Pennsylvania Elk Management: Divergent Views

Non-typical Bull: Winslow Hill September 2008

It is a basic tenet of human society that different special interest groups will view a particular subject in entirely different ways. An excellent example of this would be the current debate over health care.The management of Pennsylvania's Elk Herd is no exception. In this instance we have at least three major points of view:

1. Elk were re-introduced for the purpose of hunting and should be managed primarily for that purpose. There are several factions to this group. Some would like to see a high proportion of mature bulls maintained for trophy hunting, while others would like to see more hunting opportunities for a larger number of hunters.

Bull At Elk Check Station

2. Pennsylvania has a unique elk herd that is valuable to society as a whole and should be maintained primarily as a viewable resource.

Bull 36 "Fred": Benezette July 2009

3. Elk are large animals that create a lot of problems such as, crop damage, property damage, and elk-vehicle collisions. They attract large numbers of tourists that clog the local highways at certain times of year. It would be best if they were not here in the first place and it would actually be good if they were eliminated, or at least their numbers be reduced to the level that they are difficult to see.

Herd At Gilbert Viewing Area:

Some would like to see the herd on Winslow Hill drastically reduced, which would severely damage elk related tourism.

This is greatly simplified and cannot be dealt with effectively in one blog post--in fact it would take a book and a quite large one at that.

Most importantly many argue that we should do what is best for the resource, after all who can argue with that statement. The problem is that many view what is "best for the resource" through the prism of what they wish to do with elk.

I personally like the view espoused by Ralph Harrison a retired Bureau Of Forestry employee, who dedicated his life to restoring the elk herd.

He believes we should actually do what is best for the Elk, not do what is best for those who want to shoot elk or make money from the shooting of elk. Neither should we manage elk to do what is best for those who wish to make large sums of money from elk tourism, but should do what is best for the welfare of the species itself.

Anyone who is seriously interested in Pennsylvania Elk should purchase Ralph Harrison's latest book," The History of Pennsylvania Elk Country". It is published by The Pennsylvania Forestry Association 56 East Main St. Mechanicsburg, Pa. 17055, and is usually available at Benezette Store.

Camera Critters: More Calf Elk Encounters

It was Friday morning, July 24th and I wanted to be headed home as soon as possible, but as so often happens I ran into some of the best photo opportunities of the trip. As you saw in a previous post, I found a large herd of cows and calves quite close to the road. The calves were mewing and the cows were calling to them. I am not certain if this calf was mewing or yawning. I use the term "mewing", because it sounds much the same as the sound a cat makes.

Calf "Mewing" or "Yawning"

I had actually loaded the camera equipment in the vehicle and was leaving, when I drove past another portion of the meadow and saw another segment of the herd in bright sunlight so I got out again and captured this nursing scene.

"Nursing"

Both photos were taken with the 500mmF4. I would have preferred a slightly shorter focal length in the last shot, but I had gone into action quickly and carried no other lenses with me.

I hope to visit as many of your blogs as possible, but I am having major problems with my primary Internet browsing computer, which should make for an interesting post in itself in the near future. At least the computers that I do most of my photo work and video production are working O.K.

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