The Kentucky Elk EXPANSION - A RMEF Film

[bucdoego]

The Kentucky Elk EXPANSION - A RMEF Film

If you haven't see it yet, this is worth your time. Beautiful photography and a great conservation story. A big thanks to Randy Newberg and to everyone involved with bringing it to our attention. Thanks to the sponsors, too. Without them the story might not of been told. The sponsors are: RMEF, YETI, Nosler, Leupold, Bass Pro Shops & Cabelas.

A special thanks to the Kentucky Fish & Wildlife Resources and everyone that volunteered time and resources to the project too.

 

[Sytes]

I saw the RMEF film though not Randy's intro. Very cool. Thanks for sharing!

RMEF has immensely supported our elk and other big game throughout our country. Best organization for your $, focused on elk.

Kentucky - awesome!

 

[Kentucky Jack]

I'm from Kentucky, and I'm 100% for the restoration of elk. I'm glad we have them in our state. But unfortunately I'll never be able to hunt them. It's become too political and only those with deep pockets will have the opportunity. I put in for fifteen years and never drew. Finally had a friend draw who had the worst hunting experience of his life. He paid a guide 4k only elk he saw was on private and the only way he could hunt them is pay an extra 10k tress pass fee. Outfitters run sxs and four-wheeler up on public chasing elk down to private land. Many of the hunters who live in kentucky have realized what a scheme the elk hunting is here. Many have applied like me for decades to never draw a tag but yet the same tv hunters get a tag every year. That's why I stopped applying and put my money out west. I really hope Randy gets a tag and when he goes can shed a brighter light on the scheme of things.

 

[stealthy_bowman]

I'm from Kentucky, and I'm 100% for the restoration of elk. I'm glad we have them in our state. But unfortunately I'll never be able to hunt them. It's become too political and only those with deep pockets will have the opportunity. I put in for fifteen years and never drew. Finally had a friend draw who had the worst hunting experience of his life. He paid a guide 4k only elk he saw was on private and the only way he could hunt them is pay an extra 10k tress pass fee. Outfitters run sxs and four-wheeler up on public chasing elk down to private land. Many of the hunters who live in kentucky have realized what a scheme the elk hunting is here. Many have applied like me for decades to never draw a tag but yet the same tv hunters get a tag every year. That's why I stopped applying and put my money out west. I really hope Randy gets a tag and when he goes can shed a brighter light on the scheme of things.

how would a tv hunter draw a tag every year with a permit system that is purely random? That’s one of the things I actually like about the KY system and they publicly state that they will never introduce a preference point system.

 

[Kentucky Jack]

how would a tv hunter draw a tag every year with a permit system that is purely random? That’s one of the things I actually like about the KY system and they publicly state that they will never introduce a preference point system.

Landowners in the elk zones get so many tags, from what I understand they can sell those, Randy even mentioned it a little in the live feed. That's one way there is also a couple other ways but I don't fully understand those enough to go into detail and don't want to spread misinformation. But you can watch multiple tv hunters get a tag ever single year. So they are getting them somehow.

 

[stealthy_bowman]

Thanks for that info. I wasn’t aware of the transferable landowner tags. Not a fan of that concept as it privatizes wildlife.

 

[Jwill]

How do TV personalities and other public figures get elk tags?
Answer: Public figures and outdoor personalities do not receive preference in obtaining elk hunt permits; they are required to obtain an elk permit in the same manner as any other member of the general public. Some are invited guests or clients of Landowner-Cooperators, and some purchase their permits from the organizations that receive Special Commission Elk Permits.

AVAILABLE ELK PERMITS​

KDFWR offers five types of elk permits: general drawing quota permits, special commission permits, voucher cooperator permits, landowner cooperator permits, and elk restoration permits.

• General drawing quota permits are available by applying to the Kentucky elk lottery online. Permits are offered for bull firearm, cow firearm, and either sex archery/crossbow permit; individuals may apply separately for each permit type, for a total of 3 possible applications per year. However, individuals can only apply once for each permit type. General drawing quota permits cannot be bought or sold, and hunters have to follow the season requirements for the permit for which they were drawn. The annual deadline to apply for general drawing quota permits is April 30.
• Special commission permits are available to registered non-profit groups whose focus is on wildlife conservation. A hunter with this permit can hunt during any elk season anywhere they have permission to do so. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission issues up to 10 of these elk permits per year. Non-profits can sell a permit outright or auction it, but all proceeds must be used for a conservation project in Kentucky. A person who buys a special commission permit must hunt with it; the permit is not transferrable a second time. Names of non-profits receiving the special commission permits are available online at fw.ky.gov.
• Landowner-cooperator permits are provided to landowners who open their property to public hunting. For each 5,000 acres enrolled in a public hunting agreement with KDFWR, the landowner receives one permit. Landowners may give away or sell these permits. A hunter with the landowner-cooperator permit may hunt during any season. However, that person may only hunt on the public land enrolled in the program. Names of landowners receiving landowner-cooperator permits are available only by making a Kentucky Open Records request to the department.
• Voucher cooperator elk permits are provided to landowners/lessees who provide elk hunter access to their property. The Voucher Cooperator Elk Permit Program links people who own or lease elk hunting land with hunters who have drawn an elk permit. Hunter access is accomplished by offering landowners/lessees an elk permit when they accumulate 10 points (harvested bull = 1 points, harvested cow = 1 point). Hunters will sign up to hunt voucher properties on a first come, first served basis through an online system after the area drawing is complete. Interested landowners and lessees may contact Kentucky Fish and Wildlife at 1-800-858-1549 to learn more about the Voucher Cooperator Elk Permit Program.
• Elk Restoration Permits are provided to landowners/lessees who allow KDFWR staff to relocate elk from their property as part of an ongoing restoration effort. Landowners/lessees receive an elk permit when they accumulate 10 points (relocated bull = 1 points, relocated cow = 1 point). Elk Restoration Permits are only valid on property owned or leased by the landowner/lessee who provided capture access for elk relocation efforts. Elk Restoration Permits are transferrable.

