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Where is the best place to see elk in the smoky mountains - where is the best place to see elk in thWhere is the best place to see elk in the smoky mountains - where is the best place to see elk in th.Where to See Elk in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Manage Settings Continue with Recommended Cookies. More than two hundred years ago, in the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains, one could often hear the haunting sounds of Eastern Bull Elk, as their territorial bugle sounds echoed off the mountain sides.
But that unique and wonderful sound became steadily less and less common, and then suddenly silent all together in the late s, as Elk in the Blue Ridge Mountains reached near extinction. Today, thanks to the National Park Service, visitors to the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains, can once again hear and see the majestic Elk, thriving in their natural habitat. Hundreds of years ago, extensive herds of the great Eastern Elk roamed the Southern Appalachian mountains, which the Blue Ridge Mountains and Smoky Mountains are part of.
These fearless animals were large, and often weighed upwards to pounds. Eastern Elk where proliferous in the area, and more common as deer and many other mountain animals.
In fact, Louis and Clark often wrote about the endless Elk herds they encountered as they travelled west. Ironically, those writings were in journals, bound by Elk hide. Unfortunately, the large Eastern Elk quickly became one of the most common, and sought after game animals in the area. Due to overhunting and loss of habitat, as people began moving and living in the mountains, Elk were all but eliminated in the and s.
The last Elk in NC is believed to have been killed in the late s. By the s, significant concern was raised, that the Elk were either extinct all together or at the very least very quickly headed for extinction. A primary mission of the National Park Service, is to monitor both animals and plants, and in the event either are facing extinction or eliminated, the park service may decide to re-introduce the species. This was the first time Elk had been back in the area in over years.
Today , some of those Elk, and their offspring are thriving. But, many experts believe there are most likely many more than that. Counting the Elk has become more difficult as they've grown in numbers, and are quickly spreading out. There is currently an effort underway to obtain a more accurate count of the Elk in and around the park. The results of that study should be available soon. Elk, also called Wapiti , are in the deer family, Cervidae, and are the largest species and native to North America.
Wapiti is Shawnee Indian, and means "white rump". Many centuries ago, a number of species of Elk existed, both in North America, and other continents. Today there are 14, and North America has 4 of them:.
Eastern Elk were also a North American species and one the largest Elk species in the world. Mature Bull Elk were often 5 foot at the shoulder, weighing up to pounds, and having antlers up to 6 foot long. Unfortunately, the Eastern Elk are extinct. The species reintroduced into the Park are Manitoban Elk , which while still very large and majestic, are a bit smaller.
Bull Manitoban Elk weight up to pounds, and cows females up to pounds. They are herbivores , feeding on a diet of grasses, shrubs, trees, and other plant life.
They really have no natural predators now, as the two primary predators, the Gray Wolf, and the Mountain Lion have both been declared all but extinct. Bull Elk are easily recognized by their large set of antlers often called a rack , which can reach lengths of up to 5 feet. Many don't realize it, but Bull Elk shed their antlers each year, and re-grow a new and larger set the following year.
Female Elk, called cows, are smaller, and do not grow antlers. There are often multiple cows, around one Bull. On average, Elk live to be about years of age, but without predators, they can often live for years. Rut Season is the most exciting time to come see the Elk.
Rut season is breeding season for the Elk, and the Bulls really put on a show for their "ladies" and for visitors as well, including bugling, sparring with other Elk, and herding their "harems" or groups of cows.
Rut season begins in mid-September, and runs through mid-October, although the Bulls usually begin bugling and grouping females in early September. Bull Elk Antlers are also at their largest size during this time. During Rut, Bull Elks bugle to compete with other bulls, and to call their herd of cow Elk. If you've never heard a Bull Elk bugle in the mountains, it's something you won't soon forget. It's one of the most unique and haunting sounds you'll ever hear.
Our Cataloochee Valley video, below, has clips of Elk Bugle sounds. In addition to bugling, Bull Elk spar for territory and females. Elk viewing is best in the early morning and late evening times, and may also be very active on a cloudy summer day. It is illegal to knowingly come within 50 yards of an elk, so enjoy them at a distance with binoculars or a scope.
Getting too close to an elk may cause them to charge and can result in much 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! Some people report elk sightings on the Oconaluftee River Trail and even Cades Cove , but the Cataloochee area is home to most of the elk in the park.
The best way to get to Cataloochee is from Interstate highway I Exit I at North Carolina exit After 0. Skip to global NPS navigation Skip to this park navigation Skip to the main content Skip to this park information section Skip to the footer section. Explore This Park. Info Alerts Maps Calendar Fees. Loading alerts. Alerts In Effect Dismiss. Dismiss View all alerts. Willfully approaching within 50 yards feet , or any distance that disturbs or displaces elk, is illegal in the park.
Violation of this federal regulation can result in fines and arrest. Do not enter fields to view elk—remain by the roadside and use binoculars, telephoto lens, or a spotting scope to view the animals. During the rut in fall, male elk bugle to attract females and to challenge other bulls. Elk are large animals! Females can weigh pounds and stand nearly as tall as this pickup truck. Males can weigh as much as pounds! While the animals are not frightened by humans, they are wild and potentially dangerous, particularly during mating season when the males are aggressively guarding their harems.
Observers should get no closer than 50 yards and use binoculars or telephoto lens for closer views. Box Bryson City, NC Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email. Click or tap map to enlarge Cataloochee Elk The Smokies elk were first reintroduced in in the remote Cataloochee area of the national park. Karen Proctor Executive Director Free Travel Guide. Join the Chamber. Press Room.
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