the first Elk hunt now has 100% success for all

[Locksley]

If all this is correct, the first Elk hunt now has 100% success for all hunters! Wow!!!

congratulations all.

 

[Jim H]

Any pictures???

 

[Locksley]

Well we are up at Elk Camp 2009 (TN's first Elk hunt in 150 years). We have been here since Thursday getting everything ready.

We had a great dinner last night, had some great speakers from the organizations that made it all happen (TWRA, TWF, RMEF, & CORA) we listened to some great music from 2nd Nature, spent all night tellin lies around the fire, now it seems everyone is hanging around camp resting up for the "Big" day tomorrow.

Reports from the 5 hunters are favorable, at least 2-3 of the hunters are on bulls and should have some early action. The other hunters are putting in their times & miles and should have a game plan by morning.

I get to go out on the extraction team when one hits the ground so stay tuned for minute by minute updates and photos!!!

Big thanks to Terry Lewis, he and his wife have put on a class act spread for everyone.

Also to the TWRA up here, they have pulled out all the stops and are really going to lengths to make this a great event.

Absolutely, she is being put on a biggun!!!

She should be for $70 Grand! LOL

$70 grand? try $17,700

If all this is correct, the first Elk hunt now has 100% success for all hunters! Wow!!!

congratulations all.


[/quote]

I misunderstood the News, Think it said TWRA raised the 70 grand total from the hunt. From people paying for the draw and the auction combined.

Well 100 percent is great news.

Any pictures???

I hope the TWF will post some pictures soon because a couple of 6x6 bulls might have been shot.

 

[Locksley]

You can see pictures of four out of five of the elk kills here:

http://www.newschannel9.com/news/elk-98 ... iller.html

cool

 

[Locksley]

Originally Posted By: drumstix84
good deal, wished they killed all of em, 70 grand?wonder how much will go for the deer herd?$0.i hunt north cumberland, worst idea twra had EVER!deer have actually moved out because of this.used to be the best hunting around till they brought them here.sucks!



Originally Posted By: Piddler
I have no idea how the 70 grand got started. It was nowhere near that. The total was a little over 20k including the 17.7k that was bid. The rest came from the people that put their names in for the drawing. Good way to start roumors, well so and so said it so it must be so.





Originally Posted By: pcrc
I have been hunting Royal Blue for the last three years so I am not sure how it was before. I have wondered if the Elk have run off the deer. Talked to TWRA official there and he claims no, what else would he say. Personally I have seen food plots completely ransacked by elk with absolutely no deer sign anywhere to be found. Most people I talk to about it that hunt there agree that they have run off the deer. I do enjoy seeing the elk though, it is really something to come up on one.



Originally Posted By: rebs1
I hunted royal blue for three consecutive years. This was ten years ago. There were no deer there then. I doubt the elk ran the deer off. I don't think there were ever any deer there to begin with. There were tons of turkeys though. The key to royal blue when I was there was to out-walk other people to get to your stand.





Well I never got to hunt there but the disease we have had in Tennessee has hurt the Deer herd far worse than any imagined Elk conflicts have. I can not wait till some wise hunting club puts Elk on there Middle TN area. There are lots of high fenced areas around now. _________________________

 

[Locksley]

Well we are up at Elk Camp 2009 (TN's first Elk hunt in 150 years). We have been here since Thursday getting everything ready.

We had a great dinner last night, had some great speakers from the organizations that made it all happen (TWRA, TWF, RMEF, & CORA) we listened to some great music from 2nd Nature, spent all night tellin lies around the fire, now it seems everyone is hanging around camp resting up for the "Big" day tomorrow.

Reports from the 5 hunters are favorable, at least 2-3 of the hunters are on bulls and should have some early action. The other hunters are putting in their times & miles and should have a game plan by morning.

I get to go out on the extraction team when one hits the ground so stay tuned for minute by minute updates and photos!!!

Big thanks to Terry Lewis, he and his wife have put on a class act spread for everyone.

Also to the TWRA up here, they have pulled out all the stops and are really going to lengths to make this a great event.

Absolutely, she is being put on a biggun!!!

She should be for $70 Grand! LOL

$70 grand? try $17,700

If all this is correct, the first Elk hunt now has 100% success for all hunters! Wow!!!

congratulations all.

I misunderstood the News, Think it said TWRA raised the 70 grand total from the hunt. From people paying for the draw and the auction combined.

Well 100 percent is great news.

100% Success in Tennessee's First Elk Hunt
http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_161370.asp

A Crowning Achievement
http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_161372.asp

pcrc, I understand your concern and many have the same thoughts that there is simply not enough suitable habitat for both or actually either one in some cases. In TN, without harsh winters, elk generally browse a higher line of woody forage than the deer and are able to get more food out of the area that deer normally don't reach.

But all that aside, suitable habitat is a major problem for the herd to be able to expand. IMO, the state and also feds (on places like Big South Fork, Cherokee National Forest, etc..) need to get off this don't cut a tree philosphy and go in and harvest timber in small clearcuts along ridge tops, benches and other suitable areas that don't have a steep slope and are not in danger of erosion problems.

