Commission sets elk permit numbers for 2023 elk hunt drawing

​​​​​​​NOTE: The following is a summary of action taken by the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission at its video teleconference meeting on March 29, 2023. Official meeting minutes will be reviewed at a future meeting. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources provides this summary to enhance the public’s awareness about potential changes to hunting, fishing, boating or other related regulations.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 29, 2023) — The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously in a rescheduled quarterly meeting held March 29, 2023 to issue the same number of permits for 2023 elk hunting seasons.

The total number of permits (594) and distribution of permits awarded through the random drawing will be unchanged from the 2022 season: 175 either-sex archery/crossbow permits, 150 firearm bull permits, 244 firearm cow permits, and 25 youth permits valid for bull or cow elk using any legal method.

The application period for 2023 elk hunt permits continues through April 30, 2023. Applications can be purchased through the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources’ website (fw.ky.gov) or wherever licenses are sold. The cost is $10 per application. Applicants may apply for more than one hunt type, increasing their odds of being drawn, but can only be selected for one permit per year.

The commission’s vote aligned with the recommendation from the department’s Wildlife Division, which provided commission members pre-recorded informational updates on recent elk population modeling and results from the 2022 elk and bear hunting seasons. The informational videos are available on the department’s website. To find them, click on the “Commission Meetings/Agendas and Recaps" link on the homepage.

In other business, the commission voted unanimously to:

• Authorize the commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources to promulgate regulations necessary for the department to conduct administrative functions in compliance with current Kentucky Revised Statutes and with Senate Bill 241 should it become law.
• Authorize the commissioner to conduct auctions as necessary to dispose of surplus and confiscated property to comply with Senate Bill 241 should it become law.
• Approve the minutes from the Jan. 13 special called meeting and the minutes from the commission’s Dec. 2, 2022 quarterly meeting with a modification to reflect the board’s discussion in that meeting about special permits for waterfowl and bear. By state law, the commission may award up to 10 special hunting permits per year for deer, wild turkey, waterfowl and elk to qualifying organizations to be used for fundraising to support projects that enhance fish and wildlife resources or participation in related activities within the commonwealth. Approved minutes will be added to the department’s website.

A replay of the live video teleconference meeting is available on demand on Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s YouTube channel.

The commission, a nine-member board comprised of volunteers who serve four-year terms, recommends hunting, fishing and boating regulations on behalf of the commonwealth's anglers, hunters, and other wildlife-related stakeholders. Any recommendation by the commission to amend a state administrative regulation must receive legislative approval before becoming law. The process of promulgating regulations spans several months.

The agenda for the rescheduled quarterly meeting, originally scheduled for March 3 before it was postponed, included only time-sensitive items.

Items on the March 3, 2023 agenda but not the March 29, 2023 agenda will be considered for upcoming meetings.

The next planned quarterly commission meeting is Friday, June 2, 2023 in Frankfort.​