Me and my son drove out to North Carolina last Friday, and we were lucky enough to see over 50 elk. We had a great time, he is back home now, but it was great to spend part of his vacation together. I will try to post a few others from our day in in the Cataloochee Valley very soon. UPDATE: You all ask such great questions, I wish I had thought to ask a ranger some of them, George you asked where the elk were brought in from, I tried to research that and what I could find was they were brought in from Canada. Thanks for the interest everyone. The experimental release of elk into Great Smoky Mountains National Park began in February, 2001 with the importation of 25 elk, In 2002, the park imported another 27 animals. All elk are radio collared and are monitored. Elk once roamed the southern Appalachian Mountains and elsewhere in the eastern United States. They were eliminated from the region by over-hunting and loss of habitat. The last elk in North Carolina was believed to have been killed in the late 1700s. The best times to view elk are usually early morning and late evening. Elk may also be active on cloudy summer days and before or after storms. Enjoy elk at a distance, using binoculars or a spotting scope for close-up views. Approaching wildlife too closely causes them to expend crucial energy unnecessarily and can result in real harm. If you approach an animal so closely that it stops feeding, changes direction of travel, or otherwise alters its behavior, you are too close! Elk Facts SIZE: adult males weigh an average of 600-700 pounds. Cows average 500 pounds. Adults are 7-10 feet long from nose to tail and stand 4.5 - 5 feet tall at the shoulder. Adult males have antlers that may reach a width of five feet. DIET: grasses, forbs, and acorns; bark, leaves, and buds from shrubs and trees. PREDATORS: coyotes, bobcats, and black bears may kill young, sick, or injured elk. Gray wolves and mountain lions, both of which have been extirpated from the Great Smoky Mountains, are successful predators of elk elsewhere. OFFSPRING: cows usually give birth to only one calf per year. Newborns weigh about 35 pounds. They can stand within minutes of birth and calf and cow usually rejoin the herd within a couple of weeks. Calves nurse for 1-7 months. Females are ready to breed in the second autumn of their lives. LIFESPAN: elk can live as long as 15 years. SENSES: elk have an acute sense of smell and excellent eyesight. Cataloochee Valley
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