By TOM LATEK, Kentucky Today

FRANKFORT, Ky. (KT) - Online applications will be taken Nov. 1-15, 2025, for youth and mobility-impaired waterfowl quota hunts at two state-owned fish hatcheries near Frankfort and Morehead.

The hunts are scheduled to begin Jan. 3, 2026, and will continue each Saturday and Sunday through the month of January.

There are five waterfowl hunting blinds available at Minor E. Clark Fish Hatchery in Rowan County and two at Peter W. Pfeiffer Fish Hatchery in Franklin County. Those hunters whose names are drawn must provide their own decoys, place them and retrieve their own birds.

Youths age 15 or younger may apply for these quota hunts. Each youth hunter must be accompanied by a mentor age 18 or older. The mentor may hunt as well. Each youth may only have one adult mentor. However, a mentor may have two youth hunters in the blind, or two adult mentors may hunt with two youth hunters in a blind.

Mobility-impaired hunters who are drawn for a hunt may only have one assistant in the blind with them. The assistant may also be hunting.

Drawn hunters will be notified by mail in late November, receiving a quota hunt permit with the date or dates for which they were drawn, detailed maps and other instructions concerning the hunt.

Interested youth or mobility-impaired waterfowl hunters may apply online for one or more of the special hunts by visiting the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife homepage (fw.ky.gov) and clicking on the "Hunting" tab, followed by the "Quota Hunts" link on the center tab at the top of the webpage. Applications must be submitted before midnight (Eastern) on Nov. 15, 2025. Hunt dates in 2026 are Jan. 3, 4, 10, 11, 17,18, 24, 25 and 31.

Before going afield, each waterfowl hunter must complete the annual Harvest Information Program (HIP) survey in their My Profile account at fw.ky.gov then record their HIP survey confirmation number on their license.