Lucas Harvey, age 7, from Mount Pleasant selects one of this year's lucky elk license recipients.

By Becky Polaski

The drawing for licenses for bull and cow elk in the November 2008 hunt was held at 5 p.m. on Saturday at the PA Great Outdoors Elk Expo at the Elk County Fairgrounds in Kersey. This year, 45 licenses were awarded. The 17 bull licenses were awarded first followed by the 28 cow licenses.

Last year 40 licenses were awarded and 33 elk were killed.

This year's hunt will be held from November 3-8.

There were a total of 17,457 applications received for this year's hunt, compared to 17,270 last year. With preference points factored in, the total number of names in the system increased to 64,304.

"This, of course, is the eighth year for the elk hunt here," said Richard E. Macklem, the Pennsylvania Game Commission North Central Region Information and Education Supervisor. "It started back in '01 and here we are in '08 already."

Macklem noted that the odds of being drawn for a license were still better than winning the lottery.

"We received applications from 45 states and 6 other entries from outside the United States," added Macklem.

Before turning the microphone over to Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officer Doty McDowell, Macklem asked for 45 individuals from the audience to come forward to select the license recipients.

St Marys resident Tyler L. Rieder was one of the 17 individuals to receive a bull elk license.

Other individuals drawn for bull elk licenses include: Kerry M. McAfoose of Kittanning, Brian J. Nolan of Shinglehouse, Barry W. Weston of Altoona, Ronald I. Althouse of Oley, Lawrence D. Davis of Fombell, Jeffrey P. Christman of Pittsburgh, Dennis L. Mull of Dornsife, Darrel M. Maines of North East, Joseph Solich of North Fort Myers, Florida, Brent E. Cartwright of Sandy Ridge, Gary E. Lenze of Harrisburg, Brian R. Murphy of Clarksburg, William B. Kleppinger of Quakertown, Thomas E. Raymond of Jermyn, James Macurak of Karns City, and Susan J. Luse of Aaronsburg.

Pittsburgh resident Jeffrey Christman was in the audience at the drawing when his name was called.

"This is the first time I've been up here," said Christman. "I was riding around looking for elk and I saw a huge six by six and another small bull and I said 'This is fantastic.' I hurried up to get back here to see if I got my name pulled and it happened."

Christman noted that he applied for a license each year.

"I figured it had to happen one of these times," said Christman regarding the chance of his name being drawn.

Ridgway resident Glenn H. Olay was one of the 28 individuals drawn for a cow elk license.

Other individuals drawn for cow elk licenses include: Max M. Fender of Washington, Michael L. Cortez of Columbia, Hans D. Garkisch of Irwin, Gerald L. Foster of Galeton, Allen S. Gettle of Wellsboro, Thomas B. Williams of Pittsburgh, Pamela J. Rhodes of Beech Creek, Thomas G. Smith of Danville, George Laudeman of Minersville, Wilmer R. Zimmerman of Manheim, John P. Coulter of Saltsburg, Daniel B. Brenneman of Franklin, Larry R. Vietro of Wind Gap, Andrew D. Bowers of Belle Vernon, Michael W. Bogacz of Gibsonia, Robert W. Burrows of Renovo, Bernard G. Cossack, Jr. of Old Forge, James D. Engelman of Emmaus, James M. Misiti of Lyndonville, New York, Chad E. Brown of Hayes, Virginia, Jessicca A. Delamater of Wyalusing, Joseph W. Murphy of Laurelton, Curtis J. Noll of Fleetwood, William N. Swoope, Sr. of Woodland, Leroy E. Byler of Mercer, Christopher L. Rimel of East Springfield, and Jeremy W. Cooper of Sunbury.