The Kentucky Elk EXPANSION - A RMEF Film

[@Fresh_Tracks]

Thanks for being here. The coolest wildlife reintroduction effort of my lifetime is the Kentucky elk story.

[@MalcLindaBudden]

I am from Dorset England. in 2000 I did a research project with an organization called Earthwatch. They provide researchers with volunteers to assist with their research We were a group of 6 volunteers assisting scientists studying the newly introduced Elk on the reclaimed Strip-mined areas of South East Kentucky. Seeing this video brought back memories, and how the planting has grown. There were no mature trees only small saplings and ground cover plants. I am sure the animals we saw have long gone but the bulls we saw in the film are descendants of the ones I saw all those years ago. Thank you for such a fabulous video.👍🦌

[@Bigbobrob420]

Cant wait to see them thriving throughout the east again in my lifetime!

[@TNOutdoorsFanatic]

As somebody who lives near the area where elk were reintroduced into KY & TN 25 years ago, I can’t hit the like button enough. Never could I have imagined that we would be able to see elk anywhere near here, and now the elk have expanded to the point where they are being seen in areas near our family farm. My kids have seen elk out west before, but the fact that they may one day have elk roaming around on our farm when they are older just hits me in such a strong way. Thanks for sharing and bringing more awareness to the efforts that have been ongoing here for the past couple of decades.

[@hammertime714]

As a 32 year Life Member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and a proud born and raised southern man from Mississippi, this short movie brought tears to my eyes seeing those elk jumping out of that trailer. Well Done once again Elk Foundation. Maybe one day I'll draw that elusive tag for a chance at a Kentucky giant.

[@Kenny-rw6ib]

What exceptional work being done by all involved. Here in Virginia we are having our first season this fall. I would have never imagined ever seeing that in my life...... Great work everyone!

[@justpassinthrough7]

I put in for it as I am still on the bench in KY.

[@jeffcummings5688]

Randy Thank You for Sharing this Reintroduction video and supporting RMEF!

[@joehewitson2000]

What an amazing accomplishment! Thanks RMEF, Randy and everyone who is a member and contributor to RMEF. If your a Hunter there’s no reason not to be a member.

[@masstrapper7645]

How fantastic is that. I can’t state enough how thankful I am to RMEF and it’s partners for all that they do for conservation and wildlife restoration. Hopefully this will inspire more elk populations to spring up in traditional elk strongholds. Thanks to Randy and the team for putting this up. It was great.

[@joehayward2631]

So awesome, i live in Virginia its good they are returning to the east coast

[@supersaiyanwilch]

As a native Kentuckian I am super proud of the work RMEF & KY Fish and Game has done with elk here in the Bluegrass State!

[@jamesbarnes7689]

Awesome video. Live in the east and have hunted elk a handful of times. But this is why I've been a member of RMEF for 25+ years.

[@toddhammer7729]

What an amazing opportunity for the elk and the future hunters of Kentucky. Awesome thing they are doing. Nice to see elk in more places than out here in the west.

[@jeffreyfoster2804]

It is great! I have experienced it first hand.

[@daviddew2749]

Great invention from New Zealand that net gun and the concept of live capture by helicopter.

[@michaeltubbs2493]

Thank you for sharing reinduction of this video!

[@anthonywenger2181]

That was a great top notch video.

[@specializedconstructioncol7797]

Thank You for doing all this Wow

[@ziruk-king4466]

Fantastic

[@YELLOWTA93]

I think the more people watch these videos would help so much for projects and help them get the money and resources they need to keep this up! Great stuff

[@natehayes82]

This was an amazing video

[@billmoran935]

Awesome, thank you for sharing this

[@Wanderlust598]

I own property about thirty minutes out of the Missouri restoration zone. I wish we could have been in the zone. Doubtful Missouri will ever have a herd bigger than 500 but am hoping I'm wrong. Would love to hunt them one day, I heard them bugle in the Bighorns in my tent one year and have been obsessed with trying to get one since then.

[@Elkfever]

Kind of surprised they did hard release vs soft release, but they obviously must know what they are doing.

[@mjones6115mj]

Randy Newberg aka SilverWolf, Presidential Candidate 2024!

[@sirrloin]

Wish we could bring them back here to Iowa...but I feel like the farmer lobby is far too strong. We've already lost most of our native habitat.

