The full list of amendments can be found on the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Resource website.
Several changes to Kentucky’s hunting and fishing regulations went into effect last week.
A Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources release broke down the list of amendments – many of which were aimed at maintaining wildlife – and how they could impact hunters and anglers visiting Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area in western Kentucky.
Some of the amendments include:
- In regards to non-traditional fishing methods under 301 KAR 1:410, daily harvest limits of invasive carp have been removed. The daily harvest limit of shovelnose sturgeon will be set at two. Various regulations pertaining to gigging and snagging – the use of spears and grapple hooks, respectively, to catch fish – will be applied.
- Anglers are fully prohibited from harvesting shovelnose sturgeon from the Mississippi River. The harvesting of pallid sturgeon is fully prohibited statewide.
- Gigging and snagging are now prohibited in the Cumberland River below the Lake Barkley Dam to the Highway 62 bridge in Livingston county.
- The restriction of feeding wild animals from March 1 through July 31 to protect them from disease and deadly toxins. This restriction does not apply to animals within public areas not open to legal hunting or trapping unless otherwise prohibited by state law, administrative regulation or municipal ordinance. Feeding fish is allowed year-round at Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area.
- The season for night hunting coyote with lights will be extended, now running from Dec. 1 to Mar. 31 and May 16 to June 30. On private lands, hunters are now allowed to use any modern firearm including modern breech-loading firearms- firearms loaded with ammunition via the rear of their barrel. Night hunting is fully prohibited at Land Between the Lakes.
- Hunters who have successfully finished their hunter education are no longer required to carry a physical card of proof of course completion. However, they must have documentation of course completion.
- Hunters can now harvest one turkey per hunter per wildlife management hunting area during the spring season, which runs from April 16 through May 8.
The full list of amendments can be found on the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Resource website.