I drew an archery cow tag in KY a few years ago and hunted on one of the voucher properties. Unfortunately I didn't contribute a point toward an elk tag for that property owner...

 

[jpcoll01]

This is a good move to get more elk onto public land in KY. Unlike out west KY is something like 5% public so having elk in the Daniel Boone National Forest is a big deal, hope they really take off and head north.

 

[EKYHunter]

Permits aren’t the problem (well ther are but..) here in Kentucky, access and the lack of elk are the problem. KDFWR talks about “The land of 10,000 elk.” Well those numbers are way high. We’ve lost a lot of elk over the last 10 years or so. We give out way too many permits and unless you want to hire a guide or know someone who has private land with elk, you’re likely to not even see an elk. Lots of folks and guides have sought to have permit numbers decreased but this will not happen as the elk draw is a “cash cow” for the department. I live in the elk zone and I could take you to a place about 30 minutes from my home where we could expect to see 60-70 elk before it gets dark but it’s the exception and not the rule. Kentucky’s elk are in a bad place right now for various reasons.

 

[EKYHunter]

This is a good move to get more elk onto public land in KY. Unlike out west KY is something like 5% public so having elk in the Daniel Boone National Forest is a big deal, hope they really take off and head north.

There used to be more elk on public as compared to private.

 

[geetar]

One of the earlier Meat Eater episodes featured Rinella taking an elk in KY. I think it had to do something with an invite from RMEF. It was a pretty neat episode.

 

[jdf]

Thank you for posting...

 

[bucdoego]

One of the earlier Meat Eater episodes featured Rinella taking an elk in KY. I think it had to do something with an invite from RMEF. It was a pretty neat episode.

Now that you bring it up, I remember seeing that episode too. Rinella engaged a few locals as part of his learning curve, as I recall. It was interesting.

 

[Dwill83]

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

I'm from Kentucky, and I'm 100% for the restoration of elk. I'm glad we have them in our state. But unfortunately I'll never be able to hunt them. It's become too political and only those with deep pockets will have the opportunity. I put in for fifteen years and never drew. Finally had a friend draw who had the worst hunting experience of his life. He paid a guide 4k only elk he saw was on private and the only way he could hunt them is pay an extra 10k tress pass fee. Outfitters run sxs and four-wheeler up on public chasing elk down to private land. Many of the hunters who live in kentucky have realized what a scheme the elk hunting is here. Many have applied like me for decades to never draw a tag but yet the same tv hunters get a tag every year. That's why I stopped applying and put my money out west. I really hope Randy gets a tag and when he goes can shed a brighter light on the scheme of things.

Kentucky was once a Western frontier and sure sounds like it’s a Western state again! Tell you what, you’re welcome to go shoot a Colorado elk this year.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Kentucky? How about Abby Steiner..

 

[Benfromalbuquerque]

Kentucky? How about Abby Steiner..

Good luck with that, she ain’t easy to catch.

 

[The Hedgehog]

 

[Treeshark]

Kentucky? How about Abby Steiner..

200m record (by a lot) and then she dropped a 48.9 400 leg less than an hour later. Ridiculous.

The 4x400 relay in Eugene in a few weeks is going to be stupid fast, would hope she earned a spot.

*sorry for the off-topic post, not often that track talk pops up on a hunting website though!

 

[tim81212]

I am a little late to the discussion but here are my .02$.
*I drew a cow tag for dec 2021, odds about 400-1. I was stoked.
* I spent alot of time on the phone with biologists and other hunters and got some good info.
* I spent alot of $ on gas scouting.
* The video of elk being relocated was filmed where I hunted, but before. I had heard of it and asked the biologist and was assured that they were not relocated but trapped and tested for pregnancy. I was lied to.
* Outfitter I rented a cabin from said he and his cohorts had to file a FOIA request to get the state to admit they moved the elk to an area they were going to charge for the public to view.
* Elk on public are highly pressured by deer hunters, atv riders and poachers.
* If you don't draw the Czar or Middlesboro units don't waste your time unless you go guided. If you go guided, you can do CO for similar money and have more fun.

I have more gripes but this is enough for now.