FRANKFORT, Ky. (Sept. 23, 2020) — The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission will hold a video teleconference meeting at 8:30 a.m. (Eastern time) on Friday, Sept. 25.
Pursuant to Executive Order 2020-243 and Senate Bill 150, Section 1(8), the Commission will not be holding an in-person meeting. The public is encouraged to view the meeting online via livestream on the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources’ YouTube channel at youtube.com/FishandWildlifeKY. A link to the livestream also will be posted on the department’s homepage at fw.ky.gov at the start of the meeting.
Due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) precautions, public comments will be handled as follows:
- Those wishing to comment about a topic on the agenda may email their comments to fw.publicaffairs@ky.gov between 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. (Eastern time) on the day of the meeting.
- Comments will be read by department staff up to 3 minutes total per commenter during the “Public Comments” time on the agenda.
- Commenters must include their first and last name(s), Kentucky county of residence or state of residence if a nonresident, and organizational affiliation and position, if an individual is an officer or official representative for a particular organization. Contact information is not required but will be helpful if information is requested.
- The Commission will review all public comments.
- The Commission chair reserves the right to decline public reading of any comments that are libelous, profane, derogatory of others, or not relevant to the meeting agenda.
The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission is a nine-member board, comprised of volunteers who serve four-year terms. The Commission recommends hunting, fishing and boating regulations on behalf of the sportspersons of the Commonwealth.
The agenda for the Sept. 25 meeting follows:
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission Meeting
Live Teleconference – Web link posted at fw.ky.gov
Sept. 25, 2020
#1 Sportsman’s Lane
Frankfort, KY
8:30 AM (ET)
AGENDA
Opening
- Call to Order and Welcome
- Invocation
- Pledge of Allegiance
- Chair’s Remarks and Introduction of New Commission Members
- Deputy Commissioner’s Remarks and Recognitions
Action Items
- Approval of June 26 Commission Meeting Minutes
- Approval of Aug. 12 Special Called Commission Meeting Minutes
- Approval of Quarterly Financial Statement (April-June 2020)
- Approval of FY2021 Budget (July 2020-June 2021)
- Timing of Early (September) Goose Season
- 301 KAR 2:225. Dove, wood duck, teal, and other migratory game bird hunting.
- Wildlife Division recommends no change to season dates
- Options:
- Retain current season timing (Sept. 16-30)
- Reschedule season to open second Saturday in September and proceed 16 days (add a weekend, still overlap early wood duck/teal season);
- Reschedule the September season statewide to Sept. 1-15;
- Create a western zone for Sept. 1-15 season, and eastern zone for Sept. 16-30 season; or
- Table the matter, survey by mail the hunters for whom we did not have email addresses in HIP database, and report results to Commission.
- Attachment A-5
- Crossbows for Hunting Migratory Birds
- 301 KAR 2:090. Means by which migratory game birds may be taken.
- Proposal: Allow crossbows as legal method (like firearms and vertical bows) for hunting migratory birds per allowance in Migratory Bird Treaty Act
- Attachment A-6
- Veteran Days and Youth Waterfowl Seasons
- Amend 301 KAR 2:226. Youth waterfowl, moorhen, and gallinule hunting seasons.
- Proposal: If veteran days are implemented, allow veterans to hunt Sundays and restrict youths to hunt on Saturdays of special youth waterfowl weekends
- Attachment A-7
- Public Dove Fields
- Amend 301 KAR 2:225. Dove, wood duck, teal, and other migratory game bird hunting.
- Proposal: Approve experimental dove hunting management on public fields
- Proposal: Allow new hunters ages 16+ on designated quota mentored hunt dove fields
- Attachment A-8
- Ballard WMA Shotgun Limit in Blinds
- Amend 301 KAR 2:221. Waterfowl seasons and limits.
- Proposal: Allow 1 uncased and loaded shotgun per hunter in a blind or hunt location
- Attachment A-9
- Coyote Hunting at Night
- Amend 301 KAR 2:251. Hunting and trapping seasons and limits for furbearers.
- Amend language to allow more primitive methods, clarify season language and mobility-impaired opportunity
- Attachment A-10
- Permit Fees and Timelines
- Amend 301 KAR 3:022. License, tag and permit fees.
- Make effective dates for Nuisance Wildlife Control Permit March 1-Feb. 28. (currently valid for calendar year).
