I took that pic up on Balsam Mountain while I was dirt bike riding. I've seen lots of Elk up there. The location is just above Maggie Valley. Check out this guy, I bet he weighs in at 500 +

cant wait for the state to start a lottery hunt or something. Kinda a downer the WRC doesnt keep any information on how the stocks are doing though. Last i heard the herd was around 140-160 elk on the land and estimated mortality for the year is between 8-13 with 20-30 young being reared annually. So hopefully the numbers keep climbing.

They will, TN has a shrt season, find out more here-http://www.tn.gov/twra/elkmain.html

Dont know where you are located, but the wife and I ride the Harley out to the Gatlinburg/Cherokee area every year. This past Aug we were on 421 from G burg to Cherokee and at the bottom of the hill was a crowd and there were about 40 head of Elk feeding in the meadow. Where we were stopped there was a grand dad of a male and was kind enough to allow my wife to be pictured within about 30yds of him. They are majestic animals to me.

I'm well familiar with that meadow. :)

Are those Montana Bucks?


The color looks like they could be, Please correct me if I am wrong!

Ok not trying to be mean but if you plan on hunting and wish to progress you may want to learn how to identify animals. That would be an Elk.

compulsive multi-drafter
 

Majestic yes! In spite of the wonderous conservation of hunters, I doubt large game populations are up to what habitats could healthily support. Past days I was reading up on Red Wolves and recall that NC has a rather active reestablishment program for them. There was a blip about releasing a few in the Smoky Mtns but they didn't seem to fare well. Those were recapturing and transported closer to the coast. I'm suspious that now the elk are established, you'll have the Red Wolf reintroduced.

Rocky Mtn; or Manitoban; or Rossevelts? Too slender for Tule, these guys are rather red.

Where did you get the idea that those are "Montana Bucks"?

They are Elk, a Bull and two cows.

But now all cows are created equally. If you see one like the one below, don't shoot it. LOL

they were imported from the Rockies...so they very well could resemble the Montana Elk:)