Welcome to Support PA Elk!

News From The PA Wilds

2012-02-10T20:27:00.000-05:00

Dr. Walter Cottrell To Discuss Hazards Of Illegal Elk Feeding

According to PGC News Release #001-12: Dr. Walter Cottrell, Pennsylvania Game Commission wildlife veterinarian, will discuss the harmful effects of winter feeding of elk at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Elk Country Visitor’s Center at 134 Homestead Dr., in Benezette Township, Elk County.

Elk At Feeder

This is actually part of a prolonged and intense campaign against the artificial feeding of most wildlife, especially deer and elk. As usual there are several sides to this story and the subject was explored in some depth on this blog in the post: "Elk and People Issues With Elk, on July 29, 2010. I plan to explore more aspects of this important issue in the near future.

Paul Staniszewski Featured Artist

According to a Press Release by the Elk County Council on the Arts sent to us by Paul Staniszewski, "a solo art exhibition is being planned at the gallery on Saturday, February 18th from 10:00AM until 5:00PM to coincide with the 13th Annual Ridgway Chainsaw Carvers Rendezvous. The featured artist for the month of February is Paul Staniszewski and he will be available to meet and greet visitors to the gallery on that day. Paul currently resides in Troutville, PA and spends a lot of time roaming the hills around Benezette looking for elk to photograph. His work will be on display and he will discuss the equipment, techniques employed, and share tips on how to successfully approach and photograph the elk."

Ron "Buckwheat" Saffer and Paul Staniszewski Photographing Elk

The ECCOTA Gallery is located at 237 Main St. Ridgway, PA.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

PA Governor's Conservation Elk Tag: A Brief History

2012-01-23T13:36:00.000-05:00

Pennsylvania has one special elk license, which is issued each year in addition to the normal allocation of tags. Some refer to this as a "Governor's Conservation Tag", while others refer to it as a "Special Conservation Tag" or some combination of these phrasings.

Special Conservation Tags Are For Bulls Only

A brief synopsis of how this special license came to be may be found in Pennsylvania Game Commission News Release #017-09, which states as follows:

"In 2001, a recommendation to provide one special elk license for wildlife conservation organizations to auction was originally included in the Game Commission Elk Hunt Advisory Committee Report as one of the concepts for promoting elk hunting. However, the recommendation was set aside at that time because it was determined that legislative authority was necessary to do so.

Rep. Marc J. Gergely (D-Allegheny) introduced House Bill 747 to grant the Game Commission authority to provide one antlered elk license to a wildlife conservation organization to auction. Of the auction proceeds, up to 20 percent may be retained by the wildlife conservation organization and the rest turned over to the Game Commission for elk management. Signed into law on Oct. 9, Act 101 of 2008 (previously House Bill 747) was unanimously approved by the House and Senate."
(Source PGC News Release #017-09)

Act 101 of 2008 states, "the auction will be open to residents and non-residents of the Commonwealth".

The first conservation tag was awarded to the National Wild Turkey Federation and sold for $28,000 at its' national convention in Nashville, Tennessee, in February of 2009. The successful bidder was Jim Nyce, of Green Lane, Montgomery County, who took a 6x6 bull on Oct. 14, in Benezette Township, Elk County. The decision to award the tag to the NWTF caused a great deal of controversy at the time as many thought that The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation would be a more appropriate organization to auction an elk tag and many were disappointed as they expected the tag to sell for much more.

The tag was awarded to the RMEF in 2010, which auctioned the tag off for $35,000 to another Pennsylvania resident Bob Ehle of Orefield. Ehle harvested a 5x6 on Oct. 7, in Shippen Township, in Cameron County.(source PGC News Release 120-10) This prompted prominent outdoor writer Bob Frye of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review to write an article, "Pennsylvania elk herd among nations finest, but for how long?", which is well worth reading. Mr Frye reports that the Boone and Crockett Club ranked Pennsylvania in the top 10 trophy bull producing states of the decade, but goes on to ask,can it sustain that ” and keep hunters' interest high” when the herd numbers fewer than 700 animals?" This article in turn was featured in an October 05, 2010 post on Field and Stream Blogs, "Pennsylvania Hunters Pay Big Money for Chance at Trophy Elk" By Chad Love, which links to Mr. Frye's article and is followed by reader comments, which encompass a range of reactions, which we will explore in the near future.

In 2011, Michael McGinnis of Lyndhurst, Virginia became the first non-resident to obtain the conservation tag. According to PGC Release #126-11 November 08, 2011, "Roe(PGC Executive Director Carl Roe) also noted that Michael McGinnis, of Lyndhurst, Virginia, who was the successful bidder for the Elk Conservation Tag, harvested an antlered elk. McGinnis harvested a 7x9 on Oct. 19, in Jay Township, in Elk County. McGinnis purchased the Conservation Elk Tag during the Safari Club International’s national conference in early 2011, and was able to hunt from Sept. 1-Nov. 5. Under the state law that created the Elk Conservation Tag, of the $29,000 that McGinnis bid for the tag, $23,200 will go to the Game Commission’s Game Fund and $5,800 will be retained by Safari Club International.

In 2012 the tag will be auctioned by the Wild Sheep Foundation at their upcoming Expo in Hunt Valley, Maryland in February. ACT 2008-101 has a sunset provision and the Governor's Conservation Tag will expire on July 1, 2013 unless renewed. Watch for a future post explaining some of the pros and cons of this concept.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

Paul Staniszewski Featured Friday On VisitPA Facebook Page

2012-01-14T12:20:00.000-05:00

Paul Staniszewski, who is a frequent contributor to this blog e-mailed me to let us know that VisitPA has a facebook presence and that they featured one of his elk photographs on "Fab Friday Fan Foto" The photo is also posted below with Paul's permission.

Those who have a facebook account are encouraged to see the post on the VisitPA facebook page. Be sure to follow the links for information on The Elk Country Visitor Center.

Winter is an excellent time to visit Elk Country, especially when there is snow cover,as it can make for exciting photo opportunities. I especially like to film elk in the falling snow as it is easy to capture the falling snow flakes on video, and the snow creates a wild, dramatic backdrop against which to photograph wildlife.
Snow does not show up as well in still as in video in many cases, such as in the photo below of a young bull on the weekend before the 2011 elk season.

Bull Elk During Snowstorm

There was a moderate snow coming down, and while the flakes do show up in the still photograph, they are much more noticeable in video taken at the same time.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

Looking Back

2012-01-05T20:25:00.000-05:00

Note: While the following post deals with the Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer Blog, it is posted here as it is pertinent to the Pennsylvania elk herd.

This blog was originally developed as a venue to present my wildlife photography and videos to the public, with a special emphasis on Pennsylvania's elk herd. The first post was made on October 1, 2007. It was titled "The Shedding Of The Velvet" and featured four photos of whitetail bucks. Since that time, a variety of wildlife species have been covered, but I would assume that elk and deer have been the most discussed species by far.

Elk Have Been A Major Focus Of Blog Since The Beginning

The launching of the blog also coincided with the beginning of serious post-production work on "The Truth About Pennsylvania's Elk Herd", which was released in September of 2008. "The Truth" is a 2 hour 42 minute film that deals briefly with the overall history of Pennsylvania Elk, goes into an in depth history of the herd from 1995 until 2008, covers the life cycle of the elk with a special emphasis on the rut, and concludes with a look at elk management issues.

The film differs from most mainstream press coverage of Pennsylvania elk and from other films on the subject in that it takes at critical look at Pennsylvania's elk management policy. The concept for the film actually began years ago when I was an employee of the PGC Food And Cover Corps, and Deputy Wildlife Conservation Officer. At that time Billie Cromwell was a Food And Cover Corps foreman and as such was my supervisor. On his own time, Billie shot video footage of the elk herd, which he then turned over to PGC videographer, Hal Korber, who incorporated a great deal of it in The Pennsylvania Game Commission video, "Pennsylvania Elk: Reclaiming The Alleghenies". Billie had been going to elk country since the 1980s and had been around the elk a lot. He was an avid hunter and shooter, but soon recognized that the elk herd was something special and as such he was the first one who exposed me to the view that the elk were "best utilized as a viewable resource" I must add that this was and is a commonly held view among many who are part of the "elk culture" on Winslow Hill. Most of these people are, or were, avid hunters who recognize the need to control the elk population at some point, but based on the PGC's past track record, and some of the statements we were hearing and reading, it was easy to be alarmed at what direction an elk hunt might take.

Billie Cromwell With Canon L2 Filming Near Saddle, Sept. 1998: video still capture Canon L2 by W.Hill

Fulton County Deputy Wildlife Conservation Officer, Andy Carbaugh was gracious enough to take me to Elk County on President's Day in 1995, and I returned for a day trip that August and then spent 4-5 days during the last week of September that year recording the rut. This marked the beginning of years of collecting video footage of the elk herd and my experiences with the elk served to convince me that Billie was right in his thoughts about the elk herd. Along with this came the desire to make a film, which would not only enable me to share many of the unique experiences I captured, but to present a different point of view to the public than that which was officially promoted.

This became possible when I retired from the agency in 2007 and was free to express my personal viewpoints in both writing and film. Billie and well known elk photographer, Ron "Buckwheat" Saffer, both gave me tremendous aid in preparing the script for the film, contributing video footage and still photographs, and providing support and inspiration along the way.

At a meeting shortly before "The Truth About Pennsylvania's Elk Herd" was released, Billie and others were reminiscing about the making of the PGC video and Billie remarked that had he known how that "Reclaiming the Alleghenies" would be used to advance the agenda for an elk hunt, and even tourism to the extent that it was, that he would not have participated in the project. He was especially bitter that his name was mentioned only once in the closing credits of the film and he believed that some did not even want it listed there. It was not listed anywhere on the jacket of the video, although the name of every other person involved to a major extent was listed, along with credit for what they did, and Billie was involved to a major extent as a significant portion of the rut footage was filmed by him.

A major concern that began when talk of a hunt first surfaced and continues to this day is that restraint would go out the window once the hunt started, with larger and larger license allocations and an undue focus on shooting the large acclimated bulls.

The point of all of this is that the blog has always been issue driven to a certain extent. During the past year I have moved it more in that direction and hope to continue to pursue this course. I do plan to continue writing about the natural history of wildlife, and photography/video equipment and techniques also.

In addition I wish to thank everyone who purchased the film, or supported the blog. I have met many of you in elk country as a result and truly appreciate your support.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

Another Winslow Hill Favorite Killed In 2011 Hunt

2011-12-13T19:53:00.002-05:00

Wildlife Artist and photographer David Anderson alerted members of the elk watching/photography community some time ago about the death of another favorite bull. This was an impressive 7x8 bull that thrilled thousands of tourists during the rut on Winslow Hill. Many if not most of the bulls leave Winslow Hill after the rut and this bull was not killed on Winslow Hill, but in nearby Jay Township, Elk County. Anderson had been working on a painting of this particular animal.

7x8 Rests With Harem Near Large Number Of Tourists Along Dewey Road

I concentrated on filming the rut this year, and my still photography suffered greatly as I was usually running a video camera during my best elk encounters. As a result, most of the photographs I am posting today are still captures from the Canon XL-H1 video camera. The following is one of the most dramatic frame captures I was able to find from the HD video.

7x8 Pauses To Pant On Winslow Hill

Saturday evening, September 24th found The Saddle filled with elk and elk watchers. I was on a favorite pond bank with the XL-H1, recording the activity. Two large bulls came from the woods and passed by where I was standing. Both were exceptional, but one had a broken beam. The other was the 7x8. The following photo was taken at that time and shows how the bull looked from a side view.


7x8 Passes By Pond Bank

The bulls continued past the pond and into a clover strip along the road through the saddle, where they joined a large herd of cows and smaller bulls.

7x8 With Harem Near Elk Watchers

This elk was not among the wildest that I have seen, but neither was he the most acclimated to humans. Depending on the circumstances he seemed to have a 40-75 yard tolerance range. I never actually saw him bolt from humans, but did see him move slowly away when persons got inside his comfort zone.

With the loss of this bull and another one known as "Ear Hook", the two largest bulls commonly seen on Winslow Hill this fall are gone.

Anderson notes that he intends to complete the painting after the Holidays.

Originally Posted At Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

Pennsylvania Elk Season 2011-Part 3 Results, End Of 1st Week

2011-11-11T20:53:00.001-05:00

Elk Near Gilbert Viewing Area, Winslow Hill Hunt Zone 2 First Morning Of Season

By the end of the first week of Pennsylvania elk season on November 5th, 2011, 19 bull elk had been killed along with 34 antlerless--this from an allocation of 18 antlered tags and 38 antlerless, leaving only 4 antlerless tags to be filled during the extended elk season, which began on Monday and ends at close of shooting hours on Saturday November 12th. This season is open only to persons with unfilled tags and in the area of the state which is outside of the official Elk Management Area. It is designed to direct pressure at the elk that have spread into areas where the PGC does not want the animals.

You might ask, how can there be 19 bulls legally killed when there is only an 18 bull tag allocation. The extra bull is the Governors Conservation Tag, which is auctioned off each year to the highest bidder. We plan to discuss this in more detail in the near future (there are some details in PGC news release below).

The results of the hunt tends to reinforce the position that most Pennsylvania elk are not "as wild as any", as many try to claim. Historically, the success rate on bulls has been very high--usually in the 90%--100% range and this year was no exception. This is not to deny that there may be a lot of hard work involved in the logistics of a hunt, both during preparation, and dealing with the harvested animal, but in many cases there is no difficult "hunting story" to tell, although there may be some hunts that are challenging, especially in the more remote areas.

Bull Elk No Hunt Zone Gilbert Viewing Area -A Survivor Of Monday's Harvest In The Saddle

Below is the official PGC news release, which may be found by visiting the PGC website. To view the official document: Click Here.

November 08, 2011
Release #126-11 (Source The Pennsylvania Game Commission)

HUNTERS HARVEST 53 ELK IN 2011
HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe today announced that 53 of the 57 licensed elk hunters were successful during the 2011 elk seasons. Of that total, 19 were antlered elk and 34 were antlerless elk.

"Elk are one of North America’s premier big game animals," Roe said. "Pennsylvania is privileged to offer this unique hunting opportunity, a product of successful wildlife management that supports Pennsylvania’s rich hunting heritage. It’s an unparalleled experience for hunters, without all the travel and expense of a one- or two-week guided elk hunt out West."

The heaviest antlered elk was taken by William G. Zee, of Doylestown, Bucks County. He took a 930-pound (estimated live weight), 9x8 on Nov. 1, in Goshen Township, Clearfield County. It’s unofficial Boone & Crockett green score was 426 and five-eighths inches. If this score holds up after the required 60-day drying time, it would be ranked second on Pennsylvania’s Big Game Records for non-typical elk.

Other high-scoring antlered elk (all estimated live weights) were: Jesse M. Heiple, of Somerset, Somerset County, took a 772-pound, 8x7 on Nov. 1, in Jay Township, Elk County, which green-scored at 399 and three-eighths inches; Ken Kastely, of Carroll, Ohio, took a 780-pound, 9x9 on Nov. 1, in Covington Township, Clearfield County, which green-scored at 386 and five-eighths inches; and Calvin E. Wallace, of Kylertown, Clearfield County, took a 711-pound, 6x7 on Oct. 31, in Jay Township, Elk County.

The heaviest antlerless elk was taken by Garry L. Foreman, of Hershey, Dauphin County, who harvested a 601-pound (estimated live weight) antlerless elk on Nov. 5, in Jay Township, Elk County.

