The Lords of the Forest
Pennsylvania Elk Herd
Benezette PA
2018

http://elkcountryvisitorcenter.com/

https://stmaryschamber.org/area-information/outdoor-recreation/the-pennsylvania-elk-herd/

Once hunted to extinction, these mighty, majestic animals have made a comeback and are once again “the Lords of the Forest”. The St. Marys Area is proud and honored to be home to the PA elk herd, and we invite you to discover them for yourself!

Today’s elk population in Pennsylvania probably numbers slightly more than 500. Though hunting, logging, and the encroachments of civilization exterminated the state’s native elk population in the late 1800s, continuing efforts by concerned people and the elks’ own ability to adapt to changing environments have once again made this majestic animal part of the Pennsylvania landscape.

How were elk reintroduced in Pennsylvania?
In 1913 fifty elk were brought from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and released in Clearfield and Clinton Counties. Subsequent plantings in other northern counties raised the number of stocked elk to 177. Unfortunately, the scarcity of suitable range and illegal slaughter kept the population low through the 1950s, when the state’s elk population numbered less than 50.
In recent years, however, the elk population has adapted to living in relative proximity to humans and their numbers have risen. As the elk population grew, Pennsylvania’s elk herd gained both fame and visibility throughout the state.

Where are the elk?
The general elk range could be roughly defined as the rectangular area in Elk and Cameron Counties bounded on the south by Route 555 between Driftwood and Medix Run, on the west by Route 255 between Weedville and St. Marys, on the north by Route 120 between St. Marys and Emporium, and on the east by Route 120 between Emporium and Driftwood.