Elk in Cataloochee

The following article was published in the Fairfield Glade Sun newspaper November 11, 2009.

Enjoying Nature

Don Hazel

A Nature Event you don’t want to miss.

Well, you missed it for this year! But if you like wildlife, nature, and a beautiful outdoor setting, you don’t want to miss it next year. It is even a pretty cool thing to have on your bucket list. You know, that list of all the things you want to do before you kick the bucket. Mark your calendars for mid-September through mid-October next year. I am talking about the elk “rut” or mating period in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

We have a rare opportunity to see this amazing ritual played out very close to home. And it really is amazing. On TV you have probably seen video of massive bull elk bugling their high pitched call to attract females and to warn rival males, and the clashing of antlers as bulls battle for dominance. But, the sound and the spectacle is something that you can’t appreciate unless you are there.

Elk were originally native all over the Eastern United States, but the early pioneers wiped out the last Eastern elk in the mid 1800’s. In an effort to restore elk to part of their original territory, 52 elk were relocated from Kentucky and from Canada to the Cataloochee Valley on the North Carolina side of the GSMNP about 8 years ago. That herd has now grown to 110 animals. There are another approximately 300 elk in Tennessee in areas north of Wartburg that were released by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Kentucky’s elk reintroduction program is even better…they have about 10,000 elk in the southeastern part of the state.

In the fall of each year the bull elk attempt to gather a harem. One large bull that I saw in Cataloochee had 25 cows (female elk) in his harem. For about a month, day and night, that bull will keep the cows together and fight off any other bulls that try to steal his cows. The one bull that is dominant will mate with all of the cows in his harem….what a deal! However, during that month the dominant bull will hardly eat and by the end of the rut he will be totally exhausted…as you might imagine.

The result of all of the last year’s autumn action was 19 new elk calves in 2009. Sixteen survived the bears, coyotes and other natural perils.

The fun part for you and me is to visit the Cataloochee Valley during the fall and watch the ritual of posturing, fighting, bugling, and chasing cows. At Cataloochee you can literally get within yards of all the action. The National Park has volunteers called the “Bugle Corp” who can answer just about any question that you can ask about elk. They are extremely knowledgeable and friendly and they really add to the experience. The best viewing is from about 4pm until dark.

People drive to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado from all over the country to see the same thing that we have just a few hours away. So mark your calendars. Heck you can play golf, work in the yard, or go to a movie anytime, but the elk rut only happens once a year and it is a nature event that you don’t want to miss.

Comments, questions or suggestions for future nature articles are welcome at don.hazel@gmail.com