# Elk in cades cove



## tdbuckmaster

I just got back from Cades cove last weekend and when i was there i talked to a local that said he has seen elk in the cove during the winter times. I was wondering if anybody else has seen them and if so do they have any pics of them to share with the rest of us.


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## Phillip Thurmond

Where is Cades Cove?


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## wolfess

I went this past winter and did not see any. I heard that they had been spotted over around Cherokee NC. side of the National Forest.


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## Unicoidawg

They were not stocked on that side of the mountain. They were put in the Cataloochee Valley and some cross over to the Cherokee area, but I have not heard of one making it all the way over to Cades Cove........... They can cover some ground so anything is possible

http://www.yoursmokies.com/elkinsmokies.html


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## Paymaster

I go to Cades Cove a couple times a year and have never seen Elk. They were stocked in a different area as was mentioned earlier.


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## Smokey

Phillip Thurmond said:


> Where is Cades Cove?



Tennessee


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## BornToHuntAndFish

Unicoidawg said:


> They were not stocked on that side of the mountain. They were put in the Cataloochee Valley and some cross over to the Cherokee area, but I have not heard of one making it all the way over to Cades Cove........... They can cover some ground so anything is possible
> 
> http://www.yoursmokies.com/elkinsmokies.html



Thanks for the great web site.  Been wanting to learn more about them up there since I saw TV specials about the elk restocking program.  Your web link was very educational offering some great historical lessons.  Glad I know where to look next time I'm up there in the neighborhood.


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## jeshoffstall

*Been to Cherokee twice this spring...*

Saw Elk both times!!!


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## Shug

I go to the cove quite a bit, I have never seen or heard of any there.


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## tdbuckmaster

I have been up there a few times and never seen any either. That is why i ask if anybody has seen any. I was just going by what the local had told me.


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## Unicoidawg

Shug said:


> I go to the cove quite a bit, I have never seen or heard of any there.



I'd say Shug qualifies as a local as well............


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## irishleprechaun

Elk is great eating...need them stocked in N.GA, specifically on our club!


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## 243Savage

That's cool 

Just an FYI for those who may not know.....Give them plenty of room, cow elk are very aggressive in defending any perceived danger to their babys in spring and will charge you.  Watch yourselves around the bulls during the fall rut as well, they can be very dangerous and aggressive.  You will not outrun them.


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## tdbuckmaster

I guess one day they might make it over to the cove.


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## Lindseys Grandpa

Was in cove 2 weeks ago saw over 200 deer but no elk.


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## ryano

Somebody needs to tell the author of this article he is incorrect then 

http://www.cadescove.net/wildlife_cades_cove.html

Elk have been reintroduced in GSMNP's Cades Cove.
Before European descent settlers came to Cades Cove, Cherokee Indians hunted game here, including elk and bison. Both elk and bison were driven from Cades Cove and elsewhere in North Carolina and Tennessee by loss of habitat and excessive hunting during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.


Though bison still are gone from Cades Cove, elk were reintroduced in The Great Smoky Mountain National Park in February 2001 . Among the groups responsible for the elk release are the Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Associations and Friends of the Smokies organizations and of course GSMNP. Fifty to sixty elk are planned to be released in 2002 and 2001. They are fitted with radio collared so they can be studied more effectively.


As Elk spend warmer months in the high country, they should begin appearing in Cades Cove when temperatures decline and return each year during cooler months. As with most animals in Cades Cove, the best viewing times for elk is in the morning and the evening just before sundown. Before or after storms is also a good time to view elk in the cove.


Now, a here's a little information about Cades Cove's elk. Elk are deer-like animals that are really, really large. They are in fact twice as large as the average Smoky Mountain Black Bear, topping out at more than eight hundred pounds. They have beautiful coppery colored coats which grows thicker during the winter months. Male elk grow antlers which are mature by August. In Cades Cove as elsewhere, elk use their antlers to establish dominance for the purpose of mating with harems of female elk, known as cows. During September and early October, Elk bugling calls may be heard in Cades Cove. The purpose of the call is to challenge other bulls to ritualistic mating conflicts. 


Elk antlers are shed in March but begin immediately to grow again. If you find shed antlers in Cades Cove, do not remove them from the park. They are a source of calcium for small animals and it is illegal to take anything from Cades Cove. The Great Smoky Mountain National Park prohibits altering the park in anyway, including crowding the wildlife. Fines can reach five thousand dollars or six months in jail.

Calving occurs early in June. Do not disturb any calf you may come across when in Cades Cove as mother elk are very protective. Certainly do not pick it up or touch it at all. It is normal for the mother elk to leave their calves hiding in the grass while feeding. In fact if you see elk of any age in Cades Cove during your visit, view them with binoculars and do not try to get close to them. If an elk changes behavior because of your activity, you are too close.


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