Sunday, July 29, 2007


A bull market for elk
State's herd grows to about 6,500, and 300 hunters get a shot at one

By Gary Garth
Special to The Courier-Journal


Kentucky's elk season won't open until Oct. 6, but hunters hoping for a chance of being drawn for one of the 300 available tags need to act before midnight Tuesday.

That's the lottery application deadline. The entry fee is $10, which will go into the general budget of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.



Entering is easy, but getting picked is not. The odds of being drawn for one of the 75 bull tags and 225 cow tags are about 100-1.

That won't stop me and about 30,000 other want-to-be elk hunters from applying. As they say in the lottery commercials, "Somebody's got to win."

Approximately 21,000 wishful hunters already have applied, and a last-minute surge is anticipated.

"We're expecting about 30,000 people to enter the drawing for a tag this year," said Tina Brunjes, the state's big-game coordinator.

That's a far cry from five years ago, when 4,810 people applied for the 12 tags and the winners were announced at the Hazard Elk Festival after their names were plucked from a barrel.

The drawings are now done by a computer in Frankfort, and the herd that started with seven elk released in 1997 has grown to around 6,500.

Stockings were halted in 2002, when the herd numbered about 1,500 and the hunting segment of the program was little more than symbolic with the 12 tags.

The tag allotment remained the same for another season. Then, as the herd grew, Fish and Wildlife officials offered 40 tags in 2004, 100 in 2005, 200 last season and 300 this year.

Officials originally hoped to grow the herd to around 7,400. That mark might be reached next year, and Brunjes is now talking about a herd of 10,000 and 1,500 quota tags per year.

"The number of tags should go up again next year and every year after that for the next few years," she said.

That doesn't mean the odds of being drawn will improve. With the success of the elk program, Kentucky can offer one of the best deals in big-game hunting -- and the demand is high.

"It's a high-quality hunt," Brunjes said. "There is a lot of interest."

Those with a tag in hand have a very good chance of going home with an elk, arguably the most majestic game animal in North America.

Since that first elk season in 2001, Kentucky hunters have enjoyed an astounding level of success. Brunjes said more than 90 percent of the tags are filled each year.

"It's been 100 percent on the bull tags virtually every year and about 85 percent on the cow tags," she said. "And it was slightly higher than (85 percent) for cow tags last year. If you're drawn for a bull tag, the odds are very good that you'll get your elk."

The odds that someone will bag a state-record bull are good, too. In 2001 Jimmie Garrett of Louisville set the typical record with a 6x6 bull that posted a Boone & Crocket score of 2904/8. That was topped in 2003 when Terry Ratliff of Martin, Ky., took a 3042/8 bull from the Starfire Wildlife Management Area near Hazard.

Ratliff's record was broken the following year. In 2005 officials also established a non-typical bull elk record, and Matthew Hall of Middlesboro dropped one in Bell County that scored 3202/8. That same year Paul Cummins of Mount Vernon broke the typical record.

The non-typical mark fell the next year, and records were set in both categories last year, including a typical that Franklin Scott of Garrett, Ky., killed in Knott County. That animal scored 3614/8 and was the first Kentucky elk to qualify for the Boone & Crockett three-year book, which requires a minimum score of 360.

"We know we've got bigger Boone & Crockett Club bulls out there because our biologists have seen them," Brunjes said.

The elk-restoration zone covers 16 Eastern Kentucky counties and about 3 million acres, much of it reclaimed mining land. The animals are becoming more dispersed every year, so Brunjes knows the hunter success rate will drop.

"A (90 percent-plus) success rate is unheard of," she said. "But that is a testament to the work our biologists and other staff put in helping people locate elk.

"And there's also apparently a network throughout Eastern Kentucky of local people who help hunters. They want hunters to succeed."

Before anyone rushes off to the KY DNR site to apply, be aware that you CANNOT select the type of hunt you want. When you fill out the app, you are are applying for any one of the 300 permits available.

So if you get lucky, you might be getting a cow permit. -TONY

I put in my $10 for the second year in a row, not a good chance...but what the heck

I almost did, Josh. BUT...when I started filling out the online form and didn't see anywhere to make a bull/cow choice, I decided to research it a bit more and found there is NO choice.

I have no desire to travel all the way to KY for a cow when I can get a cow permit here on one of the reservations for a couple hundred dollars -- IF I wanted to hunt a cow elk. -TONY

Hey Kathi, You beat me to this one. It snuck up on me this year.

No doubt one of the very best Bargains going for Hunters. A $10 chance at the opportunity to Hunt some fine Elk.

Kentucky Afield had a show on just yesterday showing a young fellow with cancer going on a KY Elk Hunt. The Hunt was donated to him and he has since died.

It showed his group of Hunters doing their best to call in a few fine Trophy Bulls on some of the Reclamation Land. On the third day, they had one walk up within 70yds of him. The first shot staggered the Bull, but it remained standing. The second shot dropped it where it stood.

Time is running short for anyone who is interested in trying for the opportunity.

Best of luck to everyone.

We have the same situation here in Michigan, where you apply, and if selected, they tell you what animal to shoot, either a cow or a bull.

Don

Good to hear things are going well there.
By the way, I'll take a cow tag anyday compared to nuttin'. Elk is some of the best tasting big game you can get in my mind.

Unit5A,

This is what it will cost to hunt elk in KY, regardless of sex.

