Tenn. to hunt elk

[Multidigits]

NASHVILLE, TENN.

Tennessee schedules elk hunt for 2008

Tennessee hunters could get a chance to bag an elk for the first time since the Civil War era now that wildlife regulators have voted to allow a hunting season in 2008.
Since their reintroduction in 2000, wild elk have prospered in a wildlife management area on the Cumberland Plateau. The herd was started when elk were moved to Tennessee from Canada and Kentucky's Land Between the Lakes.
Tennessee officials cited Kentucky as an example of a successful elk hunting program.
Kentucky started its reintroduction in the 1990s and first allowed hunting in 2001. Currently there are more than 5,000 wild elk in the eastern part of the state.

[aceoky]

Great! Thanks for passing that along!

[mcdenney]

"Tennessee Hunters" ??? I wonder if that means we will be allowed to enter their drawing???? I would hope so since they have participated in KY's elk drawing.

[4onaside]

I hope so, Marty. I would think that they would want your money. As you know, I just returned from a great hunt in your state, and was thankful for the opportunity. However, I paid about 10 times what you guys pay for the privilege. I have not checked in a while, but I used to covet going to the Arkansas Buffalo River country to hunt their herd. Not to be, since they limited their draw to Arkansas residents only, with the exception of the couple of RMEF tags that were auctioned each year. Tennessee is going to start the hunts on such a limited basis that it will be a while, if ever, that the number of tags will get to the level where there is any practical possiblity of being drawn.

[Multidigits]

Elk hunting as a NR has always and will continue to be more expensive than hunting in your own state. The pricing as it is now is about right.

[skin_dog1]

I though the herd in TN was having problems. Was that misinformation?

[4onaside]

I think that it is apparent that I was certainly not complaining, having been to the West several times, I have always been a proponet of the "if you don't like the deal, then stay home" approach. However, it would obviously follow that if Tn ever allows a hunt, which includes N.R.s, then you should also pay 10 times what Tn residents pay for the privilege. I was told that the Ky COs loved to have me there, as they receive their income purely out of license sales. I was also in the 10% possibility of draw category(10% maximum tags to N.R.s), so the 18 of us N.R.s who were lucky enough to get drawn probably didn't impact residents too much. I also left substantial monies in Floyd County paying for lodging and goodies. I considered my experience value received, and I hope that you are someday also allowed to leave some of your coin in the volunteer state on an elk hunt.

[4onaside]

I don't think that the herd is having problems per se. Just that the reintroduction numbers dropped to nothing due to CWD concerns in various locations. I believe that some of those concerns have now been lifted, and, at least a limited amount of stocking is now in the plans again.

[aceoky]

I also left substantial monies in Floyd County paying for lodging and goodies. I considered my experience value received,

Not to sound like a certain commercial for wine coolers.....

Thank you for your financial support; the whole area benefited from it, without doubt.

Also I'm very glad that you found it "value recieved". :)

[Multidigits]

I think that it is apparent that I was certainly not complaining, having been to the West several times, I have always been a proponet of the "if you don't like the deal, then stay home" approach. However, it would obviously follow that if Tn ever allows a hunt, which includes N.R.s, then you should also pay 10 times what Tn residents pay for the privilege. I was told that the Ky COs loved to have me there, as they receive their income purely out of license sales. I was also in the 10% possibility of draw category(10% maximum tags to N.R.s), so the 18 of us N.R.s who were lucky enough to get drawn probably didn't impact residents too much. I also left substantial monies in Floyd County paying for lodging and goodies. I considered my experience value received, and I hope that you are someday also allowed to leave some of your coin in the volunteer state on an elk hunt.


We appreciate it. But the CO's get paid regradless if you come or not. Their pay is generated out of the KYDFWR Budget, not just NR license fees.

Just a guess, because I haven't researched it, but I doubt that the TN restocking recieved as many elk as was planned originally, which might have set back the dates a bit???

[4onaside]

I understand, and what I said was poorly stated(unclear). My host was probably commenting on the fact that I put 10 times the amount into the coffers from which the budget is determined than a Resident would for the same services

[4onaside]

Well, I could have said that It was a rip-off, that I didn't get my money's worth. And I realize that my trip did not bring peace and prosperity to the entire region. However, since there were only 6 rooms occupied at Jenny Wiley State Resort Lodge on fri evening and only a few more on Sat, and Sun, perhaps the State of Kentucky is just a tiny bit appreciate of my business, or any business! I have always understood that my customers are the ones that keep me afloat. I appreciate them. Hey, without them, I couldn't lavish all of this money on the Floyd countians.

