Elk · all applicants
Random drawWorked example. Every applicant has the same chance: tags ÷ applicants. Points don't exist or don't matter here.
- Max choices
- 4
- Point only purchase allowed
- No
Elk Quota Hunt Specifics · verified Sep 1, 2026
Tennessee Draw Odds
Tennessee's elk drawing is a pure random lottery - no preference or bonus points - and winners sit out the next ten years. Nineteen permits are issued in recent years for the Elk Hunt Zones on North Cumberland WMA: nine archery and eight gun permits by drawing (you rank up to four zone/season choices), one resident-youth permit, and one permit raffled by a conservation nonprofit. Residents and nonresidents compete in one pool, with nonresidents capped at 25% of drawn permits; nothing is fronted beyond a $12 nonrefundable application fee (no license needed to apply, and no tag fee if drawn - just normal Tennessee license requirements). Applications run in February (Feb 4-25 in 2026), and with roughly 9,600-16,900 applicants for 17 drawn adult permits in recent years, odds run well under 1%.
Every figure below cites the agency document it came from. Last verified September 1, 2026.
Odds by species
How the draw works
Nonresident allocation
Elk:
25% of tags
— 2024 draw instructions (tn_elk_draw_2024_pdf p.3): 'Non-resident applicants will be restricted to no greater than 25 percent of the drawn permits. For 2024, no more than four non-resident applicants will be drawn.' Nonresident Lifetime License holders count as nonresidents.
Elk Quota Hunt Specifics
Nonresident fees (2026)
Showing nonresident fees. Switch to resident
| Fee | Amount | Paid at application | Refundable | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk quota hunt application fee (Elk) | $12 | Yes | No | Quota Hunts (TWRA general quota hunt application and draw instructions) |
| Nonresident 7-Day All Game license | $214 | If drawn | No | Tennessee Hunting License Fees (official TWRA Hunting & Trapping Guide, 2026 edition) |
Deadlines (2027)
Elk:
opens Feb 3, closes Feb 24, 2027.
Tag fee is charged only if you draw.
'Elk and Youth Elk Draw application period for the 2027 season: February 3 - 24, 2027.'
Elk and Youth Elk Hunts (TWRA quota hunt page, 2026/2027 hunt choices)
Legal cartridges in Tennessee
Drew a tag? Check which cartridges are legal for your species and weapon on the Tennessee hunting laws page.
Sources
2024 Elk Quota Draw instructions (TWRA form WR-1223, rev. 02/23)
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (news-site mirror of TWRA form) · retrieved September 1, 2026 · 2024
2026 Elk Quota Hunt Application Period Open February 4-25
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency · retrieved September 1, 2026 · 2026
Elk and Youth Elk Hunts (TWRA quota hunt page, 2026/2027 hunt choices)
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency · retrieved September 1, 2026 · 2026, 2027
Elk Quota Hunt Application Period February 5-26 (2025)
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency · retrieved September 1, 2026 · 2025
Elk Quota Hunt Application Period Underway (2023)
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (via Wayback Machine) · retrieved September 1, 2026 · 2023
Elk Quota Hunt, Conservation Raffle Winners Announced at August TFWC Meeting (2022)
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (via Wayback Machine) · retrieved September 1, 2026 · 2022
Quota Hunts (TWRA general quota hunt application and draw instructions)
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency · retrieved September 1, 2026 · 2026
Tennessee Elk Season Dates Regulations and Information (current elk page)
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency · retrieved September 1, 2026 · 2022, 2023, 2024, 2026, 2027
Tennessee Elk Season Dates (Wayback 2022-08-14 — 2022 season structure)
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (via Wayback Machine) · retrieved September 1, 2026 · 2022
Tennessee Elk Season Dates (Wayback 2025-09-03 — 2025 season structure)
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (via Wayback Machine) · retrieved September 1, 2026 · 2025
Tennessee Hunting License Fees (official TWRA Hunting & Trapping Guide, 2026 edition)
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (official guide published via eRegulations) · retrieved September 1, 2026 · 2026
Spot a data error on this page? Tell us.
How to read these numbers
Every percentage on this page is a prior-draw probability: the chance an applicant with that many points would have drawn in the draw year shown, computed from the agency's published results. It is not a forecast — quotas, applicant numbers, and point creep change every year. Every figure links to the agency document it came from. Where a state does not publish a number, we show a dash, never a zero. Hunts with fewer than five tags show counts instead of percentages. Fees show the fee year used. Read the methodology for the engine details.
Not an application service
This page is informational only. Draw rules, quotas, fees, and deadlines are set by the state agency and change by commission action — confirm everything on the agency's own site before you apply, and apply through the agency, not here. We disclaim all liability for reliance on this page.