Those hunters rounding out the top five heaviest (all estimated live weights) antlerless elk harvested were: Daniel W. Saulter, of Coudersport, Potter County, who took a 594-pound antlerless elk on Nov. 3, in Jay Township, Elk County; Gregory Collins, of Clearfield, Clearfield County, who took a 579-pound antlerless elk on Nov. 2, in Goshen Township, Clearfield County; David Grata, of Johnstown, Cambria County, who took a 546-pound antlerless elk on Nov. 1, in Goshen Township, Clearfield County; and Joshua Brubaker, of Edinboro, Erie County, who took a 517-pound antlerless elk on Oct. 31, in Benezette Township, Elk County.

Agency biologists extracted samples needed for chronic wasting disease testing. Results are expected in early 2012.

Roe also noted that Michael McGinnis, of Lyndhurst, Virginia, who was the successful bidder for the Elk Conservation Tag, harvested an antlered elk. McGinnis harvested a 7x9 on Oct. 19, in Jay Township, in Elk County. McGinnis purchased the Conservation Elk Tag during the Safari Club International’s national conference in early 2011, and was able to hunt from Sept. 1-Nov. 5.

Under the state law that created the Elk Conservation Tag, of the $29,000 that McGinnis bid for the tag, $23,200 will go to the Game Commission’s Game Fund and $5,800 will be retained by Safari Club International.

Pennsylvania Elk Season 2011-Part 2 Results as Of Noon Thursday

2011-11-04T21:05:00.000-04:00

Bull Harvested In Saddle Monday Morning

As promised we will soon get to the elk season statistics as of noon on Thursday, but first a bit of information about the bull harvested in the saddle on Monday. He was captured as a calf in Bear Hollow, fitted with numbered ear tags, and released. He was 41/2 years this fall.

The check station was very quiet when I stopped by slightly before noon on Thursday while headed back home. This was in marked contrast to the day before when several bulls were brought in to the checked.between 10:00 a.m. and noon.

Elk Check Station

At noon Thursday there were 3 bull tags and 16 cow tags that had not yet been filled out of a total allocation of 56. The following is a breakdown of some of the more pertinent statistics:

	Allocation		Harvested
Hunt Zone	Bulls	Cows	Bulls	Cows
1	Open	Open
2	4	12	2	10
3	1	2	1	1
4	1	1	1	1
5	Closed	Closed
6	Closed	Closed
7	4	6	1	2
8	4	6	0	4
9	2	9	2	4
10	2	2	2	0
11-Open Zone			6
Total	18	38	15	22

Explanation: Hunt Zone 1 has no specified allocation, but is part of the open zone. The open Zone is also called Zone 11 and is a portion of the Elk Management Area as defined on page 88 of the 2011-12 Hunting and Trapping Digest issued with hunting licenses by the PGC. The closed area is the portion of the Elk Management Area also described on the same page where elk hunting is not permitted this year. I do not think the bull killed by the holder of The Governor's Conservation Tag is included on this chart. If not 3 bulls were shot in Zone 2, but this bull was recovered in Zone 10.

It is my understanding that hunters are required to hunt in the Hunt Zone for which they are drawn, with the exception that they may choose to hunt in the open zone instead if they so desire. It is interesting to note that 6 bulls were harvested in the open zone, which has to mean that the hunters were originally given another hunt zone but chose not to hunt there. Surprisingly Zone 2 had yielded only 1/2 of its' bull allocation, while Zone 8 had none killed. and Zone 7 had 1 of its' 4 tags unfilled. It would be interesting to know what zones the hunters who harvested bulls in the Open Zone were originally chosen for, but I did not think to check and see if this information was available at the time.

Based on statistics from past years, I would venture to predict that it is likely that most if not all of the bull tags will be filled, but it is very likely that some of the cow tags will not. According to Page 86 of the Digest there is an extended season from November 7-12, where those with unfilled tags may hunt for a bull or cow depending on the type of license issued to them, but only in areas outside of the Elk Management Area, which are areas where the PGC does not want an elk herd to become established.

Now for a few more statistics. The bulls fitted with numbered collars are listed by bull number and number of points, others by points only. NT means non-typical, while T means typical.

Largest Bulls

Bull 89 (8x9) -, Zone 9 Clearfield County: NT- Gross 440, Final 426 5/8

8x7- Zone 9 Clearfield County: NT Gross 405 6/8, Final 399 3/8

Bull 3B (8x7) Zone 7: T Gross 409, Final 333 5/8.

9x9-Zone 11 (Open Zone) Gross 409 1/8, Final 386 5/8.

The above information about the largest bulls is taken from my hastily scribbled notes and I hope that it is accurate. I am not sure if the 9x9 listed last is typical or non-typical.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

Pennsylvania Elk Season 2011-Part 1

2011-11-04T12:56:00.000-04:00

I was in Pennsylvania Elk Country from last Friday afternoon until noon on Thursday, observing and recording events leading up to elk season, and of course the first 3 1/2 days of season. I spent much of my time at the major viewing area on Dewey Road, which is also the only viewing area on Winslow Hill where elk are frequently harvested within plain view of the general public. This was a hot-bed of elk activity, with a large herd usually visible on the far hillside, which many know as "The Saddle". I never paused to count the elk, but heard others talk about seeing 100 animals in the area, which seems to be a good ball park figure.

I saw several bulls on the hill throughout the period, most of which were distinctively 2nd or 3rd tier bulls. I did film a very respectable bull on Friday evening, but did not see him again. There were two or more 6x6 bulls that looked much alike, making it hard to differentiate between them. Saturday brought snow and excellent encounters with these animals. One of the bulls was to figure largely in the events of Monday morning.

6x6 In Snow-Likely The Bull Harvested On The First Day

Many of the elk in the saddle, including several bulls, moved into the no hunt zone after feeding on Sunday morning, but in late evening they started working back toward the saddle and for a time elk viewing and photography was excellent along Dewey Road, but it seemed likely that by dawn most of this herd would rejoin the animals that had remained in The Saddle.

6x6 At Gilbert Viewing Area On Sunday Evening

My brother, Coy Hill of Country Captures arrived early Monday morning and 6:00 a.m. found us at the parking area at the end of Dewey Road. A few vehicles were already parked in the lot and soon more arrived, with some towing horse trailers. For a time the parking lot was a bustling bee hive of activity. Elk County WCO Doty McDowell arrived before dawn and paused to discuss the situation. With 12 cow tags and 4 bull tags being issued for Zone 2, there was the potential for severe problems at this spot, but I was hopeful that a worse case scenario would not occur, as I had only seen guides from two different outfitters during the weekend, but this did not rule out that several tag holders operating on their own could appear.

I am sure that most readers have already read Coy's accounting of the first day's happenings, but if not go to Country Captures to read the details.

At this point I will continue with the assumption that you have read his posting and will comment a bit on the situation.

The fears of a massacre proved to be unfounded for a number of reasons, one being that as best as I can tell only two outfitters were in the saddle and there were no independent tag holders. The outfitter that harvested the bull also had a client with a cow license. Both animals were killed in the same time frame, with the first shot fired at the bull being the signal for the client with the cow tag to fire. Each clients was escorted by an individual guide, who appeared to maintain tight control over the situation and ensured that all went smoothly.

The person that harvested the cow later in the morning was guided by a different outfitter who also appeared to operate in a very circumspect and discrete manner, and it must be emphasized that the two groups of outfitters respected each others' operations and did not interact in a competitive manner

At no time during the weekend did I approach anyone with an elk tag or a guide and bring up the subject of hunting the elk on Winslow Hill, or even discuss elk hunting in general, but two guides did initiate discussion on the subject with me. Each had a somewhat different outlook on the situation. (I must emphasize that everyone I encountered that guided or was associated with the guides/outfitters was courteous and respectful).

One guide was especially concerned about the prospects for a "massacre" on Winslow Hill and felt that the tame elk on Winslow Hill should not be hunted--at least on the hillside that is in plain view of the Gilbert viewing area and Winslow Hill Road. It is my understanding that this guide did have Zone 2 tag holders, but placed them in other areas of Zone 2 and not near the viewing areas.

A guide who did participate in Monday,s happenings in The Saddle had a somewhat different take on the situation. He stated up-front that he mostly agreed with what I have written and said about the situation in that area, but that if he didn't guide there someone else would, and since they had clients with Zone 2 tags and the saddle was in the hunt zone, then he would guide them there. He also made the point that even though we could disagree on details that we could still get along. I wholeheartedly agree with this, and his party and I encountered each other several times throughout elk season, and maintained a cordial relationship.

I must emphasize again that the problem is not in most cases with the hunters and guides, or the PGC employees, but with the policy that permits this to occur. There is no use to rehash the entire issue at this point. If you are a newcomer to the blog, read through the archives or view "The Truth About Pennsylvania's Elk Herd" and read and watch with an open mind. Do not jump to the knee-jerk reaction of a few that this is anti-hunting propaganda. It has been plainly stated quite often that we are discussing ideas that can result in a win-win situation for both the consumptive and non-consumptive user.

Elk Season Results for Monday through mid-day Thursday to be posted soon.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

2011 Pennsylvania Elk Season Nears

2011-10-28T06:21:00.000-04:00

Foggy Morning Bull

As I write this, in only three more mornings the 2011 Pennsylvania elk season will be upon us. With the Winslow Hill sub-herd being larger than ever, we are entering season with ten bulls and twenty cows slated to be taken from Elk Hunt Zones 2,8, 10. I concentrate on the figures from these zones as it seems likely that a high percentage of the elk seen on Winslow Hill come from these areas--especially the bulls (cows are more likely to remain in their home range, while bulls will range further-especially during the rut.. The allocation was not increased in Zone 10 this year, but it was doubled for bulls in Zones 2, and 8. The cow allocation for Zone 2 was doubled for 2011, while it remains the same for Zones 8, and 10.

Bull Pauses From Chasing Cows

Most will agree that there were a lot of elk on Winslow Hill during the rut, and many of them were impressive bulls, although upon close inspection it turns out that most of these ranged from 6x6s to 7x8s. I personally did not see one of the massive, branch antlered bulls such as the bull from the late 1990s and early 2000s known as "Old One Eye", or "One Eyed Frank", or "Fred" the famous town bull at his peak. That being said, a classically beautiful 7x8 that was seen each day during my two weeks in elk country, is very good indeed. An experienced guide estimated that he is in the 400 class and predicted that he will be killed this year.

"One Eye" 1999: Video still capture- Canon L2 Hi-8 Camcorder

Many of the bulls should have left the hill by now and returned to the areas where they normally live, which for a great many of them this is the Gray Hill and Spring Run areas. Two of the largest bulls taken last year were shot in Spring Run--a 7x7 that is currently the state record typical bull, and the Crazy Legs, Jr. bull, which is why I focus on these Hunt Zones in expressing concerns about the allocations. Perhaps the best chance for a bull's survival is if he spends the season inside someone's safety zone, or on posted property where the owner will not allow access for elk hunting.

At first glance, the ten bull allocation for these areas may not seem excessive when one considers the number of bulls seen overall, but the problem is that attention will be focused on the largest and the removal of ten large bulls from this area could severely impact the quality of bull sighted in the years to come. In actual practice it is likely that not all hunters will hold out for a big bull. To some a 5x5 in their sights is simply too much to pass up--especially after hunting for a day or so, but it does seem likely that most of the bull tags will be filled, as the success rate on Pennsylvania bulls usually runs in the 90%-100% range.

But so much for speculation, the allocations for this year are written in stone, the hunters have their permits and are ready to go, and the elk that will be hunted are there. In a few short days the drama will unfold and whatever will be,will be.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

Pennsylvania Elk Rut : Paul Staniszewski's Elk Viewing Guide

2011-10-23T11:25:00.000-04:00

Mature Bull Guards Harem From Challengers

I photographed this fine bull on the first evening of my trip to Pennsylvania elk country to photograph and film the 2011 rut. I carried three telephoto lenses that evening--the 28-135mm, 70-200mm f2.8, and the 300mm f2.8. The 70-200mm would have worked fine to photograph the entire bull, but the area where he was standing did not make the best setting for an elk portrait. I used the 300mm f2.8 to isolate him against the nearby woods, and further improved the composition by cropping the image in photo shop.

It seems that interest in serious elk photography is increasing each year and Paul Staniszewski has written a "Guide to Photographing Elk in Pennsylvania", which you may access my visiting his website, or by clicking the link in the sidebar of this blog.. The guide features an overview of elk photograph, along with tips on photographic equipment and techniques, the best times to look for elk, and location of the public elk viewing areas. Be sure to browse Paul's website and stop by the Elk Country Visitors Center to check out his selection of floral note-cards and wildlife photographs, which are for sale in the gift shop.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

"Limpy" The Bull That Roars: A Close Look At A Mature Pennsylvania Bull

2011-10-08T17:50:00.004-04:00

7x7 known as "Limpy" Roars

It was one of those perfect evenings on Winslow Hill during the rut of 2009 as several small and medium sized bulls ranged a meadow in pursuit of cows. As the sun dropped low on the western horizon the air was tinged with a pleasant coolness, which hinted of cold frosty nights to come. For a time many other photographers and elk watchers enjoyed the evening, but they left as the sun dropped below the horizon and I found myself alone with the elk. I had almost decided to leave too, but there was a lot of bugling coming from the edge of the woods nearby and I decided to get into a better position to record audio of this spine tingling serenade. As I drifted through the meadow I reflected on what a perfect evening it had been with the exception that I had seen no mature bulls. I had just placed the Canon XL-H1 video camera in position to record the audio when suddenly several bulls came out of the tree line nearby following cows, which passed to my right side and circled to the hillside behind me with the bulls close behind. All the while, the air was rent with screaming bugles. Some of the bulls were raghorns, but others were large, mature bulls and at one point two bulls locked antlers in a violent but brief scuffle. I had been not been aware of the mature bulls as individual animals before this, but all were to loom large in my elk experiences during the next few years.

Mature Bull Bugles While Others Lock Antlers

One of these animals was the bull featured in the first photo above I was to encounter him again at The Gilbert on December 23, 2009, which was a bright, but bitter cold winter day. He and several smaller bulls spent the entire day there with a large herd of cows, basking in the bright sunlight in areas that were protected from the winds.

7x7 At Gilbert: December 23, 2009

I was to see him again during the rut of 2010 when he spent a lot of time lying near the rental house at the Donnie Dudley rental house on Winslow Hill. He walked with a pronounced limp and soon acquired the soubriquet of "Limpy". Eventually he moved to The Saddle area and figured prominently in the encounter, which I and my brother Coy of Country Captures and retired PGC Deputy Wildlife Conservation Officer, had with the holder of The Governor's Conservation Elk Tag and his guide on the morning of September 29th. See , An Unpleasant Encounter In Pennsylvania Elk Country, which was originally posted on October 10, 2010.

7x7 Bull "Limpy" September 29th 2010 Before Encounter: Video Still Canon XL-H1 W.Hill

This is one of those bulls that is very impressive indeed, but seems to have grown little if any larger since 2009. He is also noted for his deep, throaty, rumbling bugle, which could be described as a roar. It is one of the most impressive bugles I have heard!

While one should always respect these animals and not infringe on their personal space, this bull is completely acclimated to humans and is very trusting of them. He is living proof that many Pennsylvania elk are not "as wild as any" as is often claimed. Hopefully he will not be killed during the coming season, but if he is, it will be interesting to see how those involved try to spin this into an exciting, challenging, hunting adventure.

