FRANKFORT, Ky. (Dec. 4, 2019) — The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission will conduct its regular quarterly meeting on Friday, Dec. 6 to consider possible regulation changes and other items.
The meeting starts at 8:30 a.m. (Eastern) in the Arnold L. Mitchell Building on the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources’ campus in Frankfort. It is open for the public.
The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission is a nine-member board, comprised of volunteers who serve four-year terms after being nominated by licensed hunters and anglers, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Kentucky senate. The Commission recommends hunting, fishing and boating regulations on behalf of the sportsmen and sportswomen of the Commonwealth.
The full meeting agenda is available on the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources website at fw.ky.gov.
The Commission will consider several action items, including:
- A possible modification to the rules on importation of carcasses of deer, elk, moose and caribou (all members of the cervid family) and their parts (301 KAR 2:095), to allow only deboned meat, antlers, antlers attached to a clean skull plate, a clean skull, clean upper canine teeth, hides and finished taxidermy products to be brought into Kentucky as a safeguard against chronic wasting disease (CWD)
- A potential amendment to the holding and intrastate movement of captive cervids regulation (301 KAR 2:083) regarding holding pen requirements for new and expanded captive cervid facilities in Kentucky
- A possible amendment to the deer hunting seasons, zones, and requirements regulation (301 KAR 2:172) to prohibit the use of commercially produced, natural cervid urines as attractants for deer and elk hunting in Kentucky because of CWD concerns. Synthetic urines, Archery Trade Association (ATA)-certified attractants and urine taken from a legally harvested animal for use as an attractant would be allowed under the potential amendment
- Potential amendments to the black bear seasons and requirements regulation (301 KAR 2:300) to clarify which Hunter Access Areas and wildlife management areas are open to bear chase and hunting with dogs, and to designate Wayne County as a separate bear zone with its own quota and subsequently adjust the West Zone 2 quota
- Potential modifications to the falconry, raptor take, and raptor propagation regulation (301 KAR 2:195) to allow the take of first-year peregrine falcons for falconry per the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service permit process. Kentucky has been allocated a permit to take up to one passage peregrine falcon in areas outside of active nesting sites and restoration locations. The permit would be awarded to a Kentucky resident master falconer through an online draw or lottery
- A possible amendment to the transportation and holding of live native wildlife regulation (301 KAR 2:081) to make it consistent with the falconry, raptor take, and raptor propagation regulation
- Potential amendments to the transportation and holding of live exotic wildlife regulation (301 KAR 2:082) to make it consistent with the state law on importing, transporting or possessing endangered species of wildlife (KRS 150.183), and to not require a transportation permit for exotic falcons with a valid state or federal falconry permit
- Approval of quarterly financial reports
The Commission plans to meet in executive session to review potential land acquisition for the Kentucky Wetland and Stream “Fees-In-Lieu-Of” Mitigation Program. If any actions are necessitated by the executive session deliberations, the Commission will meet in open session.
Also on the meeting agenda is an update about deer and elk harvests this season. In addition, Northeastern Fisheries District Program Coordinator Tom Timmermann will present initial findings from a trial project involving the use of man-made catfish spawning boxes in Clear Creek Lake in Bath County.
A video replay of the meeting will be posted online via the “Commission and Committee Meeting Archive” link under “Important Info” on the department’s homepage.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s main campus is located at 1 Sportsman’s Lane (formerly 1 Game Farm Road) in Frankfort. The entrance is located off U.S. 60, approximately 1½ miles west of U.S. 127.