elk in Cataloochee Valley
The small herd of elk inside Great Smoky Mountain National Park seems to be doing well. We traveled to the mountains for the holiday weekend and it was exciting to see the elk. In the past I pretty much stuck with the Cataloochee Valley for observing elk where they were initially released but this time I checked out some additional areas. We located some near the Ocoaluftee Visitor Center outside of Cherokee NC as well as a nice bull off the park and in a private cornfield.
We went to the Cataloochee Valley on Sunday and it was spectacular. The cows are about done dropping calves and so far 15 of them have been captured and collared. The breakdown this year is 8 cows and 7 bulls and thus far they have not lost any to bears. In the past they have captured and moved the bears out of the valley but this is the second year they haven’t done that. The cows have adjusted to the bears and do a better job of hiding the calves.
So if you find yourself in Smoky Mountain National Park take some time to go see the elk.
Cow feeding in the woods of Cataloochee Valley
Bull eating flowers off a tree around an old homesite in Cataloochee Valley
Stop and Smell the flowers
Antlers in the weeds
cow & calf
Bull chowing in corn field
