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Welcome to Benezette, Pennsylvania,

the heart of Elk Country.

Nestled in the Pennsylvania wilds,

this small town is home to
the largest free roaming elk herd

east of the Mississippi River.

Their history and the conservation efforts

that have made this region a
haven for wildlife enthusiasts.

Let us begin our journey in
the lush forest of Pennsylvania,

where the Allegheny Mountains

stretch their green cloak fingers toward the sky.

A majestic creature roams with a presence

as old as the hills, the elk.

Pennsylvania's regal woodland
monarch is a testament

to nature's resilience and
human conservation efforts.

Once upon a time the eastern elk,

a subspecies unique to the region,

wondered freely across the
state's expansive woodlands.

Their bugles echoed through the valleys,

and their antler silhouettes

stood proudly against the horizon.

However, as settlers arrived and the land changed,

the eastern elk faced a dire fate.

By the late 1800s,

the last native elk in Pennsylvania had vanished,

a ghost of the wilderness that once was.

But the story of the
Pennsylvania elk did not end there.

In the early 20th century,

a vision for restoration took root.

The Pennsylvania Game
Commission recognizing the loss

of this magnificent creature

embarked on an ambitious project.

Between 1913 and 1926,

they released 177 Rocky Mountain elk

into the wilds of Pennsylvania.

These transplants adapted,

thrived and multiplied giving rise to a new chapter

in the state's natural history.

Today, over a thousand elk
roam to Pennsylvania wilds,

their numbers at tribute to the success

of one of the most remarkable
wildlife restoration stories

in the northeast.

Visitors from near and far come to witness

these giants of the forest,

to hear their haunting calls

and to feel the pulse of the wild

that beats strong in the heart of Pennsylvania.

The elk of Pennsylvania are more than just animals.

They're symbols of hope of what
can be achieved when we work

with nature rather than against it.

They remind us that even
when something precious is lost,

with care and dedication,

it can be brought back to grace the earth once more.

And so, the elk continue to write their narrative,

one that is intertwined with the very essence

of Pennsylvania's wild spirits.

Elk in Pennsylvania exhibit a
range of fascinating behaviors

that reflect their complex social structures

and adaptability to the environment.

Here are some insights into their behavior.

Rutting season.

During the early fall,

male elk enter the breeding season known as the rut.

This period is marked by captivating displays

of dominance such as bugling, antler wrestling,

and herding groups of females.

The bugle is a unique call
that can be heard from miles

used by mature bulls to attract females

and assert dominance over other males.

Diet.

Classified as herbivores,

elk primarily graze on grasses
and forbs such as Timothy,

alfalfa, clovers,

and other cool and warm season grasses.

Elk are herd animals

and exhibit behaviors that ensure the survival

and wellbeing of the group.

They move together, feed together,

and even protect each other from potential threats.

Elk may migrate seasonally to find food,

moving from higher elevations in the summer

to lower areas in the winter.

Female elk called cows give birth to calves

in the late spring and early summer.

Calves are born with spots
that help camouflage them

from predators.

Bull elk grow and shed their antlers annually.

The antlers, which can be quite large and impressive

are used during the rut to compete for mates.

Understanding these behaviors is essential

for wildlife enthusiasts and conservationists

who visit Pennsylvania's Elk Country,

as it helps ensure that the wild essence

of the elk herd remains for generations to come.

What is the best time to observe elk in Pennsylvania,

you may ask?

Well, the best time to observe elk in Pennsylvania

is during the mornings and evenings.

These are the times when elk are most active.

Additionally, the most popular time of year

for elk viewing is during the rutting season,

which typically begins in September

and carries through October.

During this period, elk are
more active throughout the day,

making it an ideal time for visitors

to witness their fascinating
behaviors and interactions.

For an optimal viewing experience,

you might want to visit Elk Country Visitor Center

in Benezette,

which is a prime location for elk observation.

They suggest that early
morning or the hours before dark

are the best times to see elk.

Remember to keep a safe distance

and respect the wildlife as elk are wild animals

and it's important to observe them

without causing any disturbance.

Pennsylvania elk are fascinating animals.

