WILD ELK SEEM TO BE VISITING IOWA MORE FREQUENTLY.
MOST OF THESE SIGHTINGS ARE IN WESTERN IOWA DUE TO THE LARGE WILD ELK HERD FOUND IN THE BLACK HILLS OF SOUTH DAKOTA AND IN CENTRAL NEBRASKA.
THEY ARE USUALLY YOUNG MALES SEARCHING FOR NEW TERRITORY.
JOSH GANSEN OF THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES SAYS THEIR ACTUAL NUMBER IS LIKELY VERY LOW AND THE FREQUENCY OF REPORTS ARE BASED ON THE ELK COVERING A LOT OF DISTANCE AND APPEARING ON DIFFERENT TRAIL CAMERAS.
THIS FALL, AN ELK WAS HIT AND KILLED ON INTERSTATE 80 AND ANOTHER WAS FOUND DEAD NEAR HIGHWAY 20, EAST OF SIOUX CITY.
THE WOODBURY COUNTY ELK WAS A 1-1/2-YEAR-OLD ADOLESCENT ANIMAL WEIGHING APPROXIMATELY 500 POUNDS WHICH IS DOUBLE THE WEIGHT OF A WHITE-TAILED DEER.
IF YOU ENCOUNTER AN ELK, GIVE THEM PLENTY OF ROOM AND DO NOT APPROACH IT.
ELK, ALONG WITH MOOSE, ARE PROTECTED IN IOWA CODE, WHICH INCLUDES A $1,000 FINE IF ILLEGALLY KILLED.
YOU MAY DISPATCH AN ELK THAT IS CAUSING PROPERTY DAMAGE OR PHYSICAL HARM.
FILE PHOTO
