Bobcats may be taken statewide and the season limit is five (5) bobcats cat must go online to fw.ky.gov or call 1-800-858-1549, provide their Telecheck confirmation number and request a CITES tag. The CITES tag shall be attached to and remain with the pelt until it is processed. Possession of an unused bobcat or otter CITES tag is prohibited. Bobcat hunting and trapping is also permitted at Land Between the Lakes (LBL) National Recreation Area. See page 54 for contact information.

LEGAL METHODS OF TAKE

          Bobcats and otters may be taken by hunting during daylight hours or by trapping. The appropriate hunting or trapping license is required. Hunters may use hand- or mouth-operated calls, electronic calls, or attracting devices. Harvested bobcats and otters must be

telechecked by calling 1-800-245-4263 by midnight on the day the animal is recovered. (This is the same checking system as for deer, elk, turkeys and bears.) A hunter or trapper who wants to have a bobcat or otter mounted shall provide his or her Telecheck confirmation number to the taxidermist. Taxidermists cannot legally accept an unchecked otter or bobcat for mounting.

         Hunters or trappers who intend to sell the raw fur of an otter or bobcat must go online to fw.ky.gov or call 1-800-858-1549, provide their Telecheck confirmation number and request a CITES tag. The CITES tag shall be attached to and remain with the pelt until it is processed. Possession of an unused bobcat or otter CITES tag is prohibited.

Bobcat hunting and trapping is also permitted at Land Between the Lakes (LBL) National Recreation Area. See page 54 for contact information.

RACCOON & OPOSSUM HUNTING SEASON

         During modern gun deer season, raccoon and opossum hunters may not hunt during daylight hours. Night hunting on Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 shall conclude by a half-hour before sunrise on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012, which is when shooting hours open for modern gun deer season.

RACCOON & OPOSSUM TRAPPING SEASON

          No bag limit. Raccoons and opossums may not be taken with the aid of lights from a boat except by trapping.

LEGAL EQUIPMENT FOR HUNTING FURBEARERS

• Muzzleloading or modern rifles or handguns of any caliber.

• Muzzle-loading or breechloading shotguns no larger than

10-gauge. Breech-loading shotguns must be plugged to hold a

maximum of three shells (two in magazine and one in chamber).

• Lead, or non-toxic shot of all sizes, including buckshot.

• Archery or crossbow equipment.

• Dogs.

• Falconry.

LEGAL EQUIPMENT FOR TRAPPING FURBEARERS

         Trappers may use lights from boats or vehicles. There are no restrictions on traps used as water sets. The following equipment is permitted for dry-land sets, but traps may NOT be set closer than ten (10) feet apart, and traps may NOT be set in trails/paths commonly used by humans or domestic animals.

• Deadfalls, wire cages or box traps.

• Foothold traps with a maximum inside jaw spread of six (6) inches measured perpendicular to the hinges.

• Body-gripping traps with a maximum inside jaw spread of

seven and one-half (7.5) inches measured parallel with the trigger.

• Snares. per person. Only three (3) may be taken with a gun.

MINK, MUSKRAT, BEAVER, RED FOX, GRAY FOX, WEASEL

& STRIPED SKUNK

         These species may be taken by hunting or trapping, with no bag limits.

COYOTE HUNTING

         Coyotes may be hunted statewide, year-round, with no bag limit. Coyotes may NOT be hunted at night. Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Both mouth calls and electronic calls that imitate wounded prey or coyote calls are legal. It

is also legal to hunt coyotes over animal carcasses. A hunting license is required to hunt coyotes, unless license exempt.

COYOTE TRAPPING SEASON

         Trapping coyotes is permitted only during the furbearer season, except landowners with nuisance coyote problems should contact their local conservation officer when trapping outside furbearer season. A trapping license is required to trap coyotes unless license exempt.

RUNNING THE TRAP LINE

         All traps must bear a metal tag giving the name and address of the trapper, or a unique identification number as specified in KAR 2:251.

Any trap found without a tag can be immediately confiscated by the

department without a court order. Landowner permission is required for trapping. All traps must be visited at least once every 24 hours and all animals removed. It is illegal to intentionally obstruct or disrupt the right of a person to lawfully take wildlife by trapping.

HELP WITH BOBCAT RESEARCH!

         Kentucky Fish and Wildlife is collecting bobcat carcasses for

statewide studies of reproduction and age structure. If you would

like to donate a carcass, please write the county, specific location

(GPS location, creek name, road name, intersection, etc.), date the

animal was trapped, hunted, or road-killed and collector name,

address and phone number on a piece of paper. Enclose the paper

in a Ziploc bag and attach it to the carcass. Please keep the carcass frozen and call 1-800-858-1549 to have it picked up.

BUYING AND SELLING FURS & HIDES

         There is no time restriction on the holding of raw furs of furbearers by a trapper or hunter after the close of furbearer season. Raw furs (including hides from legally harvested deer) may be sold only to

licensed taxidermists, licensed fur buyers or licensed fur processors.

Wildlife carcasses (except certain species produced by licensed propagators) may not be bought or sold. Inedible parts of legally taken wildlife (including deer or elk antlers, and turkey fans or spurs) may only be sold to licensed taxidermists for the purpose of mounting. Wildlife mounts may be sold to or purchased from licensed taxidermists

only. Spotted skunks are protected year round and may not be taken or possessed.

