Fifteen-year-old Courtney McClure of McConnellsburg was one of just 10 lucky Pennsylvania hunters to win the lottery drawing for a license to hunt bull elk in Cameron County. Last Tuesday, Nov. 8, she made good on her tag, bagging a 7 X 7 bull elk weighing 564 pounds with just a single shot.
The McConnellsburg freshman used a 7mm Winchester short magnum rife to fell her quarry, making her the youngest female ever to harvest a Pennsylvania bull elk. The first woman to bag a bull elk was Janet Guber, 42, of Ellwood City, who shot a bull opening day in 2003, in Elk County.

Although the only one with an elk tag, Courtney was accompanied on the hunting expedition by her brother, Nick, and her parents. They stayed at the Elk Mountain Homestead in Benezette, where they were the guests of Jerry and Beverly Schickling of Lone Pine Outfitters.
Pennsylvania reinstituted elk hunting in 2001 and awards licenses by lottery drawing. More than 48,000 hunters vied for 10 antlered and 30 antlerless licenses. The Pennsylvania elk herd is estimated at about 800.
Courtney received word that she had won in the drawing for antlered elk the evening of September 24, just one day before her 15th birthday September 25.