Licking Valley Outdoors

05/11/2026

Truth!...

04/29/2026

April trout stocking round-up!

Here is the list of locations for this month’s trout stocking in the Northeast region:

Wednesday, April 1
• Cave Run Lake Tailwaters, Rowan County - 1000
• Triplett Creek, Rowan County - 400
• North Fork Triplett Creek, Rowan County - 350
• Big Caney Creek, Elliott County - 750
• Laurel Creek, Elliott County - 1000
• Grayson Lake Tailwaters, Carter County - 1000

Thursday, April 2
• Russel Fork Creek, Pike County - 750
• Fish Trap Lake Tailwaters, Pike County - 2000
• Bert Combs Lake, Clay County - 1000
• Beaver Creek Right Fork, Floyd County - 500

Tuesday, April 22
• Dewey Lake Tailwaters, Floyd County - 1000
• Wolf Creek, Martin County - 1000
• Yatesville Lake Tailwaters, Lawrence County - 750
• Little Sandy Creek East Fork, Boyd County - 800
• Paintsville Lake Tailwaters, Johnson County - 2000

Friday, April 24
• Clear Creek, Bell County - 800

To check out the full list of trout stocking in the state and to keep up with future dates, visit our website and search “Trout Stocking Schedule” or follow the link:

https://fw.ky.gov/Fish/Pages/Monthly-Trout-Stocking.aspx

04/16/2026

✨ EXCITING NEWS ✨

Introducing… the Wildlife Management Area (WMA) Explorer!

Do you want to know when and where prescribed burns happened on your favorite High Management Level WMA? What about where food and forage have been established? Where timber and forest have been managed?

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife introduces interactive mapping tools that showcase habitat and management practices across select High Management Level WMAs.

These tools allow hunters to digitally scout and research before heading into the field!

Access WMA Explorer: https://tinyurl.com/2myz4xu2

For more about our WMA management levels, head to: https://fw.ky.gov/Hunt/Pages/WMA-Management-Levels.aspx

Happy exploring! 🗺️

04/04/2026

TODAY IS THE DAY! Youth-only turkey season begins! 🦃

Good luck to all of our youth hunters heading out this weekend. You are the future of hunting in Kentucky.

Have fun, be safe, and make some memories! (Oh, and send us photos of your harvest- we would love to share in your accomplishments!)

Don’t forget to view the hunting guide before getting out this weekend. You can find it on our webpage at fw.ky.gov by searching “2026 Spring Hunting Guide” or by clicking this link:https://fw.ky.gov/Hunt/Documents/springhuntingguideentire.pdf

04/03/2026

Here's a "Cheat Sheet" for Spring hunting in Kentucky for 2026! This covers the turkey, squirrel, and coyote/groundhog opportunities... Good luck!

04/03/2026

This could be YOU this fall!

If you have not applied for Kentucky's 2026 Elk Hunt Drawing, there is still time! But act fast, the application deadline is April 30.

• Only $10 per application
• Apply for ANY or ALL Permits: Bull Firearm, Cow Firearm, Archery/Crossbow (either s*x)
• Ages 15 & younger may also apply for Youth Either-Sex Elk Permits

📢 Apply here: https://bit.ly/3gpXd1I.
📝 Elk Hunting Regulations: https://bit.ly/3EgytnM

The hunt starts here.

03/30/2026

Get excited, y’all… spring turkey season is almost here!

Recent brood survey data shows encouraging signs for the state’s turkey population, with strong reproduction and survival rates pointing to a solid number of gobblers on the landscape this spring.

“Our data shows turkey numbers have improved over the past five years,” said KDFWR turkey-grouse program coordinator Zak Danks. “The more we learn, the more optimistic we are about the future of our flock.”

Youth hunters get the first opportunity April 4–5, followed by the general season running April 18 through May 10.

Reminder! Hunters should familiarize themselves with the regulations before going afield.

For all regulations, general information, and videos on turkey hunting and processing, follow the links below:

🦃 Spring Turkey Hunting page: https://fw.ky.gov/Hunt/Pages/Spring-Turkey-Hunting.aspx
🌿 Kentucky Spring Hunting Guide:https://fw.ky.gov/Hunt/Documents/springhuntingguideentire.pdf
🐟 Kentucky Fish and Wildlife website: fw.ky.gov

02/28/2026

📅 Reminder: License Year Ends February 28

A new license year means new opportunities. The 2026–2027 license year begins March 1 — so now’s the perfect time to start planning your next outdoor adventure. From spring turkey hunts and summer fishing trips to crisp fall mornings in the deer stand, the memories you’ll make this year start with the right license in hand.

Your license purchase does more than keep you legal in the field.

🎣🦌 Every license sold:

• Serves as a valuable data point that helps our biologists track participation trends and plays an important role in wildlife management models
• Informs the scientific models used to set seasons, bag limits, and management strategies
• Directly funds conservation work across the Commonwealth

Because the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources is primarily funded through license sales and federal matching dollars — not general tax revenue — your purchase directly supports habitat restoration, fish stockings, wildlife research, conservation law enforcement, and public land access.

When you buy a license, you’re investing in the future of Kentucky’s outdoors and helping ensure the species and opportunities we all enjoy remain strong for generations to come.

Thank you for supporting conservation in Kentucky — and here’s to a great 2026–2027 season ahead. 🌿

02/26/2026

Bald eagle nesting season is in full swing throughout Kentucky 🦅🪺

The nesting season for bald eagles begins with courtship behaviors and nest maintenance, followed by egg laying. Eagle eggs are incubated for 30-35 days and chicks are raised by their parents for roughly 90 days before achieving adult size and fledging the nest.

Surveys conducted by our biologists suggest that Kentucky is home to more than 200 nesting pairs of bald eagles. While historical nests were concentrated in the western portion of the state, nests in central and eastern Kentucky became increasingly common beginning in 2006. Kentucky's total nesting population increased at a rapid pace during this timeframe, jumping more than 400% from 43 in 2006 to 187 in 2019!

The recovery of the bald eagle is a major conservation success story and a prime example of how people can help wildlife. YOU can support the conservation of raptors, songbirds, and other vulnerable wildlife throughout the state by becoming a member of Kentucky Wild.

Click here to become a Kentucky Wild member today: https://bit.ly/3q7pt0J

Photo by Ray Stainfield

02/25/2026