Kentucky Elk Hunting

[beauleyse]

So I've been reading up a little on these Elk Hunts in Kentucky that is lottery style drawings...Has anyone ever been drawn...If so was it worth it...I've read good and bad things but nothing that steers me away from the idea..Any information would be helpful..I'd really like to know more of the cons than the pros from a personal experience...Thanks...

[Huntschool]

Beau:

If he doesn't jump on here, Bowwild, on this site has a "pretty good" past working relationship with KY Elk.

If ha does not get here, PM him.  I am sure he can fill ya in.

[KentuckyTJ]

Entry is $10. No cons come to mind about winning a $10 elk tag.

[wapiti1997]

This year you can apply for archery tags, bull or cow. It's a great opportunity, cows are tougher as the season is later..

[Apex Predator]

If you are out of state, the odds of drawing are astronomical!

[koger]

My wife drew a bull tag in 2009, here brother drew one last year. She got a 4x4, he got a 5x5, both rifle tags. We did 3 weekends of scouting and hunted on public land, no guide,she shot her's first day. he paid a guy $1500, and hunted a week. This year you can put in for 2 tags, bull./gun/archery and cow/gun/archery, you have 4 to choose from, $10 each, $20 total. Lots of folks in the areas wont let you hunt without a trespass fee$300-$500, and several wanted a $800 fee if you shot a cow, $1000 if you shot a bull on their land, and some zones have little to no public hunting land. If you get drawn, then you pay another $30, and put in for 3 different areas, !st -3rd pics. You dont have any guarentee that you will get drawn for any of those ares, have to take what you get. Pm me if you have any more questions, will be glad to help all I can. I have put in since first year, never gotten drawn, but had a blast hunting with the wife.

[KentuckyTJ]

Originally posted by Apex Predator:
If you are out of state, the odds of drawing are astronomical!

Non-residents can not draw more than 10% of the tags.

[pronghorn23]

The odds are terrible for non-residents. I've put in a couple times just for fun...heck somebody's got to win those tags. It's my form of lottery.

[beauleyse]

That's what I've heard it tough I figured it would just be something to put in for...I don't mind doing it the hard way but like you said you have be drawn...I've sent two in if I get drawn I'll sure be PMing you Koger for some added advice...Wish me luck lol

[straitera]

Consistently applied for a number of years w/o being drawn. I'll apply again this year. Ktj, might strong arm you if I get picked. Don't know many folks there & it would be good to hunt w/another TG member.

[Bowwild]

The KY elk herd was wiped out around the Civil War - the same time most eastern elk herds disappeared. Elk are native to every state except Florida.

The herd started wtih 7 animals from Kansas the week before Christmas in 1997. Another 1,542 animals were captured and released from disease-free wild herds from 1998-2002 in UT, AZ, OR, ND, and NM -- thank-you to the agencies and sportsmen and women in those states!  More than 4,500 people were on hand to witness the first, historic elk release.

About 200 elk were released over several areas in the 14-count release area in Eastern Kentucky-90% of the land was private with much of the public land in the form of hunting leases with coal companies. The elk restoration area has since been expaned to 16 counties and coveres 3,000,000 acres.

The elk herd is doing extremely well -- better than almost anyone expected. The herd is over 10,000 animals now with nearly 1,000 tags being issued annually (I retired in 2007 so I don't follow all this as closely as I once had to). Last year about 32,000 people paid $10 each (one application per person) for a chance to draw an elk permit. Up to 10% of the tags drawn could go to nonresidents but I doin't believe that number has ever been reached because there are so many more residents in the pool. I've applied since 2007 -- I figure I have just 28 more years to draw -- I'll be only 85 years old!LOL.

Bowhunters have much longer to hunt that rifle hunters. The success rate is around 76% every year by all elk hunters. It would be higher if everyone hunted.

The first elk killed (legally) in modern times was killed by a fellow named Tracey Cerise from Lexington, KY. He killed his bull with a Muzzleloader at 8:05am or so on opening day.

Guys, this is the largest elk restoration project in wildlife management history. The RMEF paid for a huge chunk of it.  Your $10 application fee helps maintain the program and if you get drawn you could be the person who breaks the state record.

Sorry to provide more information than was needed but I don't have opportunity to talk "elk" with many folks these days. The herd is in terrific hands!

I'll be applying again.

[screamin6x6]

I killed my Ky. cow a few weeks ago.

[JamesJamison]

I always put in, and have since the first drawing, but have not had fortune smile upon me yet.  

My older sister lives in Harlan Ky, and I have sat on her front porch and seen the elk on the mountain behind their house.

Sure would love to get drawn sometime.

[Zbone]

Bowwild  - "The herd started wtih 7 animals from Kansas"

Where in the world did they receive wild elk from KS, or were they captive???

I've applied every since the lottery began without luck also.

[wapiti1997]

The KS elk came from the Maxwell Wildlife Refuge, an elk and bison prairie refuge managed by KS Wildlife and Parks, bowwild once worked for that agency too.  I think Fort Riley has elk also..

I was part of the crew that went to KS to get the first elk (thus my handle of wapiti1997), we caught more but not all passed the disease testing requirements to bring back.

NR have just as good a chance to draw as anyone, it was about 1:50 last year.  A NR elk tag is around $300+ NR hunting license if you get drawn.

[Zbone]

Joe – Interesting stuff about the KS elk and transplant, thanx for sharing.

BTW, is that a Chaparral Kaibab in your profile photo?

[Bowwild]

Howdy Joe!

Yep Fort Riley has a free-ranging herd and there's another in SW KS's Cimmarron National Grassland. I was in KS when some of those elk (from Colorado) were released -- one went right through a barbed wire fence as if it wasn't there.  The Maxwell herd resided on a 2,500 acre enclosure and had been established for a very long time. Every year nearly 100 bison were caught, tested, and auctioned by KS Widlife & Parks for sell to private herds. The elk herd had too many animals so they were headed for the butcher shop but a few made it to KY instead, thanks to Wapiti1997 and his talented and dedicated peers.

[kybowhunter2]

I put in this year. I know where they are and the area is easy hunting. I put in for the archery and rifle. I cant remember the exact number but they dont give as many archery tags as they do gun, I think it might be like 80 or 90. I hopoe I get lucky this commin year.

[recurvericky]

Just as  a note there is a elk herd in Miami Co Kansas and there are elk in Greensburg, KS along with the other areas listed.

[wapiti1997]

Zbone, the bow in my pic is a Centaur.

80 bull tags and 240 cow tags will be awarded to archers this fall..