Stocking ELK in Virginia

[kenny thomas]

Dave, that is part of the problem, we are not going to be allowed to kill anything for a lot of years.
At least until there is 1200 in the area where the herd is suppose to stay.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Kenny just how big a area are the elk going to have. 1200 is twice as many as we have here.

 

[kenny thomas]

Thats the problem, they will not tell how big the area. They talk about three counties but what I think it is an old coal mine area that is in the corner of the three. It is common to have some of these that are several thousand acres. Problem is there is private land all around it.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Have they gave any numbers on how many they are planning to bring in? There was around 50 head stocked here in the early eightys and the Elk herd here supposedly only numbers 500 more or less. We have alot of goverment land for them to run on. They are like cows when you move them from one place to another they have to have time to adapt.

 

[kenny thomas]

Initial stocking of 200. No government land in that area.

 

[shorty]

Which three counties are they considering ?

 

[kenny thomas]

Wise, Dickenson, and Buchanan. South western end of the state.

 

[Alan]

I've been following this topic and I'm a little surprised at the amount of negative feelings about elk. I have a herd of elk on my place a few times during the year, in the last 10 years I have had to repair fence due to elk once..... I have fixed fence due to deer 1247 times, just kidding around but the point is valid, can't count how many times I've fixed fence due to cattle.

Sounds like with initial stocking of 200 animals you should be hunting in 5, 6 or 7 years, just my estimate, depending on what type and how many predators. I don't think there is a better tasting game animal out there. I would think any hunter would be excited to get the chance to hunt them, it's not like hunting deer, there is a lot of "try" required and in most cases you have to be sober..... If you want a real challenge go after one with a bow.

JMO,
Alan

 

[Dave]

1,200 elk in three counties is not very many elk. I wouldn't be surprise if the hunters kill 1,200 elk a year in three counties here. I have seen as many as 100 in a single day where I hunt. And that is just the ones I see and in the area I can cover on foot in a day. I regularly see 40 plus. So we probably have tens of thousands of elk in three counties and I fix a lot more fence from trees falling on them than I ever do from elk.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Rather fix a fence that my cow tore down than a elk that i will never be able to hunt. Will be years before KT will get even to chance for a tag. We have had them here in Arkansas for almost thirty years and this will be the first year i will be able to get a tag. The Tag i get will be for private land only, can,t hunt them on public land unless you draw in a state wide lottery. AGF will only let about forty be killed. The private land tags is for 23 head, you have to call in to AGF ever day to see how many have been killed.Once 23 have been killed hunt is over.

 

[Calman]

Hay what is the problem, if they (the elk) are a problem , we can aways kill them off again....

What ya gonna do beat them to death with a stick?
You did state that you're against owning guns didn't you?

Cal

 

[alftn]

No, I never said that I should not own a gun, I ment you .....

 

[3waycross]

Hay what is the problem, if they (the elk) are a problem , we can aways kill them off again....

What ya gonna do beat them to death with a stick?
You did state that you're against owning guns didn't you?

Cal

They would do what your government has proposed for Rocky Mtn National Park. With thousands of hunters more than willing to harvest the surplus Elk the Government wants to hire SHARPSHOOTERS to kill them. The best part is AlFTN will raise your taxes to pay for the sniper rifles for the gov sharpshooters to use against the Elk today and maybe the rest of us when they come for our guns. After all the Government knows best just ask a gun hating Liberal..... Right alftn

 

[HOSS]

We had our first elk season in Tennessee last fall. Just a handfull of tags were issued but I think everyone was successfull. So far I have not heard too much regarding crop damage from the elk. Of course thay are in an area that is not really hospitable to farming (rough and steep). I imagine one day the population will spread to the point where they may become a problem and hopefully the TWRA will be vigilant in increasing the harvest rates to minimize this. I myself don't have a problem with having elk, or bears for that matter, as long as common sense is used in controlling the population to levels that can be accepted by farmers, hunters and naturalist alike.