When the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission met for a special-called session on October 14, 2026, it carved out three new panels to digest the heavy lifting of state wildlife management. Now, one of those groups is stepping up to the table. fw.ky.gov reported that the Lands and Wildlife Committee has scheduled its meeting for 9:30 a.m. Eastern on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, gathering at the Camp Kentucky Afield lodge near Campbellsville.
Inside the Green River Lake Agenda
Hunters, conservationists, and outdoor recreation enthusiasts tracking state regulations will find plenty on the docket. Chaired by Jay Smith alongside fellow members Josh Cummins and Walter Robertson, the three-person committee will evaluate a set of proposed adjustments to public land access and deer hunting rules. Assigned strictly to examine items vetted by the full commission, the panel will take up adjustments regarding deer modern gun quota hunts on wildlife management areas, alongside modifications governed by 301 KAR 2:178 concerning public properties.
Among the specific proposals up for debate is a shift moving modern gun quota hunts away from the first weekend in November and onto the second weekend. Public land rules would also see a statewide ban on handheld thermal imagers for taking white-tailed deer on WMAs. Other adjustments target specific properties across the commonwealth. For instance, the Blue Grass Army Depot proposal removes the 15-inch minimum outside spread rule on antlered deer specifically for youth hunters, while the Bluegrass Station is slated for addition to the military installation list to streamline future management.
Further changes affect local recreation and access points. Fishtrap Lake WMA and Grayson Lake WMA are both set to remove quota hunts and shift back to statewide regulations. Meanwhile, the Green River Lake WMA proposal creates a new archery quota hunt for the Smith Ridge Campground in Taylor County, an area currently closed to hunting. Over at Twin Knobs and Zilpo recreation areas, the mobility-impaired firearms quota hunt would be removed and relocated to Camp Webb.
Season Timing and Permit Shifts
Beyond local WMA tweaks, the committee holds jurisdiction over broader seasonal rules under 301 KAR 2:172. Proposed changes would start the archery season on September 1 annually, while allowing residents to use crossbows concurrently throughout the entire archery deer season. Non-residents, however, would remain restricted to current crossbow season dates opening the third September Saturday. Additional proposals would permit single-projectile shotguns, or slugs, during both muzzleloader seasons.
County-level designation changes also populate the agenda. Breathitt, Clay, Floyd, Knott, Knox, Lee, Leslie, Magoffin, Owsley, Perry, and Whitley counties are all slated for a shift from a Zone 4 to a Zone 3 deer hunting designation. Permit allowances face expansion too, with an additional deer permit proposal changing the allowance from two deer to unlimited antlerless deer per permit, restricted strictly to Zone 1 counties at the current permit price.
Public Can Provide Feedback at Campbellsville Meeting
The meeting is open to the public, taking place at the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Green River Lake campus located at 244 Kentahten Trail in Campbellsville, with the main entrance situated off State Park Road roughly 1 ¼ miles east of Lone Valley Road. Attendees wishing to speak can offer in-person comments for up to three minutes per agenda item following the introduction of each topic, subject to time limits and the chair’s discretion.
For those unable to attend in person, fw.ky.gov noted that written feedback must be submitted via email to FWPublicComments@ky.gov by 5 p.m. Eastern on Monday, November 2, 2026. Submissions require “Lands and Wildlife Committee meeting” in the subject line, alongside the sender’s first and last name, county and state of residence, and any organizational representation and title. Emailed comments or summaries may be read aloud during the designated public comment periods.
With committee deliberations set for early November, the discussion will feed into the full commission's next quarterly meeting scheduled for December 2, 2026, in Frankfort.
