xd9x19

Wondering if anybody here has been to the East TN areas where the elk roam. If so, have you seen any? I know there's a viewing tower that's been constructed, but wondered what the chances are of seeing some if I drive up that way.

Be going to Knoxville a couple times over the next few months for football games and am thinking about making a detour to take a look....if it's worth the gamble.

younggun308

They only released the elk like, 4 years ago, right? I would wait another 2 years if I were you before expecting to see elk.

strutnbuck

They've released78 elk in the smokeys in 2000. Some of them have migrated towards the Cades Cove area, but if you really want a show, go to the cataloochee valley area. It's on the other side of the smokeys, but that's where they released them and a good population of them are. We were just there last month and saw plenty. My son and I were hiking one of the mountains and came across about 30, with a bull buggling. They had just started to shed velvet when we were ther, so they should be getting cranked up by now. It's pretty cool. heres some pics...

strutnbuck

one more, we took a bunch!

lethalconnection

Those have to be the fattest elk i have ever seen They all got big beer bellys on them

strutnbuck

I forgot to mention, that if you go there, the elk that have tags in their ears are the elk that were released, if they do not have a tag, then they were born there. Most will have radio collars on so they can track them.

younggun308

Wow, those are some well nourished elk, I suppose the drought hasn't been so bad over there, lol.

I sure hope they have an elk draw next year, that way, I could start to build some preferance points for 30 years ahead.

Marko B

Man that's really cool. I'm glad they did that. I had no idea that had reintroduced them.

Now, if only they would reintroduce Caribou to NY heh