# Wild elk roaming around, being seen in Georgia



## lampern

http://wlos.com/news/local/wildlife...n-transylvania-county-likely-looking-for-mate


----------



## Possum

Has there been any confirmed sightings in Ga? Reported sightings don’t mean much. There are reported sightings of everything from Bigfoot to panthers in north GA


----------



## NCHillbilly

Possum said:


> Has there been any confirmed sightings in Ga? Reported sightings don’t mean much. There are reported sightings of everything from Bigfoot to panthers in north GA


Yes, there were some that came just across the GA line from Clay CO, NC a year or so ago.


----------



## Possum

I’m not doubting you NCHillbilly but when I search online I can’t find anything about elk seen in GA. 
Where did you hear they came into GA? Are they still here?


----------



## Pig Predator

Possum said:


> I’m not doubting you NCHillbilly but when I search online I can’t find anything about elk seen in GA.
> Where did you hear they came into GA? Are they still here?



Just because you didn't see it on the internet doesn't mean it didn't happen.


----------



## lampern

There was a much photographed elk spotted in South Carolina once.


----------



## Possum

I see plenty of mention of the elk making it into SC but other than speculation that the elk could roam into GA, I don’t think anyone has confirmed that they have been in GA yet. If someone could provide a link I’d be interested to know. I’m not far from north and South Carolina so I think it would be cool to see an elk in the woods. And I’m sure it’s possible. There are armadillos everywhere  around here now and there were none 5 years ago.


----------



## Throwback

Possum said:


> Has there been any confirmed sightings in Ga? Reported sightings don’t mean much. There are reported sightings of everything from Bigfoot to panthers in north GA



The black panthers got them before they could get established


----------



## C.Killmaster

The elk came through Clayton county from North Carolina and then moved on to South Carolina where it was captured and put in a zoo.


----------



## 95g atl

Unfortunately I don't see in most of our lifetimes enough elk in GA to allow hunting them.  Would be awesome though.

Nearest to GA is KY, which is a drawing lottery thing and you have nearly about the same odds as winning the lottery as you do getting picked.

Updated:  NC Hillbilly says TN has a season.  Wow.....how come I never knew that.


----------



## NCHillbilly

95g atl said:


> Unfortunately I don't see in most of our lifetimes enough elk in GA to allow hunting them.  Would be awesome though.
> 
> Nearest to GA is KY, which is a drawing lottery thing and you have nearly about the same odds as winning the lottery as you do getting picked.


Tennessee has also had a season for several years. They're talking about it in NC now.


----------



## 95g atl

well heck, I stand corrected.  Did not know that.  I'll have to correct my above post.  Thx.


----------



## jaydawg

95g atl said:


> well heck, I stand corrected.  Did not know that.  I'll have to correct my above post.  Thx.



Also, in VA it is legal to take one.  You just abide by county deer season (buck days, doe days, etc.) and you just use your deer tag to check it in.


----------



## northgeorgiasportsman

C.Killmaster said:


> The elk came through Clayton county from North Carolina and then moved on to South Carolina where it was captured and put in a zoo.



I think you mean Rabun County, Clayton , GA.  There was a young bull that took up residence in the Eagle Fork/Muskrat Creek area of Clay county for a few weeks on summer a couple years ago.  From where we watched it feed in NC was probably less than a mile to the GA state line.


----------



## lampern

95g atl said:


> Unfortunately I don't see in most of our lifetimes enough elk in GA to allow hunting them.  Would be awesome though.
> 
> Nearest to GA is KY, which is a drawing lottery thing and you have nearly about the same odds as winning the lottery as you do getting picked.
> 
> Updated:  NC Hillbilly says TN has a season.  Wow.....how come I never knew that.



Elk are not protected in GA. You can kill them


----------



## cowhornedspike

^^ this.  It would take only one to be here to be enough to hunt...


----------



## lampern

Elk carry CWD and brucellosis


----------



## C.Killmaster

northgeorgiasportsman said:


> I think you mean Rabun County, Clayton , GA.  There was a young bull that took up residence in the Eagle Fork/Muskrat Creek area of Clay county for a few weeks on summer a couple years ago.  From where we watched it feed in NC was probably less than a mile to the GA state line.


Yep, you're correct.  Must have been in a hurry.


----------



## red neck richie

NCHillbilly said:


> Tennessee has also had a season for several years. They're talking about it in NC now.


Elk were reintroduced into Tennessee. A buddy of mine had one cross the road in front of him in Tennessee. It is possible they migrate to north GA.


----------



## b rad

plmety of elk in tiwggs county off 16


----------



## Milkman

There is an Elks Club near where I live. 
Hope this helps


----------



## KyDawg

jaydawg said:


> Also, in VA it is legal to take one.  You just abide by county deer season (buck days, doe days, etc.) and you just use your deer tag to check it in.



Unless it has changed West Virginia has the same rule for Elk, for some reason, they did not want them over there.