- Make Wildlife Transportation Permit and Commercial Captive Wildlife Permit valid for dates specified (currently valid for calendar year).
- Exempt from transportation fee a government agency engaged in legitimate conservation work approved by the department (cf. 301 KAR 2:081)
- Make Otter Creek Permits monthly (rather than daily) to comply with recreational use statute requirement
- Update Land Between the Lakes permit fees and add new Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge per federal permit fee increases.
- Attachment A-11
Break (At the discretion of the Chair)
Discussion Items
- Fall Wild Turkey Season
- 301 KAR 2:144. Fall wild turkey hunting.
- Review of season dates, limits and number of hens per limit
- Recommendation: Complete hunter effort research to inform future recommendations to Commission
- Attachment D-1
- Bobcat Seasons
- 301 KAR 2:251. Hunting and trapping seasons and limits for furbearers.
- Review of season dates history, recent and ongoing research
- Recommendations:
- Develop a bobcat hunting permit ($5), which would provide contact information needed to survey successful and unsuccessful bobcat hunters each season.
- Consider mandatory tooth (jaw section) donation from all harvested bobcats via current voluntary mail-in program
- Require bobcats taken under 150.170 damage criteria to be telechecked.
- Attachment D-2
- Wanton Waste
- Report on research of other states’ laws
- Recommendation of provisions to Commission
- Attachment D-3
- Emails in Licensing System – Informational Update
- Overview of current protocols
- Percentages of license customers by group
- Attachment D-4
- Addition of Robert J. Barth Lake (Campbell County) to the FINs program
- Amend 301 KAR 1:201. Taking of fish by traditional fishing methods
- Annual stocking numbers
- Enact standard fish creel and length limits
- Attachment D-5
- Largemouth Bass Size and Creel Limit at Highsplint Lake
- Amend 301 KAR 1:201. Taking of fish by traditional fishing methods
- Enact 20” minimum size limit on largemouth bass
- Enact 1-fish daily creel limit
- Attachment D-6
- Clear Fork tributary of Gasper River – Fishing Regulation
- Amend 301 KAR 1:201. Taking of fish by traditional fishing methods
- Enact catch-and-release only restriction
- Recommendation to allow fishery to recover from recent fish kill
- Attachment D-7
- Guist Creek Lake Concessionaire’s License
- Obtain public input on allowing restaurant on lake property to sell alcoholic beverages by the drink, similar to state parks and other venues
- Attachment D-8
- Waterway Safety Enhancements
- Amend 301 KAR 6:030. Waterway safety requirements
- PFD Loaner Stations
- Boater Safety Certification requirement
- Enhanced enforcement of the requirement that PFDs be “readily accessible” on Class A vessels
- Attachment D-9
New Business
- Waterfowl Hunting Requirements
- Amend 301 KAR 2:222. Waterfowl hunting requirements on public lands.
- Boatwright WMA hunting strategy
- Modify description of Ballard WMA Ohio River hunting exclusion zone
- Change shotshell limits for Ballard, Boatwright and Sloughs WMAs
- Change Sloughs WMA Jenny Hole Unit quota hunt periods
- Remove seasonally drawn blinds at Sloughs WMA Grassy Pond, Powell’s Lake and Highlands Creek Units
- Remove blind requirement from South Shore WMA
- Attachment NB-1
- Ballard Management Area Entry Rules
- Incorporate 301 KAR 4:020 into 301 KAR 2:222, Repeal 301 KAR 4:020.
- Attachment NB-2
- Swan Lake Unit Entry Rules, Camping Rules and Firearms Restrictions
- Incorporate 301 4:050 into 301 KAR 2:222, Repeal 301 KAR 4:050.
- Attachment NB-3
- Harvest and Sale of Asian Carp
- Amend 301 KAR 1:152 – Asian Carp capturing and harvesting methods
- Harvest update
- Capturing and harvesting methods
- Expansion of Asian Carp into new waters
- Attachment NB-4
- Fish Kills – Informational Update on Department’s Response Process
Public Comments
Break
Executive Session (per KRS 61.810)
- Discussion – Land Acquisition Projects
Action Items
- Land Acquisition Projects
- Update to Commission By-laws
- Election of Officers
Adjourn
Next Suggested Commission Meeting Date: Dec. 4, 2020