Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources

03/12/2023

Did you "spring forward"? Today is the first day of Daylight Savings Time.

We are ready for lighter evenings and warmer weather. Are YOU?!?

Remember - no matter what time of the year - ALL great outdoors days begin at fw.ky.gov!

03/11/2023

SPRING TURKEY GUIDE --> https://bit.ly/3IUnfHq

IMPORTANT NOTES:
• Feeding of wildlife is now prohibited statewide from March 1-July 31.
• Salt and minerals as well as feeding wildlife with grains, seeds or manufactured feeds are prohibited year-round in the 5-county CWD Surveillance Zone (Calloway, Marshall, Graves, Fulton & Hickman counties),
• Normal agricultural practices, food plots/plantings, and bird feeders in yards are legal statewide.

(The online version of this Guide corrects an error in the printed Guide regarding use of salt and mineral on page 8.)

The new extended timeframe of the feeding prohibition will help protect wild turkeys, deer and other wildlife from fungus aflatoxins and additional feeding-related health issues or mortalities, especially when young are most vulnerable.

03/11/2023

Join us for the 2023 Kentucky NASP® State Tournament at the Kentucky Exposition Center on March 17-18.

During the tournament, don't miss an opportunity to earn your HUNTER SAFETY ORANGE CARD. First, complete the online course prior to attending the tournament.

MUST REGISTER:
🎯March 17 Range Day:
https://bit.ly/3kIuZ76

🎯March 18 Range Day:
https://bit.ly/3kJvWMu

🖨PRINT and bring a copy of your online course completion certificate to the Tournament.

Find everything you need to know about NASP® here: https://fw.ky.gov/Education/Pages/NASP.aspx.

03/11/2023

🐟 Big Fish Friday is back 🐟

Warmer temperatures mean it’s time to start thinking about fishing, and spring is a great time of year to catch big fish!

Click here for the 2023 fishing forecast: https://bit.ly/3XLPhu2

Click here to purchase your 2023 fishing license: https://bit.ly/3JM14F9

Let’s see your recent catches (big or small) below 👇

03/10/2023

PLEASE SHARE: Spring Hunting Guide --> https://bit.ly/3IUnfHq

IMPORTANT NOTES:
• Feeding of wildlife is now prohibited statewide from March 1-July 31.
• Salt and minerals as well as feeding wildlife with grains, seeds or manufactured feeds are prohibited year-round in the 5-county CWD Surveillance Zone (Calloway, Marshall, Graves, Fulton & Hickman counties),
• Normal agricultural practices, food plots/plantings, and bird feeders in yards are legal statewide.
(The online version of this Guide corrects an error in the printed Guide regarding use of salt and mineral on page 8.)

The new extended timeframe of the feeding prohibition will help protect wild turkeys, deer and other wildlife from fungus aflatoxins and additional feeding-related health issues or mortalities, especially when young are most vulnerable.

03/09/2023

Meet Randy Conway, Master Conservation Officer.

MCO Conway has worked with the Law Enforcement division of Kentucky Fish and Wildlife for more than 20 years. In that time, he has worked multiple high-profile cases including one of the largest cases in recent history for the department which resulted in more than $50,000 in fines.

MCO Conway has also proved successful in presenting at least one case each year that involved the illegal taking of wild turkey over bait. A personal passion for him, MCO Conway has assisted with the conservation efforts of wild turkeys since before he became a conservation officer. He assisted the department with the release of wild turkeys in Crittenden County in 1978 as part of the department’s reintroduction of turkeys in several areas across the Commonwealth, and he is still striving to conserve wild turkeys by assisting department biologists in collecting data on wild turkeys.

Fellow officers admire and respect Conway's commitment to the conservation of wild turkeys. He has also been a beacon in his community by helping to resolve user conflicts among landowners.

MCO Conway’s favorite thing about working for the department is the same thing he enjoys doing with his family in his off time – enjoying the outdoors and protecting the state’s natural resources.

