The elk restoration project in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is about to be declared a success. But does that mean their protective status should be removed and that elk should be hunted in North Carolina forests surrounding the park?
Though elk are native to North Carolina, they had been absent from the state since before the 19th century. But the species returned in 2001 when a band of the animals was released in the Cataloochee Valley on the North Carolina side of the national park to kick-start a recovery program. Another band of elk was released in the valley in 2002, as well. Now the herd has grown to more than 100 elk from a start of 52 animals from the two introductions.
Under that recovery program, the elk had been protected from hunters through their listing as a "Special Concern" species by North Carolina wildlife officials. But now the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, a state organization chartered to manage the state's wildlife resources, is moving to remove that classification. This commission, which sets the rules on hunting and fishing in the state, recently issued an updated draft of hunting, fishing, and trapping regulations. In this 24-page document the commission calls for removing elk from the state's list of Special Concern species.
Remove elk (Cervus elephus) from the state’s list of Special Concern species.
Justification: The only free-ranging population of elk in North Carolina was introduced by the National Park Service into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Park Service has indicated to the Commission that they will soon declare their elk-restoration project a success, and elk will no longer be an “experimental population.” Because of the current status of the restoration effort and elk population in western North Carolina, the extra protections afforded Special Concern species are no longer necessary for elk.
The NC Camouflage Coalition, a network of hunters and fishers that is part of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation, opposes the change in protection. They say the designation shouldn't be lifted "until a management plan for elk has been developed and is in place to define the status of elk when they leave the confines of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. At present, wandering elk are protected as species of special concern; what will be their status if we remove that classification?"
You can weigh in on this debate by going to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission website and registering your concern (see the box in the upper right-hand corner of the site). Better yet, if you live in the area go to one of the open meetings and speak your mind. The proposed regulation is H6 – interesting that they classified it under “hunting."
The last day to comment is Friday, January 22.
Comments
I do agree with what you said. I was referring to using dogs to chase down animals to help one kill them such as deer and rabbits, etc. I do see the need to use them to retrieve waterfowl. Thanks for reminding me.
I have always recognized hunters a conservationist but they are often polarized in heated debates and controversies, especially about predators. As a hunter it is pleasing to here more civilized comments from hunters on the subjects. Elk should be confirmed stable and sustainable before hunting is considered. Predators were a key component when elk were here originally. Now we are restoring them to a habitat that is missing the key predators, wolves and cougars. It is therefore, a perfect time to consider restoration of them, especially cougars. Even thought the red wolf restoration failed once it may need to be tried again if the resource of the species could produce some more acclimated stock. Elk as a food source could be a future plus also. When elk are to be hunted they should be "hunted", not ambushed as they parade across a park boundary. If there could be natural predators it would disperse the elk more whereby they would be less likely just to herd up and parade in front of hunters. Environmentalists and hunters really need to team up to work together on a common goal of restoring biodiversity to our little bit of remaining wilderness.
It is continually amazing to see people who know nothing of hunting comment. Remember Lincoln who said "it is better to be thought a fool and keep your mouth shut, rather than to speak, and remove all doubt".
1. No-one just shoots an elk. One hunts an elk to find them and then makes a conscious decision on whether to take the shot.
2. There is no such thing as "hunting Pressure" in a regulated hunting initative, as the game is a resource owned by the people of the state. The number of permits issued is a proven method of conservatation to ensure that new blood lines are created to strengthen the herd and prevent single bulls within an area from domination of that contribution. The kills are recorded and examination of the carcass contributes to the maintenance ofthe herd condition and permits veterinary follow up.
3. Hunters invented conservation not greenines or anti gun anti hunters.
4. Hunters through their own initatives such as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (for which I am not a member and have never been in contact) put their own money and fund raising efforts to work which is why the elk are reinstated in their native lands in the Smokey Mountains.
5. Only Hunters love animals they may never hunt enough and spend their own money to ensure that future generations can enjoy game such as elk in lands where they wer edepleted through lack of management.
6. Anti groups and negative comments are too often the snake oil of power hungry idealogs who contribute nothing to the welfare of anything from people to animals and are always the first in line for a government handout so they conserve the only thing they really love, their own money.
Well Bob, those elk will learn quickly to use survival skills once they've experienced the threat, I believe. It's just the way it works. Sure the first few should be pretty dumb but then it'll be increasingly difficult. Kind of like throwing in a few wolves :) to the mix.
I believe in keeping the heard protect for a couple more years. Our deer hunters here in NC hunt all thru the season and take up to there limit every year. Now look at the deer population versus the elk population. If you give out open season the heard wil be killed off within the first years or so. In my home state of Kentucky they opened their elk season with a stron population of over 10,000 animals. This year Kentucky only issued 400 tags for elk, once North Carolina reaches a respectable number of animals then you can allow for a small number of tags for harvest. I am a hunter and have hunted for a number of years, I only like to kill mature animals and am more willing to kill a big doe rather than waiting on a buck, I am in it for the meat not the trophy. Most of the hunters in my area will kill anything that walks from fawns to yearlings. So once the heard is strong and big enough then allow hunting.
I grew up in Montana for 30 years, and the one thing that I know is that elk are not easy to hunt like deer are once they get the idea that they are being hunted. The Yellowstone national park had a lot of elk on it and supported it till the herd ventured from it during winter migration. We will see that once the herd is allowed to hunt and is viable the hunters become crazy. Poachers will be abundant. We need to let the herd get to the population that Tennessee has. Theirs is at 400 when they introduced the hunt. I am one to want to have a chance to hunt elk here, however the state needs to develop and do a lot of research on stipulations on how to harvest correctly. Our state cant even come up with a good program to hunt deer. We are so worried about churches that we dont even allow hunt to control deer populations. Now we want to start the thought of hunting elk. We are doomed. Our state needs to get the big boy pants on and get with the times. Look at the rest of the states. If we start hunting elk in this state the big money people get involved and do what they want to. Elk is a big money sport. Us middle class hunters that want a chance to hunt one would be awesome, but lets get real. MONEY talks. Look at what a tag costs for a guide and a hunt in the big elk states. If the state wants to start the hunts to early then allow only bows. I agree that we do it to ourselves on negative stuff that our fellow hunters do. Stupid stuff, like poaching. Get the population to at least 400 before hunting begins.
I all sow grew up in Montana if they start the Elk hunt now they will kill off the heard before it even gets strarted. I have killed at least 15 elk in my life ther is nothing better than that.
It's a shame the red wolf reintroduction at GSMNP didn't take hold. I wonder if there's any chance of trying again at some point.