Elk Hunting

Each application costs $11.97, applying for all three seasons would cost a total of $35.91.

Applicants can only be drawn for one season/tag per year, and all three drawings are held on the same day (July 27, 2024) in consecutive order.  For example, if you applied for all three seasons and were drawn for the archery season, your applications for the general and late seasons would be instantly removed and you would be awarded bonus points for those seasons (1 point per season).

One bonus point is earned for each unsuccessful application, but points are exclusive to each season.  Any existing bonus points for the general elk season will not be applied to the archery or late seasons.  For example, if you have previously earned 5 bonus points for the general season and this year you apply for the archery season AND the general season, your existing bonus points are only included in your general season application.  If you are unsuccessful in drawing you would earn 1 bonus point for the archery season and 1 bonus point for the general season (meaning you would now have 1 archery & 6 general points).  Those points would then be included with the following years application but only for the season in which they were earned.  

Bonus points serve as a multiplier and your name is entered in the drawing for as many bonus points as you have, effectively increasing the probability of drawing a license.  

Bonus points reset to 0, if drawn for a specific season, however, any points for alternate seasons remain unchanged.  You must apply in the current license year for any bonus points to be included. 

You can check your bonus points through the Pennsylvania Automated License System (PALS) by logging into your existing account on huntfish.pa.gov. After verifying your personal information you will notice an Applications and Points section on the left side of the page towards the bottom.  Point totals are listed separately for each season. If you believe there is an error, please contact the License Division at 717-787-2084.

Research and data collection are a fundamental part of elk management in Pennsylvania. Radio collars are specifically used to estimate three things: age specific survival, habitat use and population.

As of March 2023, the elk population is estimated between 1300-1400 animals,

This varies with geography. In Pennsylvania wild cow elk live and average of 10 years, while bulls live an average of 8 years. The oldest known cow in Pennsylvania was 32, and the oldest bull was 15. Captive elk live longer than wild elk.

Yes, bears and coyotes will prey on elk calves, but cow elk have a strong maternal instinct to protect their calves. People are the only predator of adult elk in Pennsylvania.  

To some degree, nearly all Pennsylvania wildlife compete for resources. Elk are primarily grazers while deer are primarily browsers, however, elk will seasonally shift to a browse-based diet, particular in winter. The Game Commission and several partner organizations put a tremendous amount of time and effort into improving elk habitat, which inevitably benefits deer and other wildlife.

The elk rut is triggered by photoperiod (day length) and generally begins around the middle of September and carries through the early- to mid-October. If a cow is not bred in her first estrus cycle, she'll re-cycle approximately every 21 days providing up to three additional opportunities for conception.

Elk are crepuscular, moving more during dawn and dusk. So whether you're trying to view or hunt elk, you'll have more success if you go early in the morning or late afternoon/evening. The most popular time of year to observe elk is during the rut because they are very active.

Cow elk usually begin calving the last week of May through the first two weeks of June, with the peak around June 5th. Every year one or two newborn calves are seen later in the summer (July or August) and these animals are from cows that were bred after the peak of the rut (September).

At birth calves generally weigh between 33 and 45 pounds, with males being heavier than females. A calf's birth weight is correlated to the health of its mother, which is dependent upon the quantity and quality of the available habitat and seasonal variation in weather patterns.

Calves grow very quickly, and by late September they will lose their spots as their summer coats are replaced with winter coats.

Very rarely, twinning is possible but occurs in less than 1 percent of elk births. There is only one record of twins occurring in Pennsylvania and they were still-born.

Yes, many scientists believe that the teeth are remnants of tusks from prehistoric ancestors. They are also called buglers, whistlers and ivories.

Most bulls tend to lose their antlers right between March 10 and 25; there are always exceptions. Changes in photoperiod (day length) cause a reduction in testosterone that ultimately causes a bull's antlers to drop off.

Yes, collecting sheds from public lands (except National Parks) or land you own or have permission to be on is legal. However, it is not legal to pick up any parts or bones of an elk you found dead, including skulls and antlers.

Finding an elk shed is about 90 percent luck. There are a few tips that might improve your chances. First; think about where elk spend time when sheds are dropping. Elk home ranges shift seasonally, so searching for sheds where you've seen elk in the summer is generally a poor strategy. Second; go slow and try to develop an "eye" for sheds. Walk slowly through an area scanning back and forth and look for the white tips of the antler sticking up. Third; put your time in. The people that seem to find sheds every year are usually the ones that spend hours walking around the woods.