Apply for the Kentucky Elk Hunt Drawing by April 30

​​FRANKFORT, Ky. (April 29, 2026) — The deadline to apply for the Kentucky Elk Hunt Drawing will be midnight on April 30, 2026. The fall elk quota hunt is among the most anticipated hunting opportunities available in Kentucky each year.

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources will announce the winners for the Kentucky Elk Hunt Drawing throughout the day on Saturday, May 9, at the fourth annual Kentucky Elk & Outdoor Fest in Bardstown, Kentucky.

The purpose and highlight of the outdoor fest, the announcement will reveal the names of the 500 randomly selected applicants eligible to purchase a 2026 elk hunt permit from the drawing. The drawing includes 140 bull firearms, 164 cow firearms, 170 either-sex archery/crossbow and 26 either-sex youth-only permits. The drawing is open to residents and non-residents, although no more than 10% of those drawn can be non-residents.

A ticketed event, the Kentucky Elk & Outdoor Fest will be held at the KYGUNCO location in Bardstown (401 Glenwood Drive), from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (all times EDT). The event offers a vendor village with more than 100 manufacturers and outfitters from the outdoor industry, numerous food and drink trucks, live music and hundreds of chances to win additional door prizes and raffles. The event will take place rain or shine.

Announcements of the elk draw applicants will take place on the event’s main stage throughout the day. Cow tags will be announced at 10:40 a.m., youth and archery tags at 12:35 p.m., and rifle and bull tags at 3 p.m. Musical acts will take place between each draw announcement.

Live performances in the event tent will include Moonshine Magnolia at 9:15 a.m., Will Moseley at 11 a.m., and the Kruse Brothers at 1 p.m.

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife biologists, law enforcement officers and educators will be present to talk about important wildlife management, private lands habitat guidance, regulations and employment. Demonstrations on habitat management, wild game processing and cooking are scheduled throughout the day. In addition, hunting and fishing licenses, Kentucky Wild memberships and official merchandise will be available for purchase.

A livestream of the results of the Kentucky Elk Hunt Drawing will be available on the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Facebook page for those who cannot attend the event.

Individuals may also check to see if they were drawn for a 2026 Kentucky elk hunt permit by logging into their My Profile account at fw.ky.gov. Results will be posted no later than 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 13.

For more information, or to buy event tickets in advance, visit kyoutdoorfest.com.​