Jenny Gilbert, Phone: 502-564-3400, Email: fw.publicaffairs@ky.gov

Conservation, Fish and Wildlife, Hunting

This administrative regulation establishes exceptions to statewide small game and furbearer requirements on public areas.

This administrative regulation is necessary to establish exceptions to statewide small game and furbearer hunting and trapping requirements on public areas.

KRS 150.025(1) authorizes the department to promulgate administrative regulations to establish open seasons for the taking of wildlife, to regulate bag limits and methods of take, and to make these requirements apply statewide or to a limited area. KRS 150.175(7) and (9) authorize the department to issue licenses, permits, and tags for hunting and trapping. KRS 150.360 requires restrictions on the taking of wildlife and authorizes the department to promulgate administrative regulations establishing the requirements for hunting coyotes at night. KRS 150.400 authorizes the department to establish the types of traps that can legally be used by trappers. KRS 150.410 authorizes the department to regulate trap tags, trap visitation, and trap placement to protect domestic animals. KRS 150.620 authorizes the department to promulgate administrative regulations for the maintenance and operation of the lands the department has acquired for public recreation.

This administrative regulation will fulfill the purposes of KRS 150.360 by defining restrictions on the taking of furbearers at night.

This amendment will restrict night hunting for coyote and bobcat to daytime only on specified federal lands and prohibit night hunting of beaver on all public lands. The amendment removes management restrictions on Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area (OCORA) as the area has been transferred from department ownership to Meade County. The agency amendment establishes dog training permit requirements for West Kentucky WMA and establishes rules for use of dog training areas at West Kentucky WMA.

This amendment will provide conformity with rules on specified federal areas and prohibit night hunting of beaver on public areas due to safety concerns. Dog training and organized sporting dog events have increased at West Kentucky WMA. The area hosts approximately twenty organized events totaling nearly one hundred event-days annually, according to WMA staff. The agency amendment provides additional training opportunities while restricting unleashed dogs during specified periods associated with hunting use.

See (1)(c) above.

See (1)(d) above.

Yes, Kentucky Acts Chapter 93 (SB 39 2026RS).

All licensed and permitted hunters.

All licensed and permitted hunters will need to abide by night hunting requirements.

There will be no additional cost to licensed and permitted hunters., except for a person participating in dog training at West Kentucky WMA.

Licensed and permitted hunters will be able to take select furbearers at night under certain restrictions. Individuals desiring to train dogs at West Kentucky Wildlife Management Area will have an opportunity to do so through defined permit requirements.

There will be no additional cost to the department to implement this administrative regulation.

There will be no additional cost to the department on a continuing basis.

The source of funding is the State Game and Fish Fund.

No increase in funding is necessary.

This administrative regulation does not establish fees or directly or indirectly increase any fees.

Tiering is not applied because all licensed and permitted hunters in Kentucky must comply with the requirements of this administrative regulation.

{Response} KRS 150.025(1) authorizes the department to promulgate administrative regulations to establish open seasons for the taking of wildlife, to regulate bag limits and methods of take, and to make these requirements apply statewide or to a limited area. KRS 150.175(7) and (9) authorize the department to issue licenses, permits, and tags for hunting and trapping. KRS 150.360 requires restrictions on the taking of wildlife and authorizes the department to promulgate administrative regulations establishing the requirements for hunting coyotes at night. KRS 150.400 authorizes the department to establish the types of traps that can legally be used by trappers. KRS 150.410 authorizes the department to regulate trap tags, trap visitation, and trap placement to protect domestic animals. KRS 150.620 authorizes the department to promulgate administrative regulations for the maintenance and operation of the lands the department has acquired for public recreation. KRS 150.170 requires the department to promulgate a regulation for nocturnal beaver hunting and authorizes bobcat to be taken at night as established in regulation.

Portions of these amendments related to hunting of bobcat and beaver at night were This amendment is expressly authorized by Kentucky Acts Chapter 93 (SB 39 2026RS).

The promulgating agency is the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. No other state agencies are affected.

These amendments will not result in any additional expenditures for the department.

These amendments will not result in any additional expenditures for the department.

The permits issued for dog training activities at West Kentucky WMA will generate approximately $5,000 to $6,000 annually. These amendments will not result in any change in revenues for the department.

The permits issued for dog training activities at West Kentucky WMA will generate approximately $5,000 to $6,000 annually. These amendments will not result in any change in revenues for the department.

These amendments will not result in any cost savings for the department.

These amendments will not result in any cost savings for the department.

{Response} No local entities should be affected by these amendments.

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For the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, there will be a net positive impact arising from the public purchasing permits to utilize the dog training areas at West Kentucky WMA. This amendment will not have any significant fiscal impact.

The approximate fiscal impact was calculated based upon the permit pricing for dog training at West Kentucky WMA and prior usage statistics. This amendment does not modify any fees or require affected entities to expend funds to comply with the amendments beyond those incidental to normal operations.

This amendment will not have a major economic impact.

The historical usage of dog training areas at West Kentucky WMA’s is not high enough based upon the price of required permits as established in 301 KAR 5:022 to exceed a few thousand dollars annually and does not remotely approach the statutory threshold for a major economic impact. This amendment does not increase any fees or otherwise create a financial burden to state or local government agencies or to regulated entities.