An Official Website of the Commonwealth of Kentucky
In the following areas, hunt sites must be registered on a permit issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or Kentucky Fish & Wildlife before the blind is constructed: Barkley Lake, Barren River Lake, Doug Travis, and Green River Lake. Applicants must show a valid hunting license, Kentucky Migratory Bird/Waterfowl Permit, and Federal Migratory (Duck) Bird Stamp when applying. An applicant may designate one other person as a partner and shall not hold more than one permit per area. Hunt sites registered on these areas not occupied by one hour before sunrise of any day are considered open to other hunters, a first-come, first-served basis for that day. Permittees shall not lock blinds to prevent use by other hunters in the absence of the permittee. Hunt sites on the above listed areas must be constructed by November 20 and removed within 30 days of the close of the season. Permittees who fail to remove their blind as stated will forfeit the opportunity to obtain a blind the following year. Hunters selected for a waterfowl blind at Sloughs Wildlife Management Area must complete a hunter survey report or lose eligibility for a blind the following year.
On Barkley, Barren River, Doug Travis, and Green River, hunters who want hunt sites must register and be selected by random drawing. Drawings are held from August through October and applicants must be 18 years of age and show a valid Kentucky hunting license, a Kentucky waterfowl permit and a Federal migratory bird stamp at that time. Each person drawn may select a partner of the hunt site for hunting in the absence of the person drawn. Partners must be present at the drawing. Drawn hunters may use their hunt site the entire season and may use a boat or a portable blind or construct a permanent blind. Each hunt site must be pinned with a permanent marker identifying the permit holders for the hunt site. If drawn hunters do not occupy a blind or hunt site by one- hour before sunrise that day, the blind or hunt site is open to other hunters on a first-come, first-served basis.
Unless otherwise stated under the CLOSED AREAS AND SPECIAL REGULATIONS FOR WMAs, the following restrictions apply to all open WMAs:
Ballard WMA is open by permit only for waterfowl hunting, each Wednesday-Sunday during the Dec. 7 to Jan. 31 season. Ballard WMA is closed to all access on Mondays, Tuesdays, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. All hunters must check in each morning at the Ballard WMA check station, 864 Wildlife Lodge Rd, La Center, Ky.
Hunting methods available at Ballard include hunting from an in-ground pit or above ground blind, free-lance hunting within a designated hunt unit or boat-in hunting for designated areas only. Hunt units mostly consist of harvested grain fields and seasonally flooded crops, moist soil units, and natural depressions or “sloughs,” that are lined with shrubby cover and trees. Chest waders should be used to hunt in the water on all units. Woody vegetation, unsure footing and fast elevation changes are a possibility on all waterfowl hunting units.
Boat-in units require a boat to access hunting areas. Hunters may hunt from the boat or get out and hunt away from the boat. There are also two blinds available for mobility-impaired hunters. These mobility-impaired blinds are wheelchair accessible.
Hunters may apply for a Ballard WMA quota hunt from Sept. 1 – 30. Drawing results are posted in mid-October. Hunters may also obtain a hunting permit after September through stand-by drawings held at the Ballard WMA Check Station. Stand-by hunting slots are created when a drawn quota hunter does not show up for the hunt or does not register at the Ballard WMA Check Station by 5 a.m. Central Standard Time (CST). A second drawing is held at the Ballard WMA check station for these vacant slots. Hunters who are at the check station, or standing by, are eligible for these drawings even if they were not drawn previously for a quota hunt. Stand-by drawings are held daily on hunting days.
All hunters must obtain a daily hunt permit before hunting. Permits are available through the online quota hunt system, or through the daily stand-by drawing held for any unclaimed units. Each drawn hunter may bring up to three guests. Fourteen (14) permits are issued each day though the quota hunt drawing.
Before hunting at Ballard WMA, all party members must go online and purchase a $15 Ballard 1-day hunt permit. The check station will no longer take payments for this permit.
