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Pennsylvania Elk Hunting FAQ
Applying for an Elk License
- How do I apply for and check the status of an elk license application? Applicants can make application and check on the status of an elk license application through the Pennsylvania Automated License System (PALS) at www.pa.wildlifelicense.com. Click the first radio button, scroll to the bottom of the page, click ‘Start Here’ and follow the prompts.
- Which “preferred” hunt zone should I select? This is a matter of individual preference. Hunters have successfully harvested elk in every hunt zone. Carefully examine each zone considering road access and the amount of available public and private land. Note that your preferred hunt zone has no influence on your chances of being drawn. For example, if you select Zone 2 and are drawn after Zone 2 has been filled, you’ll simply be assigned to the next available zone. For more details, consult the Elk Hunt Zone Map Book (PDF), Annual Elk Harvest Maps, the Game Commission Mapping Center and maps of the Department of Conservation & Natural Resources’ state forests. Apply Online. The Pennsylvania Automated License System (PALS) is the site to apply for the elk license drawing and check the status of your application. Preference points can also be checked through PALS.
- What are preference points? Preference points are accumulated for each unsuccessful application; you won’t see an accumulated point for the current year’s application. You can check your preference points through the Pennsylvania Automated License System (PALS) at www.pa.wildlifelicense.com. Click the first radio button, scroll to the bottom of the page, click ‘Start Here’ and follow the prompts. If you believe there is an error, please contact the License Division at 717-787-2084. If you did not apply for an elk tag this year, your preference points will not expire; preference points are only lost if you are successfully drawn for an elk tag. You must apply in the current year to be entered into the drawing.
- When is the license drawing? The annual drawing for elk licenses is scheduled to take place Saturday Aug. 20 during the Elk Expo at the Elk Country Visitor Center in Benezette. Successful applicants who provide a phone number or email will be notified promptly by those methods, others will receive notification by postal mail.
Information for elk hunters
- What are the elk hunting regulations? Please consult the current Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest for details about this year’s elk hunt.
- How do I find an elk check station? Harvested elk need to be taken to the elk check station within 24 hours. The Elk Check Station is located at the Old Benezette School House in Elk County on the north side of Route 555 in Benezette on the west side of Trout Run. GPS Coordinates are 41.3154 N and 78.3874 W. Cell coverage on the elk range is sparse. Elk Check Station (map) (PDF)
- How do I find permitted elk hunting guides? Elk Guides are regulated by the Game Commission and the Department of Conservation & Natural Resources and offer various services to the hunter. Those individuals drawn for elk licenses will be provided a list of permitted guides before the hunt, although guides are not required. Employing the services of an elk guide/outfitter is completely up to the hunter
- How much does an adult elk weigh? An adult bull may weigh 600-1,000 pounds and an adult cow may weigh 400-600 pounds. Part of your hunt plan should include how to field-dress and move the animal from the kill site to your vehicle and on to the check station. Regulations prohibit the use of motorized vehicles, including ATVs on state-owned property, with few exceptions. The animal may be skinned and quartered and packed out by horses or mules or on pack boards. Hunters should bring plenty of help. Any number of unlicensed persons may accompany hunters as long as they wear the required fluorescent orange and do not participate in the hunt itself or carry a firearm. Persons just accompanying an elk hunter are not required to have an elk guide permit.
Table – License Issued and Harvest Success - Where can I get detailed information about individual elk hunt zone boundaries? There are several options for this, but the best place to view the elk hunt zones in detail is through the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s online Mapping Center. Through the online mapping program hunters can add a variety of backgrounds including aerial photos, topographic maps and roads. A second option is to download a detailed elk hunt zone map book (PDF 15MB) directly from the Game Commission’s website. And a third option is to examine State Forest maps available online or at each State Forests headquarters.
*Information taken from the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s elk page.
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