Smoky Mountain rangers urge people to be cautious when viewing elk during mating season

By Rex Hodge

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     GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK, North Carolina (WLOS) — Elk are among the most popular wildlife to see in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But people should be extra cautious when going to see them in early fall.

Fall is mating season for elk. Because of that, rangers said people should take extra precautions.

“Oh, this is fantastic. This is the first elk we’ve seen,” said John Stover, who was visiting from the Great Lakes State.

“Oh, yeah, this is something we don’t see in Michigan,” he said.

Majestic elk captivate visitors from around the country.

“He’s a nice size one,” said Jim Herring, of Missouri. “This is the first time I’ve seen them here in the Smoky Mountains. I wasn’t even aware that they were here.”

Rangers said during the rut, or breeding season, bulls can bugle and change their behavior.

“The bulls are so full of testosterone they can only think about doing two things — that’s fighting other bulls and chasing the female elk around,” ranger Joe Yarkovich said.

Yarkovich said the bulls gather cows together.

“If they see anything as a threat to that group of cows, they may charge that to get rid of that threat,” he said.

This time of year, especially, park officials emphasize rules for visitors to follow. First and foremost is to keep their distance.

“If you approach an elk within 50 yards or any distance that disturbs or displaces that animal, you’re in violation of the law,” Yarkovich said. “All the fields in Oconaluftee and Cataloochee are closed to entry this time of year. We advise people to bring telephoto lenses, binoculars. We ask folks to stay near their vehicles. In case a bull elk would decide to charge them, they’ve got a place to find cover. We ask people to keep their dogs on a leash or, better yet, in their vehicle if they’re able to.”

Bull elk can reach 700 or 800 pounds or more.

Yarkovich described the behavior recently of a bull that had been circled by vehicles.

“That bull felt threatened, and he charged several of those vehicles, putting dents into the vehicles until everybody moved out of the way,” he said.

Most people abide by the rules. For those who push it, Yarkovich said there can be citations that come with fines.

He said enjoying the elk from a safe distance is the key for all to watch.

“This has been a real nice morning and made my morning seeing them here,” Herring said.

Rangers said the elk population is doing very well, now up to about 200, from 52 when they were reintroduced in 2001.

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