PA elk drawing

J

jimbires

Handloader
Aug 16, 2011
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3,314
I'm not sure if any of you guys apply for the PA Elk hunting license draw . the draw system for the PA elk tags has been getting scrutinized . I've felt a few times it's not 100% legitimate , but then again , how would I know . I'd have to look , but I think I have 23 preference points in the original rifle draw . a recently started , late season cow tag draw , I have applied every year , I think that's 4 or 5 points , I have accumulated . here's a few links about what's going on .



www.lehighvalleyoutdoorsbynickhromiak.com

PA Game Commission makes changes to elk tag lottery system amidst accusations

In an effort to make Pennsylvania’s elk lottery system more transparent, the Pennsylvania House Game and Fisheries Committee, has approved an amended version of House Resolution 356 to make...
www.lehighvalleyoutdoorsbynickhromiak.com

 
I have a nephew and his sons that live in PA and they don't apply for elk tags. He said it was too much hassle and restrictions. Just going by his word not having really checked it out. He has lived there for over 30 years. If he had started way back when maybe he would have gotten a tag by now :unsure:
 
early on , before I started applying , I heard a game warden accompanied the hunter , and pointed out the one to shoot , about like a cull hunt . I'm not sure if that's true , just what I've heard . the only thing I know of now , is you have to hunt in the area the tag is for . if you use a guide , they need to be registered . I think there is something about people that accompany you ,in the field , during the hunt . all of this would mean nothing to me .

I've been pondering about keeping in the draw game . I'm really thinking , I'm done with it . there are some monster bulls here , but I'm not sure the juice is worth the squeeze . they have burned me out on trying to be successful in the draw .
 
I have never applied out side of Oregon, Montana or Wyoming but the idea of hunting Pennsylvania for elk is intriguing. Given I’m 70 I’m likely to remain in Oregon wondering if I’ll ever draw a tag in Pennsylvania. :) What the heck, if the cost isn’t too high and you’re in that area why not? They do kill some great bulls there.
 
It looks like 99% of the paid applications will be unselected. This has got to be a HUGE money maker for the state.

I saw something like this locally where you could apply to bowhunt whitetails in a large park that had NEVER allowed hunting. A paid applicant had to carefully watch for the selection date to see if he was one of the 100 successful applicants. If you were selected but didn't see it in 7 days, your spot was given away. I asked why they couldn't just notify paid applicants, through email, if they were successful or not. I was told, "that would be ridiculous because we have almost 15,000 applicants."

At $20 a pop, that should be $300,000 for a rather limited hunt. What a scam!
 
salmonchaser said:
I have never applied out side of Oregon, Montana or Wyoming but the idea of hunting Pennsylvania for elk is intriguing. Given I’m 70 I’m likely to remain in Oregon wondering if I’ll ever draw a tag in Pennsylvania. :) What the heck, if the cost isn’t too high and you’re in that area why not? They do kill some great bulls there.
Click to expand...
KY might be another option for you. Not sure of the size of bulls that are killed though.
 
up until now , it was a $10 application fee to get in each one of the elk draws . so if you applied in all three it cost $30 . I'm not sure if this has passed , what they are talking about now is , the applicant has to purchase a hunting license BEFORE being able to apply . I think this will drastically cut down on nonresident applicants . they are also talking about giving more tags to PA residents , this will probably also cut down on a lot of nonresident applicants .

why I question the fairness of the draw .

one of the first times I applied , I went to a county fair grounds that was hosting the Elk EXPO . the license drawing was live at this event . a couple Game wardens were on stage with a laptop . the laptop was used to pull the lucky names . a few name into the drawing the warden announces the next winner , John Doe you are awarded a bull tag . the other warden says , I know John Doe , he just retired from the fish commission this summer , what a lucky guy .

every elk has to go to a check station to be checked in . there is only one check station . I would go an evening or two, each season , and hang around to see what the hunters are bringing in . this was when there was only one elk season . the check station was beside the Quehanna boot camp , at a penndot building . this was before the Elk viewing center was built , the check in is at the viewing center now . one year I'm at the check station hanging around . a group of guys bring in an elk . while it's getting weighed and a tooth pulled , and whatever else they do , a guy from this group was talking to one of the game commission big shots . this hunter was from NY . he was telling him what a great hunt this is . everyone in his group has been lucky in the draw except one , and he'll keep trying hopefully this coming year he'll be lucky . it was something like one of his group of 6 or 7 hunters was lucky each year in a row .

I heard about a guy I used to work with drawing a bull license . I'm thinking that's great , he did like to hunt when we worked together , and he's just your average guy . a year or two later I find out this guy is a volunteer , to help give hunter safety classes .

now this celebrity hunter , Greg Ritz draws a license , probably on his first attempt .

call me crazy , but something doesn't smell right to me .
 
