Kentucky Elk

Trial153

WKR
Joined
Oct 28, 2014
Messages
8,187
Location
NY
Well you guys convinced me. I made a donation...put in for the two NR bull tags. Anyone know if I can use a bow during the firearm hunt?
 

Boiler

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 26, 2016
Messages
154
Location
Indiana
I drew a nr bull rifle tag three years ago on my very first try!! Had a great hunt and killed a nice bull diy. Thought it was going to be like shooting fish in a barrel, but worked my butt of and finally shot mine on the next to the last day of the season. He was only the 3rd bull I'd seen in two weeks, and was the first one that I heard bugle. And let me tell you, those hills are STEEP everywhere!
 

shader112

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 20, 2018
Messages
267
There is SOME public land on the very edge of the state bordering Virginia, but not much. Looks like a tough diy hunt without access to private
 

young7.3

WKR
Joined
May 16, 2017
Messages
444
Once you get drawn, there are several private properties that are open to the first ones that sign up


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DEHusker

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Jul 5, 2014
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412
Location
Colorado, US of A
Thats like 0.1% odds,

Keep introducing them to other states I say!
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If you read some of the data on transplanted herds, it may well be that one day there are more elk east of the Mississippi than west of it. There are big thriving herds in many of the states in the East. Pennsylvania, Kentucky, West Virginia, North Carolina, Virginia, even a few reported farther south. Elk were once the most widely distributed antlered animal along with whitetails. They are actually a plains animals and only retreated to the mountains once white people pushed them there. Lewis and Clark reported seeing massive herds on the plains (along with grizzlies, wolves, and other stuff we no longer have on the plains)....

On another note, as the population increases in the west (and it is rapidly increasing) elk tags will be harder and harder to draw. I am saddened by this but it will be interesting to see how the game divisions of each state adjust draws, etc for the inevitable increase in people applying. Colorado is supposed to have 10,000,000 people by 2030 or something like that (roughly double what it is now). Yikes. Even Wy, Id, and Utah are getting inundated by Californians, Texans, and others. Western hunting will look vastly different in 20 years.
 

JPHuntingAUS

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jun 5, 2014
Messages
256
If you read some of the data on transplanted herds, it may well be that one day there are more elk east of the Mississippi than west of it. There are big thriving herds in many of the states in the East. Pennsylvania, Kentucky, West Virginia, North Carolina, Virginia, even a few reported farther south. Elk were once the most widely distributed antlered animal along with whitetails. They are actually a plains animals and only retreated to the mountains once white people pushed them there. Lewis and Clark reported seeing massive herds on the plains (along with grizzlies, wolves, and other stuff we no longer have on the plains)....

On another note, as the population increases in the west (and it is rapidly increasing) elk tags will be harder and harder to draw. I am saddened by this but it will be interesting to see how the game divisions of each state adjust draws, etc for the inevitable increase in people applying. Colorado is supposed to have 10,000,000 people by 2030 or something like that (roughly double what it is now). Yikes. Even Wy, Id, and Utah are getting inundated by Californians, Texans, and others. Western hunting will look vastly different in 20 years.
Yeah I've done a bit of reading on the history of elk and it is very interesting.

As for the increase in hunters it's a double edges sword I guess. More support but harder to get access. I better get in and do some hunting before it becomes too hard then!

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pirogue

WKR
Joined
Jun 28, 2012
Messages
1,087
There is SOME public land on the very edge of the state bordering Virginia, but not much. Looks like a tough diy hunt without access to private

Another version of, "there are no elk here, so don't apply"
 
Joined
Aug 20, 2016
Messages
895
Well you guys convinced me. I made a donation...put in for the two NR bull tags. Anyone know if I can use a bow during the firearm hunt?
The way I read the state laws is, you can hunt with a bow if you have a rifle season tag. You would only be allowed to hunt during the really short gun season. If you draw an archery tag, you aren't allowed to hunt during the gun season, even if your carrying a bow.

Note: Archery seasons closed during*all*elk firearms seasons

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Trial153

WKR
Joined
Oct 28, 2014
Messages
8,187
Location
NY
The way I read the state laws is, you can hunt with a bow if you have a rifle season tag. You would only be allowed to hunt during the really short gun season. If you draw an archery tag, you aren't allowed to hunt during the gun season, even if your carrying a bow.

Note: Archery seasons closed during*all*elk firearms seasons

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Thanks for the info. i guess in the really unlikly event that happens i will need ro suck it up and grab a rifle.
 
Joined
Aug 20, 2016
Messages
895
And don't listen to everyone saying there isn't any public elk land in KY.

Download the ArcGIS Explorer app to your smart phone. Run through the tutorial. On the menu select "find maps" and type "KDFWR" into the search box. Click the map you desire. This will give you all the public land in the elk zone that's available to hunt on.

Just because it's not a national forest, like out west, doesn't mean it's not public. Look up "Revelation Energy" property in KY if you want to double check.

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Last edited:

satchamo

WKR
Joined
Jan 23, 2014
Messages
710
My best friend drew an archery cow tag down there a few years back and we literally hunted the area that they netted the first cow in. Incredibly cool experience to chase elk in the Appalachians!

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