West Kentucky WMA open deer hunt procedures changed

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Dec. 23, 2020) — Hunters interested in the open firearms deer hunt at West Kentucky Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in McCracken County are advised that the sign-up process and some procedures will be different for the three-day opportunity in January.

Instead of in-person signups, registration will be by phone and email only. The changes are necessary to ensure the health and safety of hunters and WMA staff. The shotgun and muzzleloader deer hunt for up to 140 hunters is scheduled Jan. 16-18, 2021.

Hunters may register for the hunt starting at 8 a.m. (CST) on Jan. 4 by calling the West Kentucky WMA office at 270-488-3233 or sending an email to weston.mason@ky.gov. The deadline to register by phone is 3:30 p.m. (CST) on Jan. 5. Emailed registrations will be accepted through Jan. 8. Signups will not be accepted once all slots have been filled.

A hunter can register a party of up to five hunters but must provide the name, fish and wildlife customer ID number and phone number for each member in the party.

Hunter cards and instruction sheets will be provided before Jan. 16 to those registered for the hunt. The cards must be visible from the windshield of each hunter’s vehicle while hunting and returned to a drop box at a designated location on the WMA.

There will not be a staffed check station for the hunt because of crowding concerns and the potential for spreading COVID-19. Participating hunters must use Telecheck, the department’s phone-in or online reporting system, to register their deer harvest.