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Hunters now have three extra days to apply for the 2009 Kentucky elk hunt. Citing technical problems over the past few days with state government's online payment application, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources officials today extended the original April 30 deadline to midnight Eastern Time, May 3.
"We want to ensure that everyone who wants to apply has that chance," said Wildlife Division Director Karen Alexy. "We've already had a record number of applicants because Kentucky is issuing a record number of its elk permits. The word is getting around that a Kentucky elk hunt is truly the hunt of a lifetime."
To date, more than 37,500 people have applied for the 2009 general elk hunt while an additional 375 people have applied for the special Paul Van Booven Wildlife Management Area (WMA) youth hunt. Kentucky will issue 1,002 permits for the general elk hunt, and five permits for the WMA youth hunt. The deadline extension applies to both the general hunt and the WMA youth hunt.
Applications for the elk hunt are $10 and available online only at fw.ky.gov. The drawing is open to Kentucky residents and non-residents.
Last week, the department began encountering problems with the electronic payment system for its online permit and license sales. Department officials took the payment system offline for part of the day on Friday, April 24, and Saturday, April 25, until the problem was fixed.
Any person who encountered difficulties with an online transaction on the department's website in the past week may call the department at 1-800-858-1549.
Kentucky's elk herd numbers approximately 10,000 animals. Last year, the hunter rate for bulls reached 96 percent, while 89 percent of cow hunt hunters enjoyed success.
New for this year is the WMA youth hunt. The five youngsters drawn for this hunt have their choice of taking a bull or cow elk in one of the best hunting areas in the state. Hunters must be 15 or under by the end of the application period to be eligible.
"These are probably the best odds we'll ever see for a quota elk hunt," said Kentucky's Big Game Coordinator, Tina Brunjes. "Young hunters should apply for this hunt. I guarantee it will be a hunt that they'll tell their grandchildren about."
For more information about season, regulations and elk hunting in Kentucky, visit the department's Internet site at fw.ky.gov.
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