7x7 Lying In Woods Near Harem

A seasoned outdoorsman who has photographed elk all over the United States, and hunted them in one of the western states discussed this situation in detail with my brother last week in Elk County. His two major points were that these are some of the largest, most easily seen bulls anywhere in the United States including the national parks and they are also the most accepting of humans and most docile he has seen . When discussing that 10 of the 18 bull tags issued (19 if one considers the Governor's Conservation tag) were for the Hunt Zones that most directly influence the viewing areas on Winslow Hill (Zones 2,8, and 10)-his reaction was WHY?

To be continued along with discussion of more facets of the elk management controversy.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

Pennsylvania Elk Rut 2011-Part 1

2011-10-04T14:36:00.002-04:00

I arrived in Pennsylvania's elk country on the afternoon of September 18th, and returned home after the morning's activity on Friday September 30th. Weather conditions were less than ideal, but rutting activity and photo/filming opportunities were outstanding. At one time I preferred bright, sunny weather for photography, but now I like to do a substantial amount of photography and filming in weather which has "character". Video is especially effective when it is raining or snowing as the falling precipitation contributes to the "wild" look of the scene. As usual, there was a lot of fog at times, but this too can result in dramatic photographs as long as it is not so thick as to obscure the subject.

Early Morning Fog Adds Atmosphere To Photos And Video

Distant Herd Bull And Harem

The warm weather was actually the biggest problem as rutting activity decreases during warm periods and there were some evenings that were very disappointing. I recall one in particular where several bulls arrived at the Gilbert viewing area, only to lie down and do little except bugle intermittently until it was too dark for good photographs. I actually do not have many good photographs from this trip as I concentrated on video and neglected to take stills in many cases. I am currently in the process of rough editing and archiving the video from this trip and have almost completed that which was taken with the Canon XL-H1 and I am now about to begin working with footage taken with the T3i. Considering the amount and quality of video taken, this was one of the most outstanding trips to elk country I have ever had.

Another important aspect of the trip is getting to touch base with a lot of people that one only gets to see once or twice a year and it is always good to meet blog readers and those that have seen the elk film. In what is hopefully to be one of many meetings, Richard Coy organized a gathering and picnic at the old Benezette School pavilion on Saturday September 24th for those that discuss the Pennsylvania elk herd on Facebook. He called it "Elk Rut Shoot 2011". After the afternoon picnic, several members of the group went to the popular viewing areas on Dewey Road for an evening of elk photography. I already knew several of the attendees, but it was good to actually meet the others I only knew as online personalities from Facebook or the blog,. . In the past few years I have met many people face to face that I have corresponded with in comments on the blog, e-mails, and Facebook postings and in most if not all cases, I find them to be exactly as one expects them to be. Most that are interested in serious wildlife photography are truly good people and this shows through in their writing and when one meets them.

Pennsylvania Elk Rut Shoot 2011; Old Benezette School

Photographers Meet In Elk Country: Paul Staniszewski, Odie Swartz, Ron Saffer, David Anderson, Randy Quinn

I thank all of those that have purchased "The Truth About Pennsylvania's Elk Herd" and that read the blog. The video, which was released in the fall of 2008 continues to sell well and is still pertinent to most of the issues about elk management and the hunt today. The PGC did eliminate the combined hunt zones, which did address one of the major concerns discussed in the film, but this year they negated that by doubling the number of bull tags issued for Hunt Zones 2 and 8, which are immediately adjacent to the elk viewing areas, but that has been discussed in the past and will hopefully be a subject for future posts.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

Peak Of Pennsylvania Elk Rut Nears

2011-09-17T20:03:00.003-04:00

Each year the woods and meadows of Pennsylvania Elk Country resound with the mighty bugle of the bull elk or wapiti as the Indians called him. This is the time that most serious elk enthusiasts journey to Pennsylvania's northwoods to take in the sights and sounds of the rut. The rut actually begins in late August or early September, but the tempo usually picks up considerably by mid-September and peaks around the last week of the month, with activity usually declining rapidly in early October.

With this in mind I am posting a 2minute 57 sec. video clip, which shows the highlights of the 2010 rut, although the video actually starts with two dramatic clips of elk taken during the last few days of October. The next few scenes show clips of the famous character bull "Crazy Legs, Jr." which was killed in elk season last year. Clips of him are interspersed with two different takes of a large collared bull, which was seen frequently at the Gilbert Viewing Area. The number on the collar was damaged too severely to read and I have no idea what number this bull was, but it was one of the largest seen on Winslow Hill. The somewhat smaller collared bull shown is 8A. Also included are several clips of smaller bulls, and a large bull that many referred to as having a drop tine. The video ends with a short, violent clash of antlers between two bulls shortly after dawn on the last morning of the 2010 trip.

This brief fight was taken with the Canon 7D and a 300mm F4 lens. It was still so dark that I had to use ISO 2000 and the video is not good quality--at least on a large screen HDTV, but is included here because it is dramatic. All too often some of the best action occurs either too early or too late for best photo or video quality.

The video is a good sample of what one can see if they put in the time in the elk range. I hope to see you in Pennsylvania Elk Country this fall.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

More August Elk Encounters

2011-09-10T21:49:00.000-04:00

Most who are interested in Pennsylvania's elk herd are now focused on the rut, which begins in late August and really gets underway during September. Activity should gradually intensify, with the last two weeks of September or very early October being the best time to travel to elk country to witness the sights and sounds of the rut. Unfortunately we do not yet have any photographs from this year's rut and are still catching up on photographs from the August trip and the western trip.

Dawn on Wednesday August 17th found me driving up Winslow Hill Road from Benezette. At 6:30 I spied two bulls feeding on vegetation by the side of the road, so I pulled my Ford Escape to the side of the road. I was concentrating on video this morning and had the Canon T3i with 70-200mm f2.8 mounted on the tripod and resting on soft padding in the rear of the vehicle, so I carefully exited the vehicle, got the camera set up, and began filming the animals. A major reason that I am using the DSLRS more and more to film wildlife is that one still has the option to take high resolution still photos without using another camera and when I had enough footage, I took a few still shots of the animals when they paused from feeding to look at me.

Young Bull Pauses From Feeding In Early Morning

The Second Bull Pauses Before Vanishing Into Brush

As it grew later, the bulls vanished into the brush, headed in the direction of a meadow. As I was to find out later, Paul Staniszewski came along about thirty minutes later and found them in the meadow. He got two excellent photographs, which he was good enough to share with us.

Bulls Posing In Meadow

Many make the mistake of snapping a photo of animals and then quickly moving on in search of another, but patience often pays off and Paul stayed in position for awhile in hopes that something interesting would occur, and he was rewarded when they engaged in a sparring match.

Bulls Sparring-Not To Be Confused With Fighting

These are beautiful bulls, but they are not large mature bulls--not even close. I was amazed during the August trip how many people would tell me there were two large bulls just down the road and I should go and photograph them. I am almost certain that this is the two they were talking about and I knew I would get photos of them when the time was right, but at that time I was working a really large bull--at least for August on Winslow Hill after several years of trophy hunting, which has really hurt the resident mature bull population. The bull below is one of the few large resident bulls on Winslow Hill and his chances of surviving to reach his full potential are not great.


A Large Bull With The Potential To Become Exceptional If Allowed To Live

I am told by reliable sources that there are some outstanding bulls in the outlying areas and that some if not many of them should show up on Winslow Hill for the rut. Many bulls do travel extreme distances to visit the traditional breeding grounds on Winslow Hill, but in the past there were several large bulls that lived in the immediate area the entire year. At this point most of them have been shot in hunting season or died of old age (Fred & Bill Jr.) and have not been replaced by younger bulls as they are taken either before, or immediately when they become exceptional.

When visiting elk country be sure to look for Paul Staniszewski's floral note cards and photographs in the Elk Country Visitor Center gift shop. If you have not already purchased my two part documentary film, "The Truth About Pennsylvania's Elk Herd", please stop by Benezette Store and Restaurant and have them show you a portion of the film on the wide screen HDTV in the store and consider purchasing it. The film gives a brief overall history of Pennsylvania elk, but concentrates on the period from 1995 when I first began filming elk until 2008 when the film was completed. It gives a detailed view of the life cycle of the elk, with an emphasis on the rut. It also covers the most famous character bulls of the period such as Fred, Bad Boy, Mean Bill, and Screamer. The film closes by taking a look at elk management issues and the controversy surrounding the hunt. While some things did change for the better since then, the PGC largely negated the positive changes this year by boosting the bull allocations in Zone 2 and Zone 8 this year and again unwarranted hunting pressure is being directed at the bulls that live around the viewing areas.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

A Pennsylvania Elk Season Story--Eyewitness Recounts Killing Of Well Known Bull

2011-08-26T11:52:00.002-04:00

After a successful morning of elk photography on Wednesday of last week, I found Bob and James Shank, Ron Saffer, and Paul Staniszewski gathered in the parking lot by the ponds on Dewey Road. For a time we had an enjoyable discussion about elk photography and cameras and soon another elk watcher and photographer arrived. I found that he too had experienced a successful morning. Eventually the conversation turned to last year's elk season and he told me that he had personally seen the killing of a well known "character" bull on the first day of the 2010 season.

As he related the story, he arrived in a certain area to find several bulls in a meadow that had houses and camps on every side of it. The bulls were surrounded by a large number of persons who appeared to be assisting in the hunt, but no bull was shot at this point. It seems they were keeping the animals there so that if the bull they wanted did not arrive, the person they were guiding (who had a bull tag) could kill one of these animals. One of these bulls was an extremely impressive animal and another guide who was not part of this hunting party was allegedly complaining about this party keeping the bulls from leaving the meadow so that others could not shoot any of them.

In time the famous character bull came walking from the woods by a camp on the opposite side of a township road from where the bulls were in the meadow, crossed the road, and headed toward the general area where the other bulls were. As he left the township road, he entered an area, which was a mixture of small to mid-sized trees and open grasses. A portion of the hunting party arrived and the shooter was positioned some distance from the road in this meadow.. At this point the witness estimates the bull was about 50 yards from the shooter. It seems he missed the animal completely with the first shot and the bull gave little to no reaction to being shot at. The shooter was then placed a few feet from that position and he fired again--this time hitting the animal in a leg, and again there was little if any reaction to the gunfire and the bullet wound other than to move enough that the shooter had to be repositioned. The third shot was fatal and a famous Pennsylvania bull elk was no more.

On Thursday morning the witness and I traveled to the area and he related the account again to me again as we stood near to where this all occurred. Later in the morning another source confirmed that the bull was killed in that spot and the story as told was consistent with the accepted details of the story that they "the source" was aware of. There were a few small details that they had not heard from others participating in the event so they could not comment on those aspects.

This is known as a good area to see elk, so I left Benezette before dawn on Friday morning so as to be there by photographic light, but I encountered a bachelor group in a roadside meadow as day was breaking so I paused for awhile to film and photograph these animals. This turned out to be one of the best photo opportunities of the trip.

Foggy Morning 6x7-Velvet Hanging In Strips: 500mmF4

Another respectable bull was with this one along with at least two raghorns. This one is a bit smaller, and the points are somewhat difficult to count. Some would call him a 6x7, while others might say 6x5. I am not sure if one of the points on the left antler is long enough to be considered a point, but I suspect it is not. There were also two raghorns with them, but they were not photographed, although they were successfully filmed.

Bulls In Early Morning Fog: 300mm F2.8

I resumed my journey once this encounter ended and although it was growing late in the morning to see elk the fog still lingered, which increased the probability that the elk would stay in the open later than usual. I arrived to find a bull alternating between grazing and feeding on apples--this in the same field where the bull was killed in elk season.

Bull Feeding On Apples: 300mm F2.8

I was filming him when several persons arrived on the scene in a pickup truck and stopped some distance away. Soon I realized that one of them was standing beside me and he remarked that I needed to "put a set of crosshairs on that thing, and put a barrel on it and then squeeze the trigger". With that remark he turned and walked away. The bull went into the edge of the woods but came back out so I mounted the 300mm F2.8 on the tripod and photographed the animal. After awhile he left the tree and headed for a nearby lawn and as he did so a vehicle came down the driveway from the house. It was the person that lived there and he was on his way to work. He pulled up to me and said, "take him along with you", and then told me that it had been a very dry summer and the elk had severely damaged his corn and garden and in fact a small bull was in the garden as we spoke and the one shown here today was on his way to join in.

With that it was time to head back for Benezette and then for home. I did have some more bull encounters on the way, but that is a story for another time as is an analysis of this situation.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

The Velvet Is Shed As Pennsylvania Elk Rut Approaches

2011-08-20T16:01:00.001-04:00

August is a month of change for the Pennsylvania elk herd. The antlers complete their development in July and the velvet dries out and cracks in early to mid-August with many bulls starting the shedding process during the second week of August. I was in Pennsylvania Elk Country from August 15th through the 19th, looking to document this process and found what would prove to be the largest bull of the trip lying in a meadow beside Winslow Hill Road on Monday evening.

9x8 Bull Elk Starting To Shed Velvet

It is difficult to see with the size of the photo on the blog, but count forward three points from the back of the left beam and then look just below the two points that are clustered together and you can see the first bloody, partially bare patch on his antlers. Eventually he got up, dislodged some apples from a nearby tree with his antlers, and rubbed the velvet against the limbs. At this point one could also see some blood and partially bare areas on the other antler as well.

I found him in the same spot at dawn on Tuesday morning and the shedding was much more advanced, but he still had a long way to go.

Bare Spots Are Larger Next Morning With Strips Of Velvet Hanging Loose

I was at this meadow at dawn on Thursday morning , but he was not there so I went on the Hick's Run viewing area where I saw a lot of whitetail deer, but sometime after I left well known elk watcher and photographer Lamie Wheler saw him crossing the meadow and took a series of photos of him as he violently rubbed an autumn olive bush less than twenty yards from the road. This was exactly what I wanted to film with the video camera, but alas I was in the wrong place. Later in the morning I encountered him at the edge of some woodlands and only a few strips of velvet remained.

Shedding Almost Complete On Thursday Morning

I checked the meadow again that evening as dusk was falling and he was moving across it in such a manner that it was obvious that he was not going to linger long enough to take still photographs so I mounted the Canon XL-H1 camcorder and got a a few video clips before he vanished from sight. As best as I could tell the antlers were completely bare by this point. All of the above photos were taken with the Canon 500mmF4 IS. The first two are with the Canon 7D and the third with the T3i.

I hope to post more photographs from the trip over the next few days, but the trip was not only about photography, but elk management issues as well. With the annual drawing for elk licenses being held in September and elk season being held from October 31--November 5th and the extended season from November 7th through the 12th--there is is quite a bit of talk about the events of the past season and the decision to issue 10 of the 18 bull tags for Zone 2, 8, and 10 this year. These are the zones that most directly impact the areas where most visitors look for elk. If one includes the special conservation tag, this means a total of 11 of the bulls that frequent the center of elk related tourism could be killed. With hunter success rate running between approximately 90-100% on bulls this effectively means that there is a high possibility that at least 10 of the bulls that you see on Winslow Hill this September will be dead by mid-November.

As disturbing as this is, it was eclipsed by an eyewitness account of the killing of a bull during the past season. I hope to share at least portions of this story in the next post.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

Capturing The Special Moments

2011-07-23T12:45:00.003-04:00

6x8 In Reverting Meadow

In the last Post, I briefly mentioned that Paul Staniszewski, a frequent contributor to this blog, has a website, "The At of Elk Photography". The site contains information on his Floral Macro Photog and Elk Photography, a map of the Benezette Area, a guide to photographing elk geared toward the new visitor to elk country, and a link to the PA Wilds website. Paul reminds us that the site is under construction and the finished product is a long way off, but he is off to a good start so be sure to visit his site.To do so click Here!

