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The odds may be a bit steep, but the reward is a dream hunt to pursue trophy bull elk right in Pennsylvania.The deadline to enter the annual drawing for Pennsylvania elk licenses for is July 31. Every year more than 20,000 apply for a chance to obtain one of just over 100 licenses to hunt a bull or cow elk. While the chance of being drawn may be slim, when it happens the resulting hunt is one that will never be forgotten.Just ask Bear Creek resident George Oko Jr., who was one of 27 hunters last year drawn for a Pennsylvania bull elk tag. Oko, who was 15 at the time, applied for three years before being drawn.When it came time for the November hunt, Oko bagged a monstrous 6x7 bull elk that had a live-weight of 837 pounds. Oko hunted with his father, George Oko Sr. and guide Donald Chiappelli in Elk County.This year, the Pennsylvania Game Commission increased the number of licenses to 116, up from the 108 licenses issued in the 2014-15 season.On the date of the drawing, hunters will be selected for 21 licenses for antlered elk, or bulls, and 95 licenses for antlerless elk, or cows.This year&#8217;s elk season run from Nov. 2-7, with an extended season in designated areas from Nov. 9-14.Game Commission Executive Director R. Matthew Hough urged hunters to be mindful of the application deadline.&#8220;We have world-class elk here, and being selected for a license to hunt them represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,&#8221; Hough said. &#8220;But you have to submit an application for a chance to take part and, remember, the clock is ticking.&#8221;The drawing will be held Aug. 15 in Benezette, Pennsylvania, as part of the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors Elk Expo.Applications can be submitted anywhere hunting licenses are sold, or online at the Game Commission&#8217;s website, www.pgc.state.pa.us. Perhaps the easiest way to submit an online application is by clicking on the &#8220;Elk Hunting&#8221; icon on the website&#8217;s homepage.Applicants must pay a $10.70 non-refundable application fee to be included in the drawing.Individuals are not required to purchase a resident or nonresident general hunting license to apply for the drawing. However, hunters who are drawn for a license must hold a valid general hunting license and a valid elk license in order to hunt elk.Adult general hunting licenses cost $20.70 for residents and $101.70 for nonresidents, and elk license fees are $25 for residents and $250 for nonresidents.Those who enter the drawing but are not selected to purchase an elk license still benefit by increasing their chances to be selected in coming years.Each applicant in the drawing receives a preference point that will serve to multiply the number of chances the applicant receives in subsequent drawings. Individuals who applied in each year from 2003 through 2014, but were not awarded an elk license, have 12 preference points heading into this year&#8217;s drawing. If they submit an application this year, they will have their name entered into the drawing 13 times (12 preference points in addition to the point from this year&#8217;s application.)Additionally, hunters who want to earn a preference point for this year, but know that they would not be able to participate in the elk hunting season if drawn, have the option of simply purchasing a preference point for $10.70. While they will not be included in the drawing for the 2014 elk licenses, they will continue to build their preference points.Those applying for an elk license can choose either an antlered or antlerless elk license, or they may select either-sex on their application. For those who select &#8220;antlered only,&#8221; if they are drawn after the antlered licenses are allocated, they will not receive an elk license. For those who do receive an antlered elk license, they will not be permitted to re-apply for future elk hunting opportunities for five years. However, those who received an antlerless elk license in any of the previous hunts may submit an application this year.Applicants also have the opportunity to identify their elk hunt zone preference, or they may select &#8220;NP&#8221; (no preference). If drawn and their preferred hunt zone is filled, applicants will be assigned to another zone, so identifying a preference doesn&#8217;t change the odds of being drawn.PGC to raffle elk license, guided huntFor the cost of a $25 chance, one lucky hunter will win extended-season bull-hunting opportunity.The Keystone Elk Country Alliance is holding its second raffle for a special elk-hunting opportunity to be offered this fall.Not only will the raffle&#8217;s winner get to a chance at a record-class bull, but also will be able to hunt across the elk range in an extended season that runs Sept. 1 through Nov. 7, will receive a six-day fully guided hunt that is professionally filmed by TomBob Outdoors, and will get a shoulder mount of the bull, to boot.Chances for the Elk Conservation Raffle cost $25 each, or six chances may be purchased for $100, but there is no limit on the number of chances that may be purchased.And all proceeds from the raffle will stay in Pennsylvania to be used among other things to improve habitat for the state&#8217;s elk.The Keystone Elk Country Alliance (KECA), in partnership with the Pennsylvania Game Commission will conduct the raffle, which was authorized by a state law that became effective last year.Pennsylvania Elk Conservation Raffle tickets may be purchased several ways. They can be purchased online by 8 p.m. on Aug. 14 at KECA&#8217;s website; www.ExperienceElkCountry.com, with payment made by credit card via PayPal. They also can be purchased at the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors Elk Expo or at the Elk Country Visitor Center.Purchased ticket stubs must be postmarked and returned by Aug. 7, if mailed to KECA.The winner of the Pennsylvania Elk Conservation Raffle will be selected during a public drawing held at the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors Elk Expo at 1 p.m. on Aug. 16 at the Elk Country Visitor Center. The winner does not need to attend the drawing to win.The conservation license can be used from Sept. 1 to Nov. 7, 2015. The winner of the Pennsylvania Elk Conservation Raffle will be permitted to hunt in all elk management units open to elk hunting.The lucky winner can enjoy a six-day fully guided hunt donated by Elk County Outfitters. The guided hunt includes meals and lodging and guide service.<style>
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<div class="neCaption">George Oko Jr., 15, harvested this big 6x7 bull elk on the Nov. 3 opening day of the 2014 Pennsylvania elk season. With him is his father, George Oko Sr. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_Elk-Oko.jpg</photo0><caption0>George Oko Jr., 15, harvested this big 6x7 bull elk on the Nov. 3 opening day of the 2014 Pennsylvania elk season. With him is his father, George Oko Sr. </caption0><photoCredit0>Submitted photo </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Tom Veneskytvenesky@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta>Track your elk license applicationTo find out the status of an application, go to the Game Commission website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), and click on the blue &#8220;Buy a License&#8221; box in the upper right corner of the homepage. Click on the &#8220;Purchase License Permit and or Application/Replace License and or Permit&#8221; option, which includes the ability to &#8220;Check on the status of any Lottery Application,&#8221; scroll down and click on the &#8220;Start Here&#8221; button at the bottom of the page. At this page, choose one of the identification options below to check your records, fill in the necessary information and click on the &#8220;Continue&#8221; button. Click on the appropriate residency status, which will display your current personal information. At the bottom of the page, choose the &#8220;Check on the status of any Lottery Application&#8221; button, and then hit &#8220;Continue.&#8221;Details on the elk season and drawing are available on pages 64 to 69 of the 2015-16 Pennsylvania Hunting &amp; Trapping Digest, which is provided to license buyers and may be viewed on the agency&#8217;s website.By law, only one application is permitted per person per year, and the Pennsylvania Automated License System will prohibit an individual from submitting more than one application.</factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @TLTomVenesky</shirttailMeta></div>

Deadline approaches to enter state’s lotto for elk hunting license