When Kentucky’s 2018 deer season opens Sept. 1, a number of new regulations will be in place.
Archery deer season opens Sept. 1 continues through Jan. 21, 2019. Crossbow season is Oct. 1-21 and Nov. 10-Dec. 31, 2018. Muzzleloader season is Oct. 20-21 and Dec. 8-16. The youth-only gun season spans the weekend of Oct. 13-14, and the free youth weekend is Dec. 29-30.
Deer hunters should note the following changes for the upcoming season:
• The modern gun deer season has been lengthened in Zones 3 and 4 and will now be 16 days across all zones, opening Nov. 10 and continuing through Nov. 25, 2018.
• The statewide and youth deer permits now allow for the harvest of up to four deer. While the harvest allotment for statewide and youth deer permits has increased, the one-buck rule remains in place statewide.
• Eight counties have changed from Zone 2 to Zone 1: Union, Henderson, McLean, Muhlenberg, Todd, Mercer, Mason and Hart.
• Twenty counties have changed from Zone 3 to Zone 2: Warren, Allen, Monroe, Barren, Metcalfe, Adair, Edmonson, Butler, Breckinridge, Meade, Hancock, Daviess, Taylor, Casey, Lincoln, Boyle, Madison, Clark, Montgomery and Bath.
• Four counties have changed from Zone 4 to Zone 3: Garrard, Pulaski, Wayne and Laurel.
Each county across the state is assigned to one of four deer zones. Bag limits are zone specific. Hunters can harvest up to the zone bag limit in each zone but would need an additional deer permit to take more than four deer statewide.
• In Zone 1, hunters can take one antlered deer and an unlimited number of antlerless deer using the statewide deer permit and additional deer permits.
• In Zone 2, hunters can harvest up to four deer.
• In Zone 3, hunters can take up to four deer but a firearm cannot be used to harvest more than one antlerless deer.
• In Zone 4, hunters can take up to two deer. Only one can be antlerless, and the statewide one-buck rule remains in place. Antlerless deer can be harvested in Zone 4 during archery season, crossbow season, youth gun seasons and the last three days of December muzzleloader season.
Updated regulations for fall and winter hunting seasons can be found in the Hunting and Trapping Guide.