Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources

Announces New Non-Typical Bull Elk Record

Boone and Crockett Score – 372 6/8

FRANKFORT, KY. – Kentucky has a new state record for a bull elk with non-typical antlers.

Harrodsburg resident Terrell Royalty’s 7×7 elk scored 372 6/8 in the Boone and Crockett Club scoring system, besting the old record of 367 7/8 taken in Harlan County in 2008. Royalty took his record elk from a wildlife management area in Knott County on Oct. 4, 2009.

“This new state record shows the quality elk hunting we have on our public lands,” said Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Commissioner Jon Gassett. “In addition to the great elk hunting on private lands, Kentucky boasts world-class elk hunting on public lands as well.”

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MISSOULA, Mont. She used to cry when her father came home with a dead deer. Now she’s the first woman hunter to bag an elk in Tennessee in at least 144 years. Tami Miller of Franklin, Tenn., hopes her story will inspire other women to take up hunting.

It’s hard to get a babysitter at 4:30 in the morning but the experience of hunting is worth the trouble, laughs Miller. My husband introduced me to hunting. It has definitely enhanced our marriage and our family life. It’s something we can share, something that brings us all together in the outdoors. I wish more women would try it.

She added, Hunting is exciting. It’s empowering and it’s beautiful. When you’re out there at sunrise, and it’s so quiet you can hear a leaf falling from a tree, it’s priceless.

Read more…

Photo by dano4

I know of a landowner that had a hunter back out at the last minute on this very limited landowner tag in Kentucky.

The tag is good for Firearms Oct. 3-16 and Archery Oct. 17-Jan 18.

Hunting is allowed only on Graham WMA property.  I contacted the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and they said the purchaser would not need to use an outfitter. You can get more information on elk in Kentucky here!

If you have any further questions contact Sherry G. Duncan at 1.615.418.2513

Mark is in Santa Fe, New Mexico right now. Next stop is the eastern edge of the Gila National Forest to hopefully find another great bull! Andrew Crow harvested his first ever elk in the Monroe Unit, this is the same unit that the Spider Bull was taken last season and Mark had to enjoy his “Tag Soup” in the North Cache!

Mark has been regularly submitting photos, blog entries, and videos to O.L. for the past several weeks, part of the “Live Hunt with Mark Seacat“. The Live Hunt is definitely the best place to keep up with his fall schedule and whereabouts!

Mark and Outdoor Life would love it if you would comment as often as possible.

There are some great hunts scheduled throughout the entire hunting season and Mark is looking forward to sharing them with everyone!!!

But, the only way you will stay updated is if you check it out here!

Photo by Chis Awe

Well said!  How many of hunters feel like Chris?!

Read his article here!

Photo by Freddy K

He provides us with some more great photos and thoughts that are very similar to most of us!

Give it a read!

A female alligator hunter in Florida shot an 11-foot, 450-pound alligator with 2 crossbow shots.

You got up early this morning and went to your cubicle? Maybe, you did some Pilates or Yoga or you may have hit the weights.  That’s not much to compare it to when an attractive woman kills things that could eat you and are larger than Shaq!

Photo by Freddy K

Although I love reading Fred’s post, it pains me to see his photos!  As I sit in Arlington filled with concrete, sirens and auto horns, Fred provides me mountains, wild flowers, elk bugling ….Man, I wish I was chasing some elk about now!

Read his recent post here.

Freddy, keep us posted on your hunting season!!!

This is a posting by Steven Drake about his recent Antelope chasing in Montana!  I have never tried flagging the goats, personally!

Steve, those are some great photos of you hunting!

Give it a read!

Andrew with his Utah Bull Elk

Well, Andrew and Mark made it happen! They showed perseverance on this elk hunt which only took 12 days to put the first bull down. This is as tough as it gets on these types of hunts. You are in unknown territory and on you will probably on draw 1 tag in your lifetime for this area.

This is the first of several hunts to be documented on the OutdoorLife Live Hunt Series.

You can an overview of what is on deck for Mark and Andrew’s this season, here.