During my recent trip to Pennsylvania Elk Country I only saw one fairly impressive rack bull on Winslow Hill, but I saw him every morning at dawn. He seldom missed stopping by this apple tree before heading into the nearby woodlands to escape the heat of day. There was a good reason why that he stopped by this tree and it is one of those things that the dedicated nature photographer is always looking for. If you just drive up and snap a photo out the window and then drive away, you usually miss the special moments, but one must often work a situation as long as conditions are good, to capture the special moments. In this instance it was fascinating to watch him use the top of his antlers to knock small apples off of the tree so that he could feed on them.

Bull Uses Antlers To Dislodge Apples

Bull Strains To Reach Apples

This 6x8 is not an exceptional, nor yet a mature bull, but he is a good step above a raghorn. Like all bulls on Winslow Hill, this one is trusting of humans. Two large but completely acclimated bulls have been killed near this spot in elk season during recent years. Now the PGC has launched a public relations offensive in Game News with the last two issues, each carrying a story about Pennsylvania Elk hunting, in an attempt to portray this as a challenging, fair chase hunt, which it may be in some cases but especially not in the areas of Zone 2 on or in close proximity to Winslow Hill . With the license allocation increasing in both Zone 2 and Zone 8 by two bulls each, the chances for this animal reaching an exceptional size are slim.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

Sinnemahoning Visitor's Facility To Open: by Paul Staniszewski

2011-07-20T09:40:00.001-04:00

A new jewel has been added to the crown of the Pennsylvania Wilds Elk Scenic Drive.The official name is the Sinnemahoning State Park - Visitor Facility and it is located 5 miles from the boat launch located at the George B. Stevenson Dam on a scenic road that parallels the First Fork Branch of the Sinnemahoning Creek.

According to Lisa Bainey, Park Manager, the Visitor Facility is completed and they are waiting for furniture to
be delivered by the end of the month and that the official dedication and opening will be sometime in mid-August.

The cost of the facility is $3,782,000.00 and will include a large exhibit/interpretive area, classrooms, visitor services and park administration.The building was placed to take full advantage of views of nearby elk herd feeding plots and other wildlife. Also, the 142 acre Stevenson Dam is known to be the home to a pair of year-round nesting eagles and various waterfowl that can be observed from the boat launch area.. The new Visitors Center is approximately 30 miles from Benezette and represents some of Pennsylvania's most pristine wilderness and is well worth the trip.

Story and photo by Paul Staniszewski. For more information about Paul's photography, elk photography tips, and more, visit Paul's website: The Art Of Elk Photography.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

Mid-Summer Elk Calf Photography in Pennsylvania Elk Country

2011-07-18T12:35:00.000-04:00

PGC Food Plots Cloaked In Heat And Haze of Mid-Summer Evening

I spent most of last week photographing and filming wildlife in Pennsylvania Elk Country with a primary focus on calf elk and bulls in velvet. The PGC had completed most if not all of their summer mowing program on SGL 311 on Winslow Hill by the end of the week. With sufficient moisture the grass soon grows enough that it provides excellent forage for wildlife and is more pleasing in appearance, but with the region suffering from a severe drought, many of the food plots that had been mowed had a burned desolate appearance and little wildlife was to be seen in them. Even without rain this should improve to a certain extent in the weeks to come, but a soaking rain would make the meadows explode with life.

There were a lot of cows and calves to be seen, but photographic conditions were extremely difficult as most of the encounters occurred when it was too early or too late for the cameras to work well, or the range was too long or the cover too tall. Most of the elk were attracted to the grain that is planted in the reclaimed areas of The Saddle and in many areas it was too tall to see the calves. I finally found several calves in a good situation early Friday morning.

I had seen them near the ponds on Dewey Road on one other morning and again on Thursday evening, so this seemed like the best chance for success on Friday morning, but first I checked a nearby meadow where I had seen a bull throughout the week and he was there. Paul Staniszewski arrived shortly after I did and we photographed the bull for a short time, but I left for the ponds as soon as possible so as to get there before sunrise. There was a large herd of cows and calves in the meadow around one of the ponds. Initially I filmed the elk with a Canon Rebel T3i and the 500mmF4, but then decided to try for still photographs and mounted the 7D and 500mmF4 on the Gitzo tripod with Wimberley Head and the XL-H1 video camera on the video tripod. It is hard enough to get either good stills or video segments, but just try alternating between the two sometime or even shooting both simultaneously. It is difficult, but regardless of this, I did get some acceptable photographs and video clips.

Calf Nursing On Pond Bank: Note light fog on reeds and grasses to left of elk.

Paul soon arrived and got some photographs, but soon the rays of the sun touched the tree tops, and before long the elk went into the hollow between Dewey Road and the food plot to the south. We were discussing the results of the morning shoot when Paul said, "look there", and two calves came running onto the pond bank directly across from us. I quickly framed one of them and took several photographs.

Calf Standing On Pond Bank

Calf Reverses Direction

At this point I realized the other calf was not in sight and looked to my left, searching for him. Paul was frantically firing away at another spot and I suddenly realized I was missing the best action of all as the other calf was drinking from the pond! I tried to compose the shot, but there was too much grass between me and the calf. Taking a few steps to the side helped somewhat and then the calf lifted its' head and I was able to capture it with a water droplet dripping from its' chin.

Calf After Drinking

The calf did not return to drinking but rather in a few moments rejoined its' companion on the pond bank and together they went into the woods to escape the searing rays of the sun as the rest of the herd had already done.

Originally Posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

Excellent Mid-Summer Photo Opportunites In Benezette Area

2011-07-08T11:30:00.000-04:00

With summer well underway, there are plenty of excellent photo opportunities in the Benezette area, with the young calves and the bulls with their velvet covered racks being the main attraction. Antlers growth is rapid and they already were quite large by mid-June, when Paul Staniszewski photographed a fine bull shortly after dawn on Winslow Hill.

By early July they are almost completely developed with most if not all of the points the animal will grow being present and most of the antler mass is developed. From now on growth will mostly be a further increase in mass, and the tines will become sharper. On Tuesday, Paul was on his way to the Elk Country Visitor Center to replenish his stock of elk and flower cards and framed larger format photographs, which are for sale in the gift shop, when he encountered an impressive bull by the roadside on Gray Hill.


Mature Bull On Gray Hill: Photo by Paul Staniszewski-all rights reserved

This is one of the few "character" bulls remaining and is known as Mr. Attitude, by several elk watchers and photographers. This bull has spent a lot of time in downtown Benezette and is totally acclimated to humans. It seems certain that he spends a substantial part of the year , if not all of it in the No Hunt Zone, Hunt Zones 2, and 8, and possibly Hunt Zone 10. With four bull tags issued for hunt zone 2 , 4 for zone 8, and two for Zone 10, this means that most likely TEN bulls will be shot in the areas immediately surrounding the center of elk tourism on Winslow Hill, since the success rate on bulls seems to range from 90%--100% and one can be certain that it will be the largest bulls that will be shot if they are seen.

Bearing this in mind, tourists and photographers should enjoy seeing this animal while they can, as it is not likely he will live to see another year unless he is lucky enough to stay in the No Hunt Zone or be on property where elk hunting is not allowed, during the elk season.

I thank Paul for sharing these photographs. When visiting the area, be sure to check out his merchandise, along with that of many other artisans at the Elk Country Visitor Center.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

Pennsylvania Elk Management: Tourism and Hunting

2011-06-30T15:28:00.000-04:00

It Isn't Always "A Warden": Photo by W.Hill

Most people automatically think of lawn enforcement when they see a truck with Pennsylvania Game Commission Decals and assume that this is "the game warden" whose primary mission as they perceive it is to "catch people". It is also quite common for many to not be able to differentiate between Pennsylvania Game Commission and DCNR personnel and operations. Both misconceptions are very understandable--especially the last one, as in many if not most states one agency oversees outdoor/nature related matters, while here in Pennsylvania three agencies fulfill this mission.

The Fish and Boat Commission enforces laws pertaining to waterways, boating, and fishing, and the taking of reptiles and amphibians., DCNR maintains State Forests and Parks and has both a maintenance and enforcement branch, while the Game Commission is responsible for the maintenance of State Game Lands, and the enforcement of wildlife laws throughout the Commonwealth. To compound the confusion officers from any of these agencies may in most cases enforce laws and regulations pertaining to the other agencies and all of the agencies have maintenance crews that may drive vehicles with door decals. For many years most PGC vehicles were green, as were most DCNR vehicles. This helped differentiate them from Fish and Boat Commission personnel,who usually drove white vehicles, but this distinction has blurred in recent years as it is common to see other colors in the PGC--especially in the land management division--I am not quite sure about the other agencies.

The upshot is that in many cases the person you thought is the "game warden" is not a law enforcement officers at all, or at least law-enforcement is not the primary focus of their duties. They may be a biologist, forester, maintenance worker, or land management officer. The land management officer does in most if not all cases have law-enforcement powers, but the others do not--unless they are deputy wildlife conservation officers. Actually there is officially no such thing as a game warden anymore, Wildlife Conservation Officer is the correct term, but to many they are still "the wardens".

To understand this better, let's start in Harrisburg where PGC operations is divided into several bureaus, each covering a particular group of activities. The names have changed since my days with the PGC, when I performed duties for the Bureau of Land Management, and the Bureau of Law Enforcement. Today they are known as the Bureau of Wildlife Habitat Management and the Bureau of Wildlife Protection. The state is divided into six regions, with each region having a regional office and chiefs of each of the respective areas of operations who are known as Supervisors. From this point of we will confine our discussion to wildlife habitat management or "land management" as I still think of it. The regional Land Management Supervisor directs a group of Land Management Officers also known as Game Lands Maintenance Group Supervisors. Commonly called Land Management Officers (LMOs). They are responsible for game lands maintenance and habitat development in two or more counties. LMOs supervise Game Lands Maintenance Groups, which are usually comprised of two to three crews of Game Lands Maintenance Workers, who in turn are supervised by a Game Lands Maintenance Supervisor, also commonly known as a Labor Foreman.

Game Commission maintenance crews are called "The Food and Cover Corps", a name which is not commonly known to many outside the agency. It is these people that you see mowing and planting the food plots on Winslow Hill. John Dzemyan is Land Management Officer for portions of Elk and McKean Counties and oversees the PGC lands on Winslow Hill, while Land Management officer Colleen Shannon is assigned to portions of Cameron, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, and McKean Counties, much of which is prime elk habitat.

Land Management Officer John Dzemyan Addresses Wild About Elk Workshop 2010: photo by W.Hill

In the last few years, quite a bit of planting has been done in conjunction with the reclamation work that has transformed Winslow Hill. To the best of my knowledge this was not done by the PGC, but any future work that is done will likely be performed by the Food and Cover Corps. The summer mowing is done by them, as is the yearly planting of the food plot at the main Gilbert viewing area, the plot by the cabin on the hill. and the food plot at the Dent's Run Viewing Area.


Game Lands Maintenance Worker, PGC Food and Cover Corp, prepares plot at Gilbert for planting: photo W.Hill

PGC Food Plot To Right Of Cabin on Winslow Hill: Photo by W.Hill

As a result of the reclamation work and food plots maintained by the PGC, there are now more good grasses on the hill than at any time in recent memory. This attracts elk from other areas and helps keep the animals there. While a certain amount would be there even through no work were done, animals naturally search out the best food available. But after a few years, the most attractive grasses such as, clovers, and trefoil die out in the meadows and they lose much of their appeal to elk. At that point a certain amount of elk would likely disperse from Winslow Hill if they could find better food in another area. As a result, the PGC conducts an aggressive planting and mowing program to maintain the quality of wildlife habitat on Game Commission lands, while DCNR workers perform the same function on State Forest Lands.

Game Lands Maintenance Worker, Roger Beck, Mows SGL 311 near Winslow Hill Parking Lot: Photo by W.Hill

Many may ask why that areas should be mowed and in many cases the PGC does not mow an entire plot, but does leaves strips of grasses standing.. The problem is that if no maintenance is done, the opening eventually reverts to forest, which results in the loss of grassy, open habitat that elk and other species need for ideal living conditions. From the standpoint of wildlife photography, had the area in the photo below not been mowed, only the top of the cow's back would have been visible, while the mowing benefits the welfare of the elk, by removing the mature, coarse grass stem and stimulating the growth of the low lying base of the plant offering improved grazing.

Mowing May Enhance Photographic Opportunities: Photo by W.Hill

LMO Dzemyan gave a very informative presentation on land management in the elk range at the Wild about Elk Workshop that I attended in 2010. In the future I hope to periodically delve into this a bit more by covering more of the material that he dealt with that day and also take us into the current Management Plan For Elk In Pennsylvania. I hope to use photos I have taken to illustrate some of the management principles, that LMO Dzemyan discussed, and the plan sets forth, to give readers a better understanding of the overall strategy and methods which the PGC implements to maintain habitat in the elk range.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

Early May Brings Mixed Feelings About PA Elk Herd

2011-05-10T11:38:00.000-04:00

Bennett's Branch Near Benezette

Early May with its' superb scenery, mild temperatures, and abundant wildlife is a wonderful time to visit Pennsylvania Elk Country. The photo above was taken near the Benezett river bridge early on the morning of May 5th, 2008 and I liked it so much that I included video footage of this scene in "The Truth About Pennsylvania's Elk Herd", the documentary film that was released that September. There is truly something special about a beautiful spring morning spent afield whether it be in a turkey blind, hiking the backcountry, or photographing scenery and big game.

For me, the primary focus of an early May trip is to document the growth of the bull's antlers and the 2008 trip yielded several excellent encounters. The best photo sessions with a large bull was when I found the magnificent bull that many referred to as "Kisser" in the woods near the Dent's Run Viewing Area.

"Kisser" or "Odie" Near Dents Run Viewing Area

This bull could usually be found somewhere between Devil's Elbow and Benezette, but the area around Dents Run Viewing Area seemed to be an especially favorite spot for him in May.


"Kisser" The Gentle Giant

It seems most Pennsylvania bulls are not as aggressive as some of the western bulls such as Bull 6, which was a famous character bull at Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone Park. That bull was known for chasing people and attacking vehicles, but "Kisser" was the exact opposite of this.

Bull 6 Mammoth Hot Springs-Yellowstone National Park

Well known photographer and guide Phil Burkhouse wrote an article "Fred Is Dead" in his "Wandering Aimlessly " column in the Jan 19, 2011 issue of The Cameron County Echo, about "Bull 36" also known as "Fred" shortly after he died last winter. In this Mr Burkhouse tells how that tourist flock to Winslow Hill to see elk and that Fred was "the brightest star in the tourism trade and perhaps the most valuable animal to local businesses in the state". He goes on to say that, "Fred was a first class citizen". "Fred, huge beast that he was, was always friendly and gentle. Fred was undoubtedly the largest bull elk in the herd for ten years running and did not have a mean bone in this body." While "Kisser" was overshadowed by Bull 36's reputation, he was well know and was every bit as acclimated and harmless. He was the most likely "heir apparent" to Bull 36, but that was not to be as he was killed in the 2010 elk hunt. I cannot comprehend why there cannot be a sufficient no hunt zone, that a few bulls can have a large enough home range to reach maturity and live a normal life span. I began hunting at an early age and was as avid a hunter as any until 1997-98 so I completely understand the pro-hunt point of view, but I cannot comprehend how we can be so obsessed with the need to make every "elk a hunted elk", that we cannot allow anything special to exist such as a few bulls like this.

