Kentucky Elk Questions

[Ozarkansas]

At least y’all found fresh sign that’s half the battle! My experience with eastern elk isn’t extensive, but I’ve had better luck getting into their bedding areas than waiting for them to come out into the open. On my elk hunts I saw lots of fresh sign on ridge tops and fields but the elk spent the vast majority of daylight in steep timbered ravines and creek bottoms

 

[Eastcoasthunter94]

Can someone confirm if you get drawn for a tag you can hunt both of the 1 week seasons? Say if you don’t tag out week 1 you can come back for week 2 of the same season type.

 

[Ltfd210]

Can someone confirm if you get drawn for a tag you can hunt both of the 1 week seasons? Say if you don’t tag out week 1 you can come back for week 2 of the same season type.

That is not my understanding. You get the date range your assigned and thats it.

 

[Rudymissouri]

Sericia lespedeza is out of control here in missouri as well, only way we can control it is with herbicide

 

[Beaglegun]

Sericia lespedeza is out of control here in missouri as well, only way we can control it is with herbicide

Underneath the blankets of sericia is gazillions of seeds!!!!! I see no way to control it. Even if you could, you cant control the invasive trees. KDFWR has totally blown an unbelievable success story and turned it into a total CF!

 

[gunnergraves24]

I believe AxeForce6 said that he paid $1,800 for a guided cow elk hunt in Kentucky.

Do you remember who he was guided by?

 

[axeforce6]

Do you remember who he was guided by?

Let me see if I still have his info.

 

[axeforce6]

Do you remember who he was guided by?

Guides | grace-elk-outfitters

Meet our guides! With more than 100 years of combined elk hunting and guiding experience: you can count us to be knowledgable and reliable!

www.graceelkoutfitters.com

Great guys. Gary is the owner.

 

[TAArrowood]

I drew a bull tag in 2018 after 18 years of applying... Biggest hunting disappointment of my life... I am a very experienced elk hunter (over 30 years out west) and live in Ky... I decided to DIY the hunt and thought with my research and experience had a reasonably good chance, but had several shocking experiences that I won't go into detail here, but anyone wanting it I'll be glad to share... PM me with any questions and I can fill in the blanks.. The best advice I can give anyone who has been lucky enough to draw a tag is to contact a short list of true outfitters ASAP after drawing the tag.. There are only a few good ones available and they fill up almost immediately... They are not cheap, but will be the best (probably only) chance at seeing elk or getting a shot... As crazy as it sounds, getting the tag (almost impossible, especially for NR), is the easy part... Tons of huntable land available, but you need to do your research and know how and when to apply for it...

 

[gunnergraves24]

Guides | grace-elk-outfitters

Meet our guides! With more than 100 years of combined elk hunting and guiding experience: you can count us to be knowledgable and reliable!

www.graceelkoutfitters.com

Great guys. Gary is the owner.

Appreciate it!

 

[thunderchicken21]

I drew a bull tag in 2018 after 18 years of applying... Biggest hunting disappointment of my life... I am a very experienced elk hunter (over 30 years out west) and live in Ky... I decided to DIY the hunt and thought with my research and experience had a reasonably good chance, but had several shocking experiences that I won't go into detail here, but anyone wanting it I'll be glad to share... PM me with any questions and I can fill in the blanks.. The best advice I can give anyone who has been lucky enough to draw a tag is to contact a short list of true outfitters ASAP after drawing the tag.. There are only a few good ones available and they fill up almost immediately... They are not cheap, but will be the best (probably only) chance at seeing elk or getting a shot... As crazy as it sounds, getting the tag (almost impossible, especially for NR), is the easy part... Tons of huntable land available, but you need to do your research and know how and when to apply for it...

Agree with this. I drew a tag in 2020. Tried DIY first week and tried an outfitter for my week in December.

 

[Beaglegun]

I drew a bull tag in 2018 after 18 years of applying... Biggest hunting disappointment of my life... I am a very experienced elk hunter (over 30 years out west) and live in Ky... I decided to DIY the hunt and thought with my research and experience had a reasonably good chance, but had several shocking experiences that I won't go into detail here, but anyone wanting it I'll be glad to share... PM me with any questions and I can fill in the blanks.. The best advice I can give anyone who has been lucky enough to draw a tag is to contact a short list of true outfitters ASAP after drawing the tag.. There are only a few good ones available and they fill up almost immediately... They are not cheap, but will be the best (probably only) chance at seeing elk or getting a shot... As crazy as it sounds, getting the tag (almost impossible, especially for NR), is the easy part... Tons of huntable land available, but you need to do your research and know how and when to apply for it...

If you draw a decent regulated area in the secondary draw, you don't need a guide. If you don't, a guide aint gonna guarantee an elk either but it will drastically improve your chances. From my experience, the guide hangs out with you on the edge of a regulated area you didn't draw and he has spotters riding on 4 wheelers on the regulated area. He spots an elk, calls the guide, and the guide drives you in for a shot. They throw the whole elk in the 4 wheeler and take it to public land just off the regulated area. These guys know the sheriff and the game warden. It is a free for all!!! We were hunting a piece of Danial Boone National Forest inside a regulated area. That's the only place I found elk in 3 trips to scout. Nobody was monitoring the regulated area. These guys killed 3 bulls out from under my daughter in 2 days, riding up on Razors. She could of shot them also but they hadn't crossed the DBNF boundary. I didn't know we were the only ones playing by the rules.

Also, people ride around all day and night on these fancy 4 wheelers with neon lights, blasting music . It is unbelievable!!!

I don't recommend non-residents apply. If you get a good regulated area, you will kill an elk. If you dont, you are just gonna look at a mess of autumn olive and other invasive trees so thick you cant see 50 yards and caravans of 20, 4 wheelers blasting crap music and throwing beer cans everywhere!

KDFWR is more concerned with "Adventure Tourism" then they are elk. They let it go to s*&t!!!

 

[TAArrowood]

I couldn’t agree more. It is not what I had expected for sure.

 

[Ltfd210]

Bill Carmen is the Elk Guide. 859-489-1593
John Hast is one of the Biologists. Hes a great resource. 502-330-5125

Heres the youtube links.