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Thinking about trying to elk hunt in Kentucky, can someone recommend a outfitter? Thanks !

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I've heard great things about Lost Mountain Oufitters. I don't know much about their fees. You do understand that you'll have to be drawn, or come up with a landowner tag or commissioners tag?


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First worry about getting drawn for a tag. Took me 13 years as a NR. Second, there is no way I'd hire an outfitter for that hunt. If you have any basic knowledge of elk they're not terribly hard to get on in KY.

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come up with a landowner tag


I didn't know KY had such a thing.


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Originally Posted by hillbillybear
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come up with a landowner tag


I didn't know KY had such a thing.


Not many out there. This is copy and paste from an article a couple years back.

"The landowners who have donated a minimum of 5000 acres to the WMA program get 1 tag for every 5000 acres. Some of these landowners have in excess of 10 tags. For the most part, the landowners donate the tags back to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation who uses the tags to raise money for the elk programs. Tags are raffled and or auctioned off at various banquets throughout the state. I've not known of a RMEF banquet that didn't have tags to raise money with. Raffle tickets for bull tags are generally $20 to $100 each and there are usually 3 or 4 of these that go on around the state. Auctions are common as well, and the price depends on who's at the banquet, where the tag is for, where the banquet is, and how badly someone wants it. I've seen bull tags sell for as little as $7000 and as much as $15,000. Cow tags similarly auctioned off do not bring as much, $3500 would be a big price to pay for a cow tag, but it's happened, and they have brought more. Some of these landowner tags also get used for special hunts."

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Originally Posted by hillbillybear
Quote
come up with a landowner tag


I didn't know KY had such a thing.
Yep. I'm pretty sure that's how Waddell and his pals got to hunt there. IIRC from looking up the guide/landowners website one had to call for pricing. To me that = unaffordable...

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Molpus Woodlands Group gets tags every year.

"For further information on our landowner tags, please contact Mark James at mjamesmolpus.com or call our Richmond, Kentucky office at (859) 623-3088. "

http://www.molpus.com/Molpus-Offers-Elk-Hunt-Tags-for-2012-Season.html


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I would contact Tim Farmer the host of the Ky Afield show sponsored by the KDFW and he will probably either know someone or can hook you up with someone at the department that can give you some suggestions. Tim is a very nice fellow but his show keeps him pretty busy so allow some time. You can Google the show Kentucky Afield and get his info.

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I signed up for the elk lottery last week. When will the chosen be notified?


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Originally Posted by Mgw619
I signed up for the elk lottery last week. When will the chosen be notified?


It's usually in May.

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My thoughts as a Kentucky resident who has applied (donated) most years since the KY Elk lottery was started. Have never been drawn. But, If I do ever happen to get drawn, I will hire an outfitter. My rationale:

1) I do not live in the KY elk zone. I do not have any close friends or family who live in the elk zone.
2) Unlike Colorado, etal, the KY Elk zone is predominantly privately held.
3) Much of the good hunting is on the strip mine reclaims due to habitat. Most mine operators do not want the liability of having yahoo's running around their property.
4) Guides and outfitters seem to have most of the good strip mines and larger private holdings under lease. FWIW, there are very few private holdings of 5000 acres or more in SE KY, other than mine operators. Have never heard of a KY Land Owner tag. There may be. But not that common folks have a shot at...
5) Rules for the elk zones seem to change from year to year. They have added zones, merged zones, etc. Not insurmountable. But a certain amount of work to keep straight of all the changes.
6) The drawing is late May/early June. You have to declare which of the 6 or 8 elk zones you are going to hunt by early July. Actually your top three preferences since you may not get your first pick. Late July or so, they confirm if you can hunt where you selected.

My daughter is the only person I know who ever drew a KY Elk tag. She drew a first week cow elk rifle tag in 2012. She and the SIL located a "friend of a friend", scouted 100K acres of NF land a couple months before season. Plenty of sign. Got there for her reason. Couldn't find a hair. Near the end of her week, was talking with a local that informed her that the KY DFW had come in a between seasons and trapped/relocated 30 to 40 elk to another region. When they tracked down the local game officer, he acknowledged the relocation. Advised them to contact Frankfort if they wanted to request a refund.

A few weeks ago, I stumbled across the website listed above. During one of the the cow weeks, the one outfitter was 14 for 14 for putting hunters on cow elk. If you look at "success photos", most appear to be on or around reclaimed strip mine terrain.

Long story short, if I am ever fortunate enough to draw a "once in a life time tag" KY elk tag, I'm going to pay the man to have a decent opportunity at an an elk... YMMV...

Last edited by Orion2000; 01/26/14.


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Originally Posted by Orion2000
My thoughts as a Kentucky resident who has applied (donated) most years since the KY Elk lottery was started. Have never been drawn. But, If I do ever happen to get drawn, I will hire an outfitter. My rationale:

1) I do not live in the KY elk zone. I do not have any close friends or family who live in the elk zone.
2) Unlike Colorado, etal, the KY Elk zone is predominantly privately held.
3) Much of the good hunting is on the strip mine reclaims due to habitat. Most mine operators do not want the liability of having yahoo's running around their property.
4) Guides and outfitters seem to have most of the good strip mines and larger private holdings under lease. FWIW, there are very few private holdings of 5000 acres or more in SE KY, other than mine operators. Have never heard of a KY Land Owner tag. There may be. But not that common folks have a shot at...
5) Rules for the elk zones seem to change from year to year. They have added zones, merged zones, etc. Not insurmountable. But a certain amount of work to keep straight of all the changes.
6) The drawing is late May/early June. You have to declare which of the 6 or 8 elk zones you are going to hunt by early July. Actually your top three preferences since you may not get your first pick. Late July or so, they confirm if you can hunt where you selected.

My daughter is the only person I know who ever drew a KY Elk tag. She drew a first week cow elk rifle tag in 2012. She and the SIL located a "friend of a friend", scouted 100K acres of NF land a couple months before season. Plenty of sign. Got there for her reason. Couldn't find a hair. Near the end of her week, was talking with a local that informed her that the KY DFW had come in a between seasons and trapped/relocated 30 to 40 elk to another region. When they tracked down the local game officer, he acknowledged the relocation. Advised them to contact Frankfort if they wanted to request a refund.

A few weeks ago, I stumbled across the website listed above. During one of the the cow weeks, the one outfitter was 14 for 14 for putting hunters on cow elk. If you look at "success photos", most appear to be on or around reclaimed strip mine terrain.

Long story short, if I am ever fortunate enough to draw a "once in a life time tag" KY elk tag, I'm going to pay the man to have a decent opportunity at an an elk... YMMV...



I agree with this. As a Kentuckian, I can tell you that you can hunt without a guide/outfitter on some of the limited public land but it will be crowded with hunters. Your odds are best if you hire a guide, as I did in 2010. Cost will still be less than a guided hunt out West, in my opinion. And besides, cost be damned. This is a once in a lifetime Elk hunt East of the Mississippi River.


If we live long enough, we all have regrets. But the ones that nag at us the most are the ones in which we know we had a choice.

Doug

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