Apologists for the hunt as it is currently implemented never tire of pointing out that elk were re-introduced for hunting purposes and that the re-introduction was paid for with hunting license dollars, therefore the herd should be managed primarily for hunting purposes. At times lip service is given to the concept of managing for tourism, but when the actual management decisions are made, the elk and the non-consumptive user are usually the losers. Attaining the proper balance between hunting and tourism is the key, and the herd can be managed in such a way that it is a win, win situation for both the tourist and hunting industries, but at this point a win, win situation does not seem likely. Instead what we are doing is much like hunting elk in downtown Mammoth Hot Springs. We are killing our biggest, best and most visible elk and it is WRONG!!!

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

Too Many Elk On Winslow Hill?

2011-04-20T13:38:00.006-04:00

As we noted in the post of Thursday April 14, the Pennsylvania Game Commission' drastically increased the elk license allocations for the 2011 season, for Hunt Zones 2 and 8, which are those that most directly impact the viewing areas and center of elk related tourism on Winslow Hill. It is claimed that an increased kill is needed because this is the largest sub-herd and has showed the most increase. To be quite frank I have noticed the increased visibility of elk in this area in the last few years, but have been reluctant to comment about the situation in the fear that it would help draw attention to what some are sure to perceive as a problem. While some may claim that this perceived problem is a result of not killing enough elk, based on my years of experience as a Game Lands Maintenance Worker and later Game Lands Maintenance Supervisor with the PGC, I am reasonably certain that this seemingly large increase in the herd on Winslow Hill has been caused by the massive amounts of reclamation work that has been done in the area during the past decade. As a result, there are more high quality grasses available as food for elk than ever before, which tends to draw elk from surrounding areas and concentrate them in a relatively small area.


Bull Elk Follows Cow: Reclaimed Area Of SGL 311: Grasses planted among cover crop of grain.

Elk, like any other animal, gravitate toward the best food sources and at this time a significant proportion of this improved habitat is visible from the elk viewing area at Dewey Road, which I persist in calling "The Gilbert Viewing Area". This will change in a short amount of time whether more hunting pressure is directed at the area or not. The reason for this change will be that the quality of the grass will decline and then the elk will shift the focus of their feeding to areas where the best food may be found. The only way that the large herd will remain concentrated there is if a significant portion of the grasslands is renewed periodically by replanting.

As an example, I recall that in late summer of 2006 the reclaimed area between the Maynard Woodring property and Elk View Diner (this had been an area of slag piles, etc. but was now a meadow) was covered with a carpet of luscious grasses including different varieties of clovers and trefoil and a large number of elk were attracted to the area.

Area Near Elk View Diner Carpeted With Clover And Trefoil: Photo by W.Hill

This has remained a good spot to see elk, but it was not used nearly as much last fall as in the period from 2006-2009, and the reason is that the more desirable varieties of grass were dying out, while freshly planted reclaimed areas near Dewey Road, The Saddle, and at The Elk Country Visitor Center, attracted the lions share of the elk. The PGC has also traditionally planted at least one food plot at the Dent's Run Viewing Area (the one with the information center) and usually one or two at The Gilbert. This has served to keep elk coming to these areas in most years, but I do not think it is sufficient to attract and hold the 150-200 animals that the PGC says is in the area at present, so regardless as to whether or not they shoot more elk on Winslow Hill, you likely won't see as many there in the not too distant future, unless the PGC maintains an aggressive planting program in the area.

PGC Prepares Food Plot For Planting At Gilbert Viewing Area

Another example as to why this is likely the case is the rut of 2007. The PGC planted the usual food plots at both the Gilbert and Dent's Run viewing areas, but The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, which then owned the Elk Country Visitor Center property, planted a lot of high quality forage in their food plots, while there was an extremely large newly reclaimed area on State Game Lands 311, which was planted in fall grain and highly desirable grasses. This was located in the back country toward the mountains to the West of Dewey Road.

Remote Reclaimed Area Of SGL 311: In 2007 this and plots at RMEF attracted many elk usually seen At Gilbert and Dent's Run Viewing Areas

There were many times that there weren't many elk to be seen in the usual viewing areas and some people who made only a one day trip didn't see one bull. There were a lot of complaints that year that there were no elk on Winslow Hill, but the bottom line was that most were at The Elk Foundation where the general public was not permitted to be, or at the reclaimed area, which required a substantial walk to access. Most of the public didn't know how to find it anyway, and it would likely have been perceived to be a problem had they found out about it and arrived in large numbers to look for elk. I heard the person working at the information booth at the Dent's Run viewing area that fall tell most of what I have just related to several groups of people, as I was browsing the literature and displays in the building.

The bottom line is that it seems likely that this herd will disperse to a certain extent, if not a great deal, once this bonanza of high quality food is gone. In the meantime the PGC has started down the slippery slope of increasing license allocations in the area. If they were concerned only about elk over-population as they claim, why has pressure been substantially increased on the bulls also? I fully understand that many of the bulls that one sees on Winslow Hill during the rut, come from other areas to Winslow Hill and are in another area entirely when hunting season arrives, but with that being said there were a substantial number of large bulls that did make that general area their year around range and most of these animals have been shot. In some years, Pennsylvania has a 100% success rate on bulls and it is seldom much less than that, so in effect this means it is highly likely that eight more of the bulls that frequent the tourist areas will be killed this fall.

From my point of view, it is amazing that we overshot the whitetail buck population to the extent that the PGC enacted antler restrictions to enable more bucks to live long enough to grow somewhat better antlers, yet we seem hell bent on killing the exceptional bull elk and making the same mistake with them that we did with the deer.

In the near future, I plan to further explore how and why we have arrived at this point in Pennsylvania Elk Management.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

PGC Targets Winslow Hill Elk Herd

2011-04-14T16:06:00.002-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 12, 2011

Release #045-11

GAME COMMISSIONERS ADOPT 2011-12 SEASONS AND BAG LIMITS

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today gave final approval to hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits for 2011-12, including big and small game seasons and furbearer seasons.

The Board also adopted antlerless deer license allocations for the 22 Wildlife Management Units, and are listed in the article below.

For those unable to view the webcasts, a three-part “on-demand” video recording of the staff reports from April 11 and today’s Board actions can be viewed by going to/pennsylvaniagamecommissionhttp://www.livestream.com/pennsylvaniagamecommission and clicking on the “April 2011 Board Meeting” icon.

The remainder of the News Release 045-11 gives a detailed summation of seasons and bag limits, which may be read by clicking here: Release 045-11.

The following is an article and commentary by me, describing the discussion of the elk situation on the Webcast as I understood it.

Winlsow Hill Herd To Be Targeted: Photo by W.Hill

A very small portion of the April 11th webcast concerns the Pennsylvania elk herd. According to Dr. Chris Rosenberry the elk herd is increasing overall, and is stable in some areas, but the Winslow Hill herd is the largest sub-herd and it has increased the most of any since last year. As a result the PGC has recommended that the harvest in Hunt Zone 2 be doubled from last year's allocation. This year 12 cows and 4 bulls, YES FOUR Bulls, will be legal targets near the viewing areas on Winslow Hill. This of course does not count the Governor's Conservation Tag bull, which of course can be taken there also ,for a total of 5 Yes Five possible bulls killed in the center of elk related tourism. It is unclear at this point if this recommendation was finalized at this meeting.To underscore the importance of the Pennsylvania Elk Herd to the PGC, Rosenberry's elk presentation was an astonishing 1 min. 35 seconds long, before he moved on to the deer.

If approved, this leads one to question just what level of commitment the PGC does have to elk related tourism on Winslow Hill. Why double the number of bull permits in this area to control the population? One can be certain that it will not be raghorns that will be killed!

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

Freddy Anecdote: Is Fred Really Dead? An Article by Carol Mulvihill

2011-03-19T12:08:00.000-04:00

Fred In 2005: collar removed in Photoshop

Carol Mulvihill, "The Elk Lady", writes a column, "Elk Watcher's Journal" for Endeavor News, and is known and respected for her fair and objective reporting on elk issues. She also enjoys observing and photographing the elk., and like many, had a special interest in Bull 36, a.k.a. "Fred", "Freddy", or "Dogrope" and has graciously agreed to share an article with us about him.

Freddy anecdote:
Is Fred really dead?

By Carol Mulvihill

On various occasions, during the past two years, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has received calls from people thinking the free-ranging bull elk nicknamed Freddy, Fred Junior, or Dog Rope, wearing Game Commission research collar No. 36, was either dead or should be put down because he looked decrepit and could hardly walk.

Here are a couple of stories the Game Commission probably never heard.

Benezette resident Ron Rishel tells about an incident that happened the summer before last. He came upon Fred lying down like a dog with his neck flat on the ground, with no noticeable movements to indicate breathing.

“I hollered to him a couple of times and got no response,” Rishel said, “I was sure he was dead so I walked up to him and, standing behind him, I kicked him in his butt because I wanted to see how stiff he was. He startled, picked his head up and swung it around, and scared me half to death!” he chuckled.

I remember a scenario three years ago, after the rut. Freddy was lying flat out in a field in the sun in the late afternoon along Dewey Road, with one of his antlers resting against the ground. He was with a group of about a dozen sleeping cows and calves. I watched him for a full 10 minutes with binoculars and did not see chest movements that would indicate breathing. I thought to myself, if he dies of exhaustion after the rut, lying in a field with his cows, it’s not a bad way for him to go.

After twenty minutes, other bystanders began asking, “Is that bull out there dead?”
I was seriously wondering if I was going to have to call the Game Commission to haul him out. Then, I looked once more through a spotting scope, and the big old bull elk moved his head slightly.

It was déjà vu for me again this fall – I was not able to get a response from the lying- down bull by calling to him at close range, and I saw no signs of breathing or life whatsoever. I’ve been a nurse all my life, so I knew what to look for.

With tears brimming in my eyes, I walked to my car and was about to go to town to tell Ron Rishel before calling the Game Commission. When I slammed my car door and started the engine, the old bull picked his head up and looked at me. I swear I heard someone whisper, “Gottcha!”

I think Freddy liked to play this trick on people, and especially enjoyed hearing Rishel invoke the Lord’s name. This bull elk had a sense of humor.

I’ll treasure my memories of him forever.-Carol Mulvihill

I wish to thank Carol for sharing these stories with us and also take this opportunity to relate a similar experience that I had back in 2001. This was the same autumn that Fred spent a lot of time in the saddle area and had the terrific battle with the Test Hill Bull, which I filmed and is incorporated in the theater presentation at Elk Country Visitor Center today. When I arrived in the area one afternoon, I was amazed to see him lying there as though he were dead, and I filmed him with the Canon L2. I had a 35mm camera with me, but for some reason got no still shots of this incident, so the photos that are posted today are still captures taken from the Hi-8 video tape.

Fred With Harem: Photo by W.Hill

This was the year that the first modern day Pennsylvania elk season was to be held in November and Fred was an outstanding trophy class animal, but he was also completely acclimated to humans and there is no way that shooting him could have been classified as a fair chase hunt. It seemed very likely that he would be shot, as the border with the hunt zone ran along the edge of the meadow, and he spent a lot of time there and in the woods in the distance, which were in the hunt zone. At the time I couldn't help but wonder if this was a harbinger of things to come, and that soon he would be lying like this as someone's trophy.

Is He Dead Or Only Sleeping? Photo by W.Hill

Would He Be Lying Dead Before The Year Was Over?: Photo by W.hill

Fortunately he did return to the No Hunt Zone before season that year, and remained there, in spite of a rumored plot to drive him from the protected area and kill him. He went on to survive over nine more years, and became the most famous bull elk in Pennsylvania and perhaps the entire world. Unless there is a drastic change in our current elk management policies, there will never be another like him and at this point that doesn't seem likely to happen.

Be sure to read Ms. Mulvihill's March 19, 2011 column in Endeavor News,"PGC Roe not keen on expanding elk no-hunt zone", which details PGC Executive Director, Carl Roe's reaction to the concept of expanding the No Hunt Zone. The article is available now to online or print edition subscribers, and will be available online in its' entirety in two weeks for non-subscribers.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

Pennsylvania Elk And Anthropomorphism

2011-01-25T12:51:00.004-05:00

Anthropomorphism! If one reads the outdoor press, it is not hard to gather the impression that it must be a very bad thing, but what exactly is it? It turns out that it is assigning human or personal characteristics to something that is not human. The most common form of anthropomorphism is the naming of animals. Two events that have sparked recent discussions are the killing of "Bozo" the bear in the Poconos and the death of Bull 36, also commonly known as "Fred " "Fred Jr.", or "Freddy".

One argument against naming wild animals advocates that it is demeaning to a noble big game animal to give it a human name. That may sound reasonable, but in many if not most cases, the same person who objects to naming, will have no problem with seeing the same animal fitted with a bright yellow numbered radio collar and metal ear tags and referring to them as Bull 36, 8A, etc. True they are not assigning human attributes to the animal, but is this not destroying the wild, natural appearance of the animal and detracting from the experience of interacting with it, whether it be by observation, photography, or hunting?

We will concentrate on Pennsylvania Elk in this discussion as certain individual animals are seen repeatedly by large numbers of humans, which quite naturally leads to naming the animal. There really isn't a lot of alternatives. Describing a sighting of an animal with a numbered collar is simple, but in other cases it can get quite complicated in a hurry. Some animals are also easily described by certain physical characteristics such as the bull that was known as "Long Royal", because he had exceptionally long royal points, which made him instantly recognizable to the experienced elk watcher, or "Clubhorn" because of a deformed antler, which was caused by a damaged pedicel in his younger years.

"Long Royal": Named because of his unusually long royal points

Club Horn In 2005: Instantly identifiable by his deformed left antler

Others have been named for spots that they frequent during certain times of year, such as "The Test Hill Bull", which favored Test Hill as his range during the rut, but when we get past these options, there is not much left except to got into a detailed description of the animal, or to take the simple expedient of giving it a human name. The following is an example: "Say, did you see that big 7x7 that has them extra white flanks an one horn that kinda comes out to the side a bit further than the other, (I think it's on his right side, jist wait till I see him again to be sure), and he walks like he owns the whole hill." Somebody else speaks up and says, "lets make it simple, Bill took the first good picture I saw of him, so let's call him "Bill" So Bill it is and the name may stick or that group may run into another group that has another name for the animal and decide that they like it better, but in the end the animal has a name that most veteran elk enthusiasts recognize and use.

What could be objectionable about this, other than prejudice against giving wild animals human names ? The biggest problem for the hunting community is that a large number of people have identified this animal and in many cases feel a strong bond with it. It is no longer just "another elk", but it is "Fred", etc, and as such there is the potential for a lot of strong feelings if the animal is killed or otherwise meets with misfortune. It is no secret that the PGC prefers that wildlife are not named or singled out for attention, and that every elk or deer is just another animal in the woods that no one is particularly concerned about, except when considering the welfare of the species as a whole.

This may be a logical position, but is it realistic? I recall reading several years ago, about a research project that involved close contact with whitetail deer by the researchers. They were specifically forbidden to name any of the animals, but ended up doing so in spite of the written policy. The researchers felt a great sense of loss when the project ended, and some agonized over how the animals would survive in the future. In the case of Pennsylvania elk, some advocate eliminating close contact between humans and elk as much as possible, so that naming and bonding does not occur. This may all be good and well, but do we want our elk watching experience to be limited to sitting at areas like the Dent's Run Viewing Area, and viewing elk so far away in most cases that one needs binoculars or spotting scopes to see significant detail and even the most powerful camera lenses are not adequate.