NR license $130 and elk permit $365, plus the $10 application fee = $515

Obviously, that doesn't include your travel expenses there and back.

In contrast, although it's likely too late now, you can normally buy a cow permit from the WM or SC reservations here for about $500-$600 on a first-come, first-served basis.

Same goes for many of the private land hunts in NM or under Colorado's "Ranching For Wildlife" program. For the most part, you can simply buy a license and not have to go through a lottery draw either. -TONY

Yeah..i knew you didnt have a choice of cow/bull tag...but i figured either way would be ok with me. Ky is a whole lot close to me that any other Elk country Not to mention the small,tiny, itty bitty chance i DO get drawn for a bull tag, ive got a very good chance to take one.

quote:

Originally posted by Outdoor Writer:
... you can normally buy a cow permit from the WM or SC reservations here for about $500-$600 on a first-come, first-served basis.

Same goes for many of the private land hunts in NM or under Colorado's "Ranching For Wildlife" program. For the most part, you can simply buy a license and not have to go through a lottery draw either. -TONY

Hey Tony, That is quite a bargain for folks. Any idea how many Permits get sold each year?

Are these typically a 1-day Hunt?

The more I think about it, it looks like anyone "who is a Hunter" living near those areas would jump on those rates to get that much meat.
-----

Hey Josh, Best of luck in the draw.

quote:

Originally posted by Outdoor Writer:
Unit5A,

This is what it will cost to hunt elk in KY, regardless of sex.

NR license $130 and elk permit $365, plus the $10 application fee = $515

Obviously, that doesn't include your travel expenses there and back.

In contrast, although it's likely too late now, you can normally buy a cow permit from the WM or SC reservations here for about $500-$600 on a first-come, first-served basis.

Same goes for many of the private land hunts in NM or under Colorado's "Ranching For Wildlife" program. For the most part, you can simply buy a license and not have to go through a lottery draw either. -TONY

Outdoor-
Thanks for the info, but in reality I do all my Elk hunting here. I did't get drawn for Elk this year myself (did for Antelope though), but my son drew a Bull Elk tag in Unit 5A (Az). That's the next best thing because just being able to go is the best part, even if serving as "head chef and bottle washer"; and besides I have the big freezer at home, ha ha.
Having a wife, two sons, and a daughter that love to hunt Elk too helps a lot.
Take care.

quote:

Originally posted by Unit5A:

quote:

Originally posted by Outdoor Writer:
Unit5A,

This is what it will cost to hunt elk in KY, regardless of sex.

NR license $130 and elk permit $365, plus the $10 application fee = $515

Obviously, that doesn't include your travel expenses there and back.

In contrast, although it's likely too late now, you can normally buy a cow permit from the WM or SC reservations here for about $500-$600 on a first-come, first-served basis.

Same goes for many of the private land hunts in NM or under Colorado's "Ranching For Wildlife" program. For the most part, you can simply buy a license and not have to go through a lottery draw either. -TONY

Outdoor-
Thanks for the info, but in reality I do all my Elk hunting here. I did't get drawn for Elk this year myself (did for Antelope though), but my son drew a Bull Elk tag in Unit 5A (Az). That's the next best thing because just being able to go is the best part, even if serving as "head chef and bottle washer"; and besides I have the big freezer at home, ha ha.
Having a wife, two sons, and a daughter that love to hunt Elk too helps a lot.
Take care.

Might have drawn a cow tag but elk meat is elk meat... Unit 9 again and for what, about 122 bucks ... No complaints this year...

Ken....

HC,

Here's the info for both Reservations. The WM also offers self-guided, either sex archery permits, youth permits and several depradation types. All these are generally limited to smaller bulls, calves and cows. Most cost from $385 to $505. The cow-only season was closed this year, however.

Here's an example:

Self-Guided West End Archery Elk-General (27% success rate)
October 6 through October 25, 2007
LEGAL ELK/BAG LIMIT: Cow, Calf, or Spike ONLY. A legal spike is defined as a yearling bull elk exhibiting a single antler beam on the right and left side on the skull without ANY points coming off of either beam. One (1) per tag.
NUMBER OF PERMITS: 70
PACKAGE COST: $375.00 permit cost, plus $5.00 application fee

General archery Elk tags will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis (subject to Hunt Unit limits, above), beginning July 23, 2007, at the W&ORD Office in Whiteriver. Official Application forms are available online, by mail or fax. Applications must be hand delivered to the W&ORD Office in Whiteriver. Phoned in, faxed in or mailed in applications will not be accepted. Applicants may purchase a maximum of three (3) tags. If applicants are unable to purchase tags in person, they may purchased via proxy. W&ORD staff members may not purchase or reserve these tags for anyone.

White MT. Reservation

Just click on any of the hunts listed to get the permit cost, seasons and number of permits issued.

San Carlos Reservation

Note that prices for non-tribal members on the reservations are the same for residents or nonresidents. Seasons on both are generally 5 or more days. -TONY

quote:

Originally posted by Unit5A:
... and besides I have the big freezer at home, ha ha. ...

-----

Hey Tony, Thanks for the Links and data. Sure looks like some excellent Hunting opportunities for " ANYONE ". And especially a fine deal for those of you close-by.

Best of luck to you.

HC,

Indeed. But after killing 13 elk and not being a real avid eater of any big-game meat, I just keep plodding along with my attempts to draw a premium bull elk permit through the normal state (off the res.!) lottery. -TONY