An Official Website of the Commonwealth of Kentucky
Zero to a million in 100 years. While that may sound slow to SpaceX, the story of Kentucky’s rocketing deer herd growth is a fantastic success story. Today, Kentucky is a top-10 state for hunters seeking that trophy buck. The herd is also substantial enough to support the harvest of more than 130,000 deer annually. That’s a lot of venison for the table.
This success story is brought to you by Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s long and storied history of sound, science-based deer management. Nowadays, hunters are the primary managers of the state’s deer herd. The department’s guidelines maximize opportunities for hunters while helping to balance deer herd numbers through carefully considered zones and bag limits. Read on for more information about deer hunting in Kentucky.
The tables below provide a quick overview of current licensing requirements. See the rest of this section for exemptions and complete residency, licensing and hunter education requirements. Licenses and permits for species below are not required for children younger than 12.
Need Help with Licenses or Permits?
Hunters without Internet access or who have further questions may contact the Information Center for assistance at 1-800-858-1549 or Info.Center@ky.gov.
GET YOUR HUNTING ANDFISHING LICENSE
Observed interesting wildlife, such as a Bobcat, while out deer hunting? Use the Hunter Observation Survey to record your wildlife sightings during Kentucky's deer hunting season (Sept. 6, 2025 - Jan. 19, 2026).
OBSERVATION SURVEY
Check out our Learn to Hunt page for a quick start on hunting deer in Kentucky.
Hunters and people accompanying them must wear solid, unbroken hunter orange color visible from all sides on the head, back and chest when hunting for any species during the modern gun, muzzleloader, and youth firearm deer seasons, or a firearm elk or bear season.
However, hunter orange is not required when hunting waterfowl or doves during a gun deer, elk or bear season, or when hunting furbearers at night during a legal furbearer season.
Hunters usually fare better if they spend some time exploring the area(s) they will hunt before hunting season.
Depending on when and where you’re hunting, there may be restrictions on the sex available for harvest. Be sure to check the bag limits below.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife has about thirty employees across the state who are certified official Boone and Crockett Measurers. To find one, visit the Boone and Crockett Official Measurer Locator.
If you don’t have a place to hunt or want to try a different place, Kentucky has over 1.5 Million acres of public hunting lands. Maps are available for these areas. It is vital that you are aware of public lands regulations for the area you will hunt on. Some public lands have “quota” hunts, which involve an application process for a limited number of hunter slots and hunting periods. Other public lands are open for some or all seasons within the hunting regulations for the prevailing county.
All deer must be telechecked. Hunters must call 1-800-245-4263 or complete the online check-in process through My Profile. See the “Recording, Checking, Tagging and Transportation” portion of this guide's "General Information" section for full details.
If the hide or head is removed before the harvested deer is checked in – to quarter the animal, for example – it is necessary to demonstrate proof of sex by retaining the head or keeping the genitalia attached to the carcass. In such cases, it is still necessary to fill out the harvest log immediately after harvest and telecheck the animal before midnight on the day the deer is harvested or recovered.
A carcass tag is required if a harvested deer leaves the hunter’s possession for any reason.
Two Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Surveillance Zones are in effect:
CWD Surveillance Zone With Mandatory Check Stations: Ballard, Calloway, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Marshall, and McCracken counties
CWD Surveillance Zone Without Mandatory Check Stations: Breckinridge, Hardin, and Meade counties
Drop off the head of your harvest for free CWD testing at designated drop-off sites located across the state.
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Bag limits and harvest restrictions apply to all hunters. A person may take no more than one (1) deer with visible antlers, excluding male fawns (button bucks), regardless of zone, method or season.
However, on some federally controlled areas, including Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge, Fort Campbell and Fort Knox military reservations and Blue Grass Army Depot, a bonus antlered deer may be taken, as determined by the governing agency for each area.
Only one antlered deer per hunter may be harvested statewide, regardless of zone, method or season.
Only one antlered deer per hunter may be harvested statewide, regardless of zone, method or season.
Only one antlered deer may be harvested statewide,regardless of zone or method
Hunters who buy their license or permit by phone or the Internet must carry a picture ID and proof of purchase (an authorization number, paper license, or computer printout) while hunting.