Which is more beneficial to society as a whole, a limited hunt where only a few persons can participate each year, or a viable elk tourism industry, which has the potential to provide a significant boost to the area economy and could provide a world class experience to thousands upon thousands of people? Fortunately the powers that be need not choose between one or the other, but can improve the situation to a great extent by increasing the size of the No Hunt Zone.

As the situation now stands, it doesn't seem likely that another bull will replace ""Freddy" as the town icon anytime soon. Some like to think that he was so cunning that he remained in the No Kill Zone to purposefully evade hunters, but it seems more likely that his physical condition contributed more to his survival than any awareness that he was in danger if he entered certain areas. He still ventured into the back country in the Saddle area in 2001, and according to reports he spent a lot of time in Blue Sky Campground. This was at the time of the first hunt, and there were rumors of plots to drive him from the No Hunt Zone into areas open to hunting, but this never happened. Either no one attempted this strategy, or if they did they may have found it to be impossible to drive an animal that was totally trusting of humans. I never saw him in the Saddle area again after 2001 and in fact did not seem him during the rut of 2002 or 2003, if I remember correctly. This seems to be the period in which he started to spend much of his time in Benezette. I had only a limited amount of time to spend in elk country during the rut, and he had already returned to the lawns in town by the time I arrived. At that point I never drove through the part of Benezette that lies to the left of Winslow Hill Road as one is going up the hill. I did find him on the Hill, during the rut, from 2004 on, and while he still seemed to be healthy, he was likely feeling the early tinges of the arthritis that was to plague him in his later years and was not traveling as far, and as I never saw him outside the No Hunt Zone after 2001. It is entirely possible that the arthritis actually enabled him to live a longer life by confining his travels to the No Hunt Zone.

"Kisser" a.k.a. "Odie"-Freddy's Heir Apparent, Killed In 2010 Elk Season

"Kisser", his heir apparent, was his sidekick for several years, but gravitated more and more toward the Devil's Elbow area as he reached maturity. He usually could be found somewhere from the area of the Elk Country Visitor Center to Devil's Elbow during the rut, and was often found in the area of the P&N Coal Company building near the intersection of Winslow Hill Road and Summersun Road. He began spending more time in the Devil's Elbow area after the rut, and during the winter and spring, rather than returning to Benezette, and that lead to his downfall during this year's elk season.

"Kisser" -Devil's Elbow March 2010-A Fatal Attraction To Hunt Zone 2 Led To His Death

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard C. Hill

Ronald Saffer's Last Portrait of Fred-Bull 36

2011-01-12T12:58:00.002-05:00

After learning of Bull 36's death over the weekend, Ronald "Buckwheat" Saffer, Pennsylvania's premier elk photographer, called to discuss his death and his relationship with this animal over the years. He was one of Saffer's favorite subjects until later in his life, when he began spending most of his time in Benezette and achieved lasting fame as the Benezette town bull. Buckwheat specializes in photographing exceptional bulls in natural environments and after Fred moved to town so as to speak, he did not encounter him nearly as often, although he still photographed him if he found him on Winslow Hill in a natural setting. He has graciously agreed to share the last professional portrait that he took of him during the rut this autumn.

Bull 36 At Dudley Property-Along Winslow Hill Road: Photo courtesy of Ronald Saffer

Many were concerned that Fred would be shot during the first few years of the hunt, as he was often found in Hunt Zone 2 during the rut and it seemed possible that he could linger too long in that area and be caught by the opening of elk season. Also there were rumors of plots to drive him from the No Hunt Zone into the Hunt Zone, but that never happened.

Some were still talking about shooting him as late as 2007, when he was featured on King's Outdoor World, The article features two still pictures and a video clip titled "What Does This Elk Score?" The following is a quote from that page:

"This bull is a herd bull that is a result of transplanted elk to the east to help build up the herd years ago and therefore has a radio collar on its neck as wildlife authorities keep a close eye on the herd. Don’t let that make you think that it is a high fenced bull. This is a fair chase bull that a lucky hunter could very well get this year through their lottery draw."

The video clip starts with a shot of another bull and then there is Fred chasing a cow. You can hear someone say," I think I could even hit him from here" Some one else says ,"Oh I could probably get one in him"

As it turned out, no one "got one in him" and he lived a long life , bringing pleasure to thousands upon thousands of people. Sadly, unless the current system changes, there is not likely to be another that can survive to attain his status, as his most likely heir apparent was killed during season this year, and it seems that most bulls are now killed within a year or so of attaining trophy status.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

Fred-Bull 36, Dies As Result Of Accident

2011-01-10T11:01:00.002-05:00

Fred In 2002-His Largest Classic Rack: Courtesy of Ronald Saffer

Today I am sorry to report that Bull 36, know to most as "Fred" or "Fred Jr." had to be put down by PGC officials on Friday January, 7th, 2011, after he fell down on the ice and was unable to regain his footing. The fall causes a bone or bones to be broken and this along with his age and the condition of the knee joints, made any chance of recovery impossible.

Reports have been circulating all weekend on Facebook about this unfortunate circumstance, but I have been hesitant to make a definitive post about the matter until this point. I wish to thank noted elk columnist for Endeavor News, Carol Mulvihill, and Benezett Store Manager, Beth Hoffman, for confirming that initial reports are true.

Estimates of his age range as high as 20 years, but an analysis of his rack size in in 1997, 1998 makes it seem likely he was born no later than 1994 and it is possible he was born somewhat earlier, with 1992 being the earliest likely year.. This was when Claude Nye, more commonly know as "Dr. Perk" was heavily involved with the elk on Winslow Hill and he, Tom Murphy, and Ron Rishel would be most likely to know the true age of the animal.

According to Pennsylvania"s leading elk photographer, Ron "Buckwheat" Saffer, he first heard people using the name "Fred, Jr". in 1998. That year, Saffer photographed him in mid-August, with a dog leash tangled in his antlers and he and his circle of friends name him "Dogrope", a name which he has used to this day.

Fred or Dogrope In 1998 With Dog Leash In Antlers: Courtesy Ronald Saffer

I too did not hear the name, Fred Jr. until 1998, when it came into wide usage among the elk watchers and I specifically recall Dr. Perk using that name. Since I mostly shot video during my early years in Elk County, I have no still images from that period other than frame captures from video. I am reasonably certain that I did record Fred, Jr. in 1997 and have written about an encounter with him in the saddle that year and used footage from this in "The Truth About Pennsylvania's Elk Herd".

Bull 36 is gone now, but he will be talked about for years to come.

Marci Geise has established a page on Facebook as a tribute to Fred, where persons may share photographs and stories of their experiences with the Icon of Pennsylvania's elk herd. If the link doesn't work, do a search of Facebook for Fred Jr.#36 and you should be able to find it. Also visit Marci on Facebook at Elk Scenic Drive for lots of elk photographs and discussions.

Originally posted on Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

Update From Pennsylvania Elk Country-Visitor Center Hours

2010-12-21T13:54:00.000-05:00

According to Paul Staniszewski, Monday December 20th was an overcast day with steady snow in the Benezette area. He and Ron Saffer traveled there that day to photograph elk and found that the large herd of more than 120 cows and calves were still utilizing the Gilbert Viewing Area.

Paul also says," after the hunt this year, several people mentioned to me that the bull in the photo below, was one of the larger bulls that was shot.... Well, this is a photograph that I took of him in town yesterday and I'm happy to report that he is alive and well."

Bull Resting In Benezette: Photo by Paul Staniszewski

We thank Paul for sharing this photo with us. They also saw several more bulls and report that bull #36, "Fred" was spotted on Gray Hill.

Paul also sent the 20011 schedule of operation for the Visitors Center. Please verify this information from other sources before traveling to Benezette as changes could be made at any time.

The Keystone Country Elk Alliance has announced the days and hours of operation of the Visitors Center for 2011 as follows:

DAYS and HOURS for 2011:

January – March: Saturday & Sunday Only | 9am – 5pm
April – July: Thursday – Monday | 9am – 9pm
August: Wednesday – Monday | 9am – 9pm
September – October: 7 Days a Week | 8am – 8pm
Grounds open Dawn til Dusk
November – December: Thursday – Sunday | 9am – 5pm

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

Controlling Pennsylvania's Elk Population-Is Shooting Necessary?

2010-12-16T13:52:00.002-05:00

Elk In Hunt Zone 2-Day Before Elk Season: photo by W.Hill

In the most recent post, Pennsylvania Elk-As Wild As Any?, a reader raised an excellent question:

"I also own a family camp on Houston Hill, and we are privileged enough to have Elk come right into our backyard. Elk on our mountain seem to be a little bit more skittish than the ones around Winslow Hill, but not by much. I know that's a subjective comment, but it's the only way I know to describe it. I agree that hunting these Tame Elk is like shooting fish in a barrel, but how would you propose we control the Elk Population if we do not hunt them? I would love to hear your ideas/proposals."
Thanks,
Curt

I begin by stating that I believe that the Pennsylvania elk herd is of more value to society as an easily viewable natural resource than as the object of a limited hunt in which only a small number of people will ever participate. With that being said though, there is room for both world class tourism and a hunt to co-exist in Pennsylvania, but for this to be, the herd needs to be managed in different ways in different areas. Hunting for the sake of hunting itself should be conducted in areas well away from Winslow Hill, but it is uncertain as to how wild elk in these areas are also. For example I have heard from reliable sources that they find the elk on Moore Hill to be as wild as whitetails in many cases, yet certain stories of hunts in the remote areas raise a flag in my mind. One of these describes a situation in the Quehanna Wild Area in which a hunter fired a "challenge shot" at a bull at short range (sounds like another word for missed...in all of my years of hunting I have not heard of firing a shot to challenge an animal, but such is the way the story goes ). The party then followed the animal's tracks to a nearby food plot where the bull was feeding in spite of being recently shot at, and the hunter then killed the animal.

But I digress, let's assume that elk in areas such as Quehanna, Moore Hill,etc. are sufficiently wild to justify calling shooting them hunting, this does not excuse trying to portray the elk on Gray Hill or Winslow Hill as being "as wild as any" and portraying shooting them as being a challenging hunt, yet, by looking at PGC harvest maps it is obvious that most of the elk killed since season resumed in 2001 have been taken in the Winslow Hill /Gray Hill areas, and the 555 corridor. With that being said, there are possibly times that elk in this area would need to be shot to control the population, but that should be limited to antlerless elk only, and it should be plainly stated up front that this would not always be a fair chase hunt, but rather the necessary removal of surplus animals. The animals would be just as dead, but at least we would be honest about the situation.

2001-2009 Elk Harvest Map: Source-The Pennsylvania Game Commission

In the documentary film, "The Truth About Pennsylvania's Elk Herd", I advanced several ideas designed to give further protection to the large bulls that frequent the elk viewing areas. These ideas should result in less killing of acclimated elk as well.

One possibility is to retain the current No Hunt Zone as an area where no elk of either sex would be killed, with problem animals being relocated by trap and transfer. The No Hunt Zone should possibly be expanded to protect the areas in the Medix Run, Benezette, Rt 555 Corridor.

Alternate No Hunt-Population Control Only Hunt Zones From "The Truth About Pennsylvania's Elk Herd"-map is approximation only not accurate in fine detail.

Second would be a substantial zone around this area which would be a population control only hunt. There would be no bull tags issued for this area and only enough antlerless tags to contain the population at an acceptable level. It would not be portrayed as a challenging hunt, but rather as a population control tool, held only when strictly needed and not utilized as an excuse to conduct a yearly hunt.

At this point it is not clear that we are at the place where we need to control the size of the Winslow Hill sub-herd by shooting. According to The Management Plan For Elk In Pennsylvania 2006-20016,( In the following quote, BCC means biological carrying capacity or the amount of elk the habitat will support and SCC means social carrying capacity or what society will tolerate) " The BCC for elk in Pennsylvania is unknown, but there is no indication that the population is reaching it. None of the studied indications mentioned above have been observed. In fact, elk appear to be reproducing and reaching weights above what is expected and survival rates are normal to high. The SCC is also unknown at this time. However, indications are that number hasn't been reached either. Most interested parties haven't complained of too many elk and would actually like to see more. As we gather more information, we will balance the numbers so that we do not go over the BCC but still maintain an elk population that provides enjoyment for the people of the Commonwealth.(written by elk biologist Jon Marc DiBerti)

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

Pennsylvania Elk-As Wild As Any?

2010-12-09T19:40:00.001-05:00

Today we explore another segment of Ms. Becky Polaski,St Marys Daily Press reporter's interview with Tony Ross, Regional Wildlife Biologist for the PGC in the Northcentral Region, "Range of area elk herd expanding", which was published on November 5, 2010.

In the post of Thursday November 18th, we proved that tame elk are in fact hunted and shot quite near one of the most popular public viewing areas on Winslow Hill in spite of Mr. Ross's claim in the article that the elk in the area immediately around Benezette and Winslow Hill are protected from hunting.

Elk In Hunt Zone 2 Winslow Hill-Saturday Before Elk Season 2010: photo by w.hill

Mr. Ross tries to make the point that the behavior of the elk that one sees in Benezette and on Winslow Hill is not representative of Pennsylvania elk in general, but then he goes on to make some extremely interesting observations. At one point in the interview, Mr. Ross remarks "while elk and deer may be similar in appearance, their behaviors toward people, while cautious, are completely different.""An elk by itself is a big animal. It's not going to act just like a deer because as soon as a deer sees you, it can move because it's so quick and so small. An elk, they've got to stand there and they will still turn, but they don't have that ability to run away as fast as a deer,"

This is in direct contradiction to the experiences of prominent firearms manufacturer and seasoned hunter, James F. Borden. In a letter to Ms. Polaski following the publication of her article, Mr. Borden states:

"I am a seasoned outdoorsman that goes beyond parking lots and the edge of the road--I have spent much time in the "bush" of Alaska as well as the Western States hunting as well as doing wildlife photography. I have hunted many species in the USA and Canada from prairie dogs to grizzly bear. I have hunted elk in Montana and Idaho. You will not find the behavior of those elk to be anything like the Pa Elk herd behavior. I know animals and know their habits very well. What was described to you about an elk being large and can not turn and run like a deer was passed along to you by an individual that does not know and understand elk behavior or does not want the truth known. I advise you to go into the woods of Montana, Colorado or Idaho and try to walk up on elk --you will find that they spook easier than deer and flee hard and fast. If you do your research you will find that the western states that have truly wild elk do not have 100% bull hunt success-it runs closer to 15 to 17%."

Earlier in his letter, Mr. Borden makes some interesting observations about the behavior of the Pennsylvania elk herd;

"I have visited Benezett as recent as the weekend prior to the opening of the elk season and there were in excess of 150 animals on Winslow hill in the hunt zone 2 and I could walk among them and walk within 15 yards of the big bulls. These animals are highly accustomed to humans--the same day there were in excess of 125 elk in the town of Benezett across the bridge near the old train station-so that totals over 275 Elk out of a herd of 700 to 800--so I saw 25% of the entire Pa elk herd that day and none of the animals were the least bit skittish or afraid. I have observed elk up the Sinnemahoning and found them to behave in the same manner."

