Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission established new internal committees at its special-called meeting Oct. 14, 2026

​FRANKFORT, Ky. (Oct. 27, 2026) — The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to assign members to committees at its special-called meeting on Oct. 14, 2026. The commission members met in person and via live-video teleconference.

Three new committees were established at the Sept. 4, 2026, commission meeting to give the board more opportunity to further evaluate and discuss items of business pertinent to the operations of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

Commission members received an informational update regarding the establishment, structure, purpose and responsibilities of committees within the commission.

The commission next approved the following Action Items:

• Establish the Enforcement, Boating and Fisheries Committee, to include the election of three members and a chair of the committee. On the committee:
• Fred Shortridge (Chair)
• Matt Rhodes
• Chuck Meade

• Establish the Licensing, Operations and Public Outreach Committee, to include the election of three members and a chair of the committee. On the committee:
  
• Jeff Raymer (Chair)
• Kenton Bottoms II
• Greg Cecil

• Establish the Lands and Wildlife Committee, to include the election of three members and a chair of the committee. On the committee:
  
• Jay Smith (Chair)
• Josh Cummins
• Walter Robertson

• ​Assign to each committee the items presented as Discussion Items or New Business Items on the Sept. 4, 2026, commission meeting agenda.
• The Lands and Wildlife Committee was assigned four New Business items from the Sept. 4 meeting including:
• Adjustment of modern gun quota hunts on wildlife management areas (WMAs);
• Modifications to deer hunting on public lands;
• Modifications to deer hunting seasons;
• Modify additional deer permit.

 Although no potential regulations changes were presented at this meeting, business items on the commission's meeting agenda that include proposed changes to regulations typically follow a three-step process at successive quarterly meetings, with items introduced first as new business, then proceeding for further discussion, and finally appearing as action items (at the commission's discretion). This general stepwise process allows for adequate time for public awareness and comment on proposed regulatory changes.

The meeting was livestreamed on the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources' YouTube channel, where a replay of the Oct. 14, 2026, meeting is available for viewing.

 The Oct. 14 meeting agenda can be found on the department's Commission Meeting Dates webpage online at fw.ky.gov or search “Commission meeting dates" on the homepage. No Discussion Items or New Business Items were presented at this meeting.

 Agendas for commission meetings are posted at fw.ky.gov in advance of the meeting dates, and details about meeting logistics and submitting public comments are included therein.

Individuals or organizations may contact their district representative on the commission about any pertinent topic of concern. Contact information is available on Kentucky Fish and Wildlife's district commission members webpage. Procedures for submitting public comments about current business items via email or in person are outlined in the agenda for each meeting, which is generally posted on the agency's website one to two weeks before the meeting date.

The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission, a nine-member board comprised of volunteers who serve four-year terms, recommends hunting, fishing and boating regulations on behalf of the anglers, hunters and other wildlife-related stakeholders in the commonwealth. Any recommendation by the commission to amend or create a state administrative regulation must receive legislative approval before becoming law. Both proposed and recently enacted amendments are posted on the department's Administrative Regulations webpage.

The first meeting of the Lands and Wildlife Committee is set for Nov. 4, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. (Eastern) at the Camp Kentucky Afield lodge at the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Green River Lake campus near Campbellsville, Kentucky. An agenda and meeting location will be posted on the Commission Meeting Dates webpage on the department's website at fw.ky.gov when available. The committee will only discuss items that have been approved and assigned to the committee by the full commission. There will be no discussion of items not on the assigned agenda.

The next quarterly commission meeting has been moved from Friday, Dec. 4, 2026, to Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2026, in Frankfort, Kentucky. An agenda and meeting location will be posted on the Commission Meeting Dates webpage on the department's website at fw.ky.gov when available.​