RIFLE DEER SEASON OPENS SATURDAY
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources is inviting hunters statewide to submit samples from legally harvested and telechecked deer for a chance to win one of five regional prizes. The “Shoot for Samples” Regional Giveaway runs through Jan. 20, and aims to support Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s efforts to collect more samples for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) testing as part of its ongoing monitoring of the state’s wild deer population.“Hunters play a crucial role in helping us understand the distribution and prevalence of CWD by collecting samples to submit for testing,” said Joe McDermott, deer program coordinator for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “This giveaway shows our appreciation for their efforts, and we’re grateful to our sponsors for making it possible.”
The giveaway will take place across five regions in Kentucky. At the end of deer season, one winner from each region will be drawn and notified by KDFWR. Prizes include gift cards valued between $500 and $1,000 along with an Elite Carbon Era bow courtesy of Copperhead Guns & Range, First Choice Firearms, Uncle Lee’s and Double T Electric LLC.
Hunters are automatically entered in the giveaway when they drop off deer heads at CWD Sample Drop-off sites (there nearest is at Higginson Henry WMA in Union County) or submit lymph node samples using the department’s CWD Sample Mail-in Kits. Each sample submitted earns one entry into the
giveaway. Hunters must abide by all bag limits and applicable rules and regulations for deer hunting. All samples submitted for the giveaway must come from deer harvested in Kentucky due to statewide carcass importation restrictions. Testing for CWD is free, with results available online within four to six weeks.Hunters in a CWD Surveillance Zone are reminded of important regulations during the modern gun hunting season. These regulations include transportation restrictions and a prohibition on baiting and feeding.
The CWD Surveillance Zone With Mandatory Check Stations includes Ballard, Calloway, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Marshall and McCracken counties. On the weekends of Nov. 9-11, Nov. 16-17 or Nov. 23-24, 2024, hunters in these counties must take carcasses to a CWD check station or a CWD Sample Drop-off site within the zone. Check stations will operate from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on these dates. Hunters who drop off deer heads at the CWD check stations or CWD Sample Drop-off sites on these dates will automatically be entered into the giveaway.
