Getting a license to hunt elk can be a complicated process | News, Sports, Jobs

Two large bull elk were seen along a road near Driftwood on the first day of a recent elk hunt in Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania, 140 deer were allowed to be hunted this year. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Once native to Pennsylvania, elk were eliminated from the state in the late 1800s.

In 1912, a push to reintroduce elk was born by the state hunting commission.

“In 1913, the first shipment of Yellowstone elk arrived in Pennsylvania by train. 50 deer were about $30 each. Half the shipment went to Clinton County and the other half went to Clearfield County. That year, 22 more deer were purchased from the Monroe County preserve. According to the game commission, twelve were released on state lands in Monroe County and the remainder were released in the Center County preserve.”

“To ensure the protection of released deer, in 1913 the General Assembly passed a law protecting them until November 15, 1921, when a two-week deer season was to be held. Bulls with at least four points against a horn are defined in law as legal game for the away season.” by state.

How do you get a deer hunting license to harvest one of the 1,400 deer that span Pennsylvania’s 3,000 square miles today?

The elk hunting season is divided into three distinct categories: archery, general and late season.

Elk lives in parts of Elk, Cameron, Clinton, Clearfield and Center counties.

The general season is the most popular.

A hunter can apply for one, two or all three seasons, creating a unique applicant pool each season.

The application fee for each season is $11.97 or $35.91 for all three.

Hunters earn a bonus point for each year they enter and their names are not drawn. Points then multiply your chances in next year’s drawing. Bonus points are seasonal.

Bonus points are deleted if you get a license.

When applying, hunters can choose bull, cow, or any of the genders and a specific hunting area of ​​14 regions, with a maximum of five options.

The 14 areas to hunt are a mix of state hunting land, public and private lands.

If a hunter pulls the bull tag and harvests a bull, he will be banned from the draw for five years, according to the game commission.

Hunters can apply for a deer tag from February through mid-July. You can find a video on how to apply to the state gaming commission at:

Elk tags are shot during the annual Elk Expo on July 25 and July 26, 2025, on the grounds of the Elk Country Visitor Center in Benezette.

“We have some of the best elk in the world. We’ve had the opportunity to guide a lot of hunters who hunt all over the world, hunt all over the country, all over North America, and the experience in Pennsylvania stands out.” said Armstrong.