Unless license-exempt, all deer hunters age 16 and older must first buy and carry proof of purchasing an annual hunting license and a statewide deer permit while hunting. The permit allows a hunter to take four deer: one antlered and three antlerless or four antlerless. It does not matter if the antlered or antlerless dear is taken first.
An additional deer permit must be purchased to take more than four deer. The additional deer permit allows a hunter to take up to two additional deer beyond those allowed by the statewide permit in the following combinations: one antlered and one antlerless or two antlerless. Regardless of what permit a deer hunter carries, the statewide season limit for antlered deer is one per hunter. The additional deer permit is not valid unless the hunter has first purchased an annual hunting license and statewide deer permit and is able to show proof of that in the field. A statewide or additional deer permit may be used on public and private lands and during some quota hunts. Additional deer permits can only be used in counties with unlimited antlerless harvests (Zone 1).
Devices designed to entangle or trap the antlers of deer cannot be used.
During modern gun deer season, hunters may hunt with modern guns, including air guns of .35 caliber or larger charged by an external tank, muzzleloaders, and archery and crossbow equipment, and must follow season restrictions, zone guidelines and other hunting requirements.
All hunters, including archery and crossbow hunters, and persons accompanying hunters, must wear hunter orange clothing during modern gun season.
Persons ages 15 and younger hunting deer with a firearm must be accompanied by an adult who shall be in a position to take immediate control of the youth's firearm at all times.
Hunters using archery equipment during a deer firearms season must follow all firearm season restrictions, zone guidelines and other hunting requirements, and must wear hunter orange clothing.
The only exception is on state owned or managed WMAs where firearms hunting for deer or elk is prohibited.
Hunters using crossbows during a deer firearms season must follow all firearm season restrictions, zone guidelines and other hunting requirements, and must wear hunter orange clothing.
A legal resident hunter age 65 years or older or a youth hunter (resident or non-resident), age 15 or younger, may hunt deer with a crossbow from the first Saturday in September through the third Monday in January.
Muzzleloaders, archery and crossbow equipment may be used during this season.
All hunters must comply with the hunter orange clothing law.
Youths ages 15 and younger hunting deer with a muzzleloader must be accompanied by an adult who shall remain able and in a position to take immediate control of the youth’s muzzleloader at all times.
Construction and use of tree stands on private lands is regulated by landowners.
Check out the FAQs found on our Free Youth Deer Hunting Weekend page or Youth-Only Firearms Deer page.
Free Youth Deer Hunting Weekend: Dec. 28 - 29, 2024.
Free Youth-Only Firearms Season: Second Weekend in October.
Free Youth Small Game Hunting & Trapping Week: Dec. 28, 2024 - Jan. 3, 2025.
Youths may hunt deer during any open season, including two special deer seasons for resident and non-resident hunters who have not reached their 16th birthday.
Adults accompanying youth deer hunters during either of these hunts may not use firearms to take deer.
Adults accompanying youth hunters are not required to possess a hunting license or deer permit if the adult is not deer hunting, but by law, the hunter and the accompanying adults must wear hunter orange clothing.
The first special youth deer season is on the second weekend of October. Youth hunters may take deer with firearms, or any other legal method, statewide. During the October youth-only firearms season, the appropriate hunting license and deer permits are required for hunters ages 12-15. Youth hunters under age 12 are not required to have a hunting license or deer permit.
On the first weekend following Christmas, resident and nonresident youth 15 years of age and younger, who are accompanied by an adult, are eligible to participate in the Free Youth Weekend. Youth hunters may hunt deer with firearms, or any other legal method, statewide without a hunting license or deer permit.
All bag limits, zone restrictions and deer hunting requirements apply during the special youth deer seasons.
Deer Hunting FAQ's
Hunter (Blaze) Orange Requirements
Proper Deer Equipment
Determining the Peak Rut for Deer in Kentucky!
How To Easily Field-Dress a Whitetail Deer Using the Coring Method
How to Process or Debone a Whitetail Deer in the Field
Meat Processing