KY: Kentucky Dept Fish and Wildlife -

My earliest hunting memories are of chasing quail with my grandfather and his bird dogs.

Since that time, changes in land use, farming practices, and other factors have resulted

in a 40-year decline of this prince of game birds.

As fellow hunters we can all look back with pride at how a cooperative partnership between hunters, state wildlife agencies, the outdoors industry and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service helped restore the white-tailed deer, wild turkey, elk, wood duck, and black bear.

Now we are once again ramping up efforts to restore a native species that is on the verge of disappearing.

As the director of a state fish and wildlife agency, I can tell you that few wildlife species have held the intrigue, or generated the frustration level comparable to that of the iconic Northern Bobwhite. This species, which has both tormented and delighted us, has rightfully taken its place among state agencies as the holy grail of recovery challenges.

Bobwhite recovery has always presented a unique challenge – changing the attitudes of people in order to affect the changes to the landscape that are necessary for the game bird’s recovery.

As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937, commonly called the “Pittman-Robertson (P-R) Act, it’s a good time to renew our dedication to restore quail populations in Kentucky, and across the southeastern U.S.

With science-based advice and the stable funding source that P-R funds provide, Kentucky and 24 other states in the region, partnered with conservation organizations to form the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative (NBCI). As your Commissioner, I cochair this national initiative, along with the Director from Florida. Our daunting task is to bring back a species that has succumbed to decades of habitat loss or conversion. Our immediate goal is to restore wild populations of quail to levels comparable to 1980.

The birth of a regional recovery strategy, rather than a piecemeal state-by-state approach, has generated support, both financial and political, and provides a framework from which to stage the recovery of this most challenging species.

Here in Kentucky, as in other states in the region, we have focused our efforts on developing habitat, on both public and private lands, planting native warm season grasses, removing exotic, invasive plants, and using ground disturbance to bring back other quail-friendly native vegetation.

We are hearing of some successes across the range of the bobwhite, from farmers, landowners, and hunters who visit our Bobwhite Focus Areas, which are intensively-managed, multi-county habitat projects.

With the revision of the NBCI plan late last year, we are poised to take the next step to recovery. By pointing out that quail are important to grassland ecosystems, we hope to generate support from a much larger segment of the conservation community. I invite you to visit the website www.bringbackbobwhites.org to learn more about what’s being done to return quail to our rural landscape.

— Dr. Jonathan Gassett

This is a SUMMARY of the laws regarding hunting and trapping. This guide is intended solely for informational use. It is not a reprint of any referenced statute or regulation in its entirety and should not be used as such. Questions about the information contained in this guide should

be directed to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources before engaging in the activities referenced. Actual wording of any Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) or Kentucky Administrative Regulation (KAR) can be viewed at www.lrc.state.ky.us/kar/frntpage.htm.

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife also produces regulation guides for spring hunting, waterfowl and other migratory bird hunting, and

fishing and boating. The dove and early waterfowl hunting guide is available in early August. The regular season waterfowl hunting

guide is available in early November. Call 1-800-858-1549 weekdays, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., for copies of these guides. They are also available where licenses are sold, and online at fw.ky.gov.

Changes from last season are printed in bright blue throughout this guide to assist you in noticing those changes.

Three new WMAs will be open to hunting this season: Big Rivers WMA and State Forest, Griffith Woods WMA and Veterans Memorial WMA.

On WMAs in Zone 1 counties, hunters may harvest more than one deer per day, and may take an unlimited number of does (provided they have purchased additional deer permits) during open hunts, quota gun hunts or mobility-impaired hunts. The additional deer permit allows a hunter to take one (1) antlered deer if two (2) antlerless deer were harvested on the hunter’s statewide deer permit. Applicants may choose the “No Hunt” option for quota hunts, to prevent the loss of accumulated preference points.

In 58 counties in northern, central and western Kentucky, the season bag limit for river otters is ten (10) per person.

See page 30 for a map and list of counties. Raccoon and opossum hunting season opens a month earlier. This season the dates are: Oct. 1, 2012 - Feb. 28, 2013. For training purposes, raccoon

squallers may be used year-round. Bobcat hunting season opens later, but has been lengthened. This season the dates are: Noon Nov. 24, 2012 - Feb. 28, 2013.

Preference points will be awarded for all small game quota hunts. Pheasant quota hunt permits ($25 each) may now be purchased online with a credit or debit card at fw.ky.gov, or from any license vendor. They may be purchased anytime before the hunt. A quota pheasant hunt will be held at Yellowbank WMA on Dec. 14-16, 2012.

Pen-reared bobwhite quail may be harvested on private lands prior to and after statewide quail season for the purpose of training bird dogs.

Some season dates are different Seasons on state WMAs, and public hunting lands not managed by Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, may be different from those shown below. Please check individual area listings, beginning on page 44.

*During the Free Youth Deer Hunting Weekend, hunters ages 15 and under may hunt deer with a firearm without a license or deer permit, but must be accompanied by an adult.

Hunters must follow deer season and equipment regulations to take elk from any county not included in the 16-county elk restoration zone (out-of-zone), and must have an out-of-zone elk permit.

Western Zone Hunting: Nov. 12, 2012 - Feb. 10, 2013. Rabbits may also be trapped during this time, beginning at noon

Eastern Zone Hunting: Nov. 1-9 and Nov. 12, 2012 - Jan. 31, 2013. Rabbits may be trapped noon Nov. 12, 2012 - Jan. 31, 2013. Quail may not be trapped.

Grouse Hunting Season Nov. 1-9 and Nov. 12, 2012 - Feb. 28, 2013 in the Grouse Zone. Grouse hunting is also allowed on Pennyrile-Tradewater WMA and Ft. Knox during the month of December, except during quota deer hunts. Grouse may not be trapped.

*It is illegal to possess live wild pigs in Kentucky; all trapped pigs must be killed at the trap site, and not released or moved. Wild pigs may not be hunted at night.

2012-2013 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide

Introduction