Harvesting timber, if done right, would actually generate a profit that could be used in wildlife habitat. But putting in as many small clearcuts as possible would add tremendous browse for increased deer and elk in those areas.

That's why KY has so many elk on the reclaimed strip mines. NO TREES! Historically elk were a prairie animal not a deep woods animal anyway.

It's hard for elk or deer, either one, to eat those 36"+ trees!

JMO

Great to hear that all the hunts went well. Congrats to all involved and to TN as a whole.

good deal, wished they killed all of em, 70 grand?wonder how much will go for the deer herd?$0.i hunt north cumberland, worst idea twra had EVER!deer have actually moved out because of this.used to be the best hunting around till they brought them here.sucks!

I have no idea how the 70 grand got started. It was nowhere near that. The total was a little over 20k including the 17.7k that was bid. The rest came from the people that put their names in for the drawing. Good way to start roumors, well so and so said it so it must be so.

I have been hunting Royal Blue for the last three years so I am not sure how it was before. I have wondered if the Elk have run off the deer. Talked to TWRA official there and he claims no, what else would he say. Personally I have seen food plots completely ransacked by elk with absolutely no deer sign anywhere to be found. Most people I talk to about it that hunt there agree that they have run off the deer. I do enjoy seeing the elk though, it is really something to come up on one.

I hunted royal blue for three consecutive years. This was ten years ago. There were no deer there then. I doubt the elk ran the deer off. I don't think there were ever any deer there to begin with. There were tons of turkeys though. The key to royal blue when I was there was to out-walk other people to get to your stand.

Well I never got to hunt there but the disease we have had in Tennessee has hurt the Deer herd far worse than any imagined Elk conflicts have. I can not wait till some wise hunting club puts Elk on there Middle TN area. There are lots of high fenced areas around now.

me neither, then you will see EXACTLY what i am talking about.say good bye deer!cause they will move out.

The Whitetails and Muledeer do not leave the areas with Elk in them in Colorado or New Mexico so why should I believe that you know more about Elk that I do after all I have a Colorado Elk head on my wall at home. The TWRA guys know more than most of these guys on here so believe them when they say the Elk and Deer can live together. The Indians did not complain about to many Elk in the golden day of Tennessee hunting .

good deal, wished they killed all of em, 70 grand?wonder how much will go for the deer herd?$0.i hunt north cumberland, worst idea twra had EVER!deer have actually moved out because of this.used to be the best hunting around till they brought them here.sucks!

I have no idea how the 70 grand got started. It was nowhere near that. The total was a little over 20k including the 17.7k that was bid. The rest came from the people that put their names in for the drawing. Good way to start roumors, well so and so said it so it must be so.

I have been hunting Royal Blue for the last three years so I am not sure how it was before. I have wondered if the Elk have run off the deer. Talked to TWRA official there and he claims no, what else would he say. Personally I have seen food plots completely ransacked by elk with absolutely no deer sign anywhere to be found. Most people I talk to about it that hunt there agree that they have run off the deer. I do enjoy seeing the elk though, it is really something to come up on one.

I hunted royal blue for three consecutive years. This was ten years ago. There were no deer there then. I doubt the elk ran the deer off. I don't think there were ever any deer there to begin with. There were tons of turkeys though. The key to royal blue when I was there was to out-walk other people to get to your stand.

Well I never got to hunt there but the disease we have had in Tennessee has hurt the Deer herd far worse than any imagined Elk conflicts have. I can not wait till some wise hunting club puts Elk on there Middle TN area. There are lots of high fenced areas around now.

me neither, then you will see EXACTLY what i am talking about.say good bye deer!cause they will move out.

The Whitetails and Muledeer do not leave the areas with Elk in them in Colorado or New Mexico so why should I believe that you know more about Elk that I do after all I have a Colorado Elk head on my wall at home. The TWRA guys know more than most of these guys on here so believe them when they say the Elk and Deer can live together. The Indians did not complain about to many Elk in the golden day of Tennessee hunting .

twra doesnt hunt in the woods I DO! rewind before they put those d#mn things in here, it was the best hunting period!now, deer have moved away from the places that were once heavy populated with deer.dont believe me, just go to north cumberland and talk to some of those old timers over their, they'll sure tell ya what they think too.colorado/new mexico is not tennessee!no they didnt complain,but then again they could kill all they wanted and didnt have to move out of good hunting spots that were ruined by those stupid @$$ things either!they could kill them.

WOW! Is amazing to think that these creatures could be in a lot of places all over our state in the near future.

Congrats to everyone!

The Whitetails and Muledeer do not leave the areas with Elk in them in Colorado or New Mexico. The TWRA guys know more than most of these guys on here.
Well go to north cumberland and talk to some of those old timers over their and get them to post their thought on this subject , we want to read what those old timers say about the Elk.

