Click here for the Elk & Wildlife Viewing Potential in eastern Kentucky Study.
2000 Kentucky Bugle Tour Survey Data (survey by Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources of Elk Tours in Kentucky)
In 2000, 350 people signed up and participated in Bugle Tours. The tours lasted for seven weekends.
117 tour participants completed surveys with the following results.
Participants were from: Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia
Males: 59 Females: 56
Age Range: 15 to 75 with an average age of 46 (23 non-responses)
Income Range: $10,000 to $135,000 with the average being $45,430 (45 non-responses)
Miles traveled to get to site: 136 on average, range from 2 miles to 450 miles.
71 (64%) stayed overnight: 37 (53%) stayed in a motel
2 (3%) with family or friend
1% at Jenny Wiley State Park
24 (34%) at Buckhorn State Park
2 (3%) camped
4 (6%) didn't give a response
$38.46 average spent on overall food expenses (80 responses)
$58.16 average spent on overall lodging (62 responses)
$140.00 average spent on overall equipment (34 responses)
$25.09 average spent on overall gas (79 responses)
$258.11 average spent overall x 63.75 responses on average = $16,454.51 of just those who responded.
$29.34 average spent on local food (69 responses)
$49.86 average spent on local lodging (56 responses)
$27.00 average spent on local equipment (26 responses)
$16.12 average spent on local gas (51 responses)
$122.32 average spent locally x 50.5 responses on average = $6,177.16 of just those who responded.
3.4 average size of group
32% hunted in the last 12 months 68% had not hunted in the last 12 months
48% had fished in the last 12 months 52% had not fished in the last 12 months
40% heard about the tour via newspaper
26% from a friend/family member
7% from television
7% from KDFWR publication
5% from magazine article
4% from KDFWR website
1% from radio
Pennsylvania and Elk (comparison to Kentucky)
Between 1998 and 2001, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation funded a study by Penn State University to determine the economic impact of the Pennsylvania elk. The study was called: Economic Impact of Pennsylvania's Elk Herd: Analysis of the Demographic, Pursuits & Expenditures of a Recreational Audience. Pennsylvania has a herd of about 500 elk. Currently, Kentucky's elk herd is 11 times larger than Pennsylvania's, numbering around 5,500.
