I remember as a kid growing up in western Pennsylvania, elk sightings were fairly rare and for good reason — there weren’t that many. Every now and then, we would spot one at a local state park, but the thought of ever hunting them in our state never entered our minds, but that was in the ‘60s.

Starting in 1913, the Game Commission actually imported elk from Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park and Jackson Hole Refuge Area. Some others were even purchased from private preserves in Pennsylvania and released in several locations.

Those early elk releases did well enough that in 1923 elk hunting was opened, and 23 bulls were taken. Twenty-five more were taken over the next three years combined, and a record 26 were taken in 1927, but things went quickly downhill after that; only one bull was taken in 1931. Growing up in that part of the state and occasionally spotting an elk was exciting, but the thought of ever hunting elk again in Pennsylvania was far from our minds, but obviously, that has all changed.

In 2001 Pennsylvania held its first elk hunt since 1931, and over 50,000 people applied for a license. After the hunt in 2001, the number of applicants consistently dropped, bottoming out a 17,245 in 2007. The number of elk license applicants has climbed annually since about 2011 and hit nearly 50,000 again in 2020. Not only are the applicants increasing but so are the success rates, and so are the hunting opportunities.

Little did I know that right in the middle of this elk hunting resurgence in 2009, I would be lucky enough to be drawn for a bull elk tag in Unit 10. My hunt was a great success, and I was able to shoot an 8×8 bull on the second day of the hunt that turned out to be the fourth largest bull taken that year.

Since my hunt, many more big bulls have been taken, and the opportunities to hunt elk in Pennsylvania have continued to increase. When I got my elk in 2009, there were 19,000 applicants for 20 bull tags and 39 cow tags; I believe only one bull tag went unfilled. Compared to the 2001 elk hunt when 14 bulls and 13 cows were taken, the 2009 hunt was a good hunt, but the numbers have continued to grow and so have the opportunities. Opportunities have increased for good reason since when I got my elk in 2009, an estimated 700 elk were roaming that part of the state, but today those numbers now stand at around 1,300-1,500.

In those early years, when elk hunting was reintroduced to our state, you were only able to hunt for six days. 2021 offers 29 days of elk hunting, including 15 days of archery-only elk hunting from Sept 11 -25, the regular six-day hunt from Nov.1-6, and eight days of late-season hunting from Jan.1-8. Also, in 2021, a record 56 bull tags are available, and 131 cow tags — that’s quite an increase since my 2009 hunt.

The increase of available bull tags is likely partly due to the fact that the bull-to-cow ratio is also changing. Between 2008 and 2018, there were around 30 bulls to 100 cows, but today, that number now stands at 67 bulls to 100 cows.

While it’s too late to apply for a tag for this coming season, there are still some great elk viewing opportunities, and more and more people are enjoying seeing the elk. A good place to start is the Winslow Hill area, and the opportunities to get some really great photos exist; you might even be able to capture some bulls sparring this fall.