Colorado deer have been used to the Elk for thousands of years so I can see why they get along together, sort of like the deer in Cades Cove are used to people. Surely you cant walk up to a deer in Royal Blue or any other area where they are not acclimated to people like you can there. My point being than when you all of sudden drop any herd of animals that the deer are not used to in with them they will surely move out. Granted Royal Blue is a huge area and surely there are plenty of deer that have never come across an elk. However when the food plots that are managed by TWRA, I assume for the benefit of the hunters are completely ransacked by the elk and you see no deer sign anywhere around them you have to feel our frustration. It is real easy to say walk deeper into the woods to find your deer, but have you actually tried that in Royal Blue. I would assume that those of you who manage food plots on your own property or leased property would be pretty upset if they were destoyed. I do love seeing the elk though.

The Whitetails and Muledeer do not leave the areas with Elk in them in Colorado or New Mexico. Tennessee deer have been evolving and living with the Elk for thousands of years also. The White-tails used to have the Elk here with them in Tennessee for thousands of years when the Indians were the main hunters here , so I can see why they got along together all those years during Daniel Boons and Crocketts times .

The TWRA guys know more than most of these guys on here.
Well go to north cumberland and talk to some of those old timers over their and get them to post their thought on this subject , we want to read what those old timers say about the Elk. I am a kind of old timer myself so will listen to some of what a fellow boomer or really old timer of 90 or 100 years old says. One of my best hunting buddies was 99 years old when he passed away in 2002 he taught me how to reload rifle cartridges and how to hunt groundhogs back when there were a lot here in Tennessee , back in 1974 before the Cyotees moved in . OLD Man Womack was old enough to remember his uncles talking about being in the 16 th TN infantry regiement Army of Tennessee during the War Between the States.
_________________________

16th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry



http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/regiments.cfm

Published Online: 06/07/2007
Attempts have been made to reintroduce elk (Cervus elaphus) in Ontario, Canada, since the early 1900's. These efforts are on-going and current plans are to establish viable elk populations in 6 pre-selected restoration sites in Ontario. Significant populations of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) exist in close proximity to some of the proposed restoration sites. Therefore a decision was made to assess the potential impact of restoring elk in white-tailed deer wintering areas in Ontario, prior to the release of elk. The primary concerns regarding white-tailed deer/elk competition are transmission of the meningeal worm (Parelaphostrongylus tenuis) from white-tailed deer to elk and the winter carrying capacity of habitat where the restoration is to occur. A review of existing data revealed that significant winter concentrations of white-tailed deer do exist in the vicinity of the Haliburton Highlands elk release site in southern Ontario. However, that proposed release site is at least 10 km from white-tailed deer wintering areas and restrictive winters occur infrequently in that area. A review of the literature, as well as interviews with Provincial and State biologists and elk managers revealed that although there was anecdotal evidence of competition between elk and white-tailed deer in a few jurisdictions, there was neither quantitative nor qualitative data to support or refute those claims. However, as snow depths increase and elk switch to browse dominated diets, there is potential for white-tailed deer/elk competition for resources if sharing the same winter range, especially during severe winters. The chances that elk and white-tailed deer will share the same winter range will depend on where the released elk decide to settle for the winter, which may be influenced by availability of unused winter habitat and the quality of the available habitat. Therefore, elk will not be released directly into traditional white-tailed deer wintering areas in Ontario. A comprehensive research and monitoring program will be mandatory for future elk releases in Ontario.

http://oregonstate.edu/dept/EOARC/researchhome/documents/630c.pdf

I used the expression of The elk "running off" the deer. I did not mean to infer that the elk actually chased the deer out. I know that there was elk here in Tn 150 years ago and I would assume they comingled together just fine. But now you are talking about what, 100 generations since the last elk inhabited the state. Dont forget many of the deer strains in the state now came from parts of the country with no history of elk. You cant convince me that a deer that has never seen an a herd of elk would not be afraid of it and leave the area. Sure in time as they realize the elk are no danger they will learn to live together, but in the short term I am not sure. Also dont get me wrong I dont want to see the elk gone, and would hope for the day when there is a chance to draw a permit with better odds than hitting the lottery. As for TWRA I am grateful they have undertaken the elk restoration, I just fear it has been at the expense of the deer herd.

I always try to talk to other hunters I run across when I am up there and without exception they say the deer herd has suffered due to the elk. I do believe TWRA's main focus right now is on the elk which was great for the 5 elk hunters this year, just hope they dont forget about us deer hunters.

Well time will tell TWRA ANd TWF know best . [/quote]


Time will tell.

 

[Celaphus]

Kentucky has over 10,000 elk and the deer kill has increased significantly in the elk zone since the elk program started. Deer populations have not decreased because of elk. There are localized impacts however. Herds of elk tend to bed and loaf in the same areas much of the time. The vegetation in the loafing area will be heavily impacted. If that just happens to be a spot that you used to deer hunt, then yes, there is an impact. However, the deer just go somewhere else. Its not like they leave the entire county. Concurrently, it also common to see deer and elk together in KY.

 

[Dean Parisian]

I believe there are several research studies conducted by western state biologists documenting the impact of increasing elk populations on mule deer numbers. Utah has had a problem in that regard and hunters there have been very vocal as many would prefer tipping over a big muley verus elk. A quick search on Google of elk-deer interaction turned up very little but I remember reading some of the findings. If memory serves the gist of the findings were that elk and deer don't get along more on winter range. If somebody has more time please post a link to any research.