Kentucky elk

[Goose75]

Hey all just wondering if anyone knows about elk hunting in kentucky. Is there much public land for an nonresident to hunt. How are the odds and the price to get in the draw isn't bad at $10. I am an eastcoast boy so kentucky is a lot easier then trying to get to the west but just thinking right now.

 

[406LIFE]

Odds bad, public access bad. I continue to try myself.

 

[maxx]

Odds bad, public access bad. I continue to try myself.

Yup but success rate is really high if you draw!

 

[genesis273]

You can wait many years for the hope of drawing, but I choose to drive through KY on the way to Montana yearly. Don't get me wrong, I've gave my annual $10 donation to the state, but the odds are too low to even think that I will draw. But, crazier things have happened.

 

[brownbear932008]

I donate yearly but odds are probably better for drawing a Montana sheep tag no joke really. It sure would be nice to draw considering I can be in KY elk country in about an hour.

 

[Jwill]

If you draw give me a shout. It's easy to plug in your $10, but if you are successful the following draws for where to hunt get tricky in a hurry. I ended up with tag soup on an archery cow tag this year. Found plenty space to hunt and found some elk, but couldn't close the deal.

 

[Addicting]

Is most of the core area still reclaimed strip mining areas that is open to the public? I remember reading about that when they started doing the reintroduction program back when I was in college. I have been donating yearly but I wonder about it every time I head to FT Knox and see how deep and nasty some of those hollers are.

 

[CBiddle]

I have had 2 Kentucky elk tags and have killed zero elk. Little public land and lots and lots of outfitters. So if there is private with elk on it chances are its leased. That being said your odds if you pay an outfitter are great. Without I'm going to say 10% or less. Its doable buts its not going to be easy. but hey that's elk hunting.

 

[Tufrthnails]

I give them my $10 also....

 

[stu_manji]

I drew an archery bull tag this year. There's something like 70,000 total applications, 900 tags given, 100 are archery bull, 10% of those are for non-residents like myself. I can't remember, but the odds of me drawing were like 1 in 650 or 0.15%. Yes it's extremely lucky if you draw. But if you do, and somebody has to every year, the hunting was phenomenal.

I hunted reclaimed strip mining land that's open to all hunters in Kentucky regardless of species. I made a scouting trip, and two hunting trips (4 days and 2 days). The biologists and fish and wildlife employees were nothing short of amazingly helpful! Even the local residents were telling me where they've seen them, where they pick up their sheds, what they like to eat and where they like to bed. As far as the deep deep hollows, the elk tend to feed on the top of the reclaimed areas (mix of clover and grasses), and bed on the first bench in the hillside just below there. They didn't go all the way into the bottoms. Find dark, north facing hillsides with a stand of oaks, just below a reclaimed hill, and there will be elk and deer and turkeys and coyotes in there.

There were a few hunters in the same area being guided, but we did it on our own. Spend a lot of time doing research on google earth, listen to podcasts, read articles, call and pester the crap out of the local biologist and COs.

Public access really isn't that bad if you do your research, apply for the right LEA, and use OnX Maps religiously.

I arrowed a 360" bull on my first trip that ended up being killed the next week by a rifle hunter. He came in to a cow call just like any western elk would. It was the time of my life!
On the second trip, on my 4th stalk of the first morning, I double lunged a broken off 4x4 raghorn. He was dead running on impact. I'll never forget how hard it was to eat lunch, and wait the half hour with my best friend by my side, with that huge grin on my face. I couldn't chew with that smile. It was the time of our lives!

SEND IN YOUR MONEY! Someone has to draw the tags, and if you ever do, harvest or not, you'll have a trip to tell your grandkids about

 

[dcopas78]

I go down multiple times every year. There are lots of chunks of public access land. Some are small, but others are relatively large areas. I have saw elk(both in season and out) on public access every time I have went. There are harvest statistics on there website. There were a total of 170 elk killed on public land in 2016. 78 bulls, 92 cows. That is out of 522 total elk killed...242 bulls, 280 cows. According to that, 32% of the bulls harvested were harvested on public land. If you do your research, and are lucky enough to draw LEA permit, you should stand a good chance. If not, I would talk to the game wardens. They can be really helpful.

 

[gunnergraves24]

I drew an archery bull tag this year. There's something like 70,000 total applications, 900 tags given, 100 are archery bull, 10% of those are for non-residents like myself. I can't remember, but the odds of me drawing were like 1 in 650 or 0.15%. Yes it's extremely lucky if you draw. But if you do, and somebody has to every year, the hunting was phenomenal.

I hunted reclaimed strip mining land that's open to all hunters in Kentucky regardless of species. I made a scouting trip, and two hunting trips (4 days and 2 days). The biologists and fish and wildlife employees were nothing short of amazingly helpful! Even the local residents were telling me where they've seen them, where they pick up their sheds, what they like to eat and where they like to bed. As far as the deep deep hollows, the elk tend to feed on the top of the reclaimed areas (mix of clover and grasses), and bed on the first bench in the hillside just below there. They didn't go all the way into the bottoms. Find dark, north facing hillsides with a stand of oaks, just below a reclaimed hill, and there will be elk and deer and turkeys and coyotes in there.

There were a few hunters in the same area being guided, but we did it on our own. Spend a lot of time doing research on google earth, listen to podcasts, read articles, call and pester the crap out of the local biologist and COs.

Public access really isn't that bad if you do your research, apply for the right LEA, and use OnX Maps religiously.

I arrowed a 360" bull on my first trip that ended up being killed the next week by a rifle hunter. He came in to a cow call just like any western elk would. It was the time of my life!
On the second trip, on my 4th stalk of the first morning, I double lunged a broken off 4x4 raghorn. He was dead running on impact. I'll never forget how hard it was to eat lunch, and wait the half hour with my best friend by my side, with that huge grin on my face. I couldn't chew with that smile. It was the time of our lives!

SEND IN YOUR MONEY! Someone has to draw the tags, and if you ever do, harvest or not, you'll have a trip to tell your grandkids about

View attachment 67306

Sounds like a great time!

 

[DonV]

I hope to draw! I think when elk population hit the max they want tag numbers will skyrocket right?

 

[brownbear932008]

I hope to draw! I think when elk population hit the max they want tag numbers will skyrocket right?

Tags numbers have been reduced for several years now actually. It will always be a OIL type draw.