cowopens Nov 28
Week 1. Week 2 segment: 2027-01-02 to 2027-01-06.
- Elk — Firearms Cow (Wk 1)opens Nov 28
Week 2 is Jan 2-6, 2027
Ending Soon
- Deer — Youth-only Firearmsends Oct 18
- Turkey — Fall Crossbowends Oct 18
Split season: second segment Nov 14 - Dec 31, 2026
- Deer — Youth-Onlyends Oct 18
Statewide
- Migratory Birds — Snipeends Oct 25
Split 1
- Wilson's Snipe — Statewideends Oct 25
Split season: second segment Nov 26, 2026 - Jan 31, 2027
- Snipe — Firearmends Oct 25
Split season: Nov. 26, 2026 - Jan. 31, 2027
- Migratory Birds — Dove (Mourning & White-Winged)ends Oct 26
Split 1
- Dove — Firearmends Oct 26
Split season: Nov. 26 - Dec. 6, 2026 and Dec. 19, 2026 - Jan. 10, 2027
- Dove — Statewideends Oct 26
Split season: Nov 26 - Dec 6, 2026 and Dec 19, 2026 - Jan 10, 2027
Deer
Elk
Bear
Turkey
Waterfowl
Migratory Birds
Small Game
Early Teal
Wood Duck
Canada Goose
Duck, Coot, Merganser
Canada, White-fronted & Brant Goose
Snow Goose
Light Goose
Dove
Squirrel
Rabbit & Quail
Coyote
Black Bear
Virginia & Sora Rail
American Woodcock
Wilson's Snipe
Common & Purple Gallinule
Crow
Wood Duck & Teal
September Canada Goose
Rabbit/Quail
Woodcock
Snipe
Early Canada Goose
Duck
Goose
Rabbit
Quail
Sandhill Crane
Canada/Cackling Goose, White-fronted Goose & Brant
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50 States of Hunting Resources
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Deer Movement Forecast
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Waterfowl Movement & Tools
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