[@andrewcastagno1065]

I was fortunate enough to draw a Kentucky non resident elk tag last year and killed the bull of a lifetime. It was probably the coolest hunting experience I'll eve have hunting elk east of the Mississippi. I wrote a story that it featured in huntin fool this month called chasing bluegrass bulls.

[@justpassinthrough7]

Glad you got it done

[@justpassinthrough7]

In 2019 they took 600 out of the herd right before season start and transported them to WI.

[@thistledewoutdoors3331]

I live an hour away from the Clam Lake herd and it's still under a few hundred.... Black River area has over 100 & the state as a whole only reports around 400 elk total...... We definitely need some over here in the Nemadji & Fond Du Lac forest

[@justpassinthrough7]

@@thistledewoutdoors3331 The final shipment of elk will bolster that northern herd; they will be taken to Flambeau River State Forest.

[@mxwm1068]

Our odds of drawing a Kentucky elk tag just got worse lol 🙃

[@bayoubilly6971]

Plz. Relocate some damn elk to calaveras county ca. near the Nevada border. lol

[@taylorburch7761]

As a ky resident. I will probably never be able to hunt an elk in my home state….

[@isaiah3127]

Why

[@taylorburch7761]

@@isaiah3127 just a straight draw and the likelihood in ky to get drawn is so slim even as a resident. I know plenty of guys who have been in the draw since the very first year and still haven’t been drawn.

[@justpassinthrough7]

@@taylorburch7761 I put in for 2 years and got drawn, I am KY resident.

[@HuntDetail]

I’m a KY resident and drew a tag in 2020…

[@HuntFishTn]

Much better chance than a non- resident...600 tags for residents 10 for Non...

[@Greasemonkeypk1]

Elk population in eastern Kentucky is way down. Needs to be closed for at least 3 years

[@TooLucky406]

Whatttt???...you mean no wolves, mountain lion, and black bear to chase down elk and they with thrive even in Kentucky. Is this something Montana and Idaho can also follow suit? 🤔

[@justpassinthrough7]

We have black bear

[@thistledewoutdoors3331]

Bear and Coyotes eat way more of everything - than wolves will ever do....... In Wisconsin/Minnesota Coyotes can easily outnumber wolves 40:1 , bears outnumber wolves 24:1 !!! Have to seen the size of coyotes these days ??? At 1/2 the size of wolves at a 40:1 ratio - That's basically having 20 fullsize wolves !!!!!!! Man don't even make an effort to control the coyote but go balls to the wall for a few hundred wolves (thousand I meant)...... The DNR here is as dumb as a box of rocks. Coyotes are the real invasive species....!... Let's talk bears ,,,, You ever see 300+# black bears ?!? I do, in my driveway all the time or climbing on my cars, or their fat butts trying to hibernate under my house..... Have you seen the shiet of a big ol grizzly looking black bear ?!? It's like the size of a football.... Talk about the #1 fawn killer

[@andrewshepherd6590]

The elk in Kentucky are no where close to 10k in population. If you actual speak to the individuals that are operating the helicopter ( I think they were from New Zealand) and doing the trapping they will estimate the herd at 3000-4500. The greed of fish and wildlife will once again make the elk in Kentucky disappear. 594 tags are being drawn as a lottery saying that number is a good number to sustain a good population. What about the additional land owner permits (which the average joe hunter does not get, should be called money permits) what about the “ commissioners tags” its estimated the number of tags actually out there is around 800. Nothing is being said about all the elk that died due to the stress that was put on the animal while being trapped because there was a large number that did die. If you are lucky enough to get drawn good luck finding a place to hunt that has elk on it. Mostly all the elk stay on regulated tracts that you have to apply for on a second draw. The elk in Kentucky is nothing but a money racket for certain individual. Elk are being moved out of county’s and zones that already have a low population of elk and moving them closer to state lines with VA and TN. Most residence in Kentucky that have put in for years are very frustrated and would rather see the elk gone and disappear and how could you blame them. But you can always buy one of those commissioners tags or land owner tags for 15-25k.

[@wclj1]

I don't have a lot of money I applied like everyone else did,and got drawn for a bull tag starting this Saturday and I hope and pray I get one,thanks for all the elk federation does and kfwl,