Idaho’s first wolf hunts began Tuesday, September 1, with few hunters afield and reports of three wolves taken.

By Friday afternoon, September 4, no additional wolves had been reported killed.

Wolf hunters are required to report kills within 24 hours and show the skull and pelt to Idaho Fish and Game authorities within five days.

Deputy Director Jim Unsworth noted that the successful hunters followed the rules and that the system for reporting harvest worked smoothly. Idaho began selling wolf hunting tags for the first time August 24 but no glitches in the licensing system were reported despite a one-week volume of more than 11,200 tags sold.

As of Friday, 12,308 wolf tags had been sold.

A decision from a federal court judge is still pending on a preliminary injunction that would halt the wolf hunt if granted.

But for the first days of the hunt, conservation officers in the field reported no violations and a light turnout of hunters, Chief of Enforcement Jon Heggen said.

From setting wolf seasons through the tag selling process to reporting of wolf harvest by hunters, “the system is working,” Unsworth said. “And hunters are excited to have the opportunity,” he added.

So far, two wolf harvest reports have come from the Lolo wolf hunting zone and one from the Sawtooth zone. These are the only zones of the 12 Idaho wolf zones to open September 1 and are the zones where the impact of wolves on elk herds are documented to be particularly severe. Two other zones open September 15 and the rest on October 1. A harvest limit of 220 wolves has been set for Idaho.

Hunters may encounter wolves with radio collars. They may shoot wolves with collars but are required to return the collars when they check in their wolves with Fish and Game. Hunters are asked not to cut or otherwise damage the expensive collars which can be reused to monitor wolves for management purposes.

Hunters must report a kill within 24 hours by calling 1-877-872-3190. They can call the same number to find out whether a wolf zone is closed. Zones will be closed to hunting immediately when the harvest limit in each zone is met.

Rules pamphlets are available at vendors, Fish and Game offices and online at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov where harvest numbers will be shown for each zone.

Photo by bob2506eos

HELENA (AP) — Hunters purchased nearly 2,600 wolf licenses Monday, the first day they went on sale in Montana.

The sales occurred on the same day U.S. District Judge Mike Molloy of Missoula heard arguments from animal rights and environmental groups seeking to block hunts in Idaho and Montana. Idaho’s hunt started Tuesday as Molloy took the arguments under consideration.

Hank Woersch, licensing bureau chief for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks says the slower sales — compared to the 4,000 sold on the first day licenses were available in Idaho — might have been due to the uncertainty of the court decision.

If the hunt is halted before the season starts, holders will be refunded their $19 license fee. Three nonresident licenses were sold for $350 each.

Montana’s hunt begins Sept. 15 in four wilderness areas while the regular wolf hunting season statewide begins Oct. 25. FWP set a quota of 75 wolves.

We all have read those testimonials from hunters that say a certain product was the key to their success.  Sue has posted just such an article, this has more to do with a taking a child hunting and what a way to start out!

Congratulation to Keegan and Lynn!!!

Read the full article here.

This essay is published in the July/August 2009 issue of Bugle Magazine from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF).

This essay will give you just a taste of the Mark’s dedication, tenacity as a hunter, his great photography skills and you get to see the Mystery Ranch NICE Crew Cab in action!

I cannot begin to tell you how awesome that this story is! I will let you make your own opinions and hopefully you will post them, about this article and if you would like to see more articles like this in future issues of Bugle Magazine.

If you are a member of the RMEF, you should be receiving this issue of Bugle in your mailboxes any day now.

If you are not a member of the RMEF, then I highly recommend that you do join. And in the meantime, you can view the entire essay here.

Photo by bob2506eos

Montana’s antelope archery season opened this past Saturday, and Freddy was fortunate enough to draw one of the 5600 either sex archery tags.

This was Freddy’s first year antelope hunting. A new species and terrain, the learning curve turned out to be very steep.

Maybe, Freddy should bring along a “Flatlander” next year to assist him and maybe use a decoy!

Although, I have never been antelope hunting, I think that I would have to agree with Freddy on that this would prepare him for the upcoming elk season.

Read Freddy’s account of his first antelope hunt.