Looking for:
Where is the best place to see elk in the smoky mountainsWhere is the best place to see elk in the smoky mountains
We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development.
An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website.
If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page. Manage Settings Continue with Recommended Cookies. More than two hundred years ago, in the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains, one could often hear the haunting sounds of Eastern Bull Elk, as their territorial bugle sounds echoed off the mountain sides. But that unique and wonderful sound became steadily less and less common, and then suddenly silent all together in the late s, as Elk in the Blue Ridge Mountains reached near extinction.
Today, thanks to the National Park Service, visitors to the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains, can once again hear and see the majestic Elk, thriving in their natural habitat. Hundreds of years ago, extensive herds of the great Eastern Elk roamed the Southern Appalachian mountains, which the Blue Ridge Mountains and Smoky Mountains are part of. These fearless animals were large, and often weighed upwards to pounds.
Eastern Elk where proliferous in the area, and more common as deer and many other mountain animals. In fact, Louis and Clark often wrote about the endless Elk herds they encountered as they travelled west. Ironically, those writings were in journals, bound by Elk hide.
Unfortunately, the large Eastern Elk quickly became one of the most common, and sought after game animals in the area. Due to overhunting and loss of habitat, as people began moving and living in the mountains, Elk were all but eliminated in the and s. The last Elk in NC is believed to have been killed in the late s.
By the s, significant concern was raised, that the Elk were either extinct all together or at the very least very quickly headed for extinction. A primary mission of the National Park Service, is to monitor both animals and plants, and in the event either are facing extinction or eliminated, the park service may decide to re-introduce the species.
This was the first time Elk had been back in the area in over years. Today , some of those Elk, and their offspring are thriving. But, many experts believe there are most likely many more than that.
Counting the Elk has become more difficult as they've grown in numbers, and are quickly spreading out. There is currently an effort underway to obtain a more accurate count of the Elk in and around the park. The results of that study should be available soon. Elk, also called Wapiti , are in the deer family, Cervidae, and are the largest species and native to North America.
Wapiti is Shawnee Indian, and means "white rump". Many centuries ago, a number of species of Elk existed, both in North America, and other continents. Today there are 14, and North America has 4 of them:. Eastern Elk were also a North American species and one the largest Elk species in the world. Mature Bull Elk were often 5 foot at the shoulder, weighing up to pounds, and having antlers up to 6 foot long. Unfortunately, the Eastern Elk are extinct. The species reintroduced into the Park are Manitoban Elk , which while still very large and majestic, are a bit smaller.
Bull Manitoban Elk weight up to pounds, and cows females up to pounds. They are herbivores , feeding on a diet of grasses, shrubs, trees, and other plant life. They really have no natural predators now, as the two primary predators, the Gray Wolf, and the Mountain Lion have both been declared all but extinct.
Bull Elk are easily recognized by their large set of antlers often called a rack , which can reach lengths of up to 5 feet. Many don't realize it, but Bull Elk shed their antlers each year, and re-grow a new and larger set the following year.
Female Elk, called cows, are smaller, and do not grow antlers. There are often multiple cows, around one Bull. On average, Elk live to be about years of age, but without predators, they can often live for years. Rut Season is the most exciting time to come see the Elk. Rut season is breeding season for the Elk, and the Bulls really put on a show for their "ladies" and for visitors as well, including bugling, sparring with other Elk, and herding their "harems" or groups of cows.
Rut season begins in mid-September, and runs through mid-October, although the Bulls usually begin bugling and grouping females in early September.
Bull Elk Antlers are also at their largest size during this time. During Rut, Bull Elks bugle to compete with other bulls, and to call their herd of cow Elk. If you've never heard a Bull Elk bugle in the mountains, it's something you won't soon forget. It's one of the most unique and haunting sounds you'll ever hear.
Our Cataloochee Valley video, below, has clips of Elk Bugle sounds. In addition to bugling, Bull Elk spar for territory and females. You'll often hear and see the hard clash of antler to antler as Bulls hit their antlers together and try to push each other around, to determine who's dominant. It's exciting to witness in person. The gestation period for Elk is about to days. Calves from Rut season, are generally born in the spring, from mid-May to mid-June. After 20 minutes after being born, calves can stand on their own.
