A proposal to expand youth and muzzleloader seasons in Kentucky
By First District Commissioner Dr. Robin Floyd
I would like to ask for your support regarding my proposal to expand Early Youth and Early Muzzleloader deer seasons which will be presented as an action item at the upcoming KDFWR Commission Meeting on June 21st. As you know, there has been a significant decline in the number of youth taking part in hunting and fishing for the last several years. Simply look around the room at any group of hunters and you will see older guys but few if any young folks.
This proposal aims to increase deer hunting opportunities for both youth and adults from the current 2 days to 9 consecutive days, with both expanded seasons running concurrently from the second Saturday in October to the third Sunday in October, so that both youth and adult mentors that have taken them hunting could harvest deer during this time. I believe this ability to harvest deer together could incentivize more adults to take youth hunting. Legal weapons for adults would include the currently allowable archery and muzzleloading rifles but also firearms with exposed hammers shooting straight walled cartridges (revolvers, single shot pistols, break action rifles, and reproduction rifles) as well as shotguns shooting slugs. Modern necked cartridges and semiautomatic rifles and pistols would not be allowed.
This proposal will have no negative effect on the deer herd. We now have over 1 million deer in KY. All western KY is overpopulated. Surely, it would be better for hunters to have the opportunity to harvest some of these deer, rather than many being shot with depredation permits or struck by motor vehicles, as is now the case. These proposed expanded seasons should also be of significant benefit to participating processors in Ky Hunters for the Hungry as donated deer currently come in at the same time as the deer they make money on, causing some processors to limit the number of donated deer they can process.
I believe the adult portion of the proposal is by far the most important because getting adult mentors involved is critical to the process, as these kids are too young to drive. The proposed time is also important as this is the week that some school systems have traditionally had their Fall Break, so kids would be free to hunt during the weekdays, although that isn’t uniform across the state, as each school district decides when their Fall Break will be. It is also important that the expansion occurs prior to Modern Firearms season, when the largest percentage of deer, and an even larger percentage of bucks, are harvested in KY. A significant number of hunters lose interest in hunting deer after Modern Firearms season, particularly once bucks are shedding their antlers or any doe they might harvest is likely to be pregnant, and these hunters frequently transition to waterfowl or rabbit hunting. In order to capitalize on the enthusiasm of hunters to harvest deer, these expanded seasons need to occur early or they won’t be successful.
Let me say straight up this is not a perfect proposal or the total solution to getting more youth involved in hunting. A perfect, total solution does not exist! However, this is the only proposal aimed at trying to get more youth involved in hunting I’ve seen since I’ve been on the KDFWR Commission. Others who have been on the Commission longer than me have told me they never remember a proposal aimed at encouraging more youth to take up hunting.
I have heard from a few critics regarding the proposal, none of whom have offered a workable proposal of their own. Common criticisms are:
Archery hunters would have to wear orange for 5 additional days. (A significant percentage of archery hunters are crossbow hunters, so this would have minimal overall impact. Also, bow season is now over 19 weeks long, so bow hunters certainly won’t lack opportunity!)
This expanded season would “stir the deer up” before Modern Firearms season. (There would be 3 weeks from the last day of this expanded season to the first day of Modern Firearms season, plenty of time for the deer to settle down.)
Initially, I’d like the Expanded Muzzleloader portion of this proposal to take place in only CWD Surveillance Zone counties, all of which are in the 1st District, which I represent. We have plenty of public hunting areas in the 1st District, for those who want to participate but don’t have private land to hunt. If this proposal is successful, the Commission might then choose to include other parts of the state. If unsuccessful, only the CWD Surveillance Zone counties (currently 8 out of 120 counties) will have been affected and I will take complete responsibility. We need to address the problem of declining numbers of youth hunters sooner rather than later. I hope you will support this effort to do so.
This proposal has been passed at the last two Commission meetings, but I need your help to get it across the finish line. If you would, simply send an email supporting this proposal to:
I suggest you say something along the lines of:
“I would like to see youth be given more opportunity to take up hunting and so I want to request that you vote to pass the proposed expansion of Early Youth and Early Muzzleloader Deer Seasons as written. Please give each Commissioner a copy of this email prior to the Commission Meeting.”
“Your Name”
“Your county of residence”
Thanks for your help,
Robin Floyd
First District Commissioner, KDFWR