How to Bow Hunt White-Tailed Deer in Kentucky
Kentucky is famous for its varied and beautiful natural landscape, offering many opportunities for hunting and fishing. Bow hunting for white-tailed deer is popular in Kentucky, where the skill required to use a bow can be rewarded with a trophy-caliber buck from the state's thriving white-tailed deer population. Before heading out for this year's bow hunting season in Kentucky, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the rules and regulations regarding archery in the state.
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Things You'll Need
- Legal bow and arrows
- Hunting license and permit
- Hunter orange clothing (during firearm season)
Instructions
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Check the beginning and ending dates for bow season in Kentucky. The archery season generally begins in early September and finishes in mid-January. Check this year's dates on the website for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife.
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Check to see if the portion of the archery season you plan to hunt in coincides with firearm season in Kentucky. If you are hunting with a bow during firearm season, you are legally required to wear hunter orange. Hunter orange is not required during archery-only portions of the archery season.
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Make sure that you are using a legally permitted bow. Longbows, recurve bows, and compound bows are permitted. Broadhead arrows must be at least 7/8 inch wide. There is no minimum draw weight for bow hunting in Kentucky. No barbed arrows, chemically treated arrows or broadheads narrower than 7/8 inches are permitted.
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Obtain a deer hunting license and deer permit. Licenses and permits are available at licensing agents, or over the phone and online from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Deer hunting permits allow the hunter to take up to two deer, one of which may be antlered.
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Keep a record on the back of your license of all deer taken during the season, and report your bagged deer to the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
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Check the Department of Fish and Wildlife website to determine which geographical zone you will be hunting in: additional rules and regulations may apply to your zone.
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