Kentucky isn’t on the cusp of becoming a major bear hunting destination but hunting opportunities for bruins will be expanded this year if the General Assembly approves a recommendation by the state game commission.
The nine-member board voted earlier this month to expand the bear hunt zone from four to 16 counties and add a nine-day archery/crossbow bear hunt Nov. 23-Dec. 1. The three-day gun hunt will be Dec. 14-16. Season limits remain very conservative (10 for archery and probably 10 but gun hunters) but expanding the bear range is news to be noted. Bears in the Bluegrass are on the move.
Trout fishing on Kentucky’s Cumberland River below Wolf Creek Dam has fallen on hard times of late, a consequence of extensive repair work on the dam which lowered the lake and warmed the tailwater. In 2009 Kentucky fishery officials decided to let anglers keep five extra rainbow trout per day. That ends tomorrow (June 15). The dam work is finished and tailwater conditions are improving. Regular rainbow creel limits on the Cumberland are five fish with a 15-20 inch slot and only one rainbow longer than 20 inches.
Details at www.fw.ky.gov.
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