Kentucky in the spring offers unique hunting opportunities for the hunter to challenge their skills and techniques. Here is a look at three animals that Kentucky hunters can legally hunt during the springtime.
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- Turkey
- Spring turkey hunting runs mid-April to mid-May, with a two-day hunt in early April exclusively for junior hunters. Beginning in 2015, Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) regulations opened to breech-loading and muzzleloading shotguns between .410 and 10 gauge. New regulation changes also prohibit the calling of turkey in open hunting areas from the beginning of March until the open of the first spring season, which is the youth or junior two-day season during the first week of April. Calling is also prohibited on closed season days between the close of youth or junior season and the open of regular spring turkey season, which occurs roughly two weeks later. The counties with the highest harvest data for the 2013 hunting season were located in the Midwestern region of the state, closer to the Mississippi River.
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- Squirrels - The open season for squirrels runs mid-May through mid-June. Hunting hours are restricted to between dawn and dusk, with a half-hour allowance in either direction. There are daily bag and possession limits that apply. There are also specific firearm and caliber restrictions. The use of dogs is permitted. Hunters should familiarize themselves with and stay current on regulations, however, as it is not unusual for updates to occur.
- Coyotes
- Although a species native to North America, their range was historically limited to the Plains and western mountains. It is only within the past 40 years that they have expanded east of the Mississippi, filling the predatory niche left empty by the absence of the gray wolves and red wolves, species no longer found in Kentucky ecosystems. The coyote is adaptable, persistent, and resilient to the point where its steady population often adversely affects the viable and positive management of other predatory species, such as foxes. Because of that, coyote in Kentucky are a game species with a year-round open season and unlimited bag. KDFWR has put restrictions on equipment, however. Hunting after dark must be done with shotgun only, ammunition cannot be single slugs, and no vehicle-mounted spotlighting is allowed. Hunters are allowed to use dogs for running.
This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.
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