Elk in the East

Wild Elk Herd in Eastern Kentucky

I have always been very proud of the fact that I am from and have spent my entire life living in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky. It is a very unique place that boasts a huge variety of natural resources. The variety of plant, tree and animal life in these mountains are almost overwhelming, however if you could go back in time to the days of Daniel Boone and even before, variety was even greater. Buffalo, Elk, Whitetail Deer, Black Bear, Red Wolves and Mountain Lions abounded in these mountains. As "white men" made their way into what is now Kentucky and Southwestern Virginia for exploration and settlement, the numbers of these large mammals began to decline. This was for a number of reasons but was primarily due to unregulated hunting. Over time, all of the above mentioned species were driven to extinction in our area with the exception of the White Tailed Deer, and even they became very scarce. Due to conservation efforts by a number of State and Federal Organizations, several of these animals have returned and now flourish is our area. Whitetail Deer can now be seen almost daily, Black Bear are now roaming their old stomping grounds and Elk can now be heard bugling in the mountains.


While I am very happy about the re-establishment of all of the above mentioned species, the re-introduction of Elk back into their historic range has always been very special to me. It is the only project that I have been fortunate to see since it's very inception, and I am able to see the fruits of all that hard labor quite frequently.

Elk are a large member of the deer family. While the average male Whitetail (called a buck) can weigh around 200 pounds, a mature male Elk (called a bull) can tip the scales at over 700 pounds. They are herbivores  and rely on vegetation in the form of plants, leaves and nuts as their sources of food. In the early fall Elk will breed. It is at this time of year that you can hear bull Elk call to attract females to mate. This long, drawn out and high pitched call is called a "bugle". About eight and a half months after mating, female Elk (called a cow) will give birth to one to three babies, respectively called calves. On average, Elk in the wild live 8-12 years, however some have been known to exceed 20. The Shawnees Indians named these large deer "Wapiti" which translated to English means "white rump" due to the white hair found on the rump of these animals.

Wapiti grazing in a small, woodland clearing

Beginning with lengthy studies and research, the decision was made by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife to begin a process of re-introducing Elk into the state of Kentucky. With the first elk released in 1997, a series of other releases (with wild Elk originating from multiple western states) followed up until 2002. With the grand total of released Elk in the neighborhood of 1500 animals, these populations took off. With an abundance of food and a lack of large predators, the Kentucky Elk boast a 90% breeding success rate along with a 90% calf survival rate. Today, there are approximately 10,000 Elk to be seen in Eastern Kentucky and the numbers continue to climb. This makes the Kentucky Elk population the largest east of the Mississippi River. Now, not only does one stand a great chance to view Elk, but Kentucky now has allowed hunting on a lottery basis to help control to population and keep it at a healthy level.

In 2012, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries jumped on board in the hopes of expanding the Elk population in the east, and released their first crop of Elk (brought over from Kentucky) that spring. With hopes that the two populations will eventually merge together, in coming years it is hoped that the overall Elk population in the east will continue to expand.

The chance of seeing these majestic animals were at one time just wishful thinking to many, but due to these various State Agencies, that dream has now become a reality. Someone passing through these mountains now has a chance at spotting these large deer, much like the Native Americans and early settlers to this area did. You are now also able to take part in guided Elk tours thanks to the Kentucky Department of Parks. And who knows, pick the right time and place and you may even get the hair of the back of your neck stand up when you here that eerie "bugle" off in the distance!

To learn more about Elk in Kentucky, visit this LINK.

To learn about the Virginia Re-introduction effort, visit this PAGE.

You can learn more about Guided Elk Tours by Kentucky State Parks by clicking HERE.

I can be reached by emailing me HERE