They use a variety of methods

to communicate with each other.

They use sounds, smells,

and body language to convey different messages

such as mating, warning,
aggression, or social bonding.

Here are some examples of
how they communicate, sounds.

Elk are known for their distinctive vocalizations,

especially during the rutting season.

They produce different types
of calls such as bugles, barks,

chirps, muse, and grunts.

Each call has a specific meaning and function.

For instance, bugles are loud and high-pitched calls

that bulls use to attract cows, challenge rivals,

or announce their presence.

Barks are short and sharp sounds

that elk use to alert others of danger

or to warn off intruders.

Chirps are soft and high-pitched sounds

that cows and calves use to
stay in contact with each other.

Muse are low in nasal sounds

that elk use to express curiosity, contentment,

or submission.

Grunts are low in guttural sounds that bulls use

to show dominance or aggression.

Ultimately, cows have a say in the selection process.

They may choose to mate
with a bull that has won the right

to the harem or seek out other bulls

if they perceive a better genetic match.

The rut is a dynamic and competitive time for elk

with each sex playing a
role in the selection of mates

to ensure the strength and survival of the species.

Bulls that do not win a harem

during the rut season in Pennsylvania

may experience several outcomes.

Bulls without harems often lead solitary lives

or form small bachelor groups with other bulls.

These groups are typically composed of younger

or less dominant males.

They may continue to challenge dominant bulls

in hopes of taking over a harem

or attracting cows form their own group.

Some bulls may wait for an opportunity

when a dominant bull is distracted or weakened

to attempt to take over the harem.

Unsuccessful bulls will often
spend the rest of the year

preparing for the next rut,

improving their strength and
size to increase their chances

of winning a harem in the future.

Without the responsibility of defending a harem,

these bulls can focus on feeding

and avoiding predators,

which may increase their chances of survival.

It's a competitive world for elk during the rut,

and not all bulls will be
successful in winning a harem.

However, they adapt their strategies

and behaviors to maximize
their chances in the future.

Elk migration patterns are a fascinating display

of nature's adaptability.

Elk are typically seasonal migrants

inhabiting mid and upper elevations

from spring through fall,

and then moving to lower
elevations onto winter ranges

to escape snow and bitter cold.

Elk migrations are driven by environmental cues.

They follow these signs to
move from the winter ranges

and valleys to summer ranges
and high mountain plateaus.

The timing and routes of migration

mostly follows seasonal vegetation growth

and changes in snow depth.

After winters with high snowpack,

elk tend to delay their migration.

Conversely, with years in lower snowpack

and earlier vegetation
greenup, elk migrate earlier.

Research combining GPS tracking data

with satellite imagery has
created comprehensive models

of what drives these animals to move.

Immediate environmental
conditions have been found

to be very effective predictors
of when migration occurs.

As climate change reshapes
the weather and environment,

elk have shown the means to
adjust their migratory patterns

to match the new conditions.

This adaptability is crucial for their survival,

but may also have unknown
effects on local ecosystems.

These patterns are essential
for understanding elk behavior

and ensuring their conservation

as they highlight the importance

of preserving migration corridors and habitats

that are critical for their survival.

The restoration of primary
predators like grizzly bears

and wolves,

mean that elk must navigate

through more dangerous
landscapes during their migrations.

The elk is one of the largest animals

in North America.

Seeing a majestic bull elk in the wild

is an extraordinary event and
something you'll never forget.

The fall is mating season,

so the elk tend to congregate in the open meadows

and fields, which is great for wildlife watching.

This time of year,

males have giant antlers being four feet long.

They use them to wrestle rival males.

Bull elks also challenge each other by bugling,

one of the most distinctive sounds in nature.

Their bugling can be heard
for miles throughout the region.

The best time to hear it is early and late in the day.

It may sound like a whole lot of squealing to you,

but it's music to the ears of cow elk.

The females are attracted to
the males that bugle most often

and have the loudest call.

Okay, my name's Doty McDowell.

I'm a wildlife conservation officer

with the Pennsylvania Game Commission,

and we're here at the elk viewing area

on Winslow Hill in Elk County.

