HARRISBURG – Anyone interested in applying to be a bobcat or elk guide for the upcoming seasons should submit a completed application to the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Bureau of Wildlife Protection by Friday, Oct. 16.  Guide permits cost $25 for residents and $50 for nonresidents, per species.  For those who wish to serve as guides for both bobcat and elk, permit fees are $50 for residents, $100 for nonresidents.

Bobcat guides may assist in all aspects of hunting or trapping bobcats, except for setting traps or harvesting bobcats.  Similarly, elk guides may provide assistance in locating or tracking elk, and calling for elk, but they may not harvest an elk.  Permit applications may be obtained from the Game Commission’s Harrisburg headquarters by calling 717-783-8164, or by contact any of the Game Commission’s six region offices.

The Board of Game Commissioners created the guide permit for bobcat and elk to allow experienced individuals, especially those who are familiar with or live in the WMUs open to bobcat harvest or the elk range, to serve as guides for those who receive a bobcat permit or elk license. 

Guides are not required for those who only plan to accompany a bobcat permit holder or elk license recipient, or those who plan to aid a successful elk hunter to remove an elk from the field.

Since only properly licensed hunters may take part in the hunt, and since the agency is awarding only a limited number of bobcat permits and elk licenses, the guide permit enables those who receive a bobcat permit or elk license to take someone along to participate in the hunt without violating the law.

Those seeking elk guide permits also should consult with the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources concerning special guiding permits and requirements on state forest or state park lands.