If you are a deer hunter in Kentucky—and there are more than 300,000 of us—November is your month. The one you’ve been waiting for.
Sure, deer season has been open since late summer. Archery season began the first day of September. Crossbow hunters have been in the woods since Oct. 1. Youngsters had a weekend to gun hunt in mid-October, and the opening muzzleloader weekend also was last month. But November is when things kick into high gear. The rut—that magical time when heavy antlered bucks (and frisky spike bucks along with all the rest) have nothing but romance on their minds and, as a result, sometimes toss their usual cautious ways to the wind—is at full press. Hunters (some hunters, anyway) benefit.
November also ushers in modern firearm season, which by statute begins the second Saturday of the month. This year, that is Nov. 10.
If you haven’t checked the deer regulations for the 2018-19 season, be sure to do so before opening day. Wildlife officials have made several changes, and not all hunters were happy with them. But here they are:
Deer season is still managed with four zones, with, as traditionally has been the case, Zone 1 offering the most liberal opportunities and Zone 4 counties being the most restrictive.
Kentucky is home to about 1 million deer, which, of course, are not evenly distributed. Critters, like humans, prosper in the proper surroundings. And while wildlife management is hardly an exact science, state deer managers overall aim to reduce whitetail numbers in Zone 1 counties, maintain numbers in Zones 2 and 3, and boost numbers in Zone 4. Hunting and hunt management are the only effective tools to achieve these goals.
Thirty-two counties have changed zone classifications from last season: Union, Henderson, Daviess, Hancock, Breckinridge, Meade, McLean, Muhlenberg, Todd, Hart, Butler, Warren, Allen, Monroe, Barren, Edmonson, Metcalfe, Adair, Taylor, Casey, Lincoln, Boyle, Mercer, Garrard, Madison, Clark, Montgomery, Bath, Mason, Wayne, Pulaski and Laurel. Most have become more liberal. Union, Henderson, McLean, Muhlenberg, Todd, Hart and Mercer and Mason are now designated Zone 1.
Gun season will run for 16 days in all zones. This is new and a major change. For nearly a generation, gun hunters in Zones 3 and 4 had been limited to 10 days. Zone 4 counties basically cover the southeastern chunk of the Commonwealth and feature rugged terrain that harbors the fewest number of deer and the most physically challenging hunting habitat. Zone 4 has been a 10-day gun hunt for as long as many can remember. I will be curious to learn if the extra six days adds a sizable number of deer to the Zone 4 bag. Last year, Zone 4 hunters checked about 6,000 whitetails during the 10-day gun season.
In Zone 1 counties—which include all of the Jackson Purchase region and a solid chunk of the state along the Ohio River from Hardin to Mason counties and reaching to Hart, Green, Washington, Mercer, Woodford, Scott, Harrison and Robertson counties—there is no limit on antlerless deer. Four deer can be taken on the statewide deer permit ($35 for residents and $120 for nonresidents). Additional permits are $15 (same price for residents and out-of-state hunters) and are good for two deer each.
Zone 2 hunters can take up to four deer. The Zone 3 limit also is four whitetails, but—in a change for this season—a firearm can be used only for one antlerless deer in any Zone 3 county. The Zone 4 bag is two deer, but only one can be antlerless.
One thing that hasn’t changed, and one of the few things nearly all deer hunters can agree on, is the statewide one antlered-buck limit. This is the bedrock of Kentucky’s resounding whitetail recovery. Although special regulations do apply to some areas and specially managed hunts, the one-buck rule remains in force.
For details or more information, pick up a copy of the Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide, available at most county court houses and wherever licenses are sold. You also can find a copy online at fw.ky.gov or call the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources at 1-800-858-1549.
Kentucky has become a deer hunt destination state, a testimony to the quality of the herd. By way of genetics, habitat and good management, Kentucky annually surrenders several Boone and Crockett-class bucks. In 2017, hunters reported bagging 34 B&C typical whitetails (minimum score 160) and 16 non-typical (minimum score 185). Those are the ones that were reported to wildlife officials. Details and a line list of last year’s B&C bucks are on page 13 of the hunting guide.
One negative is the continued decline in the number of hunters. The solution to this is simple, fun and productive: Go. And take a youngster with you.
Hunt safely.
Readers may contact Gary Garth at editor@kentuckymonthly.com