Posted by Alisha on Oct 2, 2010
Kentucky’s Youth-Only firearms season for deer, first held in 1996, is the weekend of Oct. 9-10.
The season was created to offer resident and non-resident boys and girls ages 15 and under an introduction to deer hunting with the maximum opportunity for success. Youth hunters must be accompanied by an adult. This adult might be a parent, grandparent, relative, family friend or mentor at least 18 years of age. The adult must be in position to take immediate control of the youth hunter’s firearm at all times. Non-hunting adults accompanying youth during this season do not need a valid Kentucky hunting license or deer permit. Adults who plan to hunt with a youth during this season must use archery equipment only.
“Youth hunters must be able to handle and control the firearm independently,” said Brunjes. “Even though the adult has to be at the youth hunter’s side, the adult can’t hold the firearm for the youth.”
Deer of either sex may be taken during Youth-Only firearms deer season. Unless license exempt, boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 15 must possess a valid hunting license, deer permit and hunter education card. Hunters under age 12 aren’t required to possess a hunting license or a hunter education course to participate.
Youth hunters must abide by bag limits, zone restrictions and all other deer hunting regulations applicable to the county in which they hunt. They must use their own Social Security number to Telecheck harvested deer.
The deer harvest on this weekend can vary widely due to the season’s two-day length and October time frame. For example, youth hunters bagged 4,024 deer in 2009, while they took just 2,266 in 2008.
“Over the last five years, the harvest has averaged 3,747 deer,” said Brunjes. “Severe weather, such as a rainstorm or heat wave, can essentially wipe out a season.”
Deer typically feed on acorns in the woods in early October. They eat as much forage as they can find such as winter wheat, clover and alfalfa before the first frosts kill back greenery. But this year, the drought conditions of August and September made forage unavailable or unpalatable to deer because it is dry and in poor condition. Acorns started falling earlier than normal and many small creeks dried up. Look for deer to linger near water sources in woodlands.
The Youth-Only firearms season for deer is the first of five firearms deer seasons. The early muzzleloader season is Oct. 16-17. Modern Gun deer season opens Nov. 13 and closes Nov. 28 in Zones 1 and 2, and Nov. 22 in Zones 3 and 4. Late muzzleloader season is Dec. 11-19 and Free Youth Hunting Weekend is Jan. 1-2, 2011.
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Posted by John Humphress on Sep 21, 2010
Hunters have just a few more days to apply for deer, pheasant, quail, upland bird and waterfowl quota hunts managed by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
The application deadline is Sept. 30. Most quota hunts take place on department wildlife management areas (WMAs). Complete details about the quota hunts, including dates and hunter requirements, are available in the quota hunt section that starts on page 43 of the 2010-11 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide. The 2010-11 waterfowl quota hunt dates are available online at http://fw.ky.gov/10waterfowlquotahunt.asp
Hunters must call toll-free 1-877-598-2401 to apply for all types of quota hunts. It costs $3 per hunter to apply for each species, although waterfowl hunt applicants are charged $3 per area if they wish to apply for both the Ballard and Sloughs WMA hunts.
Hunters who apply but are not selected will receive a preference point for use in the following year’s quota hunt drawing. These points increase the hunter’s chances of being drawn. Hunters must continue to apply each year to keep building preference points.
Hunters must be aware of some changes to the quota hunts this year. The bonus WMA quota hunt deer permit is no longer available. Hunters must use their statewide deer permit or a bonus antlerless-only deer permit.
Hunters drawn for a Taylorsville Lake WMA antlerless-only quota hunt will not lose accumulated preference points. Hunters on the West Kentucky WMA quota and open gun hunts must check in daily. At check-in prior to each day’s hunt, hunters must choose a tract and not hunt outside of it.
At the Clay WMA quota hunt on Nov. 6-7, the bag limit has been increased to four deer. Clay WMA will also hold four one-day upland bird (grouse and quail) quota hunts for the first time. For the dates and regulation details, consult page 50 of the 2010-11 Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide or go online: http://fw.ky.gov/deerguide10quota.asp.
Hunters are chosen from the applicant pool based on preference points. Applicants who have the greatest number of points receive first choice. Applicants with a decreasing number of points are chosen until all spots are filled.
Some hunts are so popular that it may take hunters several years to be drawn. Other hunts, usually those offered in more rural areas or near other public land, do not draw as many applicants and hunters can expect to be drawn every couple of years or so.
Hunters may apply as groups. If one person in the group is selected, all group members are selected. If one or more people in the group have a high number of preference points, it increases the chances of the entire group being selected.
Applicants will lose their accumulated preference points if they do not apply every year. Applicants can check fw.ky.gov online after Oct. 8 to see if they are drawn. Results will also be available by calling Kentucky Fish and Wildlife at 1-800-858-1549 after Oct. 11.
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Posted by Alisha on Aug 27, 2010
Kentucky’s 135-day archery season begins Saturday, Sept. 4. At the beginning of archery season, Kentucky deer are focused on food. Fields of clover, alfalfa, or sprouting wheat, planted as a cover crop, are good places to hunt.
Pick a tree that provides good cover in a fenceline for your treestand, or a brushy area in the corner of the field for a ground blind. Early in the season the wind predominately blows from the west or southwest, but frequently shifts to the northwest with the advance of cool fronts.
Facing your stand northwest is the ideal positioning for hunting cool front. That way you’ll have the sun set over your left shoulder, and the wind in your face. Deer approaching from upwind won’t be able to smell you, and you’ll be hidden in the shadows as the sun moves to the western horizon.
Early in the season, concentrate on hunting in the late afternoons, especially during the first and last quarter moon periods. This is when the moon is a thin crescent and positioned at 12 o’clock in the sky at dusk. Deer are most likely to converge on feeding areas before dark during this time.
Modern gun deer season opens Nov. 13 statewide. The season runs until Nov. 28 for Zone 1 and Zone 2 counties and until Nov. 22 for Zone 3 and Zone 4 counties. Picking the right entry and exit route to your treestand or ground blind might be more important to success in deer hunting than where you actually hunt.
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