Indians For Guns

I watching the film "Killing Season" the other day with Deniro and Travolta in. When they speak of going after Elk, I thought I would check if there were Elk in Kentucky. Till then I did not know that there were Elk in Kentucky.

This is what I found. A shining example of effective conservation and wildlife management.

http://www.rmefnky.org/kyelkherd.HTML

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation was created in 1984 by four Montana elk hunters. In the twenty years since its’ creation, the RMEF has grown to be one of the most successful Conservation Organizations in the United States. Today the Foundation has over 138,000 members, with Chapters in all 50 states and Canada. The American Institute of Philanthropy consistently recognizes the RMEF as one of America’s most efficient conservation organizations, with 94 cents of every dollar raised going directly to on-the-ground conservation achievement.
Since 1984, the Foundation, which is headquartered in Missoula, Montana has raised over $458 million and has conserved or permanently protected over 3.9 million acres of wildlife habitat. In 2001, the RMEF launched a five year effort known as the Pass It On campaign. The ambitious goals of the 5 year campaign are to raise $250 million, conserve 2 million acres and restore elk to historic ranges, leaving an elk country legacy for future generations.

In 1996 the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation pledged over $1.4 million to the state of Kentucky’s elk restoration project. On December 18, 1997, seven elk that had been captured in Western Kansas were released at the Cyprus Amax Wildlife Management Area in Eastern Kentucky. This was the first of a series of releases that continued thru the winter of 2002. The plan originally contemplated releasing 1,800 elk at a rate of 200 per year for 9 years across a 15 county restoration zone. The translocations were discontinued in 2002, with just over 1,500 elk having been released at 8 different sites, 500 in the final 12 months of the releases. Since 1997, the Foundation has increased it’s funding of the project to $2,000,000.

The elk have thrived in Kentucky. They are achieving a 90% breeding success rate, and a 92% calf survival rate. The absence of predators, relatively mild Kentucky winters and abundant food sources have not only contributed to the remarkable population growth, but also account for the fact that the Kentucky elk are on average 15% larger than elk found in western states. By July 2000, Kentucky had the largest free ranging, wild elk herd east of Montana.

The Kentucky Elk Restoration project conducted by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife with the support of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is regarded as one of the most successful wildlife reintroduction efforts ever conducted.
The original Kentucky elk population target of 7,400 will be achieved in 2008, 11 years ahead of schedule. Because of the virtual absence of elk predators in Kentucky, it is contemplated that, approximately 1,500 elk hunting permits a year will have to be issued by 2008 just to maintain the herd at the 7,400 target level.

Until 2003, a 12 county buffer zone surrounded the restoration zone. Elk hunting has been tightly regulated in the restoration and buffer zones, with only 12 elk hunt permits being issued in 2001, ’02 and ’03. In 2004 the buffer zone has been eliminated and elk that travel out of the 15 county restoration zone may be hunted with a deer tag. Also, in 2004 the number of elk hunt permits issued for hunting in the restoration zone has been increased from 12 to 40. By allowing liberal hunting outside of the restoration zone, and controlled hunting within the zone, the KDF&W hopes to concentrate the population in the targeted restoration zone.

The Kentucky elk restoration project would not have made it off the drawing board without the financial support provided by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. The RMEF is a membership based organization. Funds are raised from member dues, philanthropic donations, corporate sponsorships, merchandise sales, grants, raffles, and most prominently, banquets.

Now that the elk are well established and flourishing in Kentucky, the Foundation has launched a new initiative, The Appalachian Wildlife Initiative, which will focus on permanent habitat conservation. Habitat that will benefit not only elk, but varied wildlife including whitetail deer, black bear, wild turkey, quail, grouse, and other small game species. By conserving this habitat, the volunteers and supporters of the RMEF will insure that our children’s children will be able to experience the thrill of an elk’s bugle in Kentucky Septembers from now on.

Best-
Vikram

Vikram,
A couple of years ago, I posted about my trip to the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee.
In that post, Tim talked about the successful introduction of Elk to the area.

I too was surprised to see Elk in the Smokies. Below are some photos from that trip (on the Blue Ridge Parkway).

I think it is a great story. The sad side is that the original elk of this area, the Eastern Elk, has long been extinct, so these are Rocky Mountain Elk that have been reintroduced.

Remember, elk are grazers (like cattle), while deer are browsers. Elk roamed all over the continent, pretty much, until humans took to slaughtering them. The few that remained survived by making do with forest habitat, to which they had to adapt.

Without wishing to offend anyone's sensibilities, my feeling was always that deer were stupid, but elk were smart. Elk are very regal looking and acting. As they are slowly grazing along, a bow hunter trying to stalk them would practically have to run to keep up! The old saw was that, if you can see them, they've long since seen you, if you can hear them, they've long since heard you, and if you can smell them (as can happen in a thick stand of "dog's hair" lodgepole pine), they have long since smelled you. They are truly the royalty of American game to me: a combination of beauty and brains.

Lovely animals, I remember J.T.Edson's Sabel Kid and his grandfather's Elk hunt in the book Comanche. The Elk look a lot like sambhar and barasingha that we get in India.
By fluke even our Nilgai population is exploding. .

Vikram / xl_target,

Thanks guys for sharing - Lovely pictures too.
My nephew's Fr-in-Law an American, recently retired as a Game Biologist in Idaho -
He told me about the extensive training they receive in protecting / preserving game - tagging them to study their migratory habits etc.
When the hunting season opens hunters are given instructions on selecting the animals that need to be culled to keep the herd in its prime.
After bagging the animal is measured & weighed - samples of blood taken etc....
During heavy winter bundles of fodder are air dropped to keep the animals from starving...
Their concern is truly worthy of appreciation & emulation
Briha

Never knew Kentucky my old blue grass state had Elk wow