Why 21 Kentucky Counties Have an Extra Deer Season This Week

Statewide archery season for Kentucky deer hunters began September 5th, while the Commonwealth's crossbow season kicked off September 19th. But deer hunters in parts of Western Kentucky have an additional season coming up, one that comes with very specific rules.

And no, I'm not referring to modern gun season, which starts on November 14th; the "additional season" in question is this weekend, September 25-28. It's a special antlerless gun season, but only for certain counties--those in Deer Zones 1 through 3 within the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Surveillance Zone. Naturally, bows and crossbows will also be permitted during this special period.

The special season will be in effect in 21 counties: Ballard, Breckinridge, Calloway, Carlisle, Casey, Fulton, Graves, Hardin, Henderson, Hickman, Laurel, Lincoln, Marshall, McCracken, Meade, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Russell, Union, Wayne and Webster.

So why the extra four-day season?

There are a couple of reasons. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife says the additional season helps manage deer density in the surveillance area. It also gives wildlife officials an opportunity to collect more samples for CWD testing, which can help them determine where the disease is present.

What Is Chronic Wasting Disease?

If you've paid much attention to deer hunting news in Kentucky in recent years, you've probably heard "Chronic Wasting Disease" multiple times and been left scratching your head. "Well, that sounds awful, but what IS it?" And the next logical question could be, "And why does deer density (whatever THAT might be) matter?"

CWD is an always-fatal neurological disease that affects deer and other members of the cervid family like elk and moose. In infected animals, abnormal proteins called prions damage the brain and other nervous-system tissue. This can lead to symptoms like abnormal behavior, severe weight loss, loss of coordination, excessive salivation and stumbling. However, deer infected with CWD may not appear sick. Since symptoms can take a long time to appear, testing harvested deer can detect infections that might otherwise go unnoticed.

CWD can spread through direct contact between deer and through exposure to saliva, urine, feces and contaminated environments.

And that's where deer density comes into play. The term simply refers to the number of deer living within a given area. The more deer that are concentrated in one place, the more opportunities there are for CWD to spread from infected deer to other deer.

What Hunters Need to Know

So if you're hunting September 25-28, what should you do? First, make sure you're hunting in one of the 21 counties where the special season is in effect. And only antlerless deer may be harvested, regardless of whether you're using a bow, crossbow or gun.

Standard zone bag limits still apply, and Kentucky Fish and Wildlife says hunter-orange requirements are in effect.

Once an antlerless deer is harvested during the special season, it must be Telechecked before the hunter takes it to a CWD sample drop-off site.

CWD sampling is mandatory during the special season. Hunters must take the head of each legally harvested antlerless deer—with at least five inches of neck attached—to a CWD sample drop-off site within the CWD Surveillance Zone. They'll need to provide their Telecheck and licensing information, contact information and the location where the deer was harvested. KDFWR says that can be a grid number from its "Know Before You Go" map, an address or GPS coordinates.

The self-service drop-off sites are available 24/7, and KDFWR provides the necessary bags, tags and instructions. Hunters should keep the tear-off portion of the sample tag as proof that the deer was checked.