The Ballard WMA Check Station opens at 4:30 a.m. Central Standard Time (CST). All drawn and stand-by hunters must check in by 5 a.m. CST each morning. Anyone not checked in by 5 a.m. CST forfeits their opportunity to hunt at Ballard that day. Only the drawn hunter should enter the check station to check their party in. The drawn hunter must have a valid photo ID when checking in and know the names and addresses of other members of his party. Quota hunt permits are not transferable.
No hunt unit/blind site may be hunted unless the drawn hunter selected for that specific date(s) is present. Each morning the drawn hunter will fill out a Daily Waterfowl Hunting Tag that lists the members of their hunting party. This will be collected at check-in. The bottom portion of the tag will be retained and taken with the hunt party, to collect the daily hunt data. After each hunt, this card must be turned in at the drop box located outside of the check station. Failure to complete and turn in the daily hunt data card will result in the permit holder being ineligible to hunt at Ballard WMA for the remainder of the current and following waterfowl season.
At 5 a.m. CST, Ballard staff will conduct a lottery of all drawn hunters who checked in. Drawn hunters will have the opportunity to select one of the hunting units available that day based on the order which they are selected. Not all units are available each day of hunting. The WMA will provide as much information as possible on the history of each hunting unit via video monitors in the check-station. Staff cannot recommend which unit you should choose. At the completion of the drawn hunter lottery for available units, any unclaimed units will be available to stand-by hunters. Ballard staff will conduct a lottery of standby parties until all unclaimed spots have been filled.
Public hunting will close when floodwaters prevent safe entry to hunting fields by wheeled vehicles on roads. Notice will be given at least 24 hours in advance of the closure via the department’s website.
Boatwright WMA is open for waterfowl hunting, Wednesdays - Sundays, during the regular waterfowl season. Boatwright WMA is closed to waterfowl hunting on Mondays, Tuesdays, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Hunting methods available at Boatwright include hunting from an in-ground pit or above ground blind, layout blind hunting, walk-in hunting within a designated hunt unit at a drawn hunt site, or boat-in hunting. All hunters are limited to 25 shells/person per day. Bag limit and possession limit are the same as statewide limits. All decoys and gear must be removed at the end of each day’s hunt, and may not be left unattended. Areas identified by signs are closed to all access Oct. 15 – March 15.
New this year, All Regular Season Duck Hunts (including Thanksgiving week) will now require hunters to be drawn via the Boatwright Online Quota Hunt App or be assigned via in-person Stand-by drawings.
Online applications are taken each Wednesday through Sunday, the week before you plan to hunt. Each Monday, a random drawing will select hunters and assign a hunt unit for each day of that week. Hunt dates must be applied for individually. Successful online hunters must still check in at the check station before hunting day, or forfeit the spot. Spots reserved for in-person drawings as well as forfeited online spots will be available in the in-person drawing each morning. To apply online and for more information, go to Waterfowl Hunt Drawing Application. The check station is located on 362 Broadway Street, Barlow, Ky.
Please download the Boatwright WMA Waterfowl Hunting Fact Sheet and Rules for more information about hunting at the Boatwright WMA for the 2023-24 hunting season.
All Regular Season Duck Hunts (including Thanksgiving week) will now require hunters to be drawn via the Boatwright Online Quota Hunt App or be assigned via in-person Stand-by drawings.
Hunters may not enter the area to hunt until after they have checked in and are in possession of the daily waterfowl hunt permit. Doors to the check-in station will open at 4:15 a.m. Central time. Hunt drawings will begin at 4:45 a.m. Central time. Shooting hours begin ½ hour before sunrise, and all hunters and equipment must be off the area by 2 p.m. Central time.
Any unit open to hunting during the regular waterfowl season is also open for snow goose hunting during the Snow Goose Conservation Order season.
Doug Travis WMA is open to statewide regulations for hunting EXCEPT for the portions of the WMA as identified by signs, which are CLOSED to the public from Nov. 1 to March 15. Waterfowl hunting opportunities at Doug Travis WMA include walk-in, boat-in and season-long blind drawings. There are also two blind locations available for Mobility Impaired hunters.
