An Official Website of the Commonwealth of Kentucky
The Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources currently has the following proposed amendments to our administrative regulations filed and pending or recently enacted. For filed and pending amendments, persons interested in commenting after reviewing these pending amendments should contact the department per instructions at the end of each regulation. Proposed changes are indicated by strike-through marks over deleted text, and underlines for added or moved text.
This amendment changes several requirements to clarify or make the program more efficient. Included in the changes are: clarifying restricted waters definition and adding language to prevent harvest of roe-bearing species; expansion of type of net sets allowed; correction of language for call-in requirements for program participants and harvest submission timelines; requirement for program participants to mark the end of their nets with floating buoys and to harvest, possess and transport fish claimed under this program separately from fish harvested by any other method; removing distancing and occupancy wording as it applies to multiple program participants when on the water; adding explanation to allow program participants to fish in waters open to commercial fishing (not just restricted waters); adding language to allow the department to restrict fishing in locations where there would be excessive user conflict; and allowing program participants to use unlicensed helpers.
This administrative regulation establishes size limits, daily creel limits and possession limits for sport fish that may be taken from Kentucky waters and necessary to properly manage the sport fish populations of Kentucky. The amendment will help standardize and simplify black bass regulation across the state by better grouping lakes into standardized regulation blocks.
This amendment will update the "Material Incorporated by Reference" portion of the regulation to reflect the newest edition of the publication used to assess fill kill replacement values. The current administrative regulation to assess the replacement values of fish killed in violation of KRS 150.460 (1) or (3) references an outdated edition of the American Fisheries Society publication. This amendment will reference the 2017 edition, which is American Fisheries Society Special Publication 35, "Investigation and Monetary Values of Fish and Freshwater Mollusk Kills."
This administrative regulation establishes the procedures for taking sport and rough fish by nontraditional fishing methods and is necessary to effectively manage the fish populations of Kentucky and to provide for reasonable recreational fishing opportunities. This amendment makes the following changes to all nontraditional fishing methods: applies the statewide two-fish paddlefish creel limit to all nontraditional fishing methods, sets a daily harvest limit of two shovelnose sturgeon, prohibits harvest of shovelnose sturgeon from the Mississippi River, prohibits harvest of pallid sturgeon statewide, and removes daily harvest limits for Asian carp. In addition, the following changes apply to gigging and snagging: anglers statewide must stop gigging or snagging for the day once they reach their shovelnose sturgeon daily limit, snagging from any fishing pier or jetty on the Tennessee River from the Kentucky Lake Dam down to the Ohio River is prohibited, gigging and snagging in the Cumberland River below Lake Barkley Dam to the Highway 62 bridge is prohibited, and the daily harvest limit of 8 rough fish and the requirement to keep them on the Cumberland River below Lake Barkley Dam is removed. In addition to the above listed changes, this amendment also adds shovelnose sturgeon to the list of fish that must be taken into possession and not released if shot while bowfishing and adds Carr Creek Lake to the list of lakes where anglers can only keep one blue catfish of channel catfish over 25 inches per day when hand grabbing. There is also one cleanup item addressing the size limit of snagged sportfish from the Tennessee River below Kentucky Lake dam.This amendment is necessary to provide better statewide regulations for nontraditional fishing methods to better protect the shovelnose sturgeon and paddlefish populations in the state, as well as prevent accidental harvest of pallid sturgeon in the Mississippi River. In addition, unnecessary restrictions on Asian carp daily limits were removed. This amendment also simplifies and updates gigging and snagging regulations on the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers below Kentucky and Barkley lakes as well as cleans up confusion on the size limit of sport fish that are required to be kept when snagged on the Tennessee River below Kentucky Lake dam. Finally, this administrative regulation addresses bow fishing impacts on the shovelnose sturgeon and applies an already established catfish handgrabbing regulation to a lake that has just started receiving blue catfish stockings.
This administrative regulation establishes the procedures for taking sport and rough fish by nontraditional fishing methods and is necessary to effectively manage the fish populations of Kentucky and to provide for reasonable recreational fishing opportunities. This amendment makes the following changes to all nontraditional fishing methods: applies the statewide two-fish paddlefish creel limit to all nontraditional fishing methods, sets a daily harvest limit of two shovelnose sturgeon, prohibits harvest of shovelnose sturgeon from the Mississippi River, prohibits harvest of pallid sturgeon statewide, and removes daily harvest limits for Asian carp. In addition, the following changes apply to gigging and snagging: anglers statewide must stop gigging or snagging for the day once they reach their shovelnose sturgeon daily limit, snagging from any fishing pier or jetty on the Tennessee River from the Kentucky Lake Dam down to the Ohio River is prohibited, gigging and snagging in the Cumberland River below Lake Barkley Dam to the Highway 62 bridge is prohibited, and the daily harvest limit of 8 rough fish and the requirement to keep them on the Cumberland River below Lake Barkley Dam is removed. In addition to the above listed changes, this amendment also adds shovelnose sturgeon to the list of fish that must be taken into possession and not released if shot while bowfishing and adds Carr Creek Lake to the list of lakes where anglers can only keep one blue catfish of channel catfish over 25 inches per day when hand grabbing. There is also one cleanup item addressing the size limit of snagged sportfish from the Tennessee River below Kentucky Lake dam.