“Staff Spotlight” introduces you to the variety of our employees and the breadth of their expertise, as well as the diversity of jobs, programs, and initiatives of the department.

To learn more about current employment opportunities with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, please visit http://bit.ly/3mCJjPk

03/08/2023

🎶 🐸 🎶

Have you heard any frog songs lately? Many Kentucky species begin calling during the early spring and can be heard near wetlands on warm days.

Learning to identify frogs by sound can come in handy in the field. For a listing of Kentucky's native frogs and audio of their songs, click here: http://bit.ly/3L4AHLo

You can directly support the conservation of amphibians and other vulnerable wildlife when you join Kentucky Wild. Follow the link below to join today!

: https://bit.ly/3RJPv3y

Midland chorus frog photo by John MacGregor

03/07/2023

GREAT Outdoors NEWS – Big Farm Stream and Wetland Restoration

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife staff were hard at work in January on a new stream and wetland restoration project in Bath County. Purchased with funds through the state’s fees-in-lieu-of-mitigation (FILO) fund, the Indian Creek Tract of the Clay WMA (aka Big Farm) received plantings of new trees and shrubs to help reinforce the stream banks. Live trees and shrubs put down roots as nature’s way to hold stream banks together during high flows, much the same way rebar is used to reinforce concrete. These trees and shrubs also grow to provide cover and food for wildlife and cycle organic matter into the stream to support aquatic organisms.

Our staff are committed to serving people and conserving fish and wildlife, and providing outstanding opportunities for hunting, fishing, trapping, wildlife watching, recreational shooting and related outdoor activities. Please “stay tuned” for more GREAT NEWS in the outdoors made possible by your license purchases, boat registration fees, and Kentucky Wild memberships!

03/07/2023

Open your calendars and mark these important, upcoming dates:

March 12 – Daylight Saving Time Begins
March 14 – Salato Wildlife Education Center opens for the Season
March 17-18 – NASP State Tournament at KY Expo Center
March 20 – First Day of Spring

April 1-2 – Youth-Only Turkey Weekend
April 7 – Arbor Day observed in Kentucky
April 9 - Easter
April 15 – Opening Day of Spring Turkey Season -First Day of Struttin in the Bluegrass Facebook LIVE Turkey Hunting
April 22 – Earth Day
April 30 – Last Day to apply for Kentucky's Elk Hunt Drawing
April 30 – Boat Registrations Expire

Find everything you need to know about Kentucky’s great outdoors on our website: fw.ky.gov and don’t forget to purchase your license https://bit.ly/3gpXd1I.

03/06/2023

Let the countdown begin - the Salato Wildlife Education Center reopens on March 14th!

View indoor and outdoor exhibits and learn about Kentucky's native wildlife. The center will resume operating hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday (closed Sunday, Monday, and state holidays).

For more information, to purchase tickets in advance or to purchase memberships, visit Salato's homepage: http://bit.ly/3mvZTjO

03/05/2023

March Nature Notes

* Spring peepers begin sounding
* Elk begin dropping antlers
* Turkeys begin gobbling
* Purple martin scouts arrive
* Gray and fox squirrels are born
* Buckeye buds open
* Bald eagle eggs hatch

Be on the lookout for wildlife activity throughout the month!

03/04/2023

Stay connected with us! Follow KY WILD on Instagram for updates, sneak peaks, and behind the scenes content featuring your favorite Kentucky species that are not hunted, fished, or trapped 🦉 🐍 🦅 🐢 🦋

Click here to follow: https://bit.ly/3kEQA06

03/03/2023

State of Emergency

Due to inclement weather Governor Beshear is closing all state office buildings Friday, March 3, 2023, beginning at 11am EST. Our Information Center will still be available until 4:30 pm EST to receive and answer your phone calls. 1-800-858-1549.

