Pennsylvania is home to the largest wild elk herd in the northeastern United States. As many as 1,500 elk roam freely across 3,000 square miles in the northcentral region of the state, mostly within Elk, Cameron, Clinton, Clearfield, and Centre counties.
The 2026 elk application period is May 1 through July 12, 2026. The annual drawing will take place on Saturday, July 25, 2026, during the Elk Expo at the Elk County visitor center in Benezette. Successful applicants who provided a phone number or email will be notified promptly by those methods; those who did not will receive notification by postal mail.
To apply for the 2026 elk drawing, go to huntfish.pa.gov. Pennsylvania accepts online applications for the elk drawing, or hunters can apply at any of the point-of-sale locations through the Pennsylvania Licensing System (PALS). Pennsylvania does not accept party applications for elk. The process has changed, and hunters will now submit only one application at the price of $11.97 and may select up to five choices. For each choice, applicants can select the following: season, management zone, and license type (antlered or antlerless). There is no longer a “fallback” or “any available” option, so it’s recommended to utilize all five choices. Also note that applicants will not be allowed to proceed with checking out unless they already hold a non-resident general hunting license or have placed one in their cart. Even if you only want to purchase a bonus point, you will still need to purchase a license. As such, we do not recommend just applying for a bonus point. Throw your name in for a chance to draw a tag—it’s exactly the same price.
To save money, you can apply two years in a row on one hunting license. A hunting license is valid from July 1 through June 30 of the following year. The first year, apply on or after July 1; the following year, once the application opens, apply on or before June 30. If you do pull an elk license during the second year of applying on the same license, you will then need to purchase a new hunting license to have an active license while hunting. The elk license alone does not grant you permission to hunt.
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No more than 10% of available elk licenses will be awarded to non-residents. The 10% cap is season specific. All five choices will be considered before moving to the next applicant. Starting in 2026, if an applicant draws an antlered elk license, they will no longer be eligible to apply again. However, they may apply for antlerless licenses. To check the status of an elk license application, go to huntfish.pa.gov. Log in to your account and scroll to the bottom left-hand corner under “Applications and Points,” where your bonus points awarded to date will be displayed. If you would like to check your application for the current year, click “Submitted Applications.”
All applicants must first possess a valid general hunting license before applying. The $11.97 elk application fee is non-refundable. You may use Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express to apply for an elk license.
All hunters must successfully complete a hunter education course prior to applying and hunting. In all seasons except archery, hunters and those accompanying them must wear at least 250 square inches of fluorescent orange visible from 360 degrees on the head, chest, and back combined. When using a blind or enclosed tree stand during firearms elk season, a minimum of 100 square inches of fluorescent orange material must be displayed within fifteen feet of the blind or stand and be visible from 360 degrees. This requirement is in addition to wearing the 250 square inches on your body.
Hunters need to be at least twelve years of age to apply for elk.
There are no longer three separate categories in which bonus points can be accumulated. All bonus points have been consolidated, and an unsuccessful applicant will only gain one point each year going forward. The only way you will lose bonus points is if you draw a license. Bonus points serve as a multiplier, and your name is entered in the drawing for as many bonus points as you have, thereby increasing the probability of drawing a license.
Simple draw odds are no longer available from Pennsylvania. The state does not publish any information that can be used to calculate odds. To increase your odds, be sure to select five choices on your application. Putting an antlerless pick or two will also help increase your odds of drawing a license. We recommend selecting three good areas for a bull as your first three choices, then putting down antlerless for picks four and five. They will start at your first choice and proceed down through your fifth. If you are only after a bull, don’t choose any antlerless hunts.
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Pennsylvania does not have any youth-only elk licenses available. Youths may apply for elk after turning twelve years old.
You may use manually operated centerfire rifles and handguns of at least .26 caliber that propel single-projectile ammunition 120 grains or larger. You may also use manually operated or semiautomatic centerfire 12-gauge or larger-bore shotguns firing a single projectile. Muzzleloaders must be at least .50 caliber and propel a single projectile weighing at least 210 grains. A bow must have a minimum draw weight of 45 pounds. Crossbows must have a minimum peak draw weight of 125 pounds. For archery, you may use any arrow or crossbow bolt with a fixed or mechanical broadhead. The broadhead must have an outside diameter or width of at least 1 inch, and the length may not exceed 3.25 inches. Possession of any firearm while archery hunting is prohibited unless the individual possesses a license to carry a concealed firearm.
Pennsylvania usually offers two special elk conservation licenses. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) auctions off one tag, and the Keystone Elk Country Alliance (KECA) raffles off the other tag. The RMEF auction happens online in April. This year, it took place online from March 31 through April 2 and went for $277,500. KECA raffle tickets are one for $25 or six for $100. Winners will be drawn on July 26 during the Elk Expo. For more information about the 2026 tags, contact them at 717-787-4250. There are no landowner tags available in Pennsylvania.
If you are successful in drawing an elk license, you may choose not to purchase it. The application and license fees are non-refundable. If you draw, your bonus points reset to zero, and you will not be able to return a license to reinstate your points. The only exception is for those who receive military orders that prevent them from hunting.
A successful hunter must tag the elk immediately after harvest and mark the kill site before the carcass is moved. The tag must be attached to the ear and remain attached until the animal is processed for consumption or prepared for mounting. Within 24 hours, each hunter who harvests an elk must take the carcass, along with their general hunting license and elk tag, to the official Game Commission check station. The elk check station is located at the Elk County Visitor Center on 134 Homestead Drive, Benezette, PA 15821. The GPS coordinates for the check station are 41.3233 N and 78.3684 W. The check station for the late and archery seasons will be held at the Game Commission Maintenance Building on 3508 Winslow Hill Road, Benezette, PA 15821. Keep in mind that the cell coverage on the elk range is sparse.
Pennsylvania has the GoHuntPA Toolkit app, which features maps, tracking tools, weather forecasts, social media integration, and more. The best place to view the elk hunt zones in detail is through the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s online mapping center. Go to https://www.pa.gov/agencies/pgc/huntingandtrapping/where-to-hunt and scroll down to the bottom of the page for easy access to the mapping center.
Hunters have successfully harvested elk in every hunt zone. Carefully examine each zone, considering road access and the amount of available public and private land.
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