RICHMOND, VA — The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) is again offering a chance to hunt bull elk in the Elk Management Zone (Buchanan, Dickenson, and Wise counties) of Virginia for the upcoming hunting season. October 2022 marked the inaugural elk hunt with all six hunters successfully harvesting bulls. The largest was an 8x9, weighing 852lbs live weight and scoring Boone & Crockett Club non-typical 413 & 7/8 inches net and 433 & 5/8 inches gross.   

"It was so rewarding to see all the work and effort that DWR, RMEF, and the Southwest Sportsmen (SWVA), along with many volunteers, had put in over the last ten years to make sure Virginia's first elk hunt was a success," said Leon Boyd, President of the SWVA and DWR Board Member "I had the honor to meet and visit with all the lottery winners and their families—to be able to sit by the campfire and share their love of wildlife and the outdoors as much as I do never gets old. I was also able to visit with hunters who were on their first big game hunt. The quality of elk in Virginia is amazing and I look forward to many successful elk seasons in the future. After the elk hunt ended in October, I found myself getting even more excited about the 2023 lottery and knowing we will have another excited group of hunters experiencing what it's like to harvest an elk in the Commonwealth. This group, along with DWR, partners and myself, will make memories for a lifetime."  

The hunt for the 2023–2024 season will be held Saturday, October 14, 2023 – Friday, October 20, 2023. There are five (5) antlered elk licenses available for this year's hunt via lottery. The application period for the elk lottery will open February 1, 2023, and close March 30, 2023. Applications for a special elk hunting license can be obtained online, under elk hunting, or by calling the Department of Wildlife Resources at 1-866-721-6911 for assistance in applying via phone.  

Applications require a non-refundable fee of $15 for Virginia residents and $20 for out-of-state residents. Winners of the elk hunting application will then need to purchase a special elk hunting license for $40 for in-state residents, and $400 for out-of-state residents. The special elk hunting license is not transferrable to another individual. Winners of the randomized computer drawing will be notified by May 30. You can also check the status of your application by visiting your DWR GoOutdoorsVA account.  

DWR plans to award a sixth antlered elk license to a conservation organization through the Elk Conservation License Program; that organization would then be required to conduct a raffle for the license. Details on this year's winning organization and raffle will not be available until spring 2023.   

For more information, please visit: dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/elk/hunting/elk-lottery/