03/02/2023

Meet Amy Akers, Purchasing Agent II

Amy has worked with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife for nearly 23 years, starting as an administrative assistant in the Fisheries Annex and Salato Wildlife Education Center in Frankfort, before moving to Fisheries and concentrating for much of her career on administrative needs related to commercial fishing in the state. Now Amy serves as lead purchasing agent for the Fisheries division, handling all accounting aspects for purchase orders, personal service contracts, leases, project bids and proposals, and master agreements and contracts.

Before a family friend suggested Amy apply to Fish and Wildlife, she did not know about the broad scope of work the department does. “I had no idea the diversity of things I would be working on through the years in helping to fulfil the mission of this agency,” Amy said. “There is always a challenge ahead!”

Amy says that her favorite part about her work with Fish and Wildlife is the people. “The people I work with are not coworkers. They are family,” she says. She added how much she appreciates the department’s involvement in the National Archery in the Schools Program. “This program allows students who normally don’t participate in sports to have a chance to. What’s not to love about that?”

In her spare time, Amy enjoys kayaking, reading, adventures with her pups, and spending time with family and her grandkids.

“Staff Spotlight” introduces you to the variety of our employees and the breadth of their expertise, as well as the diversity of jobs, programs, and initiatives of the department.

To learn more about current employment opportunities with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, please visit Careers .

03/01/2023

REMINDER: The new license year starts TODAY!

Get your hunting and fishing license for the 2023-2024 season to enjoy all the outdoor recreation opportunities Kentucky has to offer.

Also, the new Fishing and Boating Guide is now available at your local vendor, or on our website: http://bit.ly/3IxNseB

Good luck in all of your outdoor adventures this year!

02/28/2023

TODAY, February 28th, is the last day of Squirrel, Grouse & Crow Seasons and Furbearer Trapping/Hunting Seasons.

ALL Hunting and Fishing Licenses expire today as well.

Click here to purchase your new licenses: http://bit.ly/3gpXd1I

02/27/2023

The countdown has begun...you have ONE more day until your 22-23 licenses expire!

Be prepared - purchase your 23-24 licenses here http://bit.ly/3gpXd1I.

02/26/2023

Today is a perfect day to get out and enjoy the outdoors! How will you be spending your ? Share your photos below!

02/25/2023

These warmer days offer hope the worst of winter is behind us and spring is tantalizingly close. They also cause us to start preparing for spring fishing and boating season.

Get a jump on spring by downloading the new Fish Boat KY app, sponsored by the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Buy your fishing license. Explore map locations and see photos of boat ramps and fishing sites. Brush up on the latest regulations. Find out when – and where – we’re stocking fish next. All with the convenience of your smartphone.

The best part? It’s FREE!

Download from the iTunes app store or Google Play Store and put cabin fever in the rearview by putting the Fish Boat KY app to use for you.

02/24/2023

The Hunt Starts HERE: http://bit.ly/3EgytnM

Apply here http://bit.ly/3xKNtXI by April 30 for 1 of 594 permits in the 2023 random Elk Hunt Drawing.

02/23/2023

The weather is warming up and so are the waters! It will be Boating Season soon!!

Be prepared - Find everything you need to know about boating and boating safety in Kentucky on our website: http://bit.ly/3oFqNCS.

02/22/2023

Whoooo knew, the breeding season for great horned owls occurs during the winter! 🦉

Although they don’t construct nests themselves, great horned owls are opportunistic nesters, utilizing natural cavities in trees or taking over stick nests constructed by birds like hawks, osprey, or eagles.

Owlets are cared for by both parents and practice their flying skills by hopping between tree branches adjacent to the nest. By 10 weeks of age, young great horned owls can fly but may continue to rely on parental care for additional months.

You can directly support the conservation of animals like owls when you join KY WILD. Follow the link below to join today!

