Pennsylvania Game News - September 2020 - 24

comes, Banfield said. Some elk might
come in just as readily to calls without a
visual cue. Some elk might not come in,
even if both are present.
But on some occasions, a decoy might
seem to possess the needed magic that
otherwise would have been missing.

LOOKING AHEAD
Hunting Pennsylvania elk is a dream
come true for the hunters who are drawn
for licenses. And hunting in the rut, when
elk can be as vocal as gobblers in the
spring, and in a season that requires close
encounters, layers on the excitement. As
more hunters experience the thrill of the
archery season and share their accounts,
it only stands to reason that interest in the
season will continue to build.
While the general elk season in
November figures to continue providing
the state's primary elk-hunting opportunity, further expansion of the archery
season is possible in coming years. And
because the archery season still is in its
infancy, with licenses awarded through
a separate, season-specific drawing, the
sooner a hunter enters the drawing and
begins building bonus points, the closer
he or she is to getting in on the ground
floor. While applicants in all elk drawings

PICKING A ZONE
Game Commission elk biologist Jeremy
Banfield said he frequently is asked which Elk
Hunt Zones are best.
Banfield said Zones 3, 10 and 13 hold lots of
trophy bulls, while Zones 12 and 14 are among
the best for cow hunting. And hunters are wise
to identify the Elk Hunt Zone they prefer when
applying for a chance at an elk license, he said.
Selecting an Elk Hunt Zone preference
doesn't hurt an applicant's chance of being
selected for a license. And if an applicant
is selected after all licenses for his or her
preferred hunt zone have been allocated, he
or she will be assigned to the next available
hunt zone. They'll get the chance to hunt elk
somewhere if they're drawn.
But if they're selected while licenses for
their preferred zone still are available, they'll
be assigned to that zone.
"So it behooves you to pick something for
your preference," he said.

are awarded bonus points if they're not
selected for a license, bonus points also
can be purchased separately. They must
be purchased, however, by the July 31
deadline to apply for an elk license.
Either way, it's a chance worth taking.
And in a September in the not-toodistant future, you could be drawing a tag
and drawing back on your own one-of-akind Pennsylvania trophy.

Cover Painting by Ken Hunter
After bugling time and again, out of sight in the distance, an impressive
bull finally comes charging in to investigate your cow-elk mew calls. But
as he pulls to a stop on the rise, a shattering bugle from behind seems
to shake the ground on which you sit. Another, larger bull is challenging
the first. Pinned between the two, the dilemma now is remaining
undetected while waiting for an opportunity to raise your crossbow.
"Caught in the Middle" by Ken Hunter captures the excitement of the
September archery elk season, at the very site where Hunter harvested
his Pennsylvania bull elk in 2009. Elk-hunting memories seldom fade.

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Pennsylvania Game News - September 2020

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