elk bugling

Elk Hunting Info

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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ELK HUNTING INFORMATION


Unless license exempt, all elk hunters are required to purchase a Kentucky annual hunting license and an elk hunting permit. Elk hunters must also print a ​vehicle hang tag to display in their vehicle while hunting, and is only available to print once a hunter has purchased their elk permit. Hunters must comply with all season dates, bag limits, hunter orange requirements, and equipment restrictions for their individual permit type. Upon the conclusion of their hunt, hunters are also required to complete the postseason elk hunter survey listed in their MyProfile. Failure to comply with the survey requirement will prohibit a hunter from applying for all KDFWR-administered quota hunts and no-hunt options the following year.

Please see the Annual Fall ​Kentucky Hunting Guide for​ a comprehensive list of elk hunting regulations.

​​ELK HUNT LOYALTY REDRAW​​​​​

​The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources ​shall conduct a secondary drawing of Elk Quota Hunt Permits each year to award unclaimed permits as a loyalty reward to long-time applicants. ​For more information, please check the Elk Hunt Loyalty Redraw page.

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Elk Hunting Areas

Elk Hunting Units: The Kentucky elk management zone is divided into 7 Elk Hunting Units (EHU), 6 of which are open for elk hunting. Kentucky is approximately 95 % privately owned, and much of the public land available for elk hunting received significant hunting pressure. The EHU system was developed in 2019 to reduce the risk of overharvesting elk in any one area.

Regulated Areas: Regulated Areas (RA) are privately owned properties that KDFWR has entered into an agreement with the landowner (via the voucher-cooperator or landowner-cooperator programs) to allow limited public access for elk hunting.

Hunting Area Drawing

All drawn elk hunters and Commission permit holders have the ability to apply for a specific Elk Hunting Unit and/or Regulated Area in a secondary drawing conducted by the Commonwealth Office of Technology. Prior to the drawing, each hunter can choose up to five unit or area preferences before midnight on June 30th. Once the selections have been made, each applicant, regardless of permit type, will be given an identifying number and drawn at random for the unit or area of their choosing. A computer will randomly draw an individual and look at their choices before moving to the next applicant. If there​​​​ are no openings in any of that applicant’s choices, or if an applicant fails to make a selection, the computer will randomly place the applicant in a hunt unit with an opening for their permit type. Results will be available by July 16th. Any remaining spots for Regulated Areas will be available on a first-come, first-served basis on August 2nd at 8 AM EST through your “My Profile” page.


Max Number of Hunters per Hunt Unit (2024)

Either-Sex Archery /
Crossbow
Bull
Firearm Week 1
​Bull
Firearm Week 2
Cow
Firearm Week 1
Cow Firearm 
Week 2
Either-Sex Youth Total
Unit 230
101021214
96
Unit 338
212128286
142
Unit 434
15
15
5
5
3
77
Unit 523
10
105
5
3
56
​​ Unit 625
9911
11
5 70
Unit 7205512125
59
​​ Total170 70 70 82 82 26500

Percent Success by Permit Type and Elk Hunt Unit in 2023

​​ Bull Firearm Week 1
​​​​
Permit # Harvest # Success Rate
Unit 210
5
50.0%
Unit 321
10
47.6%
Unit 420
6
30.0%
Unit 510
3
30.0%
Unit 69
5
55.6%
Unit 75
2
40.0%
​​Total
75
31 41.3%
​​ Bull Firearm Week 2
​​​​
Permit # Harvest # Success Rate
Unit 210
2
20.0%
Unit 321
5
23.8%
Unit 420
2
10.0%
Unit 510
1
10.0%
Unit 69
4
44.4%
Unit 75
4
80.0%
​​Total
​75 18 24.0%
​​Cow Firearm Week 1
​​​​
Permit # Harvest # Success Rate
Unit 221
4
19.0%
Unit 328
8
28.6%
Unit 425
4
16.0%
Unit 513
5
38.5%
Unit 623
12
52.2%
Unit 712
6
50.0%
​​Total
​122 39 32.0%
​​Cow Firearm Week 2
​​​​
Permit # Harvest # Success Rate
Unit 221
7
33.3%
Unit 328
6
21.4%
Unit 425
12
48.0%
Unit 513
2
15.4%
Unit 623
12
52.2%
Unit 712
5
41.7%
​​Total
​12244
36.1%
​​Either Sex Archery/Crossbow
​​​​
Permit # Harvest # Success Rate
Unit 230
7
23.3%
Unit 338
12
31.6%
Unit 439
10
25.6%
Unit 523
7
30.4%
Unit 625
9
36.0%
Unit 720
4
20.0%
​​Total
​175 49
28.0%
​​Either Sex Youth
​​​​
Permit # Harvest # Success Rate
Unit 22
2
100.0%
Unit 34
1
25.0%
Unit 45
2
40.0%
Unit 55
1
20.0%
Unit 65
3
60.0%
Unit 74
4
100.0%
​​Total
​25 13 52.0%
​​
​​Total Drawn Hunters​
​​​​
Permit # Harvest # Success Rate
Unit 294
27
28.7%
Unit 3140
42
30.0%
Unit 4134
36
26.9%
Unit 574
19
25.7%
Unit 694
45
47.9%
Unit 758
25
43.1%
​​Total
​594 194
32.7%

Regulated Area Harvest, 2018 to 2023​

​​​ Regulated Area Name​2018 2019 2020 2021 2022​​​ 2023
Beech Fork Tract2 (2M)1 (1M)1 (1M)
Buffalo Branch Tract​
Cambrian3 (1F, 2M)2 (1F, 1M)3 (3M)2 (1F, 1M)2 (2M)2 (2M)
Carr Creek Tracts1 (1F)1 (1M)
​​Czar Tract5 (4F, 1M)7 (4F, 3M)4 (1F, 3M)2 (2M)4 (2F, 2M)
Decoy Tract
Defeated Creek Tract
3 (2F, 1M)
1 (1F)
1 (1M)
1 (1M)
1 (1F)
Elkhorn Coal Fleming-Neon Tracts1 (1M)
1 (1M)
2 (1F, 1M)


1 (1M)
Elkhorn Coal Wheelwright Tracts
1 (1M)
Ford Mountian Tract1 (1F)
1 (1F)
Gilbert Wagers Tract
Hardburley Tract
HWY 476 Tract
Johnson Tract2 (1F, 1M)
2 (2F)
1 (1F)
1 (1M)
Lost Mountain Tract2 (2M)
1 (1M)
1 (1M)
1 (1M)
Meta Tracts
Middlesboro Tract
9 (6F, 3M)
8 (5F, 3M)
9 (6F, 3M)​
6 (5F, 1M)
​10 (6F, 4M)
Millstone Tract
2 (2M)
2 (1F, 1M)


1 (1F)
​​ Pattie Mattie Unit 2

Pattie Mattie Unit 3
RH Group Buffalo Tract
RH Group Blue River Tracts1 (1F)
RH Group Pikeville Tracts
Sizemore Tract
Thunder Ridge5 (3F, 2M)
1 (1M)
4 (1F, 3M)
5 (2F, 3M)
6 (2F, 4M)
2 (1F, 1M)
Tug Fork RA6 (4F, 2M)
6 (2F, 4M)
4 (2F, 2M)
9 (4F, 5M)
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