We're basically overlooking a food plot

that was put in to attract elk,

and this viewing area was basically created

as more of a people management tool

than wildlife management.

We wanted to provide an area where people could go

and view elk and enjoy the outdoors

with minimal impacts on
the local private landowners.

It's no accident that elk are often

in the meadows beyond usually at dawn and dusk.

This location has the mix of meadows, forests, water,

and isolation from humans that elk need to thrive.

Through the efforts of the
Pennsylvania Game Commission

and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation

and Natural Resources,

along with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

and other conservation and school groups,

this is now excellent elk habitat.

To entice elk from private lands,

meadows of clover, oats, rye, Timothy, wheat,

and buckwheat have been created on public lands

such as this reclaimed strip line.

Elk are native to Pennsylvania.

Depending on what a historical count you read,

the last elk who was native Pennsylvania

was harvested somewhere around 1867

near the town of St. Mary's.

Then in 1913, the Game Commission brought elk back in

and they brought 'em in Rocky Mountain elk,

and they brought 'em from Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

They brought about 177 elk in from 1913 to 1923.

Now, those 177 elk were actually placed

in 10 different counties in
the state of Pennsylvania.

I think it's ironic though that the last stronghold

of those 177 were actually in Elk County.

Elk eat almost
constantly during the summer.

They keep feeding morning, afternoon, evening,

and even in the middle of the night

although they feed more often at dawn and dusk.

They are building up fat

in preparation for the mating season

and then the long winter.

If people had to eat and chew their food

as much as elk do in the summer,

we would have less than 10 free minutes every hour

for other activities.

One elk feeding alone is vulnerable to predators,

but elk feeding in herds are much safer.

At least one animal will have its head up

listening in wobble while others eat.

Elk are even safer when
they're resting and ruminating.

Elk tolerate heat much better than a deer

that often share the same summer habitat.

Deer seek shelter and may
stop feeding during a hot spell,

but elk can sweat more to cool off.

Still, during a hot spell,

they may retreat to north and east slopes

to take shelter among the trees.

They may also stay near water

and sometimes they stand in a stream or pond.

Elk will sometimes wallow
and cover themselves in mud,

which absorbs body heat as it dries

and also protects them from biting insects.

Elk might also head to cooler breezier high country.

Bull elk also carry around air conditioners

that cows don't have, antlers.

Air cools the blood flowing through the velvet,

which then helps to cool the bull's body.

When food is abundant and elk are healthy,

they do what many animals do, they play.

They dash about leaping and kicking,

squealing and calling to each other.

They wriggle,

taking turns to splash through ponds and puddles.

Then as suddenly as they started frolicking,

they quiet down and return to feeding.

I can tell you that we have roughly 100 elk

that have collars on 'em.

Radio transmitting collars that our biologists

are using for various things.

We have some research going on.

We're doing a cast survival study.

So if you see younger animals with a solid green,

looks like an expandable collar,

that's probably what that's for.

And then the adults are gonna have

mainly just this big weather collar on

with a big yellow and black number on the side.

And that number really is just for us to identify

during the elk survey.

In the olden days,

the only way we could identify an animal

during the elk survey was
through a telemetry receiver

to track down what frequency that elk was.

So we've placed these numbering cards

or plaques on the side of their collar,

so we don't need telemetry equipment.

You can just look at the number

and then you can identify which animal it is.

Cows and bulls
often occupy different areas

of their winter range.

Bulls may retreat to high snowy meadows

where the food is adequate,
but not especially nutritious.

A group of cows and calves
may inhabit a south facing slope

that is free of snow and
covered with nutritious grass.

This behavior ensures better survival

for the cows and calves.

When the snow gets too deep,
usually more than one foot,

elk may look for shrubs to
eat or move to forested areas

where they can eat twigs and bark.

Thick stands of trees also shelter the elk

from wind and cold.

Winters with heavy snow
aren't necessarily a problem

for elk.

But if the winter is extremely cold,

has exceptionally deep snow, and lasts a long time,

many elk may die.

Those that survive a severe winter danger

because their fat reserves are depleted,

an adult elk may starve in that lean time

before the new growth of spring begins.

Each spring bulls shed their antlers

and the cycle begins again,

growing as much as an inch a day,

even the largest rack of antlers will be back

to its full glory before fall mating season.

Yeah, the bulls will claim as many as they can.

It's really kind of funny,

early on in the season before the rut really kicks in,

you'll see a smaller bull

and he'll have a whole group of cows

and he'll feel pretty proud of himself.

And then all of a sudden the cows will start

becoming estrus and the bulls pick that up from,

and all of a sudden they'll come in

and they'll kick these little bulls out,

and they'll claim that herd as theirs.

And it's a constant battle.

There isn't a day that goes by

that these bulls don't have to defend their harem

from other bulls.

And sometimes a bull will have
a harem for two or three days

and a bigger bull come in and knock 'em out.

And that's just the way the game.

But it's a constant battle.

And if you really wanna get a good view of bulls

right after the rut's the best time

'cause they're pretty tired,

and you'll find them just kind of laying around

really trying to gain their
energy and feed for the winter.

But it's kinda comical to see them

at the end of a long breeding season

because they are pretty exhausted and fatigued.

Depending on the season,
obviously in the warmer weather,

you're not gonna catch elk out
moving around in the daytime.

The best time to see 'em is the last hour of daylight,

the first hour of daylight.

But I would encourage you that sometimes

just hearing them is exciting as seeing them.

And a lot of folks, as soon as it gets dark,

they just drive off the hill and a lot of fun can be had

even if you just drive up here with the viewing area

and you shut your vehicle off,

and just roll the windows down, listen to 'em bugle.

It can be really amazing sound.

But yeah, I mean,

as the winter gets on and as the weather gets colder,

you'll actually see elk out more during the day too,

because they're actually sitting out in the open

and soaking up the heat of the sun

and trying to keep their energy levels up.

But typically, as long as the weather's not cold,

you'll see 'em in the evenings, in the mornings,

and then pretty much during the day

they'll be laying in a cold spot or out of the sun.

On my visit,

we were traveling the stretch of road

between the two viewing areas

and saw cars parked everywhere.

When we got a little closer,

we saw a huge bull elk
standing in a front eating apples

that had fallen on the ground around the tree,

paying no attention to cameras and the tourists,

the huge elk just kept munching away.

Not any major incidents that I'm aware of.

I hear stories about things that have happened,

but I don't know of any instances

where anybody's been injured or anything like that.

Constantly see people
getting, as far as I'm concerned,

way too close to these animals.

They are wild animals,

but I know up here on Winslow Hill now

this area's never been open to hunting.

This is a closed area.

So these elk are a little different.

They don't really have any natural fear of wildlife

or of humans,

so they probably don't really worry too much about it.

Humans have never posed a threat to 'em,

so they will tolerate.

Please be cautious when viewing the elk.

While these animals appear to be tame,

they are still wild animals

and natural instincts will take over.

Also, be cautious while driving in the area.

When the speed limit sign says 35 miles per hour,

do take key to this warning.

These animals weigh at least 700 pounds

and hitting something this large with your vehicle

will certainly do some major damage.

When visiting areas
like Benezette in Pennsylvania,

where elk are a common site,

it's important to follow specific guidelines

to ensure both your safety
and the wellbeing of the elk.

Maintain a safe distance from any elk you see,

at least 100 feet or more.

Elk are large wild animals and can be unpredictable.

Feeding elk is not only unsafe,

but also illegal in Pennsylvania.

It can alter their natural
foraging behavior and diet.

At places like the Elk Country Visitor Center,

you must stay on the gravel
path behind viewing walls

and may not enter the fields

or wooded areas surrounding the center.

Take use from the elk's body language.

If they seem alerted or stressed

back away and give them space.

Do not stop in the road to view elk,

pull off immediately onto the shoulder,

and do not block traffic.

Never attempt to approach, touch, or feed elk.

Leave your pets at home,

especially dogs as they can
stress and disturb the wildlife.

By following these guidelines,

visitors can enjoy observing
these magnificent creatures

without negatively impacting
their natural behavior

and habitat.

Thank you for joining us on this journey

through Benezette Pennsylvania.