An Official Website of the Commonwealth of Kentucky
Education; Hunting; Wildlife; Wildlife-Disease-Management; Lands-Management; Law-Enforcement
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Nov. 6, 2025) — Deer hunters have been afield since September with the opening of archery and crossbow seasons, but modern gun deer season, Kentucky’s biggest hunting season, opens Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025. Lasting for 16 days, the season runs through Sunday, Nov. 23.
Kentucky is home to a bountiful herd of white-tailed deer, offering many hunting opportunities and providing a sustainable source of lean protein for the table. Hunters harvested nearly 150,000 deer last year, with modern gun season accounting for the most deer harvested annually, providing an abundance of free-range and locally sourced wild venison for the table.
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources offers a wealth of resources to assist new and experienced hunters alike. Learn about public lands available for hunting, season dates, licenses needed and more by going online to fw.ky.gov and searching under the keywords, “Deer Hunting.” View the 2025-2026 Fall Hunting and Trapping Guide online and download or print the guide as a resource to use in the field.
Following are tips for making the most of a trip afield:
The Kentucky Deer & Elk App is a new mobile tool to aid deer and elk hunters in the field this season. Use the app to see public land property boundaries, locate local processors and taxidermists, keep a digital copy of your license and get more information about the county you’re hunting. This new app is available for free download from the Apple App and Google Play stores.
Hunting licenses and permits may be purchased online at Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s website (fw.ky.gov) and at authorized license agents throughout the state. Licenses are available for residents and non-residents, youth and senior/disabled. A statewide or youth deer permit is also required for all license types. For season dates, detailed license requirements and other hunting regulations, visit the Deer Hunting section of the department’s website or view and download the 2025-2026 Fall Hunting and Trapping Guide.
Valid proof of hunter education certification is required for hunters born in 1975 or later. For new hunters without hunter education certification, a free one-year exemption permit is available. This permit allows a person to hunt as long as they are accompanied in the field by an adult who is hunter education-certified or born before 1975. Learn more on the department’s Hunter Education webpage.
Kentucky is divided into four deer zones, based on the deer density in each region. Each zone may have different method restrictions and harvest limits for antlerless deer. Consult the hunting guide for more information on the zone you are hunting. Under Kentucky’s statewide deer permit, hunters may take up to four deer – however, a hunter may take only one buck a year in the state, regardless of zone.
Immediately upon recovery of a harvested deer, a hunter must fill out a harvest log consisting of game species, sex, county and date on the back of the hunting license or elsewhere and kept in their possession. Before midnight, each harvest must be reported to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, even if the hunter is license exempt. Hunters can report their harvest by calling the department’s telecheck number at 1-800-245-4263, or by using the online My Profile portal at fw.ky.gov.
Special restrictions apply to deer harvested in the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Surveillance Zone. Ballard, Breckinridge, Calloway, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hardin, Henderson, Hickman, Marshall, McCracken, Meade, Union and Webster counties are under carcass transportation and baiting restrictions in an effort to monitor and contain CWD. Hunters in Henderson, Union and Webster counties also must take their harvested deer to a staffed check station or use a CWD Sample Drop-Off Site the first three days of modern gun season, Nov. 8-10.
Deer hunters outside the CWD Surveillance Zone can aid Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s monitoring efforts by donating the heads of legally harvested and telechecked deer for free testing and aging through the voluntary CWD Sample Drop-Off Sites or CWD Sample Mail-In Kits.
Until Jan. 19, 2026, every hunter who submits samples for CWD testing through a CWD Sample Drop-off Site or through a CWD Sample Mail-in Kit will be entered into the Shoot for Samples Giveaway. Hunters can enter the giveaway as many times as the bag limits allow. Prizes range from gift cards to gear thanks to the following sponsors – Copperhead Gun and Range, Double T Electric, FirstChoice FireArms, Glauber’s Sports and Curtsinger’s Sunrise Outfitters.
Adequate doe harvests are critical for maintaining balanced deer populations. Hunters are encouraged to harvest more does this season, particularly in Zone 1 counties, to help reduce the herd size and improve overall herd health.
A balanced buck-to-doe ratio means bucks aren’t overworked during the rut, fawns are born in a more concentrated window, and overall deer survival improves. Fewer deer helps reduce over-browsing, leaving more food for all wildlife, and keeps roadways safer.
For hunters who want to contribute to conservation and harvest additional does but don’t need the meat themselves, Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry is an excellent option. The organization pays for processing and distributes venison to people in need in the communities where the deer were harvested.
Harvesting does is one of the most effective ways hunters can contribute to a healthy, sustainable deer population, while supporting local communities and conservation efforts.
Suspected illegal activity may be anonymously reported to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement by using the “KFWLaw” smartphone app available for free download from the Apple App and Google Play stores. Tips can also be submitted by texting the keyword “KFWLaw” along with a message to 847411 (tip 411) or by calling 800-25-ALERT.
More information on any of these subjects may be found by visiting the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife website (at fw.ky.gov). For questions, contact the department’s Information Center at 800-858-1549, or at info.center@ky.gov, weekdays 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (Eastern), except holidays.
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