One blind, blind 13, is an above-ground blind that can be driven to and is wheelchair accessible. The other blind, blind 19, is a boat-in-blind location. Hunters must hunt from their boat within 10 yards of the blind location. Both blinds, 13 and 19, are available through a mail-in preseason draw (see below for details). Hunters who wish to draw a season-long blind must register and be selected by random drawing on the last Saturday in August. Specific regulations apply to this area and are listed below. For more details, see the “Blind Drawings” portion of this guide, or the online waterfowl-hunting page. Hunt units in this area mainly consist of harvested grain fields and seasonally flooded crops, moist soil units, and natural depressions or “Sloughs” that are lined with shrubby cover and trees. Chest waders should be used to hunt in the water on all units. Woody vegetation, beaver runs, and rapid changes in elevation are a possibility in all waterfowl hunting units. Mississippi River levels should be closely monitored to determine if a boat is needed to access and hunt the area. Mississippi River levels exceeding 35 feet at the Cairo, Illinois river gauge indicate the potential loss of road access to some areas of the WMA. Typically, river levels above 41 feet on the Cairo gauge cut off road access on both ends of the Berkley - Fish Lake Road, making a boat necessary to access most of the area. On all hunt units, shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until 2 p.m. CST.
Hunters must exit the area by 2 p.m. daily. Hunters may not enter a hunting area until 4 a.m. CST daily.
To register to be drawn for these blinds during one or more of the mobility-impaired hunts, mail a 3 x 5 white index card in an envelope addressed to:
Each hunting party will be responsible for bringing and placing decoys as well as retrieving birds. These blinds will be open to standby hunters on a first-come, first-served basis if the drawn party does not occupy the blind by one hour before sunrise.
The hunt dates for the mobility-impaired quota hunts during the 2023/2024 waterfowl season are:
Waterfowl hunting can be found on the Sauerheber, Jenny Hole, Highland Creek and Grassy Pond/Powel's Lake units of Sloughs WMA. Waterfowl hunting opportunities at Sloughs WMA include online quota hunt draws and weekly on-site drawings. There is also walk-in hunting available on large portions of the WMA. Hunt units consist of a diverse mix of seasonally flooded grain crops, natural “moist soil” vegetation, natural marsh, seasonally flooded bottomland forest, and natural depressions or “sloughs,” that contain flooded stands of bald cypress lined with buttonbush thickets. Waders should be used to hunt in the water on all units. Woody vegetation, beaver runs, and rapid changes in elevation are a possibility in all waterfowl hunting units. Hunting the Jenny Hole Unit typically requires a boat or canoe. Ohio River levels should be closely monitored to determine if a boat is needed to access and hunt the remaining hunt units at the Sloughs. Ohio River levels exceeding 30 feet at the Evansville and/ or J.T. Meyer gauge indicate the potential loss of road access to some areas of the WMA. There is one blind available for mobility-impaired hunters on the Sauerheber Unit. The blind is wheelchair accessible. On all hunt units, shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise until 2 p.m. CST. Hunters must exit the area by 2 p.m. daily. Hunters may not enter a hunting area until 4 a.m. CST daily. Each unit has specific information that can be found below.
During duck season (Nov. 23-26 and Dec. 7, 2023 - Jan. 31, 2024), waterfowl hunting is available on the Crenshaw and Duncan tracts through an online Quota Hunt drawing. Hunting is permitted only within designated hunt unit boundaries or blinds. The remainder of the Sauerheber Unit is closed to all public access from Nov. 1 - March 15. The quota hunt application period is Sept. 1-30. The results of the drawing will be available in mid-October. Successful applicants will be assigned a hunt unit or a specific hunting blind. If you draw a hunt unit, you may hunt anywhere within the defined hunt unit boundary (See Sloughs WMA: Sauerheber Hunt Unit Maps). Two of the twelve available units are blind locations only. You cannot hunt outside of the blind on these two units.
Hunters selected for a Sauerheber Quota Hunt must check in on the Sunday prior to their hunt by sending an email to sloughsquotahunt@ky.gov. In the email, please include your name, hunt unit, hunt dates, and hunt confirmation number. If the permit holder fails to check in the Sunday prior to the hunt, you will not have the necessary permit to hunt and could be cited.
