CLEARFIELD – 2024 will go down as a memorable year for Luke Billotte of Clearfield.
In July, he received a call from the Pennsylvania Game Commission with some exciting news: he had been selected to be awarded an elk hunting license.
In fact, Luke was just one of 140 awards from a pool of over 100,000 applications.
But, that’s just the beginning.
Three days after Christmas with just about five minutes of legal shooting light left, he downed a massive bull elk.
It’s definitely “one of the most memorable opportunities” for a hunter, Luke said, adding he couldn’t be more grateful for the experience.
Luke, with help from family and friends, scouted possible hunting locations a couple weeks prior to his hunt. They observed several nice bulls.
But when he spotted a 6 x 8 bull, it became the target of his hunt.
Late Dec. 28, he started to feel anxious by the fade of daylight. Then, that bull appeared about 414 yards out.
Luke fired off several good shots—and the bull was down.
He said with an unofficial gross green score of 394 inches, he expects his bull elk to make the Boone and Crockett Pennsylvania State Big Game Records.
Over the past three years, there have only been a total of 20 hunters in Clearfield County and surrounding areas drawn for a license, per information previously provided by Elk Biologist Jeremy Banfield.
Luke said he’s happy for such an incredible opportunity and thankful to his friends, family and the landowner who helped him make his hunt successful.