This amendment is necessary to provide better statewide regulations for nontraditional fishing methods to better protect the shovelnose sturgeon and paddlefish populations in the state, as well as prevent accidental harvest of pallid sturgeon in the Mississippi River. In addition, unnecessary restrictions on Asian carp daily limits were removed. This amendment also simplifies and updates gigging and snagging regulations on the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers below Kentucky and Barkley lakes as well as cleans up confusion on the size limit of sport fish that are required to be kept when snagged on the Tennessee River below Kentucky Lake dam. Finally, this administrative regulation addresses bow fishing impacts on the shovelnose sturgeon and applies an already established catfish handgrabbing regulation to a lake that has just started receiving blue catfish stockings.
This administrative regulation establishes restrictions on the feeding of wildlife that will serve to protect wildlife from disease and toxic substances that may cause harm to the wildlife population if left unregulated. This administrative regulation is necessary to effectively manage wildlife populations in Kentucky while protecting them from disease concerns. This amendment changes applicable dates in the existing regulation in regard to feeding of wildlife. The definition of “feeding” was also amended to include “salt, mineral or other attractants.”
This administrative regulation is necessary to provide reasonable standards for those who rehabilitate wildlife in Kentucky. These amendments will define the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Zone and prohibit cervids from being rehabilitated when obtained within the zone. This amendment will also protect public health by placing added restrictions on the handling of rabies vector species, prevent the spread of wildlife diseases by limiting movement across the state, and improve care for wildlife by requiring training before a permit is issued.
This administrative regulation is necessary to provide a defined process for the holding and transportation of live native wildlife. These processes are necessary to provide for the health and welfare of native wildlife and the safety of Kentucky citizens. These amendments will develop an online permitting system, expand the department’s ability to deny or revoke a permit, clarify who is required to purchase a commercial wildlife permit, waive the fee for government agencies doing legitimate wildlife conservation, clarify that each non-contiguous captive wildlife facility needs a separate permit, prohibit the possession of eastern hellbender, eastern spotted skunk, Kirtland’s snake, bobcats, Copperbelly water snake, rabies vector species, and bats, update the prohibited species exemption section, and provide grandfathering for previously held prohibited wildlife species.
This administrative regulation is necessary to provide a defined process for the holding and transportation of live exotic wildlife. These processes are necessary to provide for the protection of our native ecosystem, the health and welfare of native wildlife from disease, and the safety of Kentucky citizens. These amendments will develop an online permitting system, expand the department’s ability to deny or revoke a permit, prohibit the importation and possession of wild rabbits, hares, pikas and lynx species, improve protections from rabies meeting statutory requirements, update the prohibited species exemption section, and provide grandfathering for previously held legal prohibited wildlife species.
The necessity of this administrative regulation is to establish the means by which migratory birds may be harvested in accordance with the USFWS. These means are consistent with federal migratory bird hunting frameworks established in 50 C.F.R. Parts 20 and 21 according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). This amendment will remove the restrictions on the use of crossbows while hunting migratory birds. People suffering damage caused by urban geese could also benefit from being able to use a weapon in areas where it is illegal to discharge a firearm. Federal law was changed to allow the use of crossbows and Kentucky is following that lead.
This administrative regulation is necessary to prevent the importation of cervid parts most likely to be contaminated with the agent that causes Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and lagomorph carcasses potentially infected with rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHDV2). This administrative regulation will assist in the administration of the statutes by helping to protect the state’s deer, elk and lagomorph populations from CWD and RHDV2.
This administrative regulation establishes the requirements for the elk permit drawing and quota hunts, the conditions under which special commission permits, landowner cooperator permits, elk restoration permits and cooperator voucher permits can be used and necessary to effectively manage elk populations in Kentucky, while providing optimal elk hunting and related tourism opportunities. The amendments to this regulation expand the elk hunt drawing application period, implement means of rewarding long-time applicants for elk permits who have never been drawn for a permit, and allow military personnel to defer the use of elk permits for up to two years if geographically reassigned. Some members of the military have been unable to use their elk permits, and numerous applicants to the elk hunt drawing have requested consideration after applying many years without being drawn for a permit.
This regulation establishes season dates, shooting hours, and other requirements for spring wild turkey hunting in Kentucky. This amendment will add a definition of “legal wild turkey” for pursuit and take during the spring hunting season. Subsequently, the amendment will change requirements for spring turkey hunting to reference “legal wild turkey”. Most importantly, the amendment will change the bag limit for WMAs to be one legal wild turkey taken per hunter per WMA per season statewide except on certain military installations. Lastly, the amendment will add language clarifying that turkey hunting requirements in this regulation reference the spring hunting season.