Herd In Hunt Zone 2-Winslow Hill Sunday Morning Before Season: photo by w.hill

I can personally attest that what Mr. Borden said about the Winslow Hill herd is true as I had extensive experience with these animals during the same time period. Some would seek to remedy the situation by making the herd on Winslow Hill "truly wild", but this may or may not be possible to do, and attempting to do so would destroy the elk viewing experience.

Visit Jim Borden's blog, JJ Widlife Photography for an excellent article ,PA Elk In Fall, describing his experience with the elk during the weekend before elk season.

Excerpts from letter to Ms. Polaski reprinted by permission of James F. Borden.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

More Thoughts On "Kissser" aka "Odie":

2010-12-02T20:05:00.001-05:00

Regular readers of this blog know that one of Pennsylvania's few surviving character bulls known as "Kisser" or "Odie" was killed during the past elk season. I first filmed and photographed this bull in Benezette during the summer of 2007 when he was already a beautiful 7x7.


"Kisser" aka "Odie" in Benezette: July 2007

While most referred to him as "Kisser", our close circle of photographers and elk watchers named him "Odie" There is of course a story behind this. Ron "Buckwheat" Saffer and Odie Swartz were photographing this bull and several other elk during the rut of 2007 when he had a fight with another bull and broke one of his tines. Odie Swartz found the tine and from then on Buckwheat referred to the bull as "Odie's Bull". In time we simply referred to him as "Odie"


"Odie"In Woodlands On Winslow Hill Rut of 2007: Note Missing Tine On Left Antler

By 2010 most of the character bulls were gone. The famous town bull "Fred" was in declining health, and most of the others had been poached (Club Horn 2005), killed in elk season, or died of natural causes. "Kisser" was positioned to replace Fred (bull #36) as the most observed and photographed Pennsylvania bull elk, but this was not to be.

In the Saturday November 27, 2010 edition of Endeavor News, Carol Mulvihill features this bull in her "Elk Watcher's Journal "column - "Remembering bull elk "Kisser". The story covers the life history of the animal, especially the early years and reveals that he was named by a local resident and elk guide when the young bull walked up to his house in 2005 and touched noses with a puppy dog standing on the porch. A photograph of this encounter is featured on the front page of the print edition of the paper.

The story in its' entirety is available initially only to subscribers, but is available to the general public after three weeks. I recommend that those who are seriously interested in the elk herd and issues impacting the elk range such as Marcellus shale drilling subscribe to this paper.

For more on this animal read "A Gentle Giant" by Coy Hill ( March 11, 2010). The story of this animal is yet one more reason why we need an expanded No Kill Zone!

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

News From Pennsylvania Elk Country: A Report From Paul Staniszewski

2010-11-23T12:28:00.000-05:00

Today, I received a very informative e-mail from Paul Staniszewski that covers some important developments in Pennsylvania elk country and will be the basis for most of today's post.

There was much speculation that the bull known as "Attitude" among our circle of photographers was among the bulls that were shot this past hunting season, but Paul reports that he and Ron "Buckwheat" Saffer did see this bull and seven cows across from Benezett store. They also saw four other large bulls, which included the famous Benezette town bull "Fred", aka "Dog Rope", aka "Bull No. 36". This is welcome news when two of the most famous character bulls "Odie" aka "Kisser" and "Crazy Legs Jr." were killed during the past elk season, along with the large 7x7 that thrilled thousands of visitors to the Elk Country Visitor Center.

Two Of The Major Attractions At Elk Country Visitor Center, Killed In Elk Season: Photo by W.Hill

In addition, Paul reports:
"In traveling down Dewey Road we were surprised to see that the barn and garage at the Gilbert Farm were gone.... I was glad to see that theywere not simply burned down, but dismantled with the barn siding and foundation stones salvaged.

Kenny Gilbert Barn: Photo by W.Hill

Shed At Gilbert: Photo by W.Hill

Further down across the road from the "Stink Ponds" we observed at least 75 cows feeding in the field.

Elk At Ponds Near Gilbert Buildings: Photo by W.Hill

In our discussions with local residents, all of the talk was about the all the Marcellus Gas Well leases being signed and a lot of money changing hands.I am very concerned about how all the drilling being planned in the area will impact the elk herd and how the hundreds of thousands of visitors and gas well activity (including traffic) will coexist.

Marcellus Sale Related Work-Porcupine Run-Winslow Hill Viewing Area: Photo by W.Hill

Editor's Note:
According to other information that I have received, it seems that the gas and oil rights on at least a portion of the public lands on Winslow Hill are still owned by previous owners or their families. This includes the land where the Elk Country Visitor Center is located. A local resident told me on the day that the above photo was taken that a gas well is to be located there.

Now more from Paul Staniszewski:
"We stopped in the Elk Country Visitors Center and the staff reported that the previous day (Sunday) was just as busy as it was during the rut in October. The traffic to the center has far exceeded everyone's expectations. I look at this as being very positive because more and more people are being educated as to the value of the elk herd as a asset to be viewed and appreciated by many tourists rather than a handful of hunters.

On the way home, we stopped in Hollywood and spoke to Larry Alexander,an environmental engineer from DEP, and he gave us a tour of the abandoned mine drainage reclamation project that is currently underway. This project is very important because these are the headwaters of the Bennetts Branch that runs through Benezette. Larry previously worked out of the trailer that was parked on the Gilbert Farm for 8 years while he supervised the building of the 2 silos, the construction of the "Stink Ponds", and all the other activity related to cleaning up Dents Run. He told us that presently the lower reaches of Dents Run are now able to sustain aquatic insect life and will be stocked with trout. I never thought that I would see that happened in my
lifetime."

A special thanks to Paul for another informative report.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

They Don't Shoot Tame Elk In Pennsylvania-Or Do They?

2010-11-18T12:17:00.001-05:00

I had really wanted to avoid this subject but then I happened to read an article,"Range of area elk herd expanding". This was published in the Nov.5, 2010 edition of the Daily Press a newspaper from St. Marys, Pennsylvania and was written by Becky Polaski. The article is constructed around an interview with Tony Ross, the Regional Wildlife Biologist for the PGC in the Northcentral Region.

I have reason to believe that I met Ms. Polaski that day as I was at the elk check station late in the morning of November 3, 2010 when I overheard a young lady introduce herself to a hunter as a reporter from a St Marys newspaper. Soon we were engaged in conversation and she told me she had heard reports about tame elk being shot in the hunt and she wanted to interview a PGC official so that the record could be set straight about this subject. As she was leaving the check station, she told me she had interviewed Tony Ross about this subject and felt that he gave a fair presentation of both sides of the controversy.

In the interview, Ross explains about the No Hunt Zone and claims that this gives sufficient protection to the elk that are completely acclimated to humans as these animals remain in the No Hunt Zone and do not go into areas where hunting is permitted. He goes on to point out that people see how these elk behave and then wrongly assume that all elk in Pennsylvania are as tame as The Winslow Hill herd.

Today we will focus on one particular incident, which occurred at the Porcupine Run-Winslow Hill Viewing Area (The Gilbert) on Dewey road, which proves beyond any doubt that the acclimated animals that frequent the viewing areas on Winslow Hill are subject to hunting at times.

Most visitors to Pennsylvania elk country do not realize that the Hunt Zone begins just beyond the double gates at the PGC parking lot at the end of Dewey Road. If one walks through the gate to the left and follows the road to Benezette, the area to the left of the road is No Hunt Zone, while the area to the right is Hunt Zone (check the PGC Hunting and Trapping Digest for a more detailed description of Zone boundaries) . This is the hillside that is plainly visible from Winslow Hill Road. This year a tremendous herd of elk (well over 100 animals at times) utilized this area and passed freely between the Hunt and No Hunt Zones.

Dawn of November 1, 2010, the first day of elk season, came in cold and frosty. At first nothing could be seen but the piercing bugles of bulls rent the air signifying that elk were present. Soon a hunting party became visible on the crest of the hillside. This is the area that long time elk watchers refer to as "The Saddle".

Hunting Party In Saddle At Dawn

Simultaneously, one was able to make out the forms of a large herd of elk spread out along the hillside below and in front of the hunting party. Legal shooting hours were at 7:10 a.m., but it was still very dark at that time. At about 7:25 a person dropped into shooting position and fired one shot at about 7:30.

Hunter Prepares To Shoot

The elk did not show any significant reaction to the shot. A still capture from video taken of the herd within a minute of the shot being fired shows that some of the animals have their heads lifted, but they do not look alarmed, while others continue to graze.


Elk Herd Moments After An Elk Was Killed In Their Midst


Still Grazing Peacefully at 7:47

About 7:50, a full twenty minutes after the shot was fired, elk began moving toward the No Hunt Zone. At this time the hunting party stood up and two of them walked down the hill to the kill. As they did this the herd grouped and ran into the No Hunt Zone.

Elk Move Into No Hunt Zone

An observer told me later that someone was hunting with a bow and while they could see several elk, none came within range until the hunters came down the hill. At that point elk did come within range and the archer killed an antlerless elk.

Soon all of the elk were in the No Hunt Zone and I saw no more elk on the hillside that was open to hunting from then until the time I left elk country on Thursday morning of that week.

The photo below shows the area that was filled with elk at dawn.The pile of entrails are near to where the animal fell.

Area Of Kill From Hunters Point Of View

I must emphasize that this was a a legal hunt, conducted in an area open to public hunting, and it is not my intention to criticize the actions of the hunters, but rather to bring attention to a flawed policy that permits hunting in this area. I and several others have repeatedly made the case for a larger no hunt zone and this is a prime example as to why this should be done. In fact this area was NOT in the Hunt Zone during the first few modern day elk hunts, but was included in the Hunt Zone in 2005.

There were 2 bull tags, and six antlerless tags issued for Hunt Zone 2 and it is possible that more of these hunters could have tried to kill elk in this herd. There were several people along Winslow Hill and Dewey Road observing the hunt and the potential existed for a public relations nightmare had several tag holders co-operated and fired a volley into the herd of acclimated elk. A well known elk guide later commented on the situation and said that he was hoping that the herd moved out of this area before opening day as "we didn't need a massacre". Now seems like a good time to remove the legal basis for such a potential disaster by removing this area from Hunt Zone 2 and making it part of the No Kill Zone.

I hope to explore this article in more depth and the situation concerning Hunt Zone 2 and the No Hunt Zone in a series of posts in the very near future.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill. All photos by W.Hill.

E-Mail From Paul Staniszweski: Change In Visitor Center Operation Schedule

2010-11-13T19:11:00.000-05:00

The following is a letter to the editor so as to speak, which was sent in the form of an e-mail. This is from Paul Staniszweski, a retired educator who is currently a Pennsylvania Wild Juried Artist and a volunteer at the Elk Country Visitor Center.

Willard, I would like to comment on your blog: First of all, I would like to go back to October and the dedication of the Elk Country Visitors Center.... At that time, I mentioned that there was a noticeable absence of any representation from the PA Game Commission... Everyone that I talked to said that the reason was that there is an ongoing conflict between the Game Commission and the management of the Keystone Country Elk Alliance.... In my opinion, I think that more is involved. I feel that the vast majority of attendees to the "grand opening" were against the elk hunt and the Game Commission didn't want to have to answer questions about the hunt being unethical and giving new meaning to the word "sportsmanship". In truth, I believe the the PGC is embarrassed about the hunt and they know that it is a joke.... And the PGC knows that this hunt amounts to "shooting fish in a barrel".

Acclimated Bulls Sparring On Winslow Hill: Photo by Paul Staniszewski

The following are concerns I have about the hunt:

The elk hunt should NOT be promoted as a trophy event.
The "no hunt zone" needs to be extended to include Winslow Hill (I Understand that bugling was going on there throughout the hunt).
The elk hunt does not need to be an annual event, but conducted on a "need to have" basis.

Willard, again, these are only my thoughts and now I will get off my soapbox... Sorry for the long post...

Paul

Paul also informs us that the days and hours of operation of the Visitor Center have changed.

"The management of the visitors center has announced a change in their hours and days of operation for the upcoming months as follows: For November and December, it will be closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and for the open days, the hours will be 9:00 AM til 5:00 PM.... And for January, February, March,
and April it will be open on Saturdays and Sundays only from 9:00 AM til 5:00 PM."

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

PGC Releases Elk Hunt Results: 100% Success Rate On Bull Elk

2010-11-11T11:25:00.000-05:00

While many claim that Pennsyilvania Elk are as wild as any and that the hunt is fair chase, we once again find that bull hunters were extremely successful. In fact this year's success rate was 100% and last year only one bull tag was not filled. The success ratio on antlerless elk is always somewhat less. It seems likely this is because a cow hunter is not as likely to hire a guide and is more likely to give up if they are not sucessful within the first few days of the season.

Acclimated Elk Near Boundary Of Hunt Zone 2: Photographed in 2008

We stand by our position that there needs to be a larger No Kill zone to afford protection to more of the acclimated bulls that frequent the viewing areas. While many bulls travel long distances to Winslow Hill during the rut, several do remain in the area and these have been hit hard since elk season resumed in 2001.

On a postitive note the Pennsylvania Game Commission must be commended for eliminating the combined hunt zones on Winslow Hill in 2009 and allowing only hunters with zone 2 tags to hunt in zone 2. (For a period zones 1,2,3,10 were combined which allowed a hunter with a valid tag for any of these areas to hunt wherever they chose within those 4 zones. This gave the potential for an extreme amount of hunting pressure to be directed at the elk in Zone 2, near the viewing areas on Winslow Hill. This year 2 bull and 6 cow tags were issued for Zone 2.

Reprinted below is the official PGC news realease for the elk season which ran from Monday Nov.1 through Saturday Nov. 6th. Please visit their website for more information on Pennsylvania wildlife.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 09, 2010
Release #120-10
Source: The Pennsylvania Game Commission
ELK HUNTERS HARVEST 41 ELK IN 2010

HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe today announced that 41 of the 51 licensed elk hunters were successful during the 2010 elk season, which includes a possible new state record for the typical elk category. Of that total, 18 were antlered elk and 23 were antlerless elk.
“Elk are one of North America’s premier big game animals,” Roe said. “Pennsylvania is privileged to offer this unique hunting opportunity, a product of successful wildlife management that supports Pennsylvania’s rich hunting heritage. It’s an unparalleled experience for hunters, particularly those who can’t afford to go on an expensive one- or two-week guided elk hunt out West.”
           The heaviest antlered elk was taken by John A. Murray Jr., of Grindstone, Fayette County. He took a 880-pound (estimated live weight), 7x7 on Nov. 1, in Benezette Township, Elk County.
           Those hunters rounding out the top five heaviest (all estimated live weights) antlered elk harvested, were: Charles H. Stowman, of Westover, Clearfield County, took a 868-pound, 8x7 on Nov. 3, in Grove Township, Cameron County; Domenic V. Aversa Sr., of Woolwich, New Jersey, took an 867-pound, 7x7 on Nov. 1, in Jay Township, Elk County; Richard R. Lundgren, of Kittanning, Armstrong County, took a 852-pound, 8x9 on Nov. 1, in Jay Township, Elk County; and James F. Wolfe, of Mercersburg, Franklin County, took an 823-pound, 7x7 on Nov. 1, in Covington Township, Clearfield County.
           Roe noted that the antlers from Aversa’s elk green-scored at 389 and seven-eighths on the Boone & Crockett Club’s official scoring system. If that score holds after the required 60-day drying time, it will set a new record for Pennsylvania state typical elk taken with a firearm. The current record is held by John A. Polenski, of Meyersdale, Somerset County, who, in 2009, harvested a 6x7 antlered elk that scored 370.
The heaviest antlerless elk was taken by Mark E. Gowarty, of Johnstown, Cambria County, who harvested a 582-pound (estimated live weight) antlerless elk on Nov. 2, in Benezette Township, Elk County.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

Pa Elk Season 2010

2010-10-31T19:50:00.001-04:00

In the morning the Pennsylvania Elk season or hunt as many call it will begin. Seventeen persons were successful in obtaining bull tags along with thirty three others with antlerless tags.

