Thanks to a cooperative effort by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife and other partners, wildlife workers released seven elk atop Potato Knob in front of thousands of onlookers in December 1997.
To date, RMEF contributed more than $1.4 million to assist with the wildly successful reintroduction program. Today, there are more than 10,000 elk back on their native Kentucky range—the largest elk herd east of the Rocky Mountains.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife will issue 700 general quota hunt permits and 10 youth permits for the 2017 hunt.
“For the person who has always wanted to elk hunt but just couldn’t afford to hunt out west, consider applying for a Kentucky elk quota hunt,” said Gabe Jenkins, elk program coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “Our application and permit costs are low in comparison and our elk hunters enjoy some of the highest success rates in the country.”
The deadline to apply is midnight (ET) on April 30.
Find more information here.
(Photo source: Kevin Kelly/Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife)