The 2026 Virginia elk quota hunt application period is open. Instructions on how to apply for the 2026 elk drawing can be found at https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/elk/hunting/elk-lottery/. The deadline to apply is midnight (EDT) on March 31.

Virginia accepts online applications for the elk drawing. If you have questions about or need assistance with applying, call 804-367-1000. Virginia does not accept party applications for elk. Elk permits are not transferable to other individuals.

Successful applicants will be notified by May 30 and will have thirty days from notification to purchase their license and permit. Permits that are not purchased by the deadline will be awarded to alternate hunters drawn concurrently with the original winners. No more than one permit, or ten percent of available tags, may be issued to non-residents. A minimum of one permit or ten percent of available tags—whichever is greater—will be awarded to applicants whose primary residence lies within the Elk Management Zone.

The 2026 elk season will run from Saturday, October 10 through Friday, October 16. With the potential of 350”+ bulls, it is hard not to spend the $20 and apply for an elk tag. There will be a total of five tags available in the draw, and an additional tag will be raffled off through the VDWR’s Conservation License Program.

Virginia does not have a preference or bonus point system.

In 2025, there were a total of 19,795 applicants for the five permits issued by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (VDWR). In 2024, there were a total of 19,764 applicants for the five permits issued by the VDWR. In 2023, there were 24,378 applicants. In 2022, there were 31,951 total applications for the inaugural hunt.

Youth have a reduced-price hunting license if drawn, but no elk tags are set aside for youth only. Also, there are no reduced-price elk tags for youth. All non-resident elk tags will be $400.

The following firearms are considered legal weapons for hunting elk in Virginia: a .23 caliber or larger rifle, a .40 caliber or larger muzzleloader, a shotgun, or a .23 caliber or larger handgun that generates at least 350 foot-pounds of energy. For archers using a crossbow, longbow, recurve, or compound bow, there is no minimum draw weight, but you must hunt with a fixed blade or mechanical broadhead that has a cutting edge at least 7/8” wide. For more information about weapon restrictions, visit https://dwr.virginia.gov/hunting/regulations/legal-use-of-firearms-and-archery-tackle/.

The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources will issue one elk permit this year through their Conservation License Program. At the time of print, information on how to purchase a raffle ticket was not available. They expect it to be on their website shortly. South West Virginia Sportsmen received the raffle permit for 2025, and it has also been issued through the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation in years past. Regardless, the permit is issued to a non-profit organization each year to be raffled off, and proceeds earned from the raffle are then invested into habitat or wildlife management projects within the Elk Management Zone.

The application fees must be paid for using Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or a debit card. The drawing application costs $20, which is non-refundable.

Virginia uses electronic reporting. All deer, bear, turkey, elk, and bobcat hunters, including those hunters exempt from purchasing a license, must report their harvests through the Department’s telephone reporting system. You may report an elk using the internet or telephone systems; however, elk cannot be reported using the eNotch feature of the GoOutdoors app. Reporting times are the same as those for deer, but the animal should be reported as an elk. Successful elk hunters must contact the Department at (804) 367-0044 to schedule a time for collection of biological samples. This number is ONLY listed for making arrangements to collect samples from harvested elk. For more information, visit https://dwr.virginia.gov/hunting/game-harvest-reporting/.