LAND BETWEEN THE LAKES, KY/TN – August 25, 2016 – Hear elk bugle during mating season beginning in September at Land Between the Lakes. The Elk & Bison Prairie is open seven days a week, from dawn to dusk, and features a 3.5-mile paved loop with interpretive stops along the drive. Passes cost $5 per vehicle and can be purchased at the Elk & Bison Prairie entrance gate or at any Land Between the Lakes day-use facility.
“Peak bugling season is usually mid-September to mid-October,” says Curtis Fowler, Range and Wildlife Technician at Land Between the Lakes. “This is one of the most exciting times to drive through the prairie. Late afternoon provides the best chance to hear bugling and see elk calves. Turn off vehicles at interpretive stops and listen for the unusual sound.”
Elk and bison are wild animals and can be unpredictable. Visitors should observe the Elk & Bison Prairie rules and remain inside their vehicle when these large animals are nearby. Listen to an elk bugle at https://www.landbetweenthelakes.us/seendo/attractions/elk-bison-prairie/.
Biologists introduced elk into the 700-acre prairie in February 1996. Currently 72 elk and 85 bison make the prairie their home.
Archery deer season begins in September at Land Between the Lakes. Deer hunting information for the 2016-2017 season and specific regulations can be found at visitor facilities and online at www.landbetweenthelakes.us/seendo/outdoor-rec/hunting/. Hunters should also reference appropriate state regulations.
Hunters must possess a valid State Hunting License/Deer Permit, and a Hunter Safety Card according to Kentucky or Tennessee state regulations. Hunters 16 and older also need a Land Between the Lakes Hunter Use Permit, available online www.landbetweenthelakes.us/reservations/.
Deer harvested in Land Between the Lakes are no longer bonus deer. All deer count towards statewide deer bag limits.
Archers may harvest one deer, either-sex, on the Kentucky portion of Land Between the Lakes. On the Tennessee portion, archers may harvest two deer, only one of which may be antlered. Land Between the Lakes has a one-buck bag limit, per hunter, per year, by any method.
Deer hunting provides a unique recreational opportunity within the region and helps maintain a healthy deer population.
Licensed archers with required state licenses or permits may harvest one turkey (either sex), squirrels, woodchucks, coyotes, and armadillos.