I sit here wondering what the outcome of this years season will be. How many of the bulls that so many have come to know, animals who are very trusting of humans, will fall to the bullets and arrows that will come their way in to coming days.

I cannot condemn the PGC for the need to manage these majestic animals but neither can I agree with any program that portrays these trusting animals as fitting trophies for hunters to proudly hang on their wall.

There are other ways of managing the elk herd rather than selectively removing the best males from the herd with a trophy hunt. I cannot disagree that hunting is the best way to keep the herd within the management goals of the area but bull tags should at least for the most part be for animals who have passed their prime or who's genetics keep them from becoming dominate bulls at all. This could be done as simply as restricting the bull kill to branch antlered animals with 5 or less points per side. A slot restriction would get some younger bulls killed but we would be protecting the best breeding bulls at the time of their life where they can do the most good for this small isolated herd.

Elk Country Visitor Center Grand Opening Held Today

2010-10-06T19:57:00.004-04:00

Paul Staniszewski reports from Elk County that he arrived at the Elk Country Visitor Center this morning at 8:00 a.m., was given a Keystone Elk Country Alliance vest, and went to work assisting DCNR officers with traffic control and Parking.

Elk Country Visitor Center September 22, 2010: photo by W.Hill

According to Mr. Staniszewski, "The governor arrived at 10:30AM and the festivities began. After about an hour of speeches from the politicians and refreshments it was over. A few of the notable politicians were, of course, Governor Rendell, U.S. Congressman Glen Thompson, District Representative Matt Gabler, and a lot of candidates that are running for office. Other guests included PA Wilds Director Dan Surra, DCNR Director John Quigley, representatives from the U.S Forest Service, officials representing the village of Benezette, and the general public. Also there were at least 50 people from DCNR all uniformed and the Pennsylvania State Police were present. Noticeably absent was any representation from the Pennsylvania Game Commission either in uniform or not. My best guess estimate is that there were between 350 and 400 people there and at least 25 people from various media outlets recording the event."

"All in all, I think that things went well and everyone was impressed. One of the speakers mentioned that every effort is being made to keep the center open all year round. My hope is that more people become involved in protecting and preserving this national treasure." Paul Staniszewski reporting from Benezette, October 6, 2010.

Originally Posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

An Unpleasant Encounter In Pennsylvania Elk Country

2010-10-05T05:35:00.001-04:00

Dawn on September 29th, 2010 found me slowly moving toward my favorite elk photography spot as the thunderous bugles of bull elk rent the autumn air. On this morning I was accompanied by three other persons, my brother Coy of Country Captures, and our good friend Richard and one of his relatives.

Approaching The Favorite Spot: Photo by W.Hill

Over the years this spot has rewarded me with some of the most exciting experiences I have had in the great outdoors. These experiences included numerous encounters with large numbers of exceptional bull elk. In 2003 I saw and recorded the mating of a bull and cow, and the best experience of all was when I recorded a fight between what is now known as Bull 36 (Fred) and an impressive monster known as the Test Hill Bull. This fight is part of the theater presentation at the new Elk Country Visitor Center today.

Little did I realize that my memories of the area would soon be tainted forever by a very unpleasant encounter. Suddenly I spotted a young bull elk horning a sapling above me on the hill side and began to position the camera to film him, when suddenly I spotted something out of place in the tall grass that grew alongside the pathway in front of me. I swung the camera toward the spot and was amazed to see that two persons were crouched in the grass. What had drawn my attention was the reflection from the hunting license attached to the back of one of the persons.

A Surprise: Photo by W.Hill

It seemed likely that this was the hunter who had the Governor's Conservation elk tag for this year. This is a special bull permit that is awarded to the highest bidder in an auction conducted by some prominent conservation organization chosen by the PGC. The first drawing was in 2009 when the tag was auctioned by the National Wild Turkey Federation and brought in $28,000. According to state law up to 20% of the proceeds may be retained by the organization that conducts the auction while the rest is returned to the PGC to fund elk management programs. In this the second year, the tag was given to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and was auctioned off for $35,000. The successful bidder is permitted to harvest one bull elk anywhere in the Pennsylvania elk range except for the No Hunt Zone and according to the 2010-11 Pennsylvania Hunting and Trapping Digest, may hunt from September 1st through November 6th.

At this point I decided to maintain my position and photograph the young bull, which in fact the other members of the party were already doing. Note: most photos in this post are frame captures from a Canon XL-H1 Video Camera.

Young Bull Rubbing Sapling: Photo by W.Hill

As I was filming the bull I noticed movement to the left and the hunter and guide emerged from cover and walked away from the area, vanishing into a ravine some distance away.

Hunter and Guide Leave Area: Photo by W.Hill

After they vanished from sight, I moved on to my favorite spot on a retention pond bank while the rest of the party continued to photograph the small bull. From this vantage point I could see the top of the rack of a mature bull and signaled the rest of the party that a large bull was on top of the hill. At the time the animal was lying down, but soon stood up. This animal had been injured earlier in the rut and walked with a distinct limp. He spent much of the week of September 20th lying in a camp lawn along Winslow Hill Road, but now he had moved some distance away to this meadow where a newly reclaimed area was planted in fall grain.


Coy Hill Photographs Bull Lying Down: Photo by W.Hill

In time the bull stood up and I was able to photograph the entire animal. This particular animal has no fear whatsoever of humans and will not run from them.

Crippled Bull: Photo by W.Hill

While the rest of the party were photographing the bull, I noticed the hunter and guide walking up a ravine to my left. They stopped at the cluster of trees to the right of the large mound of earth and stayed there for an extended period of time.

View From Pond Bank To Ravine: Photo by W.Hill

When the other members of my party finished photographing the bull, they came down the hill to the pond bank where I was standing. We discussed the morning's encounter with the bulls and waited in the hopes that more elk would appear.

Facing Area Where Bull Had Been, Shows Hillside That Hunter And Guide Approached Us By: Photo by C.Hill

After a time the hunter and guide came along the hillside in front of where I am standing in the above photo and then came striding down the hillside to us. The hunter asked us if we were aware that they were conducting a hunt in the area. He explained that these were game lands purchased by hunting license dollars to be used for hunting purposes. They were working a bull in the area and we had interfered with them. (It is a violation of the Pennsylvania Game and Wildlife Code to interfere with a lawful hunt), At this time I invited the hunter to file charges against me so we could settle this in a court of law. (In actuality he would need to report the incident to a PGC officer who would investigate and decide if a violation had in fact occurred, and file charges if warranted). I also asked the hunter if he was accusing me of harassing him and he said," no", at which point I informed him that he was coming dangerously close to harassing me. I then turned to the guide and recapped the events of the morning, noting that I was coming to an area that I utilize quite frequently and in fact was my favorite spot for elk viewing an photography. I had done exactly the same thing on several morning's and evenings in the last two weeks and the only thing that was different today was that they (the hunting party) were in the area this morning. I stopped immediately upon sighting them, did not create a disturbance and did not move until until after they left the area. I asked the guide if he had a problem with this and he said that he did not. They then wished us "a good day" and "good luck" and left the area while we remained for some time in the hopes of further elk sightings.

The crux of the matter is that we were engaged in a legal activity in an area where we had every legal right to be. As far as I know, the guide and hunter were also engaged in a legal activity in an area where they had the legal right to be. It would have been inappropriate for us to approach them while they were hunting and discuss the ethics of the situation in which they were involved, to purposefully frighten the animal they were hunting, or otherwise prevent them from hunting it, but simply being in the same area is not interfering with the hunt.

Some will think he had a point about the land being bought with hunting license dollars for hunting purposes, but this is not nearly as valid as it appears at first glance. For one thing one would need to research the matter to see just how that portion of State Game Lands 311 was purchased, as funds from a variety of sources other than hunting license dollars are often utilized in such land transactions. Also it is likely that most if not all in our party either buy a hunting license each year or have done so in the past. I bought my first license at somewhere between fourteen and sixteen years of age and continued to do so until 1998 when I quit hunting. My brother Coy bought his first license at a young age and continues to do so today, so it is not a simple case of hunters vs anti-hunters or hunters vs non-consumptive users.

Since I am about eight years older than the hunter, but stopped buying a license twelve years ago, it is possible that he has only had been a license holder for four more years than I have been-although he could have started buying his license at twelve years of age, which would bias the scale a bit more in his favor, but that being said, I have contributed almost as much to the game fund by buying a license as he has, yet it seems persons such as I should not be on the game lands or at least not while hunters are present.

But he spent $35,000 for a special tag so that puts him far ahead of me in contributing to wildlife conservation, or does it? I was as a Deputy Wildlife Conservation Officer (DWCO) from 1982 until 2006 and served in a district which had a large number of deputies.Coy began a few years later and retired in the same time period that I did. During my early years with the PGC it was common to be allocated twelve paid days per year, which were paid during the fall hunting seasons. At the sum of $30.00 per day this resulted in a total income of $360.00 per year before taxes, yet we were young and motivated and it was common to work 40 to 100 hours per month during the months of September, October, November, and December. In addition I have donated numerous photographs and video footage to the PGC for their use, and Coy has donated numerous photos as well. In addition I retired from the full-time position of Game Lands Maintenance Supervisor for Fulton County and portions of Bedford and Franklin Counties. Considering this I think our contribution to wildlife conservation has been significant.

With that being said though, these factors shouldn't enter the equation. The area where they were hunting should still be part of the No Hunt Zone as it was from the first Hunt in 2001 until 2005 as most elk in this area are completely acclimated to humans and are easily approachable. . With over 865,000 square miles of elk range, why must there be elk hunting in this particular area, and how could a hunter expect privacy during the peak elk viewing season-or did they expect that everyone should stay away from the area in the off chance that they might be hunting there? The area in question is quite near the Gilbert Viewing Area and is open to the public. The hunters should have expected to encounter other persons and in fact the area was inundated with people during the previous weekend.

One should be required to have either a valid hunting license, or a Game Lands use permit to be present on State Game Lands. This would ensure that everyone contributed financially to wildlife conservation and would remove the argument that non-hunters do not contribute to wildlife conservation and should not be there during hunting seasons.

For more reading about this subject please visit Country Captures and read Elk Hunt Zone 2 & The Viewing Areas.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

Elk Country Visitor Center Now Open, Cogan Named President & CEO Of Keystone Elk Country Alliance

2010-09-10T09:20:00.006-04:00

According to a report from Paul Staniszewski , yesterday September 9th was the first day that the Visitor Center was open for the public.

Paul says, "I was shocked because there was no signage indicating that it was open at the entrance and no promotion and yet there were 200 visitors cars in the parking lot and the place was packed.The center will be open 7 days a week and the hours of operation will be 8:00AM and closing will vary with darkness which is currently around8:00PM. The "official" opening is scheduled for mid October."

Paul also reports that according to Pennsylvania's leading elk photographer, Ron Saffer and PGC Elk Biologist Aide Mark Gritzer, the rut and bugling has at least two more weeks to reach the peak.

Bull During Peak Of Rut 2009

In another development the Pennsylvania DCNR announced more information about the Elk Country Visitor Center in the September 1st Issue of their newsletter "Resource" , the most important being that Rawland Cogan was named CEO of The Keystone Elk Country Alliance, also know as KECA, and KECA will operate the visitor center.

Rawland "Rawley" Cogan President And CEO of KECA:photo by W.Hill

The Following is an excerpt from the newsletter, containing the most important part of the release. For the release in its' entirety, click Here!, which will take you to the online version of the news release.

"In September 2009, DCNR entered an agreement with the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation to help the department complete the Elk Center after an initial partnership with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation was concluded.
“We appreciate PPFF’s willingness to step in and ensure that the center could be completed in the original time frame,” Quigley said. “It’s a true reflection of the foundation’s commitment to support a shared goal of conservation and connecting people to nature through terrific outdoor experiences.”
“With construction nearing completion, it was clear that DCNR was in need of a new partner to operate the center,” KECA Chairman of the Board John Geissler said. “In December 2009, our organization was created for that purpose. The best part of this effort may be that all the funds we raise in Pennsylvania will remain right here in Pennsylvania’s elk range and at the Elk Center.
“Another great boost to our cause happened the day Rawley Cogan agreed to serve as President and CEO of the Keystone Elk Country Alliance,” Geissler said. “Rawley is a wildlife biologist noted for his work with Pennsylvania elk and their reintroduction into the wild landscape. Rawley played an integral part in the land acquisition and planning of the Elk Mountain Homestead and Elk Country Visitor Center from its inception.”
“I am honored to have been chosen to be the first President and CEO of the new Keystone Elk Country Alliance,” Cogan said. “As we move forward, the alliance will focus its resources in three areas — conservation education,habitat enhancement and permanent land protection. Source: September 1, 2010 PA DCNR Newsletter

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

Pennsylvania Elk Country Visitor Center: A More Critical Look

2010-09-07T13:30:00.000-04:00

It seems that most written commentary portrays the Elk Country Visitor Center soon to open on Winslow Hill as a positive thing, yet when one scratches below the surface they find quite a bit of apprehension among landowners and many visitors to elk country as to how the opening of the Center will impact Benezette, Winslow Hill, and surrounding areas.

Rawland "Rawley" Cogan alluded to these concerns while setting forth his view of the Visitor Center during the "Wild About Elk" Workshop last June.

Rawley Cogan Explains Position On Economic Development: photo by W.Hill

While many view elk and other wildlife solely from the perspective of wildlife conservation, hunting, and eco-tourism, Mr.Cogan explained the economic importance of the center to an economically depressed region which has seen the loss of a lot of jobs, many of which will not return. Cogan also stressed the need to preserve Benezette from unfettered development. The following is a direct quote by Mr. Cogan:

“Part of our role in Keystone Elk Country Alliance is to drive economic activity throughout the region so when people come here, they need a place to stay. Benezette needs to stay Benezette. It needs to protect its' sense of place. Benezette is a quaint little old coal mining, timbering town that gives you kind of that step back in time feel and you don't want to change that, because if you change it, it's like every other place. So Benezette doesn't have the infrastructure for eco-tourism and the hotels and the restaurants, they've done pretty well with what they have. Our hope is to drive economic activity into places that they already have the infrastructure like St. Marys, and Clearfield, and Ridgway,Johnsonburg, Emporium,and DuBois, that they've got it in place so people will make the day trip into elk country and go to these other towns and cities to spend the night.” Rawland Cogan 06-16-2010

While Mr. Cogan hopes to preserve Benezette and one would presume Winslow Hill as well, it is by no means clear how he proposes to do so. If the influx of tourists comes, what is to prevent much of the private property in the area from being developed to a much greater extent than it is today? Perhaps there is a plan to deal with this but it seems that most are unaware of any such plan. One Winslow Hill resident expressed deep concern that properties on the hill may be seized by eminent domain, but there have been no official statements concerning this that I am aware of. There are only so many options available to control growth, which includes seizing the land for a park type situation, zoning, or the purchase of development rights from landowners. It is certain that hope alone is not going to prevent rampant development.

What Will Protect Remaining Private Land From Development? Photo by W.Hill

Prominent photographer, Bob Shank who has owned a camp on Winