Cooperative Living May 2022 - 12

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●●●●●●●●●●●s Greatest Conservation Story
A bus ride up a mountain to see elk at Breaks Interstate Park
by Amanda S. Creasey, Outdoors Writer
A
t 4:45 on a fifififififififi fifififififififin
fin midfifi fifich, I clfimb abfififid
a large, white bus idfififig in a
fififififififi lot on the fifififififiia side fifi
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fifififififi fifi 5 fififi., fifim a fifififile on fihe fifififi
side, and most of the seafis are afifieady
fifififin, so I find myself a sfiot in the
fifififit, dfififififily bfififind our drfifififi. He
fifififififiuces fififi self fifi fifififiy and fifififififi
fin a vfififiacular Ififie heard only in tfififi
fififit of the coufififiy - a sort of soufififififi
fififififi, fifififififit fihe fififiwl.
fifififiy shifts the bus ififio drfifie, and
fifififig a micfiophone wififid to sfififififififi
throughout the bus, tells us there are
23 guests on today's elk tour in
southwest Virginia.We're lucky: A
9-inch snowfall forced the cancellation
oflast Saturday's tour. Today, though,
the weather has been sunny and nearly
70 degrees, with a warm breeze chasing
clouds across the sky all afternoon.
Our bus lumbers along the road.
On one side, steep stone outcroppings
stand solid and stoic. On the other, the
Russell Fork River rolls past tin-roofed
houses nestled against steep clifffaces.
I catch sight ofa blue heron standing,
statuesque, in its waters.
L OST POPULATION
Every now and again, Avery's voice
pours from the speakers.We learn that
until the late 19th century, Eastern elk,
an elk subspecies, were native in this
area. In 1855, the last Eastern elk in
10 ● Cooperative Living ●
May 2022
fifififififiia fifis fififififififififi
and the subsfificies wfifi
fififififififid exfifinct in
1877. Rfififiy Mfifififififin
fififi, hofififififi, rfifi fifififid
fififififififit in the west.
fio rfifififinish tfififir elfi
fifififififififififis, fi fififi fififififififi
fifififififififig fifififififififi, fifififififififid fifififiy
fi fifififififin elk at $3 a head.
fi fifififififififififififi, fifififififififififi efforfifi
fififififid. Rfififiy Mfifififififin elk are gfififififififi
fifififififis fifififififin fifik fifie fififififififififi
fi fififififififififififi fifi fihe fifififififififi fifififi
came fififififififily fifi fihe fifififififin fifififi fifie
relocated RockyMountain elk died off.
Decades would pass before another
attempt would be made at repopulating
Virginia's lost elk population.
The location for a second attempt
became available in 2007, when a
strip mine operation closed near the
Virginia-Kentucky border. The barren
mountaintop, blasted flat for coal
mining, bore a damaged ecosystem
resembling the plains, an altered landscape
that could be reclaimed as the
perfect habitat for the grazing Rocky
Mountain elk. In the mid-2000s,
restoration efforts began, and 75 elk
were transported from nearby Kentucky.
At the last count in 2021, more than
300 elk roamed the makeshift plains of
the flat-topped mountain. The success
has been so complete, it is often referred
to as Appalachia's Greatest Conservation
Story. The population has recovered
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fifit in photfifififififififig or sifi ply sefififig
fihe mfififififiic anifi fils, the Bfififififi
Interstate Park elk tour is a phenomenal
option.Whether in the spring or fall,
the tours boast a 100% success rate of
witnessing elk.
ANTLER BUSINESS
Spring tours, like the one I'm on,
feature calves, as well as bull elk that
fififi
fififififififififififififi
shed their antlers, only to grow new
ones come June. According to Avery,
elk antlers are the fastest growing
mammalian bone matter, capable of
growing 1 inch a day, with the potential
to weigh 30 pounds. Sharp-eyed tour
participants who spot an antler shed
can keep it, providing it can be safely
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fifififififififififififififififi fifififi
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retrieved.
In the spring, bulls, cows and calves
gather in large, placid groups. In some
cases, small clusters ofbachelors, some
fifififififififififififififififififififi
with only one antler, stick together
peacefully, biding their time until fall.
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co-opliving.com
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PHOTOS BY JAMIE WULFEKUHLE-ZAWESKI
http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living May 2022

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