On Dec. 1, 2012, elk lottery applications will go on sale for the 2013-14 season. Hunters must buy their lottery applications before midnight EDT April 30, 2013. Elk lottery applications can only be purchased online from the department’s website at fw.ky.gov. Residents and nonresidents are eligible to apply for elk quota hunts. Each application costs $10. Hunters 15 years of age and under may apply for a youth-only quota hunt during the same application period as the regular elk quota hunt lottery. Five either-sex elk permits will be drawn. Applicants for this youth-only hunt may also purchase elk lottery applications for the regular elk quota hunts. A youth may not be drawn for the youth-only quota hunt and the regular quota hunt for elk in the same year, and if drawn for the youth-only hunt, a youngster will be permanently blocked from applying for the youth-only hunt again.

Only individuals may purchase elk lottery applications, not a party of hunters together. Hunters may apply for up to two of four tag types (bull firearms, bull archery or crossbow, cow firearms, and cow archery or crossbow), but may not apply twice for one tag type. A random computer drawing is held in May to award permits from the pool of applicants. Hunters may check to see if they were drawn on fw.ky.gov.

Drawn hunters must then specify their first, second and third choice from the 10 Elk Hunting Units (EHUs). Then a second drawing is held in July to assign each hunter to an EHU, based on the availability of an opening in the EHU of their choice, at the time their name was drawn. Results are posted on fw.ky.gov. Resident hunters drawn for a quota elk permit are required to buy a $30 elk quota hunt permit in addition to an annual hunting license. Non-residents drawn are required to buy a $365 nonresident quota elk permit in addition to an annual Kentucky nonresident hunting license. Quota elk permits must be purchased from the department’s website prior to hunting. It’s the hunter’s responsibility to find a place to hunt in their assigned EHU. Information about where to hunt can be found at fw.ky.gov. Hunters must get landowner permission to hunt private land. Hunters in the field are allowed two assistants, but only the permit holder is allowed to hunt.

Hunters awarded a bull elk permit will be blocked for three years from applying for another bull elk permit. For example, hunters awarded bull permits for the 2012-13 season are ineligible to apply for another bull tag until the 2016-17 season.

QUOTA HUNTS WITHIN THE RESTORATION ZONE

          The elk restoration zone includes the following 16 counties: Bell, Breathitt, Clay, Floyd, Harlan, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Leslie, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, McCreary, Perry, Pike and Whitley. Inside this restoration zone, elk may only be taken by hunters drawn for a quota hunt as previously described. Permits for quota elk hunts are non-transferable. All quota elk hunters must display a department-issued hang tag in their vehicles while hunting. Drawn hunters were mailed a paper copy of the regulations to the address on record for hunting elk inside the restoration zone; the regulations and maps can also be viewed online at fw.ky.gov.

ELK HUNTING OUTSIDE THE RESTORATION ZONE

         Elk may be taken from any county outside the restoration zone by hunters who possess an annual Kentucky hunting license and an out-of-zone elk permit. These hunters must follow deer season and equipment regulations, but are not required to possess a deer permit.

         Elk taken in counties OTHER THAN THE 16 COUNTIES LISTED do not count toward the deer season limit. The season bag limit on elk is one per hunter per season, regardless of permit type. Hunters may not take an elk during a quota elk hunt and also take an elk out-of- zone during the same season.

BAG LIMIT/HUNTER ORANGE

         The season bag limit on elk is one per hunter per season, regardless of permit type. Hunters may not take an elk during a quota elk hunt and also take an elk out-of-zone during the same season. Elk hunters and those who accompany them, or any other person hunting public or private lands in the elk restoration zone during firearm elk seasons, must comply with the hunter orange clothing law.

CHECKING AND TAGGING

         All elk must be telechecked. Hunters must call 1-800-245-4263 and report the harvest. (See the General Information section for details.) Hunters who fail to properly report harvested elk taken in counties outside the restoration zone are subject to severe fines and other penalties. A carcass tag is required if a harvested elk leaves the hunter’s possession for any reason.

LEGAL EQUIPMENT FOR ELK SEASON

• A modern rifle of .270 caliber or larger, but firearms may

NOT be able to hold more than 11 rounds (10 in the magazine and one in the chamber), may NOT be fully automatic (capable of firing

more than one round with one trigger pull), and may NOT be

shooting full metal jacketed or tracer ammunition.

• A muzzleloading rifle of .50 caliber or larger.

• A muzzle-loading or breechloading shotgun no larger than

10-gauge, and no smaller than 20-gauge, firing a single projectile

(slug, round ball, conical bullet or saboted bullet) ONLY.

• A handgun with a barrel length of six (6) inches, or longer, with

a bore diameter of .270 inches or larger, when firing a bullet,

producing at least 550 ft/lbs of energy at 100 yards.

• Archery and crossbow equipment.

KENTUCKY’S TROPHY BULLS: Top 10 bull elk taken by hunters

CO

  Score            Hunter               County            Method            Year

*372 6/8   Terrell Royalty           Knott          Modern gun         2009

371 0/8        Greg Neff                  Bell          Modern gun         2007

*367 7/8    Kelvin Jackson          Harlan        Modern gun          2008

367 0/8         Bill Auxier             Knott          Modern gun          2007

361 4/8       Franklin Scott          Knott          Modern gun          2006

*357 0/8        Bruce Brantley      Perry           Crossbow             2011

*356 6/8         Chris Godby         Knott          Modern gun          2009

353 1/8      Wesley Gage Fultz    Leslie          Modern gun          2007

*349 2/8         Andy Kidd            Perry          Modern gun          2006

*348 0/8         Ken Peters           Perry           Modern gun          2007

* Non-typical

This list includes the 10 largest bull elk scored and reported to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. It is possible unreported bulls taken in Kentucky may have scored higher than listed bulls.