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Miss Janet
01-25-2008, 12:01
A friend sent me this article. Has anyone seen elk in numbers in the park?

http://www.charlotte.com/outdoors/story/454847.html

Wilson
01-25-2008, 12:24
A few years ago we drove into Little Cataloochee valley and saw about a dozen grazing in the fields. They all had collars on but it was cool to see...the tracks they make are enormous ...compared to deer.

JERMM
01-25-2008, 12:57
I haven't, but I know someone that did see a small herd in the Little Cataloochee area. He said they were kinda small compared to the ones on WY and MT.

Pedaling Fool
01-25-2008, 13:00
Haven't seen one yet, hopefully the third time's the charm, as they say.
I'll have my camera ready.

-SEEKER-
01-25-2008, 13:08
Cool! Hope I get to see one.

Pedaling Fool
01-25-2008, 13:10
Anyone know how the Red Wolf population is doing?

Lone Wolf
01-25-2008, 13:12
Anyone know how the Red Wolf population is doing?

it failed.no surprise. reintroduction that is

Hikes in Rain
01-25-2008, 13:12
I've seen lots of elk, both in Cattaloochee and at the Oconaluftee Visitor's Center.

Frolicking Dinosaurs
01-25-2008, 13:22
I saw some near the Oconaluftee Visitor's Center last year. Haven't seen any on the west side of the park, however.

As LW notes, the reintroduction of the wolves didn't work. I did hear them howling in the Cades Cove area for several years, but haven't heard than since about 1995-6. It was my understanding that the pups weren't surviving in sufficient numbers for the reintroduction to be successful. Also, many local farmers were opposed to the reintroduction due to the fact that wolves like to attack corralled cattle and sheep. It is easier than chasing down a deer.

JERMM
01-25-2008, 14:15
I did see get to a wolf late one afternoon in Cades Cove around 92-93, maybe a little later. Coolest animal, very stealthy when moving. Too bad they didn't make it, seeing it was more exciting than seeing a bear.

Grandma
01-25-2008, 14:22
I saw some near the Oconaluftee Visitor's Center last year. Haven't seen any on the west side of the park, however.

As LW notes, the reintroduction of the wolves didn't work. I did hear them howling in the Cades Cove area for several years, but haven't heard than since about 1995-6. It was my understanding that the pups weren't surviving in sufficient numbers for the reintroduction to be successful. Also, many local farmers were opposed to the reintroduction due to the fact that wolves like to attack corralled cattle and sheep. It is easier than chasing down a deer.
That's the same reaction farmers have out near Yellowstone. Can't say I blame them, but the impact on their livestock has been pretty small from what I have read. I had the chance to watch a pack for an hour or so this summer in Yellowstone, pretty amazing.

SmokyMtn Hiker
01-25-2008, 14:28
Cataloochee is the best place to see Elk, early morning or late afternoon seems to be the best times. I have only seen one bull in the field next to Oconaluftee Visitor Center, it was the day after Thanksgiving 2007 and it was late evening.

d'shadow
01-25-2008, 14:35
The largest herd of elk live in Cataloochee valley, and many of the males are very big!:eek: You should try to get out there during the rut in October, it is quite an experience to observe. Some at the Oconaloftee center, viewed at dawn, we have not been lucky in seeing more there.
The wolf puppies died of parvo infections, a disease introduced by dogs into the park.
A friend and I saw a red wolf at dusk in Cades Cove a couple of years ago, following a herd of deer. It was thrilling to see that a few did survive. :sun

Pedaling Fool
01-25-2008, 14:41
The largest herd of elk live in Cataloochee valley, and many of the males are very big!:eek: You should try to get out there during the rut in October, it is quite an experience to observe. ...
Although, don't get too close to a male during rut. I don't know much about Elk, but I'm sure they'd be just as aggressive as a moose or even a deer during rut season. Each year more people are killed by herbivores than carnivores.

Nearly Normal
01-26-2008, 10:19
I hope it works out well.
Elk are tasty.

Lone Wolf
01-26-2008, 10:22
we can whack 'em here in virginia http://www.dgif.state.va.us/hunting/regulations/elk.asp

d'shadow
01-26-2008, 14:35
Right, they are preoccupied with...:-? mating.:eek: We have stayed clear, however, there are always tourists who have to try to approach. The Rangers are great at crusing around and making folks stay back. A very
exciting experience and worth viewing.