HOW FURBEARER HUNTERS & TRAPPERS CAN HELP

         The raccoon strain of rabies has not been detected in Kentucky. However, it occurs in neighboring states east of the Appalachians. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources is working in

cooperation with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) to monitor the westward spread of raccoon rabies and the potential occurrence in Kentucky. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife is asking that hunters and trappers donate heads from raccoons, coyotes, skunks, and red and gray foxes from the following counties: Bell, Boyd, Bracken, Carter,

Clay, Elliott, Fleming, Floyd, Greenup, Harlan, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Leslie, Letcher, Lewis, Martin, Mason, McCreary, Perry, Pike, Robertson and Whitley. Please remove the animal’s head

and place it in a Ziploc bag and freeze it. Label the bag with the species, county,

specific location, date the animal was collected, sex and age if known, and collector name, address, and phone number. Please call USDA at 1-866-487-3297 or Kentucky Fish and Wildlife at 1-800-858-1549 when you are ready for the heads to be picked up. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife thanks you for your assistance in managing Kentucky’s furbearer populations!

31 SMALL GAME &

FURBEARERS

           OTHER HUNTING SEASONS

OTHER SPECIES Other Species                                           Hunting

Crow                                                                  Sept. 1 - Nov. 7, 2012 and Jan. 4 - Feb. 28, 2013

Bullfrog                                                                             Noon May 18 - Oct. 31, 2012

Falconry                                                                            Sept. 1, 2012 - Mar. 30, 2013

Groundhog                                                                                      year-round

Wild Pig*                                                                   year-round, except Big South Fork NRRA

*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.

FALCONRY SEASON

         The limit for this hunting method is two (2) of any small game or furbearer species per falconer per day, except during the fall and winter hunting season when the limits are the same as for other methods. Falconers must possess a falconry permit, as well as a valid Kentucky

hunting license, and obey all applicable state and federal laws.

CROW SEASON

         A hunting license is required unless the hunter is license exempt. A Kentucky Migratory Bird Permit is not required. Electronic or mechanical calling devices may be used during the open seasons. Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after

sunset. However, hunters may be in the field before and after shooting hours. There is no daily or possession limit on crows. Crows observed committing or about to commit acts of depredation may be taken year-round; however, persons attempting to take depredating crows shall not use blinds, decoys, calls or other lures to attract birds into shooting

range during the closed season.

BULLFROG SEASON

         Bullfrog season opens at noon on the third Friday in May, and runs

through the end of October. The daily limit (noon to noon) is 15; possession limit is 30. If bullfrogs are taken by gun or bow and arrow, a hunting license is required. If taken by pole and line, a fishing license

is required. If frogs are taken by gig or by hand, either a hunting or fishing license is valid. It is illegal to possess a gig on a stream or lake, or in a boat, from Nov. 1 through Jan. 31.

TURTLES

         Snapping turtles and soft shell turtles may be taken year-round with no bag limit. Alligator snapping turtles cannot be harvested.

A hunting license is required if turtles are taken by gun or bow and arrow. Consult the 2012-13 Kentucky Fishing & Boating Guide for information on other legal means of harvest.

WILD PIGS

         Wild pigs may be hunted statewide, year-round, with no bag limit, except Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. However, hunters may be in the field before and after shooting hours. A

hunting license is required unless the hunter is license exempt. Wild pigs out-compete native wildlife for food, damage crops, and carry diseases. Landowners are strongly encouraged to remove wild pigs from their property. Trapping, which is legal year-round, is the most effective method of removal. Tell your local conservation officer about the use of snares and/or corral traps on your property. Wild pigs must be killed at the trap site, and not released. It is illegal to possess, sell or transport wild pigs in Kentucky. Report sightings, illegal activities related to wild pigs, and get advice on trapping by calling Kentucky Fish and Wildlife at 1-800-858-1549. Wild pigs may be hunted in the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area from Sept. 1, 2012 - Feb. 28,

2013, but hunters must have a permit from the National Park Service.

GROUNDHOGS

         Groundhogs may be hunted statewide, year-round, with no bag limit. A hunting license is required unless the hunter is license exempt.

BIRDS

         Exotic, non-native birds (pheasant, chukar, English sparrow, starling, and Eurasian collared dove) may be hunted year-round without a hunting license, with no bag limit. However, pheasants released during

quota hunts are not open to year-round hunting on Green River WMA, Clay WMA and Yellowbank WMA. All birds of prey and songbirds are

protected under state and federal laws.

HOOFED STOCK

         Exotic, non-native hoofed stock, except white-tailed deer and elk, may be hunted year-round without a hunting license, and with no bag limit or checking requirement. However, the fallow deer on Land

Between The Lakes National Recreation Area are not open to year-round hunting.

MAMMALS

         All species of mice, moles, and rats are unprotected species and may be taken year-round without a hunting license. However, the spotted skunk, a rare species found in eastern and southeastern Kentucky, is protected and may not be taken.

THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES

         All threatened or endangered species are protected under state and federal laws and may not be taken.

TERRESTRIAL INVERTEBRATES

         All species of terrestrial invertebrates (such as worms and insects) are unprotected and may be taken year round without a hunting license.