Hunting & Trapping Digest 2008-2009 - (Page A8) Elk By Jon DeBerti, Wildlife Biologist Harvest Overview Hunt of a Lifetime Hunting is the most practical method of managing elk populations. In April of 2001 the Board of Commissioners approved the first elk season in 70 years. The limited hunt, held in November 2001, was designed to provide a recreational opportunity for sportsman, reduce the number of elk where elk-human conflicts were occurring, and direct the expansion of elk into suitable areas. Since then, during the 2001-2007 seasons, hunters have harvested 295 elk. Three hundred and eighty licensed hunters have taken 180 antlerless and 115 antlered elk. Overall, hunters have had 78 percent success, 93 percent for antlered and 74 percent for antlerless elk during the November seasons. Once an elk is harvested, the hunter is required to bring it to a check station where biological information is recorded and samples for disease testing are collected. The heaviest bull and cow harvested had estimated live weights of, respectively, 935 and 634 pounds. The average age of harvested elk is 5.7 years and 6.9 years for antlered and antlerless, respectively. The oldest elk harvested was a 20.5-year-old cow, long past her reproductive years. All tested elk have been free of chronic wasting disease (CWD), tuberculosis (TB) and brucellosis. Thriving Population In the mid-1970s, only a few dozen elk were in Pennsylvania. But the population began to rebound in the late 1980s, to the levels we enjoy today, due to concerted research, population management, habitat management and public outreach efforts. As a result, we now have more elk in more places than we have had in over 100 years. Elk now inhabit parts of Cameron, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk and Potter counties. The elk population is increasing in many areas, largely in part to the trap and transfer program and natural dispersal. As an example, in 2000, 18 elk were released onto SGL 321 near Pottersdale, Clinton County. Other elk have also naturally dispersed into the area from Cameron and Elk counties, resulting in a population of about 150 elk inhabiting parts of western Clinton and northern Clearfield Counties. With continued management and strong support from conservation agencies and organizations, the elk’s future in Pennsylvania looks brighter than it has in more than 100 years and For more information about elk we can now say that we have successfully restored another visit www.state.pa.us, click species to our landscape that had been removed in earlier Wildlife then Elk. times, thanks to the dedicated citizens of the commonwealth. http://www.state.pa.us
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