Pedaling Fool
01-26-2008, 17:25
...We have stayed clear, however, there are always tourists who have to try to approach.....
Gotta let a few get close, makes great videos:D

halibut15
01-26-2008, 21:09
I was in Cataloochee a few years back, and some morons were about five feet away from several elk, who all were obviously annoyed. In a few minutes a ranger drove by shouting at them through a loudspeaker about what idiots they were. It's a shame....I'd have loved to see some elk carnage.

Rentman
01-26-2008, 22:20
Got a shuttle last year from Jeff Hoch of the Hike Inn, he said the wolf's didn't make because everyone knew about them being released. So they released more without the media hipe.........he says they are out there. Don't remember if he said he has seen them, but he talked about the large mountain lions he has seen, no not the smaller Florida Panthers, but the BIG boys. I remember reading the journal at Ice Water Shelter about a guy that was followed by a Panther.................:eek:

Pedaling Fool
01-26-2008, 22:25
Got a shuttle last year from Jeff Hoch of the Hike Inn, he said the wolf's didn't make because everyone knew about them being released. So they released more without the media hipe.........he says they are out there. Don't remember if he said he has seen them, but he talked about the large mountain lions he has seen, no not the smaller Florida Panthers, but the BIG boys. I remember reading the journal at Ice Water Shelter about a guy that was followed by a Panther.................:eek:
I got a feeling (just a feeling) the mountain lions are slowly coming back. That would be great, I kinda like the idea of a little danger on the AT.

Ramble~On
01-27-2008, 08:27
I go to Cataloochee quite a bit.
The haunting call of the bull elk in rut is something to experience!
I see the few elk over by Oconaluftee pretty often and really early in the morning driving 441 there'll be one in the road every once in a while.
I put some elk shots in my gallery a while back and i took the liberty of erasing the radio collars in a couple of them


http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=13026&original=1&c=member&imageuser=2785
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=17062&catid=member&imageuser=2785
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=13024&catid=member&imageuser=2785

Frolicking Dinosaurs
01-27-2008, 10:32
....Jeff Hoch of the Hike Inn....talked about the large mountain lions he has seen, no not the smaller Florida Panthers, but the BIG boys. I remember reading the journal at Ice Water Shelter about a guy that was followed by a Panther.................:eek:I'm pretty sure I saw a mountain lion in the Smokies on Cold Spring Gap trail about 3 miles from the intersection of Hazel Creek Trail. It was about 30 years ago, just getting light enough to see clearly and I was on my way to a water source from a stealth camp when I spotted a big cat on the next rise - I know bob cats and I know panthers - this was way too big to be either one - and way too light in color to be a skinny bear (and it had a long tail and cat head and ears). It turned around, looked at me and took off up a hill into the woods. It moved like a cat.

Ramble~On
01-28-2008, 05:06
I wasn't sure about mountain lions in the S. Apps. I had heard stories from credible folks but I had never seen one. A friend and I followed a set of tracks in snow along Hangover Lead Trail about 8-9 years ago but we never saw anything..those were not bobcat tracks! I am no expert but i lived in cougar country out west. I saw a mountain lion in the GSMNP 2 years ago..maybe it was 3 years ago...but i saw it with my eyes and that makes all the difference to me. It wasn't a small one either...in fact it was pretty big and there aren't any other animals with tails like that for me to be confusing it with something else.
Still...in all my years of driving these roads at all hours and hiking year round...usually solo and quiet....I've only seen one which tells me a lot.
The vast majority of rangers and biologists in GSMNP say that there are not mountains lions in the park...that says another thing.
The park and surrounding mountains support a huge variety of wildlife and I see no reason why they wouldn't or couldn't support even a small population of cougar...were they ever actually gone from this region?
Surely if there is a population of cougar in the S. Apps somebody knows about them..something that big can't go unnoticed.

Rentman
01-28-2008, 09:20
I believe that the reason the Rangers discount the facts of Mountain Lions and Wolves is to keep the concerns down in the Public especially the local cattlemen. The big cats are very illusive and sightings are very rare. But I believe they are roaming in the Smokies and I'm glad for that:banana