Welcome Back, Elk!

Elk are being reintroduced into Virginia!  Yes I said “re-introduced”!  Did you know that elk are native to Virginia?  There is an ongoing effort to rebuild the elk population by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources on old strip mine reclamation property in Buchanan County.  You can visit and tour any one of 3 elk viewing stations.  

Between 2012 and 2014 a total of 71 adult elk and 4 calves were relocated into Buchanan County from SW Kentucky.  By 2020 the herd has grown to over 250. 

Elk was historically found throughout eastern North America, including Virginia. However, by the late 1800s, unsustainable hunting and habitat alteration resulted in the extinction of the eastern elk. The last survivor of Virginia’s original elk herd was killed in 1855 in Clarke County.

If you want to learn more about the program and tour the viewing area or even watch a live cam, please go to any one of the following links on the DWR website:

• Link to main elk page

• Link to a live cam of the elk habitat

• Information about the viewing area and tours

If you’re interested in free evening elk tours they will be offered weekly starting September 8th and continuing into October.

• September: 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th. September tours begin at 6:00 pm EST.

• October: 4th, 18th, and 25th. October tours begin at 5:00 pm EST.

Location

Tours meet at Southern Gap Outdoor Adventures (1124 Chipping Sparrow Road, Grundy VA 24614).  Tours will last 2–3 hours. 

--Bob Rasmussen