1. (1) No person shall take any wildlife, whether protected by this chapter or not, except by trapping, snaring, gig, crossbow, bow and arrow, hook and line, nets, gun, gun and dog, dog, falconry, or as expressly prescribed by regulation.
2. (2) Shotguns used in the taking of wildlife, protected or unprotected, shall not be larger than 10-gauge and shall be fired from the shoulder. No wildlife, except deer or light geese during a light geese conservation order, protected or unprotected, shall be taken with or by means of any automatic loading or hand-operated repeating shotgun capable of holding more than three (3) shells, the magazine of which has not been cut off or plugged with a one (1) piece filler incapable of removal through the loading end, in such manner as to reduce the capacity of the gun to not more than three (3) shells at one (1) time in the magazine and chamber combined.
3. (3) No person shall take or attempt to take any wildlife, protected or unprotected, from an automobile, or other vehicle, unless prescribed by regulation. Boats may be used except as prohibited by state or federal regulation.
4. (4) No person shall discharge any firearm, bow and arrow, crossbow or other similar device, upon, over, or across any public roadway.
5. (5) No person shall take wildlife, except opossum, raccoon, fishes, beavers, and frogs, with lights or other means designed to make wildlife visible at night. Within ninety
6. (90) days after April 10, 2026, the department shall promulgate administrative regulations in accordance with KRS Chapter 13A for nocturnal beaver hunting.
7. (6) Coyotes and bobcat may be taken at night with means designed to make wildlife visible at night, including but not limited to night vision, thermal, and infrared technologies, as established by administrative regulation.

Effective: April 10, 2026

History: Amended 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 93, sec. 3, effective April 10, 2026. -- Amended 2019 Ky. Acts ch. 115, sec. 7, effective June 27, 2019. -- Amended 2013 Ky. Acts ch. 29, sec. 1, effective June 25, 2013. -- Amended 1990 Ky. Acts ch. 474, sec. 6, effective July 13, 1990. -- Amended 1986 Ky. Acts ch. 265, sec. 15, effective July 15, 1986. -- Amended 1978 Ky. Acts ch. 178, sec. 13, effective June 17, 1978. -- Amended 1968 Ky. Acts ch. 38, sec. 18. -- Amended 1952 Ky. Acts ch. 200, sec. 48. -- Amended 1946 Ky. Acts ch. 84, sec. 14. -- Amended 1944 Ky. Acts ch. 124, sec. 9. -- Amended 1942 Ky. Acts ch. 68, sec. 37. -- Recodified 1942 Ky. Acts ch. 208, sec. 1, effective October 1, 1942, from Ky. Stat. secs. 1954d-56, 1954d-60.