Elk in the East?

[bowtechboss177]

Hey guys I was just wondering if their are any elk in the east side of the US?

 

[ATH]

Hey guys I was just wondering if their are any elk in the east side of the US?

Any reasonable search for information will answer that for you. Oklahoma, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and I'm sure I'm missing a few.

 

[bowtechboss177]

Do they live in the wild or in cages/ private ranches?

 

[Red Sparky]

Thanks to the RMEF they have been reintroduced in the wild and do have populations that can be hunted. Kind of like the Desert Bighorn here. Drawing a tag is the main factor to hunt them.

 

[bowtechboss177]

It seems like they would be out of their natural habitat.

 

[Elkhunter1983]

actually, elk were once very prevalent along the northeast and midwestern states. One could say that the elk's current range is not their natural habitat. They were originally a plains animal.

 

[KYHILLJACK]

Large herd in eastern Kentucky. 1000 tags were drawn this year. $10 fee to enter.
If drawn $550 for bull and $400 for cow non-resident tags.
They roan the foothills of eastern Ky. Old reclaimed coal fields and heavy wooded ridges. 16 counties I think. Draw ended April 30. Success rate is very high. DOW is very helpful. Go the Ky DOW site for all the info. You can hunt bow, rifle or blackpowder, your choice of weapon. Know quite a few at work that have drawn over the years.
Link ; Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Elk Hunting
History of elk restoration in ky ;

 

[wbm]

Introduced in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2001 and now occur in Tennessee and North Carolina.

 

[7magmike]

KY has the largest herd in the east, Well over 10,000 head and with no natural predators and mild winters its just going to get better. Its not easy to draw a tag here, I have been putting in since the first year and haven't been drawn, my uncle finaly drew a cow rifle tag this year, he has been in a wheel chair all his life frim MS and I will be helping him feel his tag this year and letting him use my rifle for the hunt.

 

[orion2000]

... Its not easy to draw a tag here, I have been putting in since the first year and haven't been drawn ...

AS mentioned above, the first hurdle is getting drawn for a tag. Myself, and most folks I know have been applying since the beginning without any tags.

The second hurdle is finding a place to hunt, unless you plan to hire an outfitter. Best habitat is the strip mine reclaims. However, the coal companies either won't let hunters on their property due to liability, or, the outfitters already have them leased... SE KY does not have the vast tracts of Public land open for hunting as in, say, Colorado...

It can be done. But not near as simple as showing up in Colorado and buying an OTC bull tag...

 

[Bowhunter7]

Elk in the east are shot on private ranches zoos and there is no big bulls

 

[bowtechboss177]

Elk in the east are shot on private ranches zoos and there is no big bulls

Doesn't really seem like the place to go. Just sounds like a big Colorado to me...

 

[Bowhunter7]

I agree thats like going to hunt mule deer in new york

 

[bowtechboss177]

I agree thats like going to hunt mule deer in new york

Or gazelle in California.