ORIGINAL: deerfly
If you really want to get your BP up , read the Elk Management Plan on the PGC website. You will see no mention of overbrowsing or poor habitat You will also find the following quote regarding the habitat the elk use.
The premise that elk are primarily grazers is the most important habitat
management factor to consider when enhancing habitat for elk. In Pennsylvania,
grasses and legumes are an important component of the elk's diet (Witmer and
Cogan 1989) in late spring and mid fall (Devlin and Tzilkowski 1986). In
Pennsylvania, elk eat grasses and legumes from agricultural lands, clearcuts,
reclaimed surface mines, utility right-of-ways, riparian habitats, natural meadows,
and wildlife openings. Clearcuts are heavily used by elk during winter with only
limited use occurring during summer and fall (Drake 1985).
Through observation, preferred winter food species in Pennsylvania
include red maple (Acer rubrum), quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides), striped
maple (Acer pennsylvanicum), witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), ironwood
(Carpinus caroliniana), Hercules’ club (Aralia spinosa) and Juneberry
(Amelanchier spp.). The best spring food consists of young growth grasses,
legumes, and forbs.
Note how closely the winter diet of elk matches the winter diet of deer. So while the PGC is telling us we can't have more deer in 2 G ,they are also telling us that we can have more elk that weigh 4 or 5 times more than the average deer.