Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, March 1, 2024
RELATES TO:
KRS
150.175(7), (8), (15), (17),
(18),
150.305,
150.990
NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY:
KRS
150.025(1) authorizes the
Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources to promulgate administrative
regulations establishing hunting seasons, bag limits, and the methods of taking
wildlife.
KRS
150.390(1) prohibits a
person from taking, pursuing, or molesting a wild turkey in any manner contrary
to the provisions of Chapter 150 or its administrative regulations. This
administrative regulation establishes season dates, shooting hours, and other
requirements for spring turkey hunting.
Section
1. Definitions.
(1) "Legal wild
turkey" means a wild turkey that is a male or has a visible beard.
(2) "Wildlife Management Area" or "WMA" means
a tract of land:
(a) Controlled by the
department through ownership, lease, license, or cooperative agreement;
and
(b) That has "Wildlife
Management Area" or "WMA" as part of its official name.
(3) "Youth" means a person under the age of
sixteen (16) by the day of the hunt.
Section 2. Youth Turkey Season. There shall
be a statewide youth-only turkey hunting season for two (2) consecutive days
beginning on the first Saturday in April.
Section 3. Statewide Turkey Season. There
shall be a statewide turkey hunting season for twenty-three (23) consecutive
days beginning on the Saturday closest to April 15.
Section 4. Spring Turkey Hunting
Requirements.
(1) A person shall:
(a) Only take legal turkeys;
(b) Take no more than one (1) legal turkey
per day statewide;
(c) Take no more
than one (1) legal turkey per WMA per season; and
(d) Take no more than two (2) legal turkeys
per season statewide, except on certain military installations or as otherwise
provided by law.
(2) A
person shall not take a turkey using any device except the following equipment
authorized by
301 KAR
2:140:
(a) A
firearm;
(b) Archery equipment;
or
(c) A crossbow.
(3) A person shall only hunt
turkeys from one-half (1/2) hour before sunrise until one-half (1/2) hour after
sunset.
(4) A person who is
assisting or calling a turkey for a legal hunter shall not be required to
possess a hunting license or turkey permit.
Section 5. Wildlife Management Area
Requirements.
(1) Unless specified in this
section, spring season dates and the requirements of
301 KAR
2:140 shall apply to Wildlife Management
Areas.
(2) Barren River WMA. On the
Peninsula Unit, including Narrows, Goose Island, and Grass Island, a person
shall not use a breech-loading firearm to take a turkey.
(3) Higginson-Henry WMA. A person shall not
use a firearm to take a turkey.
(4)
Livingston County WMA. Statewide spring turkey season is open to youth
only.
(5) Pioneer Weapons WMA. A
person shall not use the following to take a turkey:
(a) A breech-loading firearm; or
(b) A scope or optical enhancement.
(6) Robinson Forest WMA. A person
shall not hunt turkeys on the main block of the WMA.
(7) West Kentucky WMA. Tracts marked with the
letter "A" shall be closed for the statewide turkey season established in
Section 3 of this administrative regulation.
Section 6. Special Area Requirements.
(1) Unless specified in this section, all the
requirements of this administrative regulation shall apply.
(2) A person shall comply with all federal
requirements when hunting on the following federal areas:
(a) Bluegrass Army Depot;
(b) Fort Campbell;
(c) Fort Knox;
(d) Land Between the Lakes; and
(e) Reelfoot National Wildlife
Refuge.
(3) A spring
turkey season, not to exceed twenty-three (23) days, shall be allowed between
the last Saturday in March and the second Sunday in May on the following areas:
(a) Bluegrass Army Depot;
(b) Fort Campbell;
(c) Fort Knox;
(d) Land Between the Lakes;
(e) Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge;
and
(f) Wendell H. Ford Regional
Training Center.
(4) A
turkey taken on the following areas shall be considered a bonus bird:
(a) Bluegrass Army Depot;
(b) Fort Campbell; and
(c) Fort Knox.
(5) A person shall not take more than one (1)
turkey on the following areas:
(a) Land
Between the Lakes; and
(b) Reelfoot
National Wildlife Refuge.
(6) Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area. All
statewide season requirements shall apply, except that shooting hours shall be
from one-half (1/2) hour before sunrise to noon each day.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY:
KRS
150.025(1),
150.390(1)
