Elk: A Wild Voice Returns to the Smoky Mountains

Imagine standing in a quiet mountain valley just before sunset. A strange cry drifts out of the woods. It begins as a deep roar, rises into a high whistle, and ends with several rough grunts.

Could it be a bird? A wolf? Some mysterious mountain creature…?

Nope, it’s a bull elk, and that wild sound is one of the most thrilling calls you can hear in Western North Carolina.

Elk once roamed across much of North Carolina. Long before we built our highways and towns, they grazed in mountain meadows and moved through our forests. Sadly, hunting and habitat loss drove them from North Carolina by about 1800.

For nearly two centuries, North Carolina’s mountains were missing one of their most majestic native animals. Then, in 2001 and 2002, the National Park Service reintroduced 52 elk into Cataloochee Valley in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Biologists hoped they would survive, but no one knew what would happen.

The elk did more than survive. They made themselves at home, raised calves, and slowly spread into other parts of the mountains. Today, you can see over 200 elk around Cataloochee, Cherokee, and Maggie Valley.

And these aren’t simply oversized deer. Elk are the largest wild animals in North Carolina, even bigger than black bears. A full-grown bull can weigh more than 700 pounds. Females, called cows, are smaller but still weigh several hundred pounds.

One of the most amazing things about elk is their antlers. Each year, males shed their antlers and grow a completely new set. Even crazier, these antlers can grow almost an inch a day, making them the fastest-growing bone in the world. Imagine growing that much bone while eating grass, leaves, bark, and acorns!

At first, the antlers are covered in a soft skin called velvet, which carries blood and nutrients to the growing bone. By fall, the antlers have hardened, and the bull rubs the velvet off against trees and bushes. Why? Because it gets itchy. Well, that makes sense.

So what happens to the discarded antlers? While most states allow legal antler collection under certain circumstances, it's better to leave them for other animals. Antlers are rich in calcium, protein, and minerals, and rodents, foxes, opossums, and even bears love them.

Fall is when elk really put on a show. Their mating season, called the rut, usually runs from early September through late October. Bulls bugle to attract cows and warn other bulls. Two bulls may lock antlers to decide who is in charge.

Their conversations don’t end there. Elk also bark, squeal, grunt, and make quiet sounds to one another. Because newborn calves have almost no scent, predators find them harder to detect while they hide in tall grass, but it also makes them harder for Mom to locate in a big herd. Mothers and calves learn each other’s voices, which helps them reunite when separated.

Most of the year, elk segregate themselves by sex. Females form a herd, while males form bachelor herds or go it alone. In the fall, bulls join the female herd for mating, but only for a few weeks.

So where can you see elk? One of the best places is Cataloochee Valley in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Elk often graze in its open fields early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Another good choice is the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, where you can sometimes see them nearby.

Seeing elk can be unforgettable, but be sure to give them plenty of space. Bulls can be unpredictable in fall, and mothers fiercely protect their calves in spring.

The elk’s return is one of the Southern Appalachians’ best wildlife success stories. After nearly 200 silent years, their bugles are echoing through Western North Carolina once again. What a wonderful second chance for something so wild.