Whitetail Deer Hunting in Paducah, Kentucky

Land Between The Lakes, near Paducah, Ky., offers excellent deer hunting.

Kentucky offers excellent whitetail deer hunting, and the area near Paducah isn't any different. The popular Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, just south of Paducah, offers deer hunting to outdoor enthusiasts. Residents and nonresidents have the opportunity to enjoy the deer hunting around Paducah, Kentucky.

History

Paduch is located in Western Kentucky near Tennessee where the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers join. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dammed the two rivers to form the world's largest man-made body of water, the Land Between the Lakes. To control wildlife populations in the recreation area, the USDA Forest Service issues permits with a valid state hunting license to hunt whitetail deer.

Seasons

Whitetail deer seasons are in the fall and are set by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife. There are four deer zones in Kentucky, and Paducah is in Zone 1. For Zone 1, the modern gun season opens on Nov. 13 and closes Nov. 28. The archery season is open from Sept. 4 to Jan. 17, and the muzzleloader season is Oct. 16-17 and Dec. 11-19.

Public Land

Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area provides 170,000 acres of public hunting property just south of Paducah. With the abundance of available land, hunters have the opportunity to move away from other hunters, campers or hikers. To hunt on the recreation area, you need to purchase a special permit through the Land Between the Lakes headquarters.

Permits

To hunt deer in Kentucky, residents and nonresidents must purchase a valid hunting license for that season. Hunting in Paducah requires a statewide or Zone 1 permit. Permits are available for the modern gun, archery, crossbow, muzzleloader or youth-only firearms season. Deer permits are $30 for residents and $60 for nonresidents. An annual hunting license is also required to hunt deer, which can be purchased by residents for $20 and $130 by nonresidents. There is no daily limit on deer.

Potential

In recent years, the potential for trophy whitetails has increased around Paducah. According to the Boone and Crockett Club, the entire state of Kentucky has entered 279 trophy bucks into the record books since 1830. This total ranks the state seventh among the top whitetail producing states. Norm Minch, from Kentucky Game and Fish, says the western part of Kentucky around Paducah has been producing more trophy whitetails recently as a result of improved habitat.

References

• Kentucky Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Resources: Hunting/Trapping and Wildlife
• Kentucky Lake
• Land Between The Lakes: Recreational Activities
• Kentucky Game & Fish: Kentucky Deer Forecast
• Boone & Crockett: A Geographic Analysis

Resources

• Kentucky Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Resources