elk in appalachians
 

Hey, I just read a article in outdoor life about the elk returning to the appalachians, the map was showing a range growing in pennsylvania,west virgina,and kentucky, with some of the range bleeding into eastern central ohio, has anybody seen any elk in ohio? I know elk are rough on terrain and can travel 50 miles in a day, but I would love to see elk in ohio, I have dreamed of hunting one out west as long as I can remember, and to know they are starting to re populate in nieghboring states is getting me excited that maybe someday I will actually get to hunt one. anyone know of any efforts to bring elk back to ohio?

I hear they have put Elk in 5 different states all I know of is Arkansas,Missouri,and now ohio in Akansas they aremoving quickly and beggining to become a better population

I don't know off the top of my head where Ohio stands but I know some states don't want to manage elk. It's a whole new skill set for management that many states don't want to pay to have. In fact in some states an elk is actually considered a "deer" and can legally be shot with a deer tag if the venture over the state line.

Having said that I think it's only a matter of time before elk are restored to many if not all states. I think it's a feel good story that I hope continues to grow in the east.

If I were you though I'd find a way to make that trip out west though to hunt elk. There is no other experience like it and there won't be a lot of elk hunting in the east probably in your lifetime. Even as populations grow the drawing odds are extremely tough.

Don't know about Ohio, but they can hunt them here in PA where I am at...north of where I trout fish, in Black Moshannon State Park, I have seen the occasional elk...which is awesome!