After 16 days the calf will join the herd and will complete weaning by the time it's 60 days old. Calves remain with their mothers for almost a year, leaving about the time that the next season's offspring are produced. Elk are ready to mate around 16 months of age. Where are the best places to see the Elk? While Elk can be found anywhere in the eastern portions of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and even in some areas close to, but outside the Park , the most common, best and safest viewing locations are:.
Cataloochee Valley is where the majority of the Elk still reside, which makes sense, since this was where they were introduced. There are a number of different fields where they will often be, early in the morning or later in the evening. You'll definitely want to drive all the way through in order to see them.
Visitors will often find Park Rangers, and Park Volunteers in the area, both protecting the Elk, keeping people safe, and willing to answer questions.
We always enjoy talking with them, they're great folks, who love the Elk. If you have children, be sure to go see the volunteers, as they often have antlers the kids can touch and hold, and other items to see as well. For more information on Cataloochee, including directions, photos, tips, things to see, hiking trails, and more.
See our Cataloochee Valley Guide! While Elk were originally reintroduced in Cataloochee Valley, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it didn't take the Elk long to begin branching out as they migrated.
One of the first areas the Elk came to was Cherokee NC, where today, they can often be found near the Oconoluftee Visitor center or wandering in or around the Oconoluftee River. Hordes of cars full of people, often stop at the fields next to the Visitor center, causing what we often refer to as an "Elk Jam".
Pro Tip - Be sure to pull over, completely out of the road to allow through traffic to continue. The number of Elk in Cherokee continues to grow, and has become a very popular place to see them. As the Elk multiple and spread out from Cataloochee Valley, they inevitably encounter people's homes, and even local mountain towns.
This has been the case for Maggie Valley NC , where you can often both bull and cows wondering around town, near homes and businesses. When traveling through Maggie Valley, and especially on your way up the Parkway, you'll want to drive slow and carefully as the Elk are often along the roadside or even crossing the road.
We have a whole sister website, called Maggie Valley NC Life, full of information on where to stay, where to eat, things to do, photos and more! Further up from Maggie, between the Maggie Valley exit and the Cherokee exit on The Blue Ridge Parkway , has become another popular area for the Elk, and for people to view them.
The number of Elk here though, is low compared to Cataloochee Valley or the Oconoluftee Visitor center. One of the biggest issues with the popularity of Elk, is safety, both for the Elk and for the people.
Small numbers, like the initial 25, and then 27 Elk introduced into the park, are susceptible to disease. To help monitor and control this, the new Elk were monitored daily by Park staff using radio and GPS collars, put on each of them. Park officials constantly monitored the Elk, watching for prolonged lack of movement, which could indicate illness, injury or even death.
A death of an Elk, results in various field tests to be sure the animals cause of death, didn't risk the rest of the herd. If so, immediate measures were put into effect to treat and protect the remaining herd. As Elk grow, the collars age and fall off.
New calfs are also collared, whenever they are seen and can be. But as the Elk continue to reproduce and grow in numbers, while many still are collared, many are not. This makes tracking and monitoring them more difficult for rangers, and makes counting their numbers more difficult. But even with collars, the Elk look like they are met to be there. Grazing on grass, and slowly moving around the old buildings, through the creeks, and woods.
They look content, and even happy. People come from all around the world to view the re-introduced Elk, and take photos of them. Much the wildlife in the park, is naturally very shy, working hard to avoid being seen. This includes Bears, coyotes, bobcats, deer, and the many other animals found in and outside of the park boundary.
The Elk though, are big, and while during the day they are often in the cool and shady woods, in the mornings and evenings, they'll come out into the open fields to graze, where they are easily seen and enjoyed.
While any time is a great time to see the Elk, there are a few times a year, when some extra special "Elky" kinds of things are going on. Here's the scoop!
No comments:
Post a Comment