----------



## KyDawg

This is an excerpt from the Kentucky regs.
*ELK HUNTING OUTSIDE THE ELK ZONE*

"Elk may be taken from any county outside the zone by hunters who possess an annual Kentucky hunting license and an Out-of-Zone Elk Permit. These hunters must follow deer season and equipment regulations, but are not required to possess a Statewide Deer Permit."


----------



## lagrangedave

5 does and a buck mysteriously escaped from a transport about 5 years ago in north Georgia and only two were accounted for killed. Nature is a wonderful thing.


----------



## NCMTNHunter

The young bull in the op didn’t make it. He got hit on I-26 in Hendersonville.  

http://wlos.com/news/local/elk-struck-by-minivan-in-henderson-county-later-put-down


----------



## Josh B

Like Dave said I remember when a truck carrying elk crashed and lost its load near town lake but its been way longer than 5 years probably 10 years. Nothing popped up when I googled it. I remember people posting pics of them in their yard. One got hit by a car and DNR wanted shot. All but 2 were accounted for at that time. All females


----------



## mguthrie

Josh B said:


> Like Dave said I remember when a truck carrying elk crashed and lost its load near town lake but its been way longer than 5 years probably 10 years. Nothing popped up when I googled it. I remember people posting pics of them in their yard. One got hit by a car and DNR wanted shot. All but 2 were accounted for at that time. All females


A hunter shot one. I believe it was in Cherokee county. DNR shot several also if I remember right. I think it was more like 12 cows that got loose. i think all were accounted for though


----------



## Hunter_30540

A big elk was hit by car on US HWY 19/129 in Marble, NC. That's getting close to the Georgia state line.


----------



## NCHillbilly

I've come in a hair of hitting a couple in the road here.


----------



## Gon2lake

I saw this elk last weekend in Bryson City, NC. I was on a train and saw it. Sorry for the blurry picture


----------



## Curvebow05

So who's gonna be the first to test the system and shoot a Ga elk?


----------



## Milkman

Curvebow05 said:


> So who's gonna be the first to test the system and shoot a Ga elk?



I bet a few have already been shot. Many of the hill folks don’t tell us flat landers their business.


----------



## NCHillbilly

There’s been a bunch of them shot around here by farmers.


----------



## Rich Kaminski

I see elk all the time on my way to my hunting club in Twiggs County. They are in a high fence plantation and there are several breeders of elk in the area (BUT NO ELK ROAMING AROUND FREELY).


----------



## Curvebow05

Milkman said:


> I bet a few have already been shot. Many of the hill folks don’t tell us flat landers their business.





NCHillbilly said:


> There’s been a bunch of them shot around here by farmers.


I guess the question is, would you shoot them in a state where it is technically legal without a permit? I would have a hard time with it personally. I can't say elk steaks and jerky wouldn't win out but the possibility of eventually having a breeding population of Elk all up and down the Appalachian range would probably stop me.


----------



## Timbo85

A few here in south east GA not wild though, no season you can hunt em all yr with out a permit


----------



## outdoorman

Funny about the plantation off Hwy 129 in Twiggs County between Macon and Cochran.,
I was driving past it a couple weeks back and SURPRISED that I had to pull over to get a second look before they trotted off away from the metal fence.  You can see them from the road.


----------



## Michael Meschi

Milkman said:


> I bet a few have already been shot. Many of the hill folks don’t tell us flat landers their business.


I know that from experience!


----------



## Geezer Ray

Rich Kaminski said:


> I see elk all the time on my way to my hunting club in Twiggs County. They are in a high fence plantation and there are several breeders of elk in the area (BUT NO ELK ROAMING AROUND FREELY).



That dang fence is hard to get your kill over and back to the truck without help.


----------



## lampern

Michael Meschi said:


> I know that from experience!



Elk are being shot now in Ga?


----------



## lampern

Article on Southern elk

https://www.realtree.com/big-game-h...XkgaVkXYlHfQ48ARB25PzDzaksB6eg8fbCpK-S5wy1JY0


----------



## PappyHoel

Those elk won’t make it 24 hrs if they cross into ga.  Bubba has got to feed his family.


----------



## ldavid008

Google KY and TN elk hunting pictures and look at some of the ones they are killing. TN's herd is much younger and not as big as KY's but they too are getting some big ones.


----------



## Michael Meschi

lampern said:


> Elk are being shot now in Ga?


I’m sure some are I haven’t seen any dead ones though


----------



## Thunder Head

One thing you have to factor in. The habitat inside the elk zone in Ky. is nothing like the rest of the smokies. Its coal mining country. Lots of the habitat is reclaimed mining land so there are tone of big openings and grass flats. This provides lots of grazing for the elk to flourish in. I don't see them having quiet the same success in the big forest of north Ga.


----------



## jinx0760

I was drawn for the KY Elk Lottery for a cow hunt in 2015.  Hunted all reclaimed coal mine land and saw a lot of elk!  We saw 18 bulls the first 2 days, and I finally got a cow at dark on day 2.  Elk will put up with a little movement and a little noise, but if they get your scent it's a 5 mile hike to find them. The eastern counties of KY hold about 19000 elk, it is rugged country for the most part.


----------

