An Official Pennsylvania Government Website
Translate
Begin Main Content Area

Pennsylvania Elk

2020-2025 Elk Management Plan

The Game Commission is currently seeking public comment on the Draft 2020-2025 Elk Management Plan (PDF).

Comments from the public will be accepted through Feb. 21, 2020, and can be emailed to elkmanagementplancomments@pa.gov, or sent by mail to: Elk Management Plan, Bureau of Wildlife Management, Pennsylvania Game Commission, 2001 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg PA.

Elk Viewing

Expand AllClick here for a more accessible version
Public Events 2019

Labor Day thru Columbus Day on the elk range (9/2 thru 10/14)
Hands-on Guided Trail Hikes at the Woodring Farm every Friday and Saturday evening at 5p and Sunday morning at 10a. Meet at the trailhead. 2792 Winslow Hill Road, Benezette, PA 15821.

Saturday, September 7; 3p; Elk County
Join Game Commission Elk Biologist Jeremy Banfield to learn about managing the elk herd in Pennsylvania. Dents Run Viewing Area, 950 Winslow Hill Rd, Benezette, PA 15821.

Saturday, September 14; 3p; Elk County
Join Game Commission Environmental Education Specialist Mandy Marconi to learn about Pennsylvania bats. Dents Run Viewing Area, 950 Winslow Hill Rd, Benezette, PA 15821.

Friday, Sept. 20 thru Sunday, Sept. 29; 7a-7p; Elk County
Tour the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation display of elk mounts at the Winslow Hill Viewing Area. 2313 Winslow Hill Rd, Benezette, PA 15821.

Saturday, September 21; 3p; Elk County
Join Game Commission Environmental Education Specialist Mandy Marconi to learn about wildlife sign. Dents Run Viewing Area, 950 Winslow Hill Rd, Benezette, PA 15821.

Saturday, September 28; 3p; Elk County
Join Game Commission CWD Communication Specialist Courtney Colley to learn about Chronic Wasting Disease in Pennsylvania. Dents Run Viewing Area, 950 Winslow Hill Rd, Benezette, PA 15821.

Saturday, October 5; 3p; Elk County
Join Game Commission Chief Marketer and champion turkey caller Matt Morrett to learn about wild turkeys and tips to hunt them. Dents Run Viewing Area, 950 Winslow Hill Rd, Benezette, PA 15821.

Saturday, October 12; 3p; Elk County
Join Game Commission Game Bird Biologist Lisa Williams to learn about ruffed grouse, American woodcock and West Nile Virus in Pennsylvania. Dents Run Viewing Area, 950 Winslow Hill Rd, Benezette, PA 15821.

Tune in on your radio

​When visiting Benezette, tune into the Game Commission's Northcentral Elk Viewing Area Information Radio Station, WRBR385, broadcasting on 1620 AM. The radio station provides a guided tour of the heart of the elk management area. In addition to regular seasonal messages and safe elk viewing tips, the station broadcasts important notices about upcoming events and emergencies. The broadcasts are brought to you in partnership with the Keystone Elk Country Alliance and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Maximize your chances of seeing elk

Know where to go, when to go, what to do and what to not do. Check out these Elk Viewing Destinations before your visit. During your visit be safe, considerate and respectful. Wildlife watchers often congregate in areas with the best viewing opportunities. Problems can arise when folks gather on the shoulders of rural roads and are focused on watching elk rather than oncoming traffic. Your actions help all elk-watchers, landowners, law enforcement and conservation officials have a good experience.

  • Keep a Safe Distance — Elk are wild animals. Always observe from a safe distance, and at the minimum of 100 yards (the length of a football field). Risk of serious injury or death can occur if a safe distance is not observed. If you cause the animal to move, you are too close.
  • Do Not Block Traffic — When viewing elk from your vehicle, park completely off the roadway or view elk from designated Wildlife Viewing Areas.
  • Respect Private Property — Elk know no boundaries. Please respect private property when viewing elk.
  • Be Mindful of Rutting Season — Mid-September through October is elk mating season. During this time bull elk are very protective of their harems and can be extremely aggressive.
  • Do Not Feed Elk — Feeding elk in Pennsylvania is illegal.

Find hotels, restaurants and activities near the Pennsylvania elk range on the PA Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau website.


Elk Hunting - 2019

Check Station: Harvested elk need to be taken to the elk check station within 24 hours. The Elk Check Station is located at the Elk Country Visitor Center, 134 Homestead Dr., Benezette, PA 15821. GPS Coordinates are 41.3233 N and 78.3684 W. Cell coverage on the elk range is sparse. Elk Check Station (map) (PDF) Results from the current Elk Check Station

  • Archery Season: Sept. 14-28, 2019 (5 antlered, 10 antlerless)
  • General Season: Nov.  4-9, 2019 (27 antlered, 71 antlerless)
  • Late Season: Jan. 4-11, 2020 (29 antlerless)

Considering a Pennsylvania Elk Hunt? Learn about the new season opportunities in this blog post and recent article in Game News Magazine.

