The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Kentucky updates rules for removing nuisance wildlife on private farmland and establishes antlerless deer tags
Last action · April 14, 2026: received in House to Rules (H) taken from Rules posted for consideration of Governor's veto veto overridden passed 86-11 received in Senate to Rules (S) posted for passage for consideration of Governor's veto veto overridden passed 30-6 received in House enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House enrolled, signed by President of the Senate delivered to Secretary of State (Acts Ch. 174)Sponsors: M. Pollock and 5 others
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What This Bill Does
Kentucky law now allows landowners, tenants, and approved designees to kill or trap wildlife causing property damage outside regular hunting seasons, requiring a report within 24 hours and a carcass tag before transport. The measure takes effect immediately following a legislative veto override on April 14, 2026.
Farmland owners and their designated agents gain explicit statutory authority to remove crop-damaging wildlife without standard licenses, while designees who confirm property damage receive a minimum of five antlerless deer tags annually for two years.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Resident landowners
Landowners and their families may take or trap wildlife causing damage to their property outside open seasons without a hunting license and dispose of carcasses on site.
Farmland tenants
Tenants residing on farm land and their dependent children receive the same wildlife removal privileges as landowners outside open seasons.
Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
The department must inspect and confirm reported wildlife damage within 15 days, issue destruction tags, and promulgate administrative regulations within 120 days.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is allowed to remove wildlife causing damage on farmland without a license?
What requirements must be met before moving a wildlife carcass taken from property under depredation rules?
How many destruction tags will a designee receive once wildlife damage is confirmed?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Became law over the governor's veto.
Procedural history
15 actions- Apr 14, 2026Housereceived in House to Rules (H) taken from Rules posted for consideration of Governor's veto veto overridden passed 86-11 received in Senate to Rules (S) posted for passage for consideration of Governor's veto veto overridden passed 30-6 received in House enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House enrolled, signed by President of the Senate delivered to Secretary of State (Acts Ch. 174)
- Apr 13, 2026HouseVetoed
- Apr 1, 2026HouseEnrolledenrolled, signed by Speaker of the House enrolled, signed by President of the Senate delivered to Governor
- Mar 31, 2026HouseFloor3rd reading, passed 38-0 with Committee Substitute (1) received in House to Rules (H) posted for passage for concurrence in Senate Committee Substitute (1) House concurred in Committee Substitute (1) passed 81-7
- Mar 26, 2026Houseposted for passage in the Consent Orders of the Day for Friday, March 27 2026
- Mar 25, 2026HouseFloor2nd reading, to Rules as a consent bill
Show 9 earlier actions
- Mar 24, 2026Housereported favorably, 1st reading, to Consent Calendar with Committee Substitute (1)
- Mar 13, 2026SenateCommitteeto Agriculture (S)
- Mar 4, 2026SenateIntroducedreceived in Senate to Committee on Committees (S)
- Mar 3, 2026HouseFloor3rd reading, passed 78-16 with Committee Substitute (1)
- Mar 2, 2026Houseposted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, March 03 2026
- Feb 26, 2026HouseFloor2nd reading, to Rules
- Feb 25, 2026Housereported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1)
- Jan 14, 2026HouseCommitteeto Agriculture (H)
- Jan 7, 2026HouseIntroducedintroduced in House to Committee on Committees (H)
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 1 more sponsor
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Streamlined Depredation Tagging
The legislation establishes a structured, multi-year antlerless deer tag allocation for designated agents of landowners facing wildlife crop damage.
Connected Entities
Sources
apps.legislature.ky.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy25Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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