Deer hunters across the commonwealth contributed to another strong season despite the doe harvest coming in short of Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s goals.
Hunters harvested 145,433 deer in Kentucky during the 2025-2026 hunting season, marking the fifth-highest reported total in the state’s history. 72 percent of harvested deer were taken using modern guns. KFW says the season included a newly-expanded October youth-only season, impressive numbers for hunters on public lands, and a high percentage of harvested bucks estimated to be 2.5 years old or older.
The state did not, however, meet its doe harvest goals, which KFW says plays a part in maintaining a healthy and quality deer herd in the commonwealth. Only 43.5 percent of harvested deer were does, and only one county in the state-designated hunting zones where the state was looking to reduce population numbers met its goal for the season. KFW is looking into ways to encourage a higher doe harvest, as an overabundance of deer can result in increased vehicle collisions and damage to crops and landscaping.
KFW continues to monitor for chronic wasting disease and is enforcing restrictions in counties located within the state’s CWD Surveillance Zone. Learn more about CWD and find additional statistics on deer hunting season at fw.ky.gov.
