A provision included in Kentucky Senate Bill 241, which goes into effect immediately, now requires Kentuckians to have a permit to fish or hunt on their own property, if the property is less than five acres.
The bill, which predominantly contains language surrounding the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife's need to have a permanent public access easement in the C.F Ataya Wildlife Management Area, was initially vetoed by Governor Andy Beshear on March 24. However, the state's majority-Republican House and Senate both overrode the veto, passing the bill on March 29.
The bill was also enacted as an emergency, which means it takes effect immediately.
Section 17 of SB241 is what highlights changes to the current fishing and hunting license regulations — found on page 30 of the 48-page bill. Specifically, section 17-4 was amended.
The section says resident owners of farmlands of five or more acres, the owner's spouse and their dependent children can hunt or fish freely on their own property without a permit. Tenants and their dependent children also have the same freedom, if the property is rented.
"We are hopeful this new exemption threshold will curtail abuse of the current exemption clause by some claiming to harvest game animals on extremely small tracts of land that they own," reads a statement from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife. "To those landowners who aren’t required by law to buy a license or permit but choose to buy them as a way to support conservation of fish and wildlife in Kentucky, we offer our sincere thanks."
Children under the age of 16 will still be allowed to fish "by angling, or take minnows by the use of a minnow seine, minnow trap or dip net" without a license. Children under the age of 12 are not required to have a license for fishing or hunting at all; hunting licenses are required after age 12 and fishing licenses are required after age 15.
Before SB241's passage, owners of small tracts of farmland were exempt from needing permits or licenses to hunt or fish on their property.
Now, residents and land-owners can be cited if they're found fishing or hunting on their own property without the proper license or documentation.
Craig Emerson of Walton, KY hunts and fishes on public land. Emerson said he's more than happy to purchase his license each year. However, he said when it comes to his own property, it's a different story.
“Just another thing of the government kind of putting their nose and putting their hands where they don’t belong,” Emerson said. “If you own land privately, what you do on your land should be your business and your business alone."
Kurt Leblanc from Ludlow said he can also understand that perspective.
“I could see how somebody would be like 'it's my land, I’m allowed to do whatever I want on it,'" he said.
But Leblanc said he can also see the alternative.
“I don’t think the hunting licenses are that much and the money that goes into that can be used to fund game wardens, better fisheries," he said. “If it's going back into the Fish and Wildlife you know, industry for the state, I do think that would be productive.”
The bill also removed a state requirement of written consent from a parent or guardian before anyone under the age of 16 can apply for a youth hunting license.
Rules around parents being required to accompany minors as they hunt remain unchanged, however.
You can read Senate Bill 241 below:
SB241_VO by WCPO 9 News on Scribd
