Trending
The restoration of elk in Pennsylvania represents a great conservation success story.
Native elk were found throughout Pennsylvania in the early 19th century but were all but eliminated from the state by the late 1800s, except for a small population in the area around Elk County. The Pennsylvania Game Commission began an elk restoration program in 1913 by releasing animals obtained from Yellowstone National Park, South Dakota and a private preserve in Pennsylvania. This effort continued until 1926 with 177 elk being transplanted into the central, northeastern and northcentral regions of the state.
Although only the population in the northcentral survived, a hunting season was held from 1923 until 1931 during which time hunters took 98 bull elk, and another 78 elk were killed illegally or for crop damage. But elk numbers never expanded significantly, and elk hunting was closed in 1932.
For the next 30 years, Pennsylvania elk remained mostly a novelty in a small area of the northcentral region. In the 1970s, the Pennsylvania elk herd consisted of only a few dozen animals. During the late 1970s and 1980s, the Game Commission commenced efforts to manage the elk herd and elk habitat through scientific research and study with the purpose of expanding both the number of animals and their range. Those programs proved remarkably successful, and in 2001, the Game Commission began a tightly regulated elk hunt each year to manage the numbers of elk and prevent them from expanding into areas that would create undue conflicts with farmers and other landowners. Each year, a limited number of elk licenses are issued via a random drawing, giving those hunters drawn the opportunity to harvest a Pennsylvania elk during three separate hunting seasons: an archery elk season in September; a general season in early November; and a late season in early January.
Currently, about 1,000 elk inhabit Pa.'s elk range, which comprises parts of Elk, McKean, Cameron, Clinton, Potter, Clearfield and Centre counties north of Interstate 80. During the next several weeks, thousands of visitors armed with binoculars, spotting scopes or cameras will travel to the north-central Pennsylvania to view the wild elk living there. The peak of the mating season for our Pa. elk herd, commonly called the "rut," occurs from mid-September through early October.
Elk are a spectacular sight any time of year, but these impressive animals are especially compelling this time of year. Mature bulls can weigh nearly 1,000 pounds, and some will be displaying a grand set of antlers. Bulls employ their headgear to impress potential mates or as weapons to fend off rival males. Bulls also bugle to advertise their presence to potential mates and to further assert their dominance for mating rights. The bugle is a high-pitched, nasal squeal that at first seems out of place as the call of such a large and magnificent animal. But the haunting sound of a bull elk bugling on a crisp, fall morning soon becomes truly special for those who appreciate the natural world. All of these factors draw wildlife watchers to the elk range to observe this grand natural spectacle firsthand.
For folks unfamiliar with the Pa. elk range, taking time to do a little homework before heading north might help avoid possible frustration with the experience. The Elk Country Visitor Center opened in 2010 and is located at 950 Winslow Hill Road in Benezette. This facility is the centerpiece for visitors to the region. During September and October, center is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Check out their website (elkcountryvisitorcenter.com) for information on elk watching in the region. The Pennsylvania Game Commission website -- PGC.pa.gov -- also offers a wealth of information about elk in Pennsylvania.
Most folks will want to make a visit to the area around Winslow Hill a part of their initial foray to elk country. Located just off Rt. 555 a few miles from the town of Benezette, this area harbors a good concentration of elk and ample viewing opportunities, so on any given day chances of seeing some elk there are good. The downside to the Benezette/Winslow Hill area is it sometimes gets crowded this time of year. Traffic jams are common on the narrow back roads there, as drivers by the dozen pull over and park any way they can to view elk in a field or nearby woodlot. Always remember to be respectful of private property and the animals themselves. While the elk in some locations are somewhat accustomed to humans stopping to watch them, they are still wild animals, and the elk range isn't a just big theme park. Feeding wild elk is also unlawful in Pennsylvania.
If you're unable to make the trip north to view elk in person, the Game Commission has again installed a camera to provide a live video feed of a field on State Game Lands 311 in Elk County. Elk, as well as deer, turkeys and other wildlife, tend to frequent this area during the bugling season. According to Game Commission sources, the top time to see elk on the elk cam is in late afternoon. Access the elk cam on the Game Commission website, www.pgc.pa.gov, by going about halfway down the center of the homepage to the "Popular Now" box. In that box, click on "Elk Cameras."