The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources will host four dove quota hunts and three traditional mentor/youth dove quota hunts during the early part of dove hunting season, which opens on Labor Day, September 1, 2025.
Hunters must submit applications for each of these dove quota hunts and will be randomly drawn depending upon availability. Applications will be accepted from 8 a.m. EDT August 4 through 4:30 p.m. August 15.
Dove quota hunts will be held at Big Rivers Wildlife Management Area in Crittenden County and the Welch Tract of Kentucky River Wildlife Management Area in Henry County. A hunt will be held at each location on September 1, the traditional opening day of dove season, and again on September 6.
The quota dove hunts at Big Rivers Wildlife Management Area run from noon CDT until 5 p.m. The quota dove hunt on the Welch Tract of Kentucky River Wildlife Management Area is from 1 p.m. EDT until 6 p.m. Hunters must be off the field by closing time. These fields will be closed in between the quota hunt dates to limit hunting pressure on the fields. They will open to all dove hunters starting September 7.
Applications for dove quota hunts are available on the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Migratory Bird Hunting webpage. Drawing results will be posted by August 22. Drawn applicants must print a copy of the selection page and carry it with them in the field.
Drawn hunters are allowed one guest. The guest must be accompanied by the drawn hunter. Guests must also carry a copy of the selection page.
All hunters must check in before the hunt and check out after. Each hunter is allowed 50 shotshells (two boxes). There will be 30 hunter slots for each quota hunt on Kentucky River Wildlife Management Area and 25 slots for each quota hunt on Big Rivers Wildlife Management Area. Dove quota hunters on Kentucky River Wildlife Management Area must only use non-toxic shot.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife will also hold three mentor/youth dove quota hunts on September 1, with one each at Higginson-Henry Wildlife Management Area in Union County, Mullins Wildlife Management Area in Kenton County and a private land cooperator field in Lincoln County.
The rules for the mentor/youth dove quota hunts are unchanged from last year and are available on the Migratory Bird Hunting webpage, along with the application link. The online application period for these hunts is also August 4-15.
The links provided for applying for these hunts will not be operational until August 4. For more information, visit Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s website at fw.ky.gov.
A state-approved Hunter Education certification is required for all Kentucky hunters age 12 or older who were born in 1975 or later. A one-year Hunter Education Exemption Permit is available free to hunters who can’t obtain their certification before going afield, but the permittee must be accompanied in the field by an adult who is Hunter Education-certified. Details about Hunter Education courses and the temporary exemption permit are available on the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Hunter Education webpage.
Before legally hunting migratory birds, hunters must complete the Harvest Information Program survey. The process takes less than 5 minutes by visiting “My Profile” to fill out the survey. After completing the Harvest Information Program survey, hunters will receive a confirmation number that must be written on their hunting license or Kentucky Migratory Bird/Waterfowl Permit.
Source: KYFW
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