ELK APPLICATION DEADLINES APPROACH

HARRISBURG -- Pennsylvania hunters are reminded about the upcoming deadlines for submitting applications for one of the 40 elk licenses (10 antlered and 30 antlerless) to be awarded for the Nov. 7-12, 2005 season, and the 10 elk licenses (2 either-sex and 8 antlerless) that will be awarded for the Sept. 18-23, 2006 season, during a public drawing at the upcoming Elk Expo.

Hunters planning to participate in the elk hunt have until Monday, Aug. 29, to get their paper applications and $10 non-refundable fee into the Pennsylvania Game Commission's U.S. Post Office box.  Individuals submitting applications via "The Outdoor Shop" on the agency's website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) have until Sept. 19. 

The Game Commission established an earlier deadline for paper applications to enable the agency to properly process them in time for the public drawing on Sept. 24. 

Hunters who wish to apply by mail may print the application from the website, complete it and mail it to: Pennsylvania Game Commission, Elk License Application, P.O. Box 61890, Harrisburg, PA 17106-1890.  An application also appears on page 104 of the 2005-2006 Pennsylvania Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations, which is provided to license buyers.

A $10 non-refundable fee must be submitted with the application.  Fees from the first 10,000 applications will be used by the Game Commission for improving habitat in the elk range. 

Forms submitted through the mail must be accompanied by a check or money order (do not send cash) made payable to "Pennsylvania Game Commission," and must be received in the Game Commission's Post Office box by Aug. 29.  Applications received after that date will be returned to sender.  On-line applications must be accompanied by a credit card payment (VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express accepted), and must be submitted by Sept. 19.  No Game Commission office will accept hand-delivered applications.

By law, only one application is permitted per person.  If a person submits more than one application, all of the hunter's applications will be ineligible and the applicant will be subject to prosecution.  All application fees are non-refundable.

Individuals are not required to purchase a resident or nonresident general hunting license to apply for the drawing.  However, if they are drawn for one of the elk licenses, hunters then will be required to purchase the appropriate resident or nonresident general hunting license and view the elk hunt orientation video produced by the Game Commission before being permitted to purchase the elk license.  The elk license fees are $25 for residents and $250 for nonresidents. 

The public drawing will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24, as part of the Elk Expo.  (See article in this release for details on the Elk Expo.) 

As announced last year, Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Vern Ross noted that this is the first year that the agency will be conducting a computerized drawing to award elk licenses.  He added that the agency has been conducting computerized bobcat drawings since 2003.

"With the implementation of a preference point system, we exceeded the capacity of the container we had been using for previous elk license drawings," Ross said.  "Also, by eliminating the printing of cards, we will be able to save money in the process.

"We will draw enough applications to award 40 elk licenses.  The first 12 awarded will be antlered elk licenses, and the remaining 28 will be antlerless elk licenses."

There is no limit to the number of licenses that may be awarded to nonresidents.

Individuals who were not awarded an elk license in 2003 or 2004 have two preference points applied to this year's drawing if they submit an application this year, and will have their name entered into the drawing three times.  As part of the preference point system established by the agency in 2003, consecutive applications are not required to maintain previously earned preference points, but applicants will only be awarded preference points for each year in which they submit an application.  Once a hunter is awarded an elk license - either an antlered or antlerless elk license - the hunter's preference points will revert to zero.

Those applying for an elk license can choose either an antlered or antlerless elk license, or they may select both categories on their application.  For those who select  "antlered only," if they are drawn after the antlered licenses are allocated, they will not receive an elk license.  For those who do receive an antlered or either sex elk license, they will not be permitted to re-apply for future elk hunting opportunities for five years. 

Applicants also will be given the opportunity to identify their preference of an elk management area, or they may select "any."  If drawn and their preference for hunting area is already filled, applicants will be assigned a specific area by the Game Commission.  To assist applicants in making this decision, information about the elk management areas is posted on the website (www.pgc.state.pa.us) along with the application.  This information also is in the 2005-2006 Digest.

Those who previously received an antlered elk licenses are not eligible for five years from when they received their licenses.  However, those who received an antlerless elk license in any of the previous hunts may submit an application this year.

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