03/19/2026
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission Meeting Agenda for March 20, 2026, 8:30am, Salato Wildlife Education Center, Frankfort, Ky. 🦌 🦃 🐻 🐕 🦆🎣 🪪
Note: These are Discussion item topics (this post does not include new business items on the agenda)
Turkey Hunting Season Changes 🦃
➡️Remove hens from legal harvest during fall archery and crossbow seasons
➡️Remove bearded hens from legal harvest during the spring turkey season
Bear Season Modifications 🐻
➡️Replace physical check requirement with mandatory tooth submission
➡️Expand chase-only season from May through September, with WMA restrictions in elk zones
➡️Expand archery and modern gun seasons in Bear Zone 1
➡️Establish a youth-only bear season in October
Discussion Items 🗣️🦌
➡️Overlap of youth gun deer season and early muzzleloader season
➡️Create a new January antlerless-only fi****ms deer hunt in Zones 1–3 during MLK weekend
Licensing and Fee Changes 🪪 💵
➡️Bundle non-resident hunting and fishing licenses
➡️Increase non-resident hunting license fee from $169.12 to $204.12
Land, Water, & Commercial Use Regulations 🚤
➡️Merge shoreline use and boat dock permits at department-managed lakes
➡️Authorize and regulate additional commercial fishing gear for invasive carp
➡️Revise invasive carp harvest ratios and reporting requirements
➡️Transition commercial fishing harvest reporting to an online system
Wildlife Management Area (WMA) Changes
➡️Create a habitat stamp requirement for WMA users
➡️Allow permitted commercial wildlife carcass recovery services on WMAs
➡️Establish dog training permits and designated dog training areas at West Kentucky WMA
Waterfowl Season Updates 🦆
➡️Adjust Special Youth and Veterans/Active Military Waterfowl Seasons to early February weekends
Administrative and Governance Items
➡️Establish formal Commission committee meeting structure
Public comments
➡️Closed session for Commissioner annual performance evaluation 👀 🧐
Share your thoughts and opinions on these topics in the agenda that will be discussed ⬇️