Hello and welcome to Kentucky Afield.

I'm your host, Chad Miles.

Join us as we journey the Commonwealth in search of outdoor adventure.

This week we're headed down to Dale Hollow Lake, where we're going to grab some shiners and hopefully catch some smallmouth bass.

Then we're headed to the Red River Gorge to meet up with some biologist to backpack in some trout in native trout streams.

But first we're going to pick up my son.

Head to the deer blind for the Kentucky youth.

Deer season.

Well it█s the 2026 youth deer season.

I'm here with my son Leo, who's 14.

He's growing like a weed and loves the deer hunt.

Stays really busy with school and sports.

And honestly, thank goodness for the expanded youth deer season.

Yeah, I know.

Staying busy, it█s hard to hunt.

Luckily enough, a good rabbit hunting buddy of mine said, hey, I got a couple blinds.

I got a whole bunch of deer.

Why don█t you come out here and take one.

We were, we were on top of that pretty quick, right?

Yeah, very thankful.

Yeah, we've got two blind choices.

We've been checking the wind.

And it looks to me like we need to make the hike to the back blind.

We've got about 3.5 hours till dark.

Let█s go make it happen.

Let's go.

So, Leo, what do you think about this location?

I really like it.

It seems good.

This is really set up perfect for a youth rifle hunter.

Yeah.

I like how open it is.

Seem like we'd be able to get an easy shot off.

I really like this area.

My buddy KC, who owns this place, said the deer, normally come from this top ridge.

And work their way down here.

So when they come out, we'll have to keep an eye out.

But they'll probably start getting closer.

Because we're rifle hunting, 50-60 yards out there is probably about perfect.

We don't really want them to walk all the way up here and get right in our face because they'll probably see us.

We do have the wind in our favor.

Have you ever eaten a turnip?

I█ve heard of them.

So these tops these are called turnip greens.

Deer really, really enjoy eating those.

You can eat them.

People like them.

But it's the tops that the deer really, really like.

Oh wait a minute, deer.

Oh, we█ve got a pretty good buck.

Where are you seeing this?

You see that big tree right there?

The really big tree.

There█s a lot of big trees.

The big base tree at the bottom?

Yeah, maybe.

There's a really good buck standing behind it.

Now, he just took 2 steps away.

But he's looking for a place to come out this field.

Oh here he comes.

Get ready Leo.

Get up.

Get your gun up and ready.

You see him right there?

Oh, yeah.

That's not that far, but let█s let him walk out.

There█s another deer.

There's another buck, eating on that tree.

Oh, yeah.

Okay.

The one closest to us is bigger.

He█s making a rub.

Alright.

Leo, hold up.

The one I saw behind there was actually bigger than both of those.

I've actually seen a different buck, so hold up.

They█re going to walk out.

It's early.

They're going to be in this field for a while.

Here comes, here comes the next one.

Get ready.

There█s another one coming out.

I think it's the one I saw.

It's also a buck.

He█s looking right at us so just hold still.

He's in the same exact same spot where the other one came out.

He's getting ready to walk out right now.

It's just like all of a sudden everything changed.

Went from not seeing a deer to bucks coming out everywhere.

There█s a doe I think.

Yep.

We█ve got 2 does all the way down there.

Hey, you got all kinds of time.

They█re out early.

Making scrapes, taking their time.

You take your time.

Wait for the shot to be perfect.

That buck has no idea we█re here.

He's still standing right there.

Like, literally.

I just saw his head shake.

I definitely see him now.

He█s looking right at us again.

You see him looking right at us, Leo?

He█s so slow.

He just isn█t in a big hurry to walk out in the field.

Hey, this one buck is walking toward us.

We gotta be very cautious even though we're not looking at taking him.

He might spot us.

We don't want that to happen.

Alright, there he is.

That's the one we█re after right there.

Now, you█ve got to make sure that there█s not 2 deer lined up.

Because if your bullet goes through we don't want to get a second deer.

So I█ll help you out, let you know kind of when.

He looks pretty dark brown.

Oh, he's got a chocolate rack.

His tines are not really long, but that's an older deer.

Can you see the smaller buck walking up to you on your left?

This one right in front of us?

Yeah he's right in front of us.

You█ve got to be very careful.

Don't want him to see you.

They might have to be lowered a little bit.

Open that stick up on the other side.

Oh, be careful.

The big one█s the one that█s still left.

So hold up.

Just ease it.

Don't, no, just just spread it out a little bit.

That's it.

That's it.

