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Administration; Wildlife; Licenses-and-Permits; Hunting
FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 08, 2024) — For the second consecutive year, results from the Kentucky elk hunt drawing will be revealed live as part of the Kentucky Elk & Outdoor Fest.
The event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, May 11 at the KYGUNCO location in Bardstown, Kentucky. Results of the elk hunt drawing will be announced at 3 p.m. Name and county (or state in the case of a nonresident) are publicly announced for each applicant selected through the random drawing.
A livestream of the announcement will be carried on the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Facebook page for those who cannot attend the event. Additionally, individuals may also check their My Profile account at fw.ky.gov after 5 p.m. on May 13 to see if they were drawn for a 2024 Kentucky elk hunt permit.
More than 77,500 applications were received by the April 30 deadline for the 500 elk hunting permits available this year through the drawing.
The drawing is independently conducted by the Commonwealth Office of Technology, the state’s information technology agency, ensuring fairness by assigning unique numbers to applicants and removing their names from electronic applications for the computerized drawing. A private accounting company audits the results before delivering them to the host of the live results-revealing event and to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife for applicant notifications. By state regulation, 90 percent or more of the permits are allotted to Kentucky residents each year.
Drawn hunters must buy their elk permits before midnight (ET) June 15 each year. Any unclaimed permits carry into the department’s loyalty redraw, a secondary drawing for those who have applied the most years without ever being selected.
In addition to the drawing results announcement, attendees to the Kentucky Elk & Outdoor Fest can expect a vendor village with nearly 100 manufacturers and outfitters from the outdoor industry, food and drink trucks, live music and numerous door prizes and raffles.
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources biologists, conservation officers and educators will be on hand to discuss important wildlife management, habitat work, regulations and employment opportunities. Demonstrations on habitat management and wild game processing and cooking are planned throughout the day. Hunting and fishing licenses, Kentucky Wild memberships and official merchandise also will be available for purchase at the event.
For more information about the Kentucky Elk & Outdoor Fest, or to buy event tickets in advance, visit kyoutdoorfest.com. The event will take place rain or shine.
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