When we think about hunting that trophy elk, visions of some western state like Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and a host of other elk hot spots, dance in our brains. But Kentucky? Yup! Eastern Kentucky now has over 6,500 elk, free roaming, and officials at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation say that Kentucky’s elk average 15% larger than other state’s free roaming elk.
In 1997, seven elk were released into the Cyprus Amax Wildlife Management Area in southeastern Kentucky as part of a restoration project to return elk to the landscape after an absence of about 150 years. After that initial release, an additional 1,500 elk were imported from places like Utah, Kansas, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon and Arizona. The long range goal of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources is a herd size of about 10,000.
In 2001, 12 elk permits were issued to hunters. The same followed in 2002 and 2003. This year 300 permits will be issued. The deadline for applying is July 31. A non-refundable application fee of $10.00 is charged.
For more information on the Kentucky elk hunt, click here.
If you would like to apply for an elk permit, click here.
Tom Remington