[wademup]

Hey Mo WHEN I get drawn in TN. I'm gonna ride in your truck!!!!!!!!



Wademup

[bcdh1]

We better be able to or KY will have some pissed off hunters.

[raven_over_easy]

better P'ed Off than P'ed ON ...lol

Just to Note: Elk with orange Ear Tags are Tennessee Released Elk. Those with Red or Blue ear Tags are Kentucky released Elk.;)

[4onaside]

Jeff, you can count on it! What did your wife think of your christening her new truck?

[wademup]

She was surprised I kept it that clean for the first 900 miles!!!! By the way I did wash it before i let her see it for the first time!!!


Wademup

[mcdenney]

She was surprised I kept it that clean for the first 900 miles!!!! By the way I did wash it before i let her see it for the first time!!!


Wademup

Smart man!!!

As for TN Elk, I was talking to a TN CO a month or so ago and they stated that one of the biggest problems they were having so far was poaching. They seem to have a ways to go but it sounded to me like things were heading in the right direction.

[raven_over_easy]

http://www.chattanoogan.com/site_images/dot_clear.gifTennessee Elk Hunt Won't Happen Before 2008
Dept. of Agriculture OK's additional elk for Royal Blue WMA
by Richard Simms (Richard@ScenicCityFishing.com)
posted December 13, 2006

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission is plowing ahead with plans to issue five permits for a special elk hunt in Tennessee.

However that hunt will probably not happen in 2007 as some had hoped.

The Wildlife Management Committee of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission voted Wednesday to delay consideration of a hunt until 2008. The full Commission could change today's action Thusday, however that is doubtful.

Greg Wathen, chief of TWRA's wildlife division, said they need the extra time to create procedures and pass legislation needed to collect fees to support the state's elk management program.

Wathen wants to charge a $10 non-refundable elk permit appliclation fee. However right now state law forbids TWRA from charging any additional fees to Annual Sportsman License holders. Wathen wants to change that law so those license holders would also have to pay that non-refundable $10 fee.

Other states that have similar drawing for elk permits have as many as 30,000 to 40,000 applicants. At $10 per application, that can generate lots of money for the elk program.

"There is a timing issue to get that legislation passed before the hunt," Wathen said.

Mike Butler with the Tennessee Wildlife Federation said, "the decision to delay to 2008 was the right decision. Biologically we could have done it in '07. But delaying will help in the long run."

Legislative action is also required to allow TWRA to assign one of the five permits to be issue to a conservation organization. Most likely that permit would be auctioned off as a fundraiser for the organization.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has already provided about a half-million dollars to Tennessee's elk restoration project. Wathen said the Shikar Safari Club has also provided significant financial assistance.

Butler added that, "The Tennessee Wildlife Federation is working in close cooperation with the Shikar Safari Club to bring in more financial assistance. The federation has extended well over $100,000 of in-kind of assistance for the elk program. We'll continue that level of support and increase it as possible."

In other major news TWRA Information Officer Dan Hicks says Tennessee Dept. of Agriculture Commissioner Ken Givens has signed a waiver that will once again allow the importation of elk into Tennessee.

Elk restoration efforts were slowed dramatically by national concerns about chronic wasting disease (http://www.state.tn.us/twra/cwd_bro2.pdf). After intense research, biologists have verified that CWD is not a concern at this time. Givens signature on a waiver means that TWRA biologists are once again negotiating to import additional elk from the Elk Island Park in Canada.

Hicks said, "a couple of months ago there was a chance of us getting 300 additional elk. Because of delays getting the waiver that number may have dropped. But it's a possibility that we'll get an additional 100 to 200 elk to release this year."

He says biologists would most likely make the trip to Canada to get those animals in late January or February.

"I’m very encouraged to hear that there’s a strong possibility of adding more animals to our elk herd in the next several months," Gary Kimsey, Chairman of the TWRC Wildlife Committee commented. "The TWRA staff has worked hard to manage our existing herd. The goal of this commission is to proceed as quickly as prudently possible to implement an elk hunt in Tennessee, no later than the 2008 hunting season and public support for elk hunting in Tennessee has been high."

He says that TVA's Land Between the Lakes wildlife area in West Tennessee also has 23 surplus elk.

Since their reintroduction in 2000, wild elk have prospered in the Royal Blue Wildlife Management Area (http://www.state.tn.us/twra/elkzonemap.pdf) on the Cumberland Plateau.

The last documented elk harvest in Tennessee was in 1865 in Obion County in northwest Tennessee.