9/26/2005  --  KERSEY, Elk County - On Saturday, Sept. 24, Pennsylvania Outdoor Elk Expo visitors helped the Pennsylvania Game Commission award elk licenses to 50 hunters in a public drawing.  There were 20,189 individuals eligible for the drawing.  For the November 2005 elk hunt, the agency awarded 40 licenses (10 antlered and 30 antlerless) and, for the September 2006 elk hunt, 10 licenses (2 either sex and 8 antlerless) were awarded.

Those selected to receive licenses will be mailed a confirmation letter within a week.

"While there is great interest in the names of the hunters who will receive these 50 elk hunting licenses, by law, the Game Commission is not permitted to release information about our license buyers to the public," said Vern Ross, Game Commission executive director.   "Beyond announcing the names and hometowns of those selected at the public drawing, we are not permitted to provide a complete list for public dissemination."

For the November hunt, which will be held Nov. 7-12, the 10 antlered elk licenses were awarded to nine Pennsylvanians and one hunter from New York.  Pennsylvania hunters selected represent the following counties: Bedford (1); Berks (2); Delaware (1); Elk (1); Fulton (1); Lycoming (2); and Washington (1).

Of the 30 antlerless elk licenses awarded, 25 were awarded to Pennsylvanians; two to hunters from Ohio; one to a hunter from New York; one to hunter from North Carolina; and one to a hunter from Texas.  Pennsylvania hunters selected represented the following counties: Beaver (1); Carbon (1); Crawford (1); Elk (1); Erie (1); Greene (1); Indiana (1); Jefferson (3); Lackawanna (1); Lebanon (1); Lehigh (1); Luzerne (2); Monroe (1); Montour (1); Snyder (3); Venango (1); Washington (1); Westmoreland (1); and York (2).

For the September 2006 hunt, which will be held September 18-23, 2006, all 10 licenses were awarded to Pennsylvania hunters.  The two either-sex license recipients were from Adams County and Montgomery County.  The eight antlerless elk licenses were awarded to hunters from the following counties: Berks (1); Cambria (1); Dauphin (1); Erie (1); Lancaster (1); Mercer (1); Wyoming (1); and York (1).

All 50 elk license recipients will receive in the mail two copies of the Game Commission's videotaped elk hunter orientation program, which they must view prior to the elk hunt.  The second copy is to be previewed by their guide, if they choose to use a guide.

All elk license recipients must obtain a general hunting license prior to purchasing their elk license.  Elk licenses cost $25 for residents and $250 for nonresidents.

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