Since the state’s first managed hunt in 2009, the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA) has issued a limited number of bull elk permits each year, selected through a random computer drawing. This year, seven permits will be issued, six of which will be selected through the standard computer drawing. The seventh permit has been donated to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation (TWRF), which will raffle the permit for $10 per raffle ticket. Additionally, Bass Pro Shops will outfit the raffle winner with a Tikka T3x Lite Stainless bolt-action rifle in 7mm Rem. Mag. topped with an Oculus Pro Team HD 3-9X40mm scope.
Raffle tickets can be purchased on the TWRF website through 11:59 p.m. on August 15. Once the raffle has closed, a random raffle entry will be drawn and will be notified during the Commission Meeting on August 23.
“The winner of the elk raffle ticket will get assigned to Elk Hunt Zone [EHZ] 1 [in the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area, north of Knoxville, Tenn.], which is the best elk zone in state, and the hunt will last seven days. If raffle winner doesn’t fill his permit, an extra week will be given to the raffle winner for any zones,” said TWRF Assistant Director Chris Richardson. The dates for the hunts will be Oct. 13-19 in EHZ 1 and Oct. 20-26 in any open elk zone, including private land in the five restoration counties as long as the raffle winner has the landowner’s permission to hunt.
All proceeds from the raffle will go toward Tennessee’s elk habitat restoration efforts. Residents and non-residents can enter the raffle. For more information or to purchase a raffle ticket, go to twrf.net.
