Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Around the Campfire => Topic started by: Pat B on September 20, 2016, 11:05:48 pm
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This was in the Transylvania Times (local newspaper)
"September 19, 2016
The first elk has been spotted in Transylvania County, according to David Whitmire, co-owner of Headwaters Outfitters.
The elk was seen by a sportsman near the corner of Slick Fisher Road and N.C. 281 North.
The last elk in North Carolina is believed to have been killed in the late 1700s.
But in 2001, the National Park Service reintroduced 25 elk into the Great Smoky Mountains National Par..."
These elk were introduced to Cataloochee Valley near the Great Smoky Mountain Park. This is across the mountains from where I live. Since they were introduced in to Tennessee they may be considered invasive exotics here in NC. >:D
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Just wait till you see one for the first time. :D
Back in the 80's,in Lassen County Ca,a rancher was telling people he was seeing Elk tracks at his water holes.People told him he was crazy and seeing his own calf tracks.Kinda PO'ed him as he knew the difference.A few weeks later,while i was on duty,with the USFS,i almost hit one,in a FS pickup,on an old skid trail.People still didnt believe us.Last year,i was told they actually lottery drew out a few Elk tags,in Lassen county.Another time,a few years later,while in Plumas county,i saw something strange among a herd of feeding cattle.It picked its head up to reveal a bull Elk.No one believed me either,till others started coming in with pics of em walking through their yards.
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Pat, That's great news.
They introduced elk in eastern Kentucky
a while back. They have migrated into Virginia and
Kentucky has like 15,000. Virginia since 2012
has introduced 50-60 animals in three counties.
These elk are off limits to hunting at present.
Traxx, I saw some elk near Clear Lake CA when I was out there in 07.
Zuma
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Zuma, some of the original stock came from Kentucky,LBL I think but not sure.
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Not such good news for mountain motorists, especially ones that love to drift those widened highway turns.
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Ya I think you are right Pat, they have a drawing each year in Tennessee and 1 auction for a tags, I think it was 5 or 6 tags given out last year for that herd. :) Maybe not in our life time but in our kids they will spread out a bit more. Lots of push back from the farmers and of course the insurance company's over letting the herd get to large and free roaming. :)
Pappy
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They can control the herd size but trying to keep elk from roaming would be like herding cats. ::)
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It's kinda funny that Virginia is propagating elk in three counties
when they actually initially wanted the KY elk hunted off because
they were causing the problems you-all have been describing.
I sure hope it all works out.
Zuma
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I think it's more politically correct to "save the wildlife" now than it was say, 20 years ago. Not that PC is a bad thing, it's just another term for "what will get me the most votes"
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Pat, that young bull has made it down my way. He's been seen in the area where I've been hunting.
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/pickens-county/2016/10/25/pickens-county-first-elk-sighting-state-centuries/92718798/
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Kentucky with the help of RMEF established proper habitat (grass lands) for elk when they began the introduction. Large tracts of land that was leveled by strip mining for coal. Elk are truly grass feeders and not so much browsers like deer. They need the big grass areas to do well.
North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and West Virginia initially did not want to spend the money needed to establish any elk population because the return was not expected to be worth it. Now that they have seen the money made in Kentucky from hunting, groceries, hotels, etc..they are all wanting a piece of the action.
I do not believe that NC,WV,PA,TN and VA have the needed habitat for an expanding elk herd. Hopefully they will develop it but I am doubtful it will be any time soon but they can all claim they have elk now. It is great that it has begun so future generations may have a chance to hunt elk in the eastern states. They are a magnificent game animal!
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I think they'd do fine in the Jocassee Gorges area. After all, they lived in this area for eons before they were hunted out.
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Hey Pat I was staying in Brevard at the Davidson Campground Park during the Hendersonville Apple Festival this year. WE set up n sold flint knapped knives etc thete for the weekend. We drove over to Cherokee Nc and saw some huge bull at the town limits and a couple cows too. THEY r spreading out!
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It's true especially when they get hit on the road.A moose was hit in northern Iowa lately too.A bear less than a year ago.They've got some free ranging buffalos I'm told in western Iowa in the Loess hills.I really doubt their completely free range though.Our mountain lion population seems to be doing ok here too.That's really all over the state.
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I heard a report this morning of an elk sighting in Pickens County SC. just south of where I live. This is a long way from Southern Tenn.
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It's awesome to hear you guys are getting Elk (back) or just in your areas. I hope you all get that chance to hunt one sometime. They are truly a magnificent animal, and they taste good.
I hope we still have Elk to hunt here in the next 5yrs \ 10yrs, with the hoof rot and now wolves (unofficially) around here. Ed
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I heard a report this morning of an elk sighting in Pickens County SC. just south of where I live. This is a long way from Southern Tenn.
Yeah, he's been stomping around my hunting grounds. I haven't seen him, though. I think he's mainly hanging around one of the golf courses. There's no telling where he's going to end up.
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Hey Looper, what do the SC game regs say. >:D ;)
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Our herd in Michigan all but disappeared in the late 1800's but the state brought in around 15 elk the early 1900's. As of today we have around 700 elk. They have 3 controlled hunts which are done by the lottery draw system. If properly managed the elk herd can make a come back but it will take awhile.
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Been out in elk country in the west. When it gets hot you should see what a bunch of elk can do to a golf course pond!!!! OR a dirt water tank on a ranch!!! They wallow like a bunch of hogs trying to cool down. THEN drift to the woods and lay around and every once in a while go wallow some more!!! They r destructive critters!
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Does it make your arrows itch a little knowing he was wandering around your neck of the woods?
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John, just to see one here would be a thrill to say the least. If legal, I would attempt to scratch that itchy arrow. ;)
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Well, the DNR captured this young elk and delivered him back to his home range. He was getting too used to people, kids were hand feeding him and he was walking around town like he owned the place. Now he's back where he belongs, safe and sound.
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That's maybe for the best. When wildlife becomes habituated to people, bad things happen and the animal pays the iron price every time.
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Yeah John. I agree he should have been moved. He'll be protected now from processed food, traffic and trigger happy rednecks. He was just doing what any respectable year old male elk should do, move to the next vacant(elk-wise)territory. Unfortunately he's not out west where it's expected and appropriate. Things are a lot tighter here in the east.