Kentucky Draw Odds
Kentucky's elk lottery is a pure random drawing with no points of any kind: a $10 nonrefundable application per permit type (bull firearms, cow firearms, either-sex archery/crossbow, plus a youth-only pool), open August 1 through April 30, with winners drawn each May. Residents and nonresidents compete in the same pools, but no more than 10% of each pool's winners can be nonresidents — recent nonresident odds ran about 1-in-750 to 1-in-1,500 versus roughly 1-in-80 to 1-in-160 for residents.
Nothing beyond the $10 fee is paid up front; the 500 annual permits ($550 nonresident bull or archery, $400 cow, plus a $160 nonresident annual hunting license) are bought only if drawn, by June 15. Hunt units are assigned after the draw in a separate random unit drawing, winners sit out the next three drawings, and unpurchased permits go to a resident-only Loyalty Redraw.
Sources: Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources documents, last verified September 1, 2026. · 10 sources
Odds by Species
The Rules, Side by Side
Nonresident and resident rules for every species. Small numbers are sources.
| Species | Who | System | Choices | NR Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk | Nonresident | Random draw 4 | 1 | 10% 4 |
| Resident | Random draw 4 | 1 | — |
NR Share
- Elk
- 10% The 2025 draw split exactly 450 resident to 50 nonresident winners, out of an applicant pool that was more than half nonresident.
How This Draw Works, With an Example
Random draw: Every applicant has the same chance: tags divided by applicants. No points count in this draw.
Buying Points
Kentucky has no points to buy: every applicant has the same chance each year.
Fees
| 2026 Fee | Nonres. | Resident | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every Applicant | |||
| Statewide hunting license (nonresident) — required to hunt, not to apply 5 If drawn | $160 | $27 | If drawn |
| Elk | |||
| Elk quota hunt application (per permit type; nonrefundable) 5 To apply | $10 | $10 | To apply |
| Quota bull elk permit (nonresident) 5 If drawn | $550 | $100 | If drawn |
| Quota cow elk permit (nonresident) 5 If drawn | $400 | $60 | If drawn |
| Quota either-sex archery/crossbow elk permit (nonresident) 5 If drawn | $550 | $100 | If drawn |
| Quota youth elk permit (nonresident) 5 If drawn | $200 | $30 | If drawn |
| Cash to Apply, One Species | $10 | $10 | Kept if you miss |
Cash to apply adds up every fee due with an application; each extra species adds its own application fee.
Next Application Deadlines
-
Elk 2
Aug 1, 2026 – Apr 30, 2027 195 days
Legal cartridges in Kentucky by species and weapon
Sources (10)
Draw Rules, Fees and Deadlines
- 1. Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources · Apply for the Kentucky Elk Hunt Drawing by April 30 (press release, April 29, 2026)
- 2. Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources · Elk Hunting Regulations (2027 drawing banner; 2026-2027 season dates)
- 3. Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources · Kentucky Elk Hunt Drawing winners announced May 10 (press release, May 6, 2025)
- 4. Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · 301 KAR 2:132. Elk hunting seasons, permits, zones, and requirements · 2026
- 5. Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · 301 KAR 5:022. License, tag, registration, and permit fees · 2026
Draw Results, Hunt Lists and Harvest Reports, 2021–2025
2025 · 1 document
- Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources · Kentucky Elk Report 2025 (2025-2026 season)
2024 · 1 document
- Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources · Kentucky Elk Report 2024 (2024-2025 season)
2023 · 2 documents
- Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources · Kentucky Elk Report 2022 (2022-2023 season)
- Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources · Kentucky Elk Report 2023 (2023-2024 season)
2021 · 1 document
- Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources · Kentucky Elk Report 2021 (2021-2022 season)
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About These Numbers
Rules, fees and deadlines are copied from Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources documents and change by commission action; a date marked expected is last cycle's schedule rolled forward. The odds on each species page are last draw's results. Check the agency's site and apply there; we don't take applications. How we compute these.