This administrative regulation establishes deer hunting seasons and zones, methods of take, bag limits, harvest recording procedures, and checking requirements and necessary to properly manage Kentucky's deer population while providing reasonable and ample recreational opportunity for deer hunters. This amendment establishes a CWD Surveillance Zone, requirements that hunters must abide by while hunting within the CWD Surveillance Zone, establishes where the requirements will be advertised, restricts the movement of harvested deer carcasses within the CWD Surveillance Zone and prohibits the feeding and baiting of all wildlife within the CWD Surveillance Zone with a few exceptions.
This administrative regulation establishes hunter requirements for Kentucky hunters and is necessary to establish minimum standards for responsible and safe hunting. This amendment will allow hunters who have successfully completed hunter education to no longer carry a physical card for proof of successful course completion but still require hunters to have documentation of course completion. Additionally, this amendment conforms to this regulation for a change in KRS 150.170 to exempt current and former members of the Armed Forces and certified peace officers from the live-fire component of the hunter education course. It also allows hunters required to have hunter education to have multiple ways to demonstrate course completion besides carrying a physical card only.
This administrative regulation establishes waterfowl seasons and bag limits within federal migratory bird hunting frameworks established in 50 CFR Parts 20 and 21 according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and necessary to establish the 2021-2022 waterfowl hunting seasons in accordance with the USFWS. This amendment will incorporate relevant portions of two repealed regulations; 301 KAR 2:224 and 301 KAR 2:226. It will change the timing of special youth waterfowl seasons from the first weekend in February to the Saturday before Thanksgiving and the Second Saturday in February. It will also add a special Veterans/Active Duty waterfowl season on the Sunday before Thanksgiving and the second Sunday in February. Waterfowl seasons and limits are set on an annual basis following the establishment of federal frameworks by the USFWS each year. It is the department's responsibility to allow quality hunting opportunity within these federal frameworks. The changes in bag limit for these species represent the maximum allowed in federal frameworks.
The necessity of this administrative regulation is to establish the 2018–2019 migratory bird seasons in accordance with the USFWS. This amendment will create two zones for Canada goose hunting in September. The Eastern zone will retain a September 16-30 hunting season. The Western zone will move the season to September 1-15. This amendment will allow the Department to implement “Mentored Hunter” hunts in addition to our youth dove hunts. Additionally, migratory bird hunters will now have to hunt geese during a September timeframe specified by where they live. Dove hunters wishing to utilize “quota hunt fields” (<10% of total fields) will have to apply for the hunts on the Department website and be drawn via a random drawing. Selected hunters will have to complete a post-hunt survey.
This amendment will set the Sandhill Crane hunting season to match the second segment of regular duck season (December 7 - January 31). Sandhill Crane season was changed in 2017-2018 to coincide with duck season. With the change in the season framework for the 2019-2020 duck season, moving the closure to January 31, the crane and duck seasons are again different. Season frameworks allow for a January 31st closure for Sandhill Cranes. This amendment to the regulation makes the closure the same for ducks and cranes.
This regulation establishes furbearer hunting and trapping seasons, bag limits, legal methods of take, and other furbearer hunting and trapping requirements. This regulation is necessary to provide adequate furbearer hunting and trapping opportunities and to properly manage furbearer populations in Kentucky. The amendment filed will extend the season for night coyote hunting with modern firearms and use of lights. This amendment will further increase the efficacy of coyote removal and provide an increased level of hunter opportunity.
To establish bear hunting season requirements and methods of take to provide reasonable hunting and chasing opportunity, while properly managing bear populations in Kentucky. This amendment will remove the bear quotas that regulated harvest in the past and instead regulate the harvest using season length. The Bear Zone will be redrawn to include four counties in Bear Zone 1, with specific hunting seasons, and 43 counties in Bear Zone 2, again with specific hunting seasons. Additionally, the season dates for the bear hunt with dogs season will be split to not overlap with bear archery season. Finally, equipment restrictions are to be amended to include modern guns of .264 caliber (6.5 mm) and muzzleloaders of .45 caliber .
This administrative regulation prohibits certain actions inconsistent with the intended purpose of Wildlife Management Areas, establishes requirements for other uses and stipulates the procedure for obtaining group use permits on these areas. This amendment cleans up and simplifies language in the existing regulation in regard to feeding of wildlife.
This administrative regulation simplifies the process for obtaining method exemptions and special use permits for mobility-impaired individuals and promotes nature-related recreational access to department-managed lands. This amendment cleans up and simplifies language in the existing regulation.
This regulation establishes the procedure for nominating individuals for consideration as members of the Fish and Wildlife Commission. KRS 150.022 requires the Governor appoint Fish and Wildlife Commission members and provides that vacancies shall be filled from a list of up to five (5) names submitted by the sportsmen of the corresponding commission wildlife district.This regulation establishes the system by which the sportsmen create the list of five (5) names to submit to the Governor. The amendment is necessary to more clearly describe the procedures of a Fish and Wildlife Commission member nomination meeting to conform with the passage of Senate Bill 217 during the 2022 session of the General Assembly.