Below is a Facebook post from the Pennsylvania Game Commission. RMEF has a long-standing history in the Keystone State. Since 1991, RMEF and its partners completed 582 conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects there with a combined value of more than $30.3 million. These projects conserved or enhanced 30,140 acres of habitat and opened or improved public access to 10,838 acres.
Spectators gathered as Pennsylvania elk hunters passed through the elk check station, offering a unique opportunity to see conservation efforts firsthand and share in hunter excitement!
The 2024 general elk season closed on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, with dozens of lucky hunters successfully harvesting the largest game animal in the state!
A total of 46 elk, out of 68 allotted tags, were harvested across 13 of the 14 elk hunt zones, including 19 of 38 antlerless tags and 27 of 30 antlered tags.
Every tag filled and every moment spent afield are part of a bigger picture — a picture that ensures elk will continue to thrive for years to come.
At the check station, some elk are weighed, and samples are collected to test for chronic wasting disease (CWD), brucellosis, and tuberculosis. Additional samples are also collected for DNA testing, aging, and pregnancy. The results of these tests provide a window into the health of the elk herd and help direct elk management strategies.
Having the opportunity to pursue elk year after year is a true privilege and testament to the hard work of conservation efforts that began so many years ago.
Congratulations, Pennsylvania elk hunters!
You can view the results of the elk check station for all three elk hunting seasons here. The late elk season begins on Dec. 28 and runs through Jan. 4, 2025.
Thank you to everyone who applied to hunt elk in Pennsylvania! Next year’s applications will go on sale in February.
(Photo credit: Pennsylvania Game Commission)