All hunters must complete and submit the Daily Post-Hunt Survey provided by the Department by 3 p.m. CST each day. Failure to complete the Daily PostHunt Survey will result in the permit holder being ineligible to hunt at Sloughs WMA for the remainder of the current and following waterfowl season. Daily Post-Hunt Survey cards and drop-box will be located next to the kiosk in front of the Sloughs WMA office on Highway 268.
Quota hunt permits are not transferable. No hunt unit/blind site may be hunted unless the hunter selected for that hunt unit/blind site, for that specific date(s) is present and has on their person a valid Hunt Confirmation Number issued by KDFWR. No standby hunting is allowed.
Quota permit holders may bring up to three (3) additional hunting guests. No more than four (4) hunters are allowed per hunt unit/ blind site. Hunters are allowed 25 shells per day on the Crenshaw/ Duncan tracts. All hunters must have a photo ID and all appropriate licenses and permits. Hunters must hunt in close proximity to other hunt party members so that each member of the party is within 25 feet of another party member and no two party members are more than 100 feet apart.
The entire Sauerheber Unit is closed to all public access on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during waterfowl season.
Walk-in hunting is available on this unit, but walk-in hunters must remain a minimum of 200 yards from other hunting parties.
During duck season (Nov. 23-26 and Dec. 7, 2023 - Jan. 31, 2024), waterfowl hunting on the Jenny Hole Unit is allowed by permit only. A person or party that wishes to hunt waterfowl on the Jenny Hole Unit must be drawn weekly. A person or party that wishes to hunt waterfowl on the Jenny Hole Unit must attend a weekly on-site drawing at the Sloughs WMA office or apply using the online quota hunt system. The drawing will be held each Monday prior to a hunting week, at 6 p.m. CST during duck season; unless Monday falls on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve or New Year's Day holiday, in which the drawing will be postponed until the following Wednesday night.
Jenny Hole hunters will apply to hunt either two-day (Thursday-Friday) or three-day (Saturday-Monday) blocks. For each block of dates, two hunt parties will be allocated using the online quota hunt system, and ten spots will be drawn online.
The successful online drawing participant must check in on the Sunday prior to their hunt by sending an email to sloughsquotahunt@ky.gov. In the email, please include your name, hunt unit, hunt dates, and hunt confirmation number.
The Jenny Hole Unit is closed to waterfowl hunting on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during waterfowl season. The Jenny Hole Unit is closed to ALL boats from Thanksgiving Day through the last Sunday in January, except for hunters with a valid Jenny Hole Hunt Permit. Trappers who wish to trap the Jenny Hole Unit during this time must obtain a special permit from the Sloughs WMA office. Hunters drawn for the Jenny Hole Unit may NOT access the unit except during the dates listed on their hunt permit(s). Therefore, scouting in the afternoon or prior to hunt dates is NOT allowed.
All hunters must complete and submit the Daily Post-Hunt Survey provided by the Department by 3 p.m. CST each day. Failure to complete the Daily PostHunt Survey will result in the permit holder being ineligible to hunt at Sloughs WMA for the remainder of the current and following waterfowl season. Daily Post-Hunt Survey cards and drop-boxes are located at two sites within the Jenny Hole Unit.
Individuals wishing to be drawn for one or more of the Mentor Hatchery Waterfowl hunts must apply online between Nov. 1 - 15. A youth may apply for more than one date. A mentor and youth selected may invite two additional youth or one youth and one mentor to hunt with them. The names of guests do not have to be listed on the application. Individuals selected will be mailed a quota hunt permit for the date(s) they are drawn, a map showing the hatchery location, blinds and other instructions concerning the hunt. Unsuccessful applicants will not be notified. An individual drawn for one quota hunt during a season will have a lower preference to be drawn for a second quota hunt during the same season. Duplicate applications for the same hunt day will result in disqualification.
Open for waterfowl Mentor quota hunts Jan. 6-7, 13-14, 20-21, 27-28 (2024).