PA had its growing pains with its elk herd. The farmers hated them and between them shooting them for crop damage and brain worm killing them the herd was going backwards and or not growing for decades. Finally it started to grow and today we have between 8 and 9 hundred animals. Between 1913 and 1926 159 elk were released in PA and there was a season from 1923 and 1931 there was an elk season. Season was closed in 1931 because of so few elk left. By 1993 the herd had built to 200 animals and in 2001 the first elk season obened since 1931 27 licenses were issued for a drawing. this year 21 antlered elk licenses and 95 antlerless licenses will be drawn and issued. As you can see growing an elk herd large enough to have a season takes a long time and a lot f problems come with it. Back in the 70s there was one PGC executive director who was so frustrated with the elk issues he recommended that what was left of the herd be killed.