The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife has expanded the number to 200 Elk Permits this year from 100 last year.

Application Deadline is 31Jul06 and is $10(non-refundable, but it goes to help the Herd). It is a Random Drawing, so you have as good of a chance as anyone else that applies. No accrued points to get you a higher selection opportunity. The folks who are drawn will be announced 20Aug06.

If drawn, you will be required to buy an Elk Tag. $25 for resident Hunters and only $300 for non-residents.

You can get an Application wherever Licenses are sold, by phone at (877) 598-2401, or on-line at Elk Tags.

Firearm Season for Bulls is 7-13Oct06 in both limited-entry and at-large zones. Firearm Season for Cows is 9-15Dec06 in the limited-entry areas and 9-22Dec06 in the at-large zones.

An Archery and Crossbow Season will be 7Oct06 – 15Jan07 in the at-large zones only.

Hunters are also randomly selected for a Bull or Cow Tag, and randomly selected for limited-entry and at-large zones, again No Preference.

Herd estimate is now considered 5,700 which they believe is the largest Elk Herd East of the Mississippi.

Best of luck to all of you that apply. Good Hunting and clean 1-shot kills.

Are these elk huntable on public lands? Sounds like a pretty cheap way for a guy to go elk hunting if he can draw a tag and find an area to hunt.

Yes. Check the link above for more info. Quite a deal.

Well..i went ahead and put in for a KY elk tag...long shot..but geez..$10 to apply..and $300 if your drawn..i can handle that

Good for you Josh. Best of luck to you on the Draw.

What the heck, I went ahead and put in also. No chance of getting drawn but if it helps the herd why not.

What sort of trophy quality could you reasonably expect for KY Elk? Just applied.

I think the state record is only about 320 B&C..but they say the bulls there are getting older and bigger Hell...a 320 class bull would be fine and dandy to me! Im sure the odds are 1,000-2,000 to 1...who knows..but like 300magnum said..$10 and it helps the herd.

Two years ago a lady held the State Record. I got to meet her at an RMEF Banquet in Shelbyville, KY. Really a nice lady.

Then last year a guy broke her record, so that is two Records in a row.

Josh might be correct about the size, I don't remember. But they are getting bigger each year. The RMEF and the KY Wildlife Dept focused a lot on "habitat" enhancement and it seems to be working.

Best of luck on the Draw to all you folks. You have as good of a chance as anyone else.

Roughly what are the odds supposed to be?

Did a little digging...last year there were 100 tags...16,000 applicants. Not great odds..a long shot for sure

You can't win if you dont play

Did everybody that drew last year kill? Or most at least? Anybody know? Thanks

If ive been doing my homework right..i think about 60% of those that were drawn were able to connect.If im wrong someone please correct me.

What the hell .. it is only 10 bucks.

Is as good a place to make a donation as I can think of

I just checked and the permits were listed today.

Draw results

Did anyone draw?

Not me, I was not on the list. thats 2 hunts in Kentucky I will miss out on this year.

Ahh.
Yet more disappointment.
That's over 6 states/hunts I've bombed out on,and some were near "gimmees".
If it weren't for bad luck......

Oh well.
I'll hunt my @$$ off here at home,and hit some new spots,esp for sika deer.Good luck to all,Dave

I didn't draw either. But hey, it was worth a shot.

I was drawn for a cow at large tag. There were 200 tags available and 26,075 people applied. Going to try and take it with my new Ross bow. We'll see.

Meanwhile I'm trying to figuire out how, with 27,000 permits available why for the second year in a row my (Whitetail) doe permit application for Zone3C in pennsylvania was returned
marked "Zone Sold Out"


I guess I'll have to pop one with my flintlock instead...

AllanD

quote:

Originally posted by Browntailguy:
I was drawn for a cow at large tag. There were 200 tags available and 26,075 people applied. Going to try and take it with my new Ross bow. We'll see.

Best of luck to you on the hunt.

I saw in the Courier-Journal today where there are some Guided Tours to go see the Elk. Should be real nice for folks that have a bit of trouble walking around.

Let us know how your hunt goes.

We'll do. Going to take the airplane out and scout elk country in a couple days. Really hope to get a chance at her with my new bow. I'll keep you updated

Names of hunters drawn for 2007 elk hunt now available

Frankfort, Kentucky- Names of 302 hunters selected for Kentucky's 2007 quota elk hunts are now posted on the department's web site at fw.ky.gov.

Overall, 31,002 people applied for a Kentucky elk hunt this year, topping last year's record of 26,186 by nearly 5,000. Of that number, more than 1,417 were youth applicants and 5,739 out-of-state hunters applied. This is the seventh year of elk hunts in the modern era.

"Kentucky began restoring its free-ranging elk herd in the winter of 1997 with a handful of animals," said Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Jon Gassett. "Now we have approximately 6,500 elk in Eastern Kentucky - the largest herd east of the Mississippi River - and hunters are taking bigger bulls every year. By all measures, our elk restoration program has been an outstanding success."

As part of the quota draw, Kentucky will issue 75 bull tags and 225 cow elk tags this season. In addition, the state issued a bull tag and a cow elk tag for two drawn youth hunters under the age of 16.

While new state records for typical and non-typical bulls were set last year, there are even bigger bulls out there. "This will prove to be one of our best elk hunts ever," said Wildlife Director Karen Alexy. "Congratulations to all those who were drawn - it's truly the hunt of a lifetime."

Kentucky's hunter success rate since the first year of the hunts in 2001 is 100 percent for bull hunters and 85 percent for cow elk hunters. The percentage for cow elk hunters is lower because some hunters have declined to hunt.

One hunter selected for a cow elk tag this year has declined to participate. Matt Orr, son of newly appointed Fish and Wildlife Ninth District Commission member Taylor Orr Jr., turned down his at-large cow elk tag after being drawn. Hunters are drawn at random using a computer program. Orr did not want to give the appearance of any conflict of interest because of his father's position. Officials at Kentucky Fish and Wildlife drew another hunter to replace Orr.

Hunters selected this year will receive a packet of information in the coming weeks with details about their hunting areas. For the at-large tags, hunters will receive information regarding opportunities on public and private properties. The packet will also include a list of guides licensed through the department.

In addition to a hunting license, elk hunters drawn for the quota hunt must purchase their elk tag. The cost is $30 for residents and $365 for non-residents. The mailing address will be included in the information packets.

Hunter education requirements apply for anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1975. Although a temporary exemption card is available, some landowners may require that hunters successfully complete a hunter education course before allowing access to their property.

Hunters are encouraged to practice to become proficient with their weapon of choice, scout their areas thoroughly prior to opening day of the season, and line up a meat processor and taxidermist well in advance.

Firearms season for bull elk opens Oct. 6, while the firearms season for cow elk opens Dec. 8. Archery and crossbow seasons for elk also open in October. Check the 2007 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide for more details.

With the number of elk increasing and the herd getting older, Tina Brunjes, big game coordinator for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, predicts hunters will have an outstanding season. "We are seeing some great big healthy elk out there," she said. "It should be a great hunt."

-30-

By my count, 28 nonresidents drawn out of 5739 applicants, for a 1 in 717 draw odds....

AND the majority of those drawn get assigned cow tags, making the odds of drawing then being assigned a bull tag much, much worse.

And yet I keep applying, just trying to keep hope alive!