Kentucky archery bow hunt 2022

[Commutair]

2nd year applying for Kentucky, sorry just lucky. Saturday morning I’m making pancakes for family watching the live stream results. Get bored realize I’m not gonna get selected turn computer off Look in mirror remind myself what a loser I am. Monday night I get bored and decide to watch results . I fast foward to my last name and there I am. It was surreal. I flipped out. I got a tag my 2nd year applying!
my question for you guys is what should I do? Hire outfitter or DIY? I’m up for both options. I live and hunt in Colorado. Theres tons of access there. I have read all the horror stories of these dopes running off elk onto private. thats BS.

thanks for any info

 

[Jbehredt]

This is a first. Somebody from CO asking for first time elk hunting advice in another state.

 

[wesfromky]

The word is that a lot of the good land is leased up, so most people go with an outfitter to access that land. There is still some public out there though.

 

[Billy Goat]

You really want to travel east to elk hunt?


Options are getting pretty limited for areas, I think effort would be better spent closer to home for you. If you want the experience of an Eastern hunt tho, might as well try it. If a dead elk is your ultimate goal then one of the outfitters will be your best option.

 

[slim9300]

If you draw that tag spend the money. You will have your pick of some giants.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JBrew]

My buddy drew the TN tag last year. The game warden was extremely helpful. They want you to kill an elk, so i'd definitely start there.

 

[Cng]

First of all, congrats! Secondly, you suck!

KY resident here. A buddy drew an archery cow tag a few years ago, so I'm going off my poor memory, and things may have changed since.

Definitely look up the Limited Entry Areas. I think there's another application process for those. Most of the public land with decent elk numbers is in an LEA that you have to apply for, and I think the best spots require a guide service. Don't quote me on this, but definitely spend some time researching this aspect of it before making your decision. It definitely changes things.

Coming from Colorado, I would hire a guide--although I've never killed an elk before, so take that for what it's worth. Depending on how long you have to hunt, you might be successful without a guide, but you'd have a lot more stacked against you. My buddy did not hire a guide and did not kill, although he was able to get on a few elk, so it's possible.

I know one elk guide here. This isn't necessarily a recommendation for his services. I don't know him well, I don't know where he hunts or his clients' success rates or how much he charges or anything like that. But I've been fishing with him, and he seems like a good guy. I don't believe he'd cheat you. PM me if you would like his information.

 

[VaBruiser]

2nd year applying for Kentucky, sorry just lucky. Saturday morning I’m making pancakes for family watching the live stream results. Get bored realize I’m not gonna get selected turn computer off Look in mirror remind myself what a loser I am. Monday night I get bored and decide to watch results . I fast foward to my last name and there I am. It was surreal. I flipped out. I got a tag my 2nd year applying!
my question for you guys is what should I do? Hire outfitter or DIY? I’m up for both options. I live and hunt in Colorado. Theres tons of access there. I have read all the horror stories of these dopes running off elk onto private. thats BS.

thanks for any info

I randomly just came across this thread from last year as I was looking for some info on Kentucky hunts. What did you end up doing? Did you get with an Outfitter? Any success?