: https://bit.ly/3RJPv3y

(Great horned owl nest photo by Michael Montgomery. Fledgling photo by Ron Hirsch)

02/21/2023

Spring Fishing Live Q&A Show

Kentucky Afield is now live with a panel of experts to answer all of your fishing questions!

https://www.facebook.com/KentuckyAfieldTV/videos/1553576675150334

02/21/2023

GREAT NEWS: THOUSANDS OF CHRISTMAS TREES DONATED FOR FISH HABITAT

More than 2,000 donated Christmas trees were recently dropped in Beaver Lake in Lawrenceburg. Fisheries Division staff, along with Scout Troop 37, Cub Scout Park 38, Anderson Co. High School Bass Fishing Team, and the Anderson Co. Junior Conservation Board, moved and submerged the trees to provide fish habitat at the lake.

Following the holiday season, Kentuckians stepped up to donate thousands of natural Christmas trees to our Christmas for the Fishes program. The donated trees will all eventually be submerged in lakes across the state, helping to improve Kentucky’s fisheries.

The trees are anchored to environmentally-friendly weights before dropping them into the water. These trees will help to replenish the woody cover in lakes and reservoirs that decays over time, leaving fish vulnerable to their surroundings.

Our staff are committed to serving people and conserving fish and wildlife, and providing outstanding opportunities for hunting, fishing, trapping, wildlife watching, recreational shooting and related outdoor activities. Please “stay tuned” for more GREAT NEWS in the outdoors made possible by your license purchases, boat registration fees, and Kentucky Wild memberships!

02/20/2023

Happy Presidents Day!

02/19/2023

Do you have a fishing, or fish-related question? Well go ahead and ask it in the comments section below, and tune in to Kentucky Afield's Live Spring Fishing Q&A Show this Tuesday evening to have it answered live by a panel of experts!

The show will start Tuesday at 7pm ET and will be hosted on the Kentucky Afield page. This year’s panel includes a lineup of experienced anglers, fisheries biologist, and a KDFWR Conservation Officer.

02/18/2023

Don't let this one get away - 3-year Fishing License for $55! An outstanding deal for any angler.

✔️Choose the 3-year Fishing License when you purchase or renew for 2023-24! http://bit.ly/3flO0t1

02/17/2023

KY Elk Loyalty Redraw

It’s time to enter the Kentucky elk hunt drawing! And for the first time ever Kentucky Fish and Wildlife ​will conduct a secondary drawing of Elk Quota Hunt Permits to award unclaimed permits as a loyalty reward to long-time applicants. ​​​

Watch the video and visit: http://bit.ly/3S4Hy91 for complete information.

02/16/2023

Meet Carrie Blake – Fish and Wildlife Technician III, Higginson-Henry WMA

Carrie joined Kentucky Fish and Wildlife full-time in 2009 as a Fish and Wildlife Technician II at Sloughs WMA but already had several years of experience with the department, first as a volunteer and then in various grant funded-time limited (GFTL) positions.

A Fish and Wildlife Technician III performs technical work in a fishery or wildlife management program, research program or habitat development and identification program. An employee in this classification coordinates the work of fish and wildlife technicians and/or has complete responsibility for one or more phases of a fishery or wildlife management or habitat development program, and performs other duties as required.

Now based at Higginson-Henry WMA in Union County, Carrie’s duties include equipment and infrastructure maintenance, habitat improvement work on the area and assisting visitors with information.

Her father’s interest in wildlife sparked Carrie’s desire to pursue a career with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. Being passionate about conserving wildlife and enhancing habitat is a key, she said. “The job is about leaving the resource better than you found it,” she said.

Among the aspects of the job that Carrie enjoys most are working outdoors daily, interacting with different wildlife species and operating various types of machinery.

Outside of work, she enjoys hunting, spending time with family, caring for her animals and crafting.

“Staff Spotlight” introduces you to the variety of our employees and the breadth of their expertise, as well as the diversity of jobs, programs, and initiatives of the department.

To learn more about current employment opportunities with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, please visit http://bit.ly/3S310mB