Kentucky Hunting Season Dates
Recorded hunting windows for Kentucky, including historical and unverified entries.
Recorded dates, not hunting permission
Status assessment: 2026-10-14 UTC (static build snapshot). Static activity badges and day counts use this build assessment, not a live check. Interactive finder results show their own UTC assessment day.
1 of 9 recorded windows have date-review evidence. Other rows remain unverified. Historical records are retained and are not a current-season promise.
Check your current agency regulations, GMU or zone, hunt code, license and access restrictions before hunting. An agency link or successful publication fetch does not verify a row. Reviewed base dates do not cover every license-specific exception.
Date evidence: Official date source. Review dates apply only to the stated row scope, not an entire state or current license eligibility.
Kentucky Hunting Season Calendar
Find all hunting season dates for Kentucky including deer, elk, turkey, and waterfowl. Filter by species and hunting method.
Coming Up in Kentucky
Seasons opening in the next 60 days
Nov 14-29, 2026
Opens in 31 days
Recorded Season Windows
All Kentucky hunting seasons organized by species
Deer 6 seasons
| Method | Dates | Zone | Status | Notes | Add to Calendar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | Sep 6, 2025 - Jan 20, 2026 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | Crossbow included | |
| Rifle/Firearm | Nov 14-29, 2026 Date window reviewed 2026-10-09; verify license-specific exceptions Official date source | Anderson County Zone1 — private-land antlered modern-gun base window | Upcoming | Current codified301 KAR2:172 Section5(2), actual linked PDF page3: modern gun starts the second Saturday in November for16 consecutive days, giving Nov14–29,2026. Section6(1) places Anderson County in Zone1; this slice is private-land antlered base dates only. Sections3–4 require a firearm that fires one round per trigger manipulation with centerfire, single-projectile ammunition designed to expand upon impact; no magazine capable of holding more than ten rounds; solid, unbroken hunter orange visible from all sides on head, back and chest. Check current license/deer permit or exemptions, antlered/sex/bag eligibility, tagging/reporting, CWD, permission/access and closures. The current annual guide and agency calendar remain blocked; no guide review is claimed. WMA/public-land/quota/military hunts, antlerless and other season dates are not reviewed; not individual permission. | |
| Rifle/Firearm | Nov 8-23, 2025 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | Modern gun - first | |
| Rifle/Firearm | Dec 13-31, 2025 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | Modern gun - second | |
| Muzzleloader | Oct 18-19, 2025 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | Early muzzleloader | |
| Muzzleloader | Dec 7-12, 2025 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | Late muzzleloader | |
Turkey 1 season
| Method | Dates | Zone | Status | Notes | Add to Calendar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any Legal Method | Apr 18 - May 3, 2026 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | Spring season | |
Elk 1 season
| Method | Dates | Zone | Status | Notes | Add to Calendar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any Legal Method | Sep 13-21, 2025 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | Draw hunt - quota | |
Bear 1 season
| Method | Dates | Zone | Status | Notes | Add to Calendar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any Legal Method | Oct 18-24, 2025 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | Limited areas in SE Kentucky | |
Got your license ready to show?
Store credentials offline in Hunter Passport
Kentucky Hunting Regulations
License year, species, and agency information
- License Year
- Mar 1, 2025 - Feb 28, 2026
- Available Species
-
- Bear
- Deer
- Elk
- Turkey
- Hunting Methods
-
- Archery
- Rifle/Firearm
- Muzzleloader
- Any Legal Method
- Wildlife Agency
- Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
This information is for reference only. Always verify regulations with your state wildlife agency before hunting or fishing.
Important Note for Kentucky
Only Anderson County Zone1 private-land antlered modern-gun base dates were reviewed under the current codified301 KAR2:172 rule. The current annual guide/calendar are blocked; no guide review is claimed. Current permits, sex/bag eligibility, legal devices, reporting, CWD, access/permission and closures require checks. WMA/public-land/quota/military hunts, other seasons, historical records including the December modern-gun label, and license-year metadata remain unverified.
Hunting Method Legend
Kentucky Hunting FAQ
Common questions about hunting seasons in Kentucky
What are the hunting season dates for Kentucky?
Recorded Kentucky entries cover Bear, Deer, Elk, Turkey. Dates include history and unverified records; the recorded license-year metadata is not current verification. Check row evidence and current agency regulations and your license.
When does deer season start in Kentucky?
Recorded windows, not one continuous season: 2025-09-06 to 2026-01-20; 2026-11-14 to 2026-11-29; 2025-11-08 to 2025-11-23; 2025-12-13 to 2025-12-31; 2025-10-18 to 2025-10-19; 2025-12-07 to 2025-12-12. Historical and unverified records may be included. Check each row's evidence and your current GMU/hunt code and license before hunting.
Does Kentucky require a draw for hunting?
Draw requirements depend on species, GMU or zone, hunt code and license type. Recorded date windows do not establish eligibility. Check the current Kentucky agency rules and your actual license.
Which recorded windows include the assessment date 2026-10-14 UTC in Kentucky?
The next recorded window is Deer starting Nov 14, 2026. Check its row evidence and current regulations; the record may be unverified.
What should I know about hunting in Kentucky?
Only Anderson County Zone1 private-land antlered modern-gun base dates were reviewed under the current codified301 KAR2:172 rule. The current annual guide/calendar are blocked; no guide review is claimed. Current permits, sex/bag eligibility, legal devices, reporting, CWD, access/permission and closures require checks. WMA/public-land/quota/military hunts, other seasons, historical records including the December modern-gun label, and license-year metadata remain unverified.
Other States
Compare hunting seasons across states
Need a Kentucky Hunting License?
Store your KY license in Hunter Passport for instant offline access.
Your license shouldn't be harder to access than these regulations.
Hunter Passport stores every state's hunting license on your phone. Works without signal — three seconds from tap to warden.