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Virginia Elk Hunt Lottery Open Until March 30
Richmond, VA — The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) is pleased to announce that applications for the Virginia Elk Hunt Lottery are open until March 30, 2024. This lottery offers a unique opportunity to hunt bull elk in the Elk Management Zone of Virginia during the upcoming hunting season.
The hunt for the 2024–2025 season is scheduled to take place from Saturday, October 12, 2024, to Friday, October 18, 2024. A total of five (5) antlered elk licenses will be available for this year’s hunt through the lottery system. To apply, interested individuals can visit the DWR website or call DWR at 1-866-721-6911 for assistance in applying via phone.
Applicants are required to pay a non-refundable fee of $15 for Virginia residents and $20 for out-of-state residents. If selected, winners will need to purchase a special elk license priced at $40 for in-state residents and $400 for out-of-state residents. It is important to note that the special elk license is non- transferable.
Winners of the elk hunting application will be chosen through a randomized computer drawing and will be notified by May 30. Applicants can also check the status of their application by visiting their DWR GoOutdoorsVA account.
In addition to the five licenses available through the lottery, DWR plans to award a sixth antlered elk license to a conservation organization through the Elk Conservation License Program. The chosen organization will then conduct a raffle for the license. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation was selected as the recipient of the elk conservation license during 2022 and 2023. They raised over $90,000 in 2022 and over $50,000 in 2023 for habitat work that benefits elk and other species in Buchanan County. Further details regarding the winning organization and raffle will be announced in Spring 2024.
All revenue generated in application fees and license sales for the Elk Management Zone hunt will go to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources’ general fund to be used for management and conservation of all wildlife.
There were 24,378 elk lottery applicants in 2023, and 31,951 applicants in its debut year of 2022.
Please visit our website for more information and to apply for the Virginia Elk Hunt Lottery.