I’ve seen a couple of the tv famous draw extremely hard to get tags-but I think it’s because they are applying for everything that comes along.
You should also realize that the best bull
Units nationwide require over 20 points to draw. Utah and Wyoming where I apply are both in that category. There are easier units to draw but less “big” Bull opportunities in those easier units, often managed for a younger age class of Bull.
I have no interest in PA or KY but it’s always fun to have your name in th hat.
Utah applications are processed in Nevada by computer as I understand it, cutting down th likelihood of funny business in the draw process. I wish I was a skilled hacker!
 
Having non-residents buy hunting licenses, that they will never use, before applying for an extremely limited elk hunting opportunity is a game changer. How many non-residents will buy PA licenses every year just to apply for a tag they are highly unlikely to get? This is essentially the same as disallowing non-residents from elk hunting in PA, ever. But ...each state makes their own rules, and non-resident hunting seems to be discouraged more and more.

Just my 2 cents, and I'm a non-res hunter in PA.
 
Charlie-NY said:
Having non-residents buy hunting licenses, that they will never use, before applying for an extremely limited elk hunting opportunity is a game changer. How many non-residents will buy PA licenses every year just to apply for a tag they are highly unlikely to get? This is essentially the same as disallowing non-residents from elk hunting in PA, ever. But ...each state makes their own rules, and non-resident hunting seems to be discouraged more and more.

Just my 2 cents, and I'm a non-res hunter in PA.
Click to expand...
this "IS" what Kansas started doing . I hunted Kansas with a group of guys for a while . Kansas Deer license is awarded through a draw . if I remember right, when I first started going , I'd have to pay for the deer license to enter the draw . IF successful "THEN" I bought my general hunting license . I believe there was a partial refund if you were not successful , my group was always successful . they changed it to ; you buy the general license , and apply for the Deer license at the same time . if unsuccessful for the deer license , I think you got a partial refund . BUT you already bought the general license , and it is yours , no refunds . when this started , they also cut the number of nonresident licenses . my group was lucky to get 50% success in the draw .
 
Charlie-NY said:
Having non-residents buy hunting licenses, that they will never use, before applying for an extremely limited elk hunting opportunity is a game changer. How many non-residents will buy PA licenses every year just to apply for a tag they are highly unlikely to get? This is essentially the same as disallowing non-residents from elk hunting in PA, ever. But ...each state makes their own rules, and non-resident hunting seems to be discouraged more and more.

Just my 2 cents, and I'm a non-res hunter in PA.
Click to expand...
This is my situation. This year alone I am spending around $1100 in lottery points across the lower 48 states. I have no choice, as a young person who wants to build a hunting career, I have to do this or participate in the landowner pay to play system which is a total disgrace.

A huge factor that is contributing to this is low effort resident hunters complaining like crazy to DNR agencies after they see a few out of state license plates parked in hunting areas and DNR agencies have now started to cut tags not based off animal populations which are at an all time high, but based off unscientific and nonsensical ideas like "social carrying capacity" and "quality hunts". They have literally started to cut tags so that people don't have to encounter hunters which is ridiculous. Most weekend warriors only hunt on Saturdays and only the few Saturdays immediately following opening day. Vast majority of the time the field is completely empty or definitely not as crowded as people make it out to be especially not within the deeper areas.

It's truly a shame what's happening. As a non-resident you are getting totally gutted by these new rules. Unfortunately nobody sees hunting in our nation anymore as a cultural or subsistence activity. It has become a high end luxury experience much like a vacation or a safari.

I just try to keep an open mind and keep applying. Hopefully DNR agencies will open their eyes to the fact that overcrowding is not as big of a deal it's made out to be and that if they keep punishing non resident hunters they will start losing revenue and overpopulated animals will start degrading the landscape or worst case scenario they'll just conduct helicopter shoots instead of giving people tags. It is what it is.
 
Charlie-NY said:
Having non-residents buy hunting licenses, that they will never use, before applying for an extremely limited elk hunting opportunity is a game changer. How many non-residents will buy PA licenses every year just to apply for a tag they are highly unlikely to get? This is essentially the same as disallowing non-residents from elk hunting in PA, ever. But ...each state makes their own rules, and non-resident hunting seems to be discouraged more and more.

Just my 2 cents, and I'm a non-res hunter in PA.
Click to expand...
! of the lawmkers intorduced a bill to make it cheaper for non residents. it's a 3 day license. https://www.aol.com/articles/home-holidays-coming-home-hunt-192815000.html
 
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