megan.bagby.deer
Kentucky’s deer season has been in progress since Sept. 2, which was opening day for the 4-month-long archery season. October opened the deer woods to crossbow hunters. Muzzleloaders were afforded an October weekend, and youth hunters (age 15 and younger) also were granted two days in October to deer hunt. But for most of us, deer season effectively begins Nov. 11, opening day of the 2017-2018 modern firearm deer hunt.
During the various September to January archery, crossbow, muzzleloader and modern gun seasons, Kentucky hunters likely will tag 140,000-150,000 whitetail deer. (The five-year, 2012-2016 average kill was 141,976, ranging from 155,730 in 2015 to 131,395 deer taken in 2012.)
Most are taken during the November gun season. Of the 139,450 deer tagged and checked through the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources’ automated Telecheck system during the 2016-2017 season, 104,229 (74.4 percent) were taken by modern gun hunters.
There are reasons for this. More people hunt with modern firearms than with archery, crossbow or muzzle-loading gear combined. State wildlife biologists and game managers also structure the November firearm season to coincide with the peak of whitetail breeding season, or rut. Like all things with a sexual tinge, the rut has a bit of mystery about it, but for whitetail deer, it is generally triggered by the 24-hour photoperiod. That’s the time during a 24-hour period when animals are exposed to sunlight. Just how this works is not clearly understood, but when female deer become interested in breeding, male deer generally become a little careless. They move a bit more when chasing does. Mature, heavy-antlered bucks that become mostly nocturnal critters when hunting pressure increases, display more daytime activity during the rut, making them more vulnerable to hunters. Sex, it seems, makes all critters careless.
Deer season is open statewide, and deer are taken from each of Kentucky’s 120 counties. But where and how you can hunt—including how many deer can be legally taken and by which method—depends on the zone of the county in which one is hunting. This is not quite as complicated as it might seem, unless you’re a first-time deer hunter.
Wildlife management is an inexact science. Kentucky is home to about 1 million whitetail deer. The habitat could handle more deer, but for various reasons, game managers would like to keep the herd at around 1 million animals. The only effective method for managing deer numbers is hunting. The challenge is that deer are not evenly distributed across the state.
For management and hunting purposes, each Kentucky county is assigned a zone number: 1, 2, 3 or 4.
The management goal in Zone 1 counties is to reduce the number of deer. The management goal in Zone 4 counties is to increase the number of deer. In Zones 2 and 3, deer densities are about right.
“It can seem a little complicated, but there used to be seven [deer] zones,” said Gabe Jenkins, deer program coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife. “But basically, we want to reduce the number of deer in some areas and grow the number of deer in other areas.”
Check your county zone at fw.ky.gov or in the 2017-2018 hunting and trapping guide. Hunt safely.
Zone 1
A hunter may take an unlimited number of antlerless deer. Two deer may be taken using the statewide deer permit, and an unlimited number of antlerless deer may be taken using additional deer permits.
A hunter is limited to one deer with visible antlers (excluding button bucks) per license year statewide.
Zone 2
A hunter may take no more than four deer total and combined in Zones 2, 3 and 4. Two deer may be taken using the statewide deer permit and two deer may be taken using one additional deer permit.
A hunter is limited to one deer with visible antlers (excluding button bucks) per license year statewide.
Zone 3
A hunter may take no more than two deer with a firearm and no more than four deer total and combined in Zones 2, 3, and 4. Two deer may be taken using the statewide deer permit and two deer may be taken using one additional deer permit.
All four deer may be taken with archery or crossbow equipment.
A hunter is limited to one deer with visible antlers (excluding button bucks) per license year statewide.
Zone 4
A hunter may take no more than two deer with a firearm (one with a modern firearm and one with a muzzleloader, or both with a muzzleloader).
Antlerless deer can only be taken with a firearm during the last three days of the December segment of the muzzleloader season.
A hunter may take no more than four deer total and combined in Zones 2, 3 and 4. Two deer may be taken using the statewide deer permit and two deer may be taken using one additional deer permit.
All four deer may be taken with archery or crossbow equipment.
A hunter is limited to one deer with visible antlers (excluding button bucks) per license year statewide.
Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry provides donated venison to food banks and other distribution centers. For more information, or if you wish to donate a deer, go to kyhuntersforthehungry.info.
Readers may contact Gary Garth at editor@kentuckymonthly.com