Kentucky Fish And Wildlife Commission Proposes Modifications To Elk Hunting Season At Special Called Meeting

The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission took another step toward its goal of increasing Kentucky’s elk population at a faster rate by proposing hunting season modifications and setting season dates at its Jan. 6 special-called meeting.

The commission recommends all hunting, fishing and boating regulations for approval by the General Assembly and approves all expenditures by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. All recommendations must be approved by legislators before they become law.

Kentucky’s free-ranging elk population is the nation’s largest east of the Rocky Mountains, but the commission is taking strides to grow it faster as a way to create more recreational opportunity.

The commission moved to compress the state’s hunting season by ending the season December 31. In doing so, it proposed moving Cow Firearms Hunt 2 (second week) from January to December immediately after Cow Firearms Hunt 1.

The commission also proposed the 2017 elk season dates:

Bull Archery:

Sept. 16 – 29; Oct. 14 – Dec. 8; Dec. 23 – 31

Bull Crossbow:

Sept. 23 – 29; Oct. 14 – Dec. 8; Dec. 23 – 31

Bull Firearms 1:

Sept. 30 – Oct. 6

Bull Firearms 2:

Oct. 7 – 13

Cow Archery and Crossbow:

Oct. 14 – Dec. 8; Dec. 23 – 31

Cow Firearms 1:

Dec. 9 – 15

Cow Firearms 2:

Dec. 16 – 22

The next regular Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting will be 8:30 a.m. (Eastern time), Friday, March 17, 2017. Meetings are held at Kentucky Fish and Wildlife headquarters, located at 1 Sportsman’s Lane off U.S. 60 in Frankfort.