But now, for the first time since the 19th century, herds of elk have returned to the Keystone State as well as other places in the eastern half of the country. Even so, for one of America’s most iconic big-game animals, the homecoming has been slow, controversial and anything but assured.

Reintroduction for elk has gathered momentum in recent years, as various groups have sought to bring them back to portions of their original range.

“Elk are one of several species that once flourished throughout our Commonwealth and for various reasons became extirpated from the state,” explained Lt. Amy Nabozny, information and education supervisor for the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Southcentral Region in Huntingdon.

“Yet today, they are another example of a successful reintroduction story by our agency,” Nabozny added. “Their numbers today continue to allow unique viewing experiences to so many of our residents and also once in a lifetime hunting opportunities to many others. So it is that story that I find a great representation of wildlife conservation.”

Photo courtesy of J.J. WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY
At one time, Elk inhabited nearly all of what is now the lower 48 states.

Nabozny will be talking about elk’s return to the Commonwealth during her presentation, “Elk of Pennsylvania,” at the Towpath Naturalist Society of Juniata and Mifflin County’s meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Fellowship Hall, St. John’s Lutheran Church, 120 N. Main St., Lewistown. Attendees should use the rear entrance.

“I will be focusing a good deal on the history of elk in our state -again the downfall of them at the turn of the century to where they are today – general characteristics and habits, their reproduction and current population in the state, as well as viewing and hunting opportunities and finally lifespans and mortality factors,” Nabozny added.

In the early days of this country, it would have been hard to believe that elk might someday vanish from half of the continent. Elk inhabited nearly all of what is now the lower 48 states, and were a common sight for early explorers who arrived in North America. Described as “magnificent beasts,” elk fascinated everyone who laid eyes upon them.

“Although Pennsylvania may not have the highest numbers of elk across the country, we do have some of the most impressive ones in size,” Nabozny said. “The bulls rank up there with some of the largest in the U.S. and therefore provide a rush for so many of our residents to see.”

Before and during the first-half of the 1800s, elk roamed across the state. In the mid-1860s, Pennsylvania’s last few native elk were still roaming in Elk and Cameron counties. Within a few years, though, they were gone.

The last known eastern elk in Pennsylvania was killed in 1877. As settlers pushed westward, they also pushed elk ahead of them, shooting the animals at will for food and clothing.

Not long after elk had been wiped out in the eastern United States, they were imperiled in the Great Plains as well. What few elk remained lived deep within the most rugged terrain of the Rocky Mountains.

As elk numbers dwindled, a handful of visionaries called for a halt to the ongoing slaughter. Their voices, however, were little more than background noise drowned out by westward expansion, industrialization, a civil war and the eventual reconstruction of a divided and war-torn country. Few people had the forethought, the resources or even the basic knowledge of how to restore decimated wildlife populations.

Pennsylvania was the first eastern state to reintroduce elk by bringing 50 of them from Yellowstone in 1913. At the time, elk had recovered remarkably in places where they were protected, so park managers were eager to ship as many animals away as possible.

More elk were brought to Pennsylvania a few years later, and a small population existed for decades. Some were shot by farmers who grew weary of the big animals devouring their crops. Others were killed by poachers.

Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, Michigan, Arkansas and Wisconsin now have free-ranging elk herds, thanks to efforts by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, state wildlife agencies and conservation-minded hunters.

The biggest restoration program, by far, has occurred in eastern Kentucky, where an estimated 10,000 elk now roam. Although Pennsylvania’s herd is much smaller than Kentucky’s, it’s also thriving. About 1,000 animals roam across state and private land in west-central Pennsylvania, thanks in part to conservation-minded hunters and local residents who have embraced the elk.

“Pennsylvania’s elk are concentrated in the Northcentral region of our state, none in the Juniata Valley,” Nabozny said. “Occasionally, we do have a stray that wonders south from their typical range, and we may find them in the Southcentral region, but that has only been a handful of times.”

There have been elk spotted in neighboring Centre County.

Recently, people driving in Potter County found it hard to miss the site of elk walking amongst the streets and sites of Coudersport as the pictures began to go viral.

If you’re looking for elk in Pennsylvania, Benezette, Elk County, is often called the “Elk Capital of Pennsylvania.” This small town – population 218 according to the 2020 census – is nestled between the Moshannon State Forest and the Quehanna Wild Area of the Pennsylvania Wilds.

Benezette is a very small town. You won’t find a Starbucks or a Walmart in Benezette, but you will almost certainly find some elk.

Today, elk have also found homes in Blair, Cameron, Carbon, Clinton, Clearfield, Forest and Monroe counties.

Remarkably, the herds have continued to make a comeback.

The Towpath Naturalists always welcome new members and guests. Annual dues are $10.