Expand AllClick here for a more accessible version
Apply for 1, 2, or all 3 seasons

Each application costs $11.90, applying for all three seasons would cost a total of $35.70.

Applicants can only be drawn for one season/tag per year, and all three drawings are held on the same day (Mid-August) 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).

2019 Elk Seasons

2019 Elk Allocations

Elk Application Drawing Odds
 

Bonus points are season specific

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) 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.

How to apply

The application period of the elk hunt opens when licenses go on sale in mid-June and closes July 31.

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. Click the first radio button, scroll to the bottom of the page, click 'Start Here' and follow the prompts.  Successful applicants who provide a phone number or email will be notified promptly by those methods, others will receive notification by postal mail.  Or, potential elk hunters can apply at any license vendor.  Bonus points can also be checked through PALS, click on the bonus point section above.

Applicant Options:  For most of the seasons, there are four options when an applicant applies. 

  • Antlered Only: Applicant is only interested in hunting antlered elk.
  • Antlerless Only: Applicant is only interested in hunting antlerless elk.
  • Either-Sex: Applicant is interested in hunting either antlered or antlerless elk.
  • Point-Only:  Applicant is NOT included in the current years drawing but is awarded the bonus point.

Note: The late season is currently antlerless-only and therefore only has antlerless or Point-Only options.

Selecting a preferred hunt zone

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 - 16 MB), Annual Elk Harvest Maps, the Game Commission Mapping Center and maps of the Department of Conservation & Natural Resources' state forests.

When is the license drawing?

​The annual drawing for elk licenses will take place August 17, 2019 during the Elk Expo Opens In A New Window 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.

Elk Check Station

The 2019 Elk Check Station will take place Nov. 4-9 at the Elk Country Visitor Center, 134 Homestead Dr., PA 15821, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  GPS coordinates are 41.3233 N and 78.3684 W.  All elk must be brough to the check station within 24 hours of harvest.  Weight and several biological samples will be collect by Game Commission biologists.

The check station is open to the public.  A variety of vendors and educational displays and programs will be available.  The Elk County Visitor Center will be open every day from 8 a.m. until the close of the check station and a presentation on the history of elk in the commonwealth will run every 30 minutes in the theater.

Note: There is no stationary check station during the archery or late seasons.  Elk taken during these seasons will be checked in the field by Game Commission biologists.

Information for elk hunters

Check Station: Harvested elk need to be taken to the elk check station within 24 hours. The Elk Check Station is located at the Elk Country Visitor Center, 134 Homestead Dr., Benezette, PA 15821. GPS Coordinates are 41.3233 N and 78.3684 W. Cell coverage on the elk range is sparse. Elk Check Station (map) (PDF) Results from the 2018 Elk Check Station

Regulations: Please consult the current Pennsylvania Hunting & Trapping Digest for details about this year's elk hunt.

Elk are Large Animals: 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.

Archery Elk Shot Placement (video 2:44)


Elk Management and Research

Annual Elk Population Survey & Harvest information can be found in the document library

Elk Health and Public Safety

Please Don't Feed the Elk (brochure, PDF)
 

Live Stream from Elk Country - 2019 Concluded

The 2019 live stream season ended Oct. 17. As the white-tailed deer muzzleloader season opens, the live stream closed and restrictions on this area of state game lands will be lifted. We hope you have enjoyed watching and we invite you to review the season highlights. We thank our partners, HDOnTapOpens In A New Window, and the North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development CommissionOpens In A New Window for their support of this educational effort. Visit the Elk Cam Extras page for agency commentary and resources. Stay tuned to our news outlets for information on upcoming live wildlife viewing opportuntities. 

Elk Biology and Natural History

 

History of Elk in Pennsylvania

Celebrating 100 Years of Elk in Pennsylvania - (30-minute documentary, see Educator's Guide and accompanying information on the Education webpage)
 

Our Partners

 

Frequently Asked Questions & Answers

Why does the Game Commission radio-collar elk?
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.

How many elk do we have in Pennsylvania? 
As of April 2018, there are about 1,000 elk in Pennsylvania.

How long do elk live? 
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.

Do elk have any natural predators in Pennsylvania? 
Yes, bears and coyotes will prey on elk calves, but cow elk have a strong maternal instinct to protect their calves and predation accounts for less than 1 percent of elk calf mortality. People are the only predator of adult elk in Pennsylvania.

Do elk compete with deer for food? 
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. Nevertheless, the Game Commission puts a tremendous amount of time and effort into improving elk habitat, which inevitably benefits deer and other wildlife.

When is the peak of the elk rut?
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.

What's the best time to view or hunt elk? 
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.

When are elk calves born? 
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).

What is the average weight of a calf? 
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.

How long do calves keep their spots? 
Calves grow very quickly, and by late September they will lose their spots as their summer coats are replaced with winter coats.

Do elk have twins? 
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.

Are elk canines real ivory? 
Yes, many scientists believe that the teeth are remnants of tusks from prehistoric ancestors. They are also called buglers, whistlers and ivories.

When do bull elk shed their antlers? 
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.

If I find an elk shed can I keep it? 
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.

Where should I go to look for sheds? 
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.

 

Elk Range