No more.

Take the safety off.

Make sure you█ve got a perfect aim.

Get totally broadside, that would be perfect.

Alright, get up.

The camera's right in my way.

He just got a whiff of something that he does not like.

Look at him.

Stupid camera.

I would blow the camera up.

He is right directly in line with that camera.

I mean, right now if he shot he would literally have to take take the camera out to hit him.

All right.

Now.

Bro, stop.

He's okay.

He's going to pop back out again.

Be very careful, we█ve got these does.

Nothing.

They felt uneasy.

That is perfectly what deer hunting is all about.

Sometimes you sit around and there's nothing going on.

And then all of a sudden it's total chaos.

Three bucks in the field, two does.

They were all kind of moving, checking each other out.

Now they've slipped back into the woods and they█re just kind of waiting it out.

I really think these deer are going to step right back out, right on top of us again.

Hey, how exciting and frustrating was that?

It was exciting.

Was it frustrating?

Yeah.

They just disappeared on us for a second.

But they didn't blow.

They didn't run scared.

They just looked like something█s not right.

We█ve gotta hold tight.

Oh.

Oh, he█s standing right there.

I just saw him.

Here he is, Leo.

Easy.

Easy.

Easy.

Don't move.

Make sure you got a perfect aim.

Dude, he█s going to walk into our blind.

I'm ready.

I don█t know how I could have missed.

I think you're good.

Oh, my Gosh, have you ever had one obstacle like that trail cam?

No, never.

Get in the way so many times?

I've never seen a situation like that.

Oh my gosh.

Let█s give it a few minutes.

Let's give it a few minutes and we'll go see what happened.

It was actually right here.

I could not see when you shot.

I'm pretty sure you made a good shot on it.

Man, that would have been a good crossbow shot 20, 20 yards away.

Let's go check it out.

I see it.

Huh?

He just fell right there.

You see the deer?

Yeah, just laying down there short of the where the tree line is, it heads sticking up like this.

It's laying down face up.

Oh, yeah.

That's about the last place I saw him.

I thought you put a good shot on it.

It would be hard not to.

Hop down here buddy.

You know, it█s the first time we█ve hunted during the youth season.

We had rain all day yesterday.

And we found out that the farm we were going to hunt was covered in corn.

And we really wasn't going to get very far shot.

And we wanted to be, since we█re bringing a rifle out, you've been practicing out to 200 yards.

We wanted an opportunity to take at least 50 or 60 yard shots.

As it turned out.

You didn█t need even that.

You took a 25 yard shot.

It was nothing.

And then all of a sudden, bam, there were five deer out there, three bucks and two does.

The best buck was pretty close to us, but right in line with a trail camera that the landowner had, and we couldn't get a shot, could you?

No.

And they ended up walking back in.

You ended up getting an opportunity to get a shot on it.

Perfectly placed shot.

Looks like it ran about 60 yards.

We eat a lot of venison.

You scored first this year.

You're going to be the first one to put the venison in the freezer.

Nice job.

Here we go.

Many experienced smallmouth bass fishermen like to target those fish when the water is cooler in the fall and winter months.

And my buddy Rick Hise is no exception.

Today we're out here on Dale Hollow Lake, and this is one of my absolute favorite times of year to be on the water.

A lot of people think we're crazy, but cold weather, bass fishing can be super productive.

And I'm here with the gentleman who's been fishing this lake for a long time.

About 25 years now.

25 years.

Mr.

Rick Hise.

Rick, you spend a lot of time predominantly live bait fishing, and you stay really active on some of the social media platforms, kind of posting how you're catching fish.

And showing pictures.

Right.

And that's kind of how you and I crossed paths.

It is.

Winter time to me is and it produces, you know, I may strike out one day and then the next day, you know, hit 4 or 5 good fish.

What is a perfect condition for you to be out here on Dale Hollow Lake?

You're looking at it right now with this water like it is the bait doesn't get tore up.

I'm using shad, thread fin, alewives.

And by the time that you're throwing it out there and bringing it back and forth, you know, it takes its toll on the, you know, if you've got waves, that's even worse.

And as silly as it sounds, you're bait is key.

For small mouth you want that bait sharp strong and lively.

Well you got me excited.

I'm ready to go.

So I say let's get after it.

Man that was a pretty good impact.

Were you driving when that happened?

I was driving a golf ball.

Oh.

Is that what happened?

$350.

Oh man, I was going to say that, that took a pretty good blow to do that.

Golf ball hit it huh?

I heard it hit something and then about a month later I said that's what I hit.

And when I hook these I just go right underneath the dorsal fin.

I try not to get down too far in the meat.

This bait all came right out of Dale Hollow Lake.

He's able to catch it right here on the waterway.

And it's the exact same bait that these fish are out here eating.

There goes a fish.

Fish on already!

Real down to him.

Ready?

Yeah.

Well.

Fish on.

We only have our rods all out yet.

What do you know?

Now he's using a light wire hook so you could pull this hook right through this fish couldn█t you?

If you're not too careful.

Right.

We're going to just let rod tip play them and keep them locked up here.

Basically keep him from getting down there around something.

That's a nice fish, buddy.

Yes it is.

That was really quick.

What do you think 14, 15 inch fish, maybe 16 inches?

Right.

It's the likelihood when you fish like this that the next 2 or 3 we catch might be this same size.

You know, we're after a better quality fish, but it's a fun fish.

Oh, yeah.

You know, these are good active fish.

There he goes.

Here we go, Chad.

Get on to it.

Got one running.

We got one hooked.

Here we go.

Feels like another hard fighting smallie.

Tell you what.

When you got a fish hooked up, best way to keep them hooked up.

Keep that rod tip bent isn█t it?

Yeah.

And you feel him coming up, push him back down.

Oh, it is a nice one.

Yeah.

There you go.

Smallmouth bass.

This lake is is known for this species of fish.

And I'll tell you if you ever get into fishing for smallmouth, it gets in your blood, doesn't it?

It sure does.

When you start catching smallmouth the way they fight and how aggressive these fish can be.

And there's so much anticipation on how big it's going to be.

It just.

You can't hardly wait to get them in and see them.

And they're such a pretty, pretty fish.

Good job.

Thank you.

This time of year I have more luck throwing a little swim bait, about the size of what we're throwing on a football jig head.

So I brought a couple of those.

Oh, that turned his head.

What do we got here.

This was a cheater fish.

You know, I brought a rod and was just making a couple of casts with some artificial while we're doing this.

And look at here.

We hooked up.

Good fish.

Good fish.

There we go.

What do you know?

We're catching them on artificial and live bait today.

I love it.

I'll tell you what.

It's beautiful thing.

Get down here and thought.

Well, while I'm watching, I'll just make a couple casts and lucked into one.

So there you go.

Biting me.

The front of the boats is in 26, the back of the boats falling into 30.

And I'm going to take this live bait, and I'm going to try to put it anywhere between that range, either closer to the 30ft or the 26ft, and the bait is going to go down to the bottom of that sinker, and then I'll fan those rods a little bit.

When I'm fanning them.

I'm changing depths.

I'm going from deep up to shallow, and then if I get a run on a rod way out of the deep end, then I'll focus more on the deep side.

Gives you a better opportunity far as if they're out there, they're out there.

You've got to go to them.

All right.

Hooked up.

There you go.

Perfect hookup right there.

Yeah.

We had a two rods, a little tight.

We ended up getting both lines in, but.

No foul.

No.

We're good.

That's a nice fish there.

We just moved a little bit and, got a couple rods out, and that bite came pretty fast.

You talk about these fish moving so much, you know, if you throw out 4 or 5 rods and you don't get a strike in 20 or 30 minutes, it's time to time to move huh?

Time to move.

There you go.

Nice fish.

That one back there, it looks like it's bending.

Oh, yeah.

Get him.

It's running.

Let's see here.

He is going to town.

Trying to make sure I got the hook set in him because he was gone.

All right.

That's if you can keep his head up like that.

Coming this way.

Oh, he's all the way over here.

Bring him by.

Got him over here?

Bring him by.

There we go.

Got him there.

Well.

Good job.

Well, I'm glad you guys made it.

I enjoyed the day, and I learned a little bit too.

Well, I learned some of the ways that you handle the boat and how you set things up.

You know, when you go out with somebody who loves fishing, you're always going to pick up some tips and tactics.

And I definitely learned some stuff with you, but I just love your desire to fish.

So that is really, really impressive.

We'll fish again soon.

We better.

All right.

Thank you.

All right.

Thank you.

Kentucky has many native trout streams, and some of them are in some pretty rugged areas, and the only way to restock them is on foot.

So we are down in the Red River Gorge, and we're getting ready to stock rainbow trout here, specifically today into Chimney Top Creek and a couple weeks ago we backpacked trout into Swift Camp Creek, and we also stopped them into East Fork, Indiana, Middle Fork Red River.

We do that because really, there's no easier way to get them down in the creek.

You know, these these fish need to be in water the whole time.

We can't drive the truck right down to the creek.

So putting them in in a bag with water and hiking them down is the next best option.

The journey of these fish really starts at Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery.

There our federal partners in this.

They raise the fish.

And what happens in this particular instance today is, a couple of guys out of my office drove from Moorhead all the way down to Wolf Creek Dam, picked up these fish, and now they're bringing them all the way back to Red River Gorge.

When they get up here, we're going to look at the data, see the number of fish in a pound of fish.

And that kind of tells us how many fish we need to put in a bag.

We count those out into a bucket.

We put it into a plastic bag pump pure oxygen in that plastic bag, seal it off with some castration bands, which prevents any air from getting in and hopefully any air or water from escaping.

they're put on your back And then from there, the clock is ticking.

And we got to get them down to the stream as quick as we can and got to get them out into the water as quick as we can.

These backpacking trips are fun for a lot of folks.

You know, we get a lot of folks from the department and volunteers from different hunting and angling groups, community colleges that sort of stuff that come out and help us because it's a unique opportunity where you get to put fish on your back and hike them down and release them into streams.

And in the past, we've gotten with different state agencies like Department of Juvenile Justice has brought kids out to do this before angling groups like Bluegrass Trout Unlimited.

Today here at Chimney Top, we have, one of the community colleges is coming out.

And then also the backcountry hunters and anglers are coming out to help us today, really without the help of the volunteers we can't do this.

You know, we just don't have enough staff, in my office, especially to to handle stocking these, several hundred fish we█re about to stop today.

I've been fly fishing since I was 18 years old.

My, interests have always revolved around being outside in nature.

And, it's wonderful to fish.

It's even more wonderful to to get into the backcountry a bit and be able to have an experience alone in the water.

Kentucky Afield had done a program several years back about the few streams in the state that require hiking the fish in.

So for the last several years, I've been trying to get on board and meet with the volunteers and find a chance to, to pack in fish myself.

It's a really neat experience, and I certainly hope to do it again.

I think I'll just keep popping the events on my calendar and come whenever I can From there, those fish, because they've been raised our whole lives at Wolf Creek Hatchery, they they naturally are schooling up together, and they just kind of stay together in this big mass for a little while.

But slowly, through the course of the rest of today and definitely into tomorrow, they█ll split up and kind of get out on their own and start adapting to that, wild diet.

Why put all this effort in?

for those adventure anglers.

These aren't your normal pull up walk ten steps, cast a line and you go put some effort and you got to, hike down to these streams.

You got to do some research.

You got to be quiet.

The reward for your effort is not only just the fish, but just the beauty of what's around us.

These are unique opportunities, not necessarily just for us in the Northeast District, but unique across the state.

You know, there's there's only one Red River gorge, and there's only a handful of the streams that we stock.

It's an opportunity for us to, you know, reach another group of our constituents as far as anglers go.

Now let's check in and see who else has been out having fun in this week's ones that didn't get away.

Check out eight year old Brian Pelosi.

This here is his first buck, and he took this deer in Franklin County, Kentucky.

Congratulations.

Here we have 11 year old Blake Williams with a nice book that he got while hunting with his papa during the youth firearm deer season.

This deer was taken in Bullitt County, Kentucky.

Check out Ginny Boyd with this nice ten point mature buck that she took during the Kentucky Muzzleloader season.

Nice job.

Here we have Blake Wilson with his first buck ever.

A nice deer that was taken in Russell County, Kentucky.

Here we have Melanie Walters, who got out and did a little muzzleloader hunting in Hart County and took this nice buck.

Congratulations.

Halloween marks the end of my favorite month here in Kentucky, and that's October.

But November is a close second.

And remember, hunting and fishing on private property is a privilege.

Always ask permission and thank the landowner.

Until next week, I'm your host, Chad Miles and I hope to see you in the woods, or on the water.

Kentucky's fall hunting seasons have a lot to offer.

From early mornings chasing white tailed deer to the fast paced action of duck hunting and the camaraderie of small game and rabbit hunts.

Kentucky has something for everyone.

Give waterfowl a shot on one of the state's scenic lakes rivers, or venture out for a wild turkey or upland hunt.

There's no shortage of outdoor adventure in the Bluegrass State.

Fall is the season for unforgettable hunts, breathtaking landscapes, and traditions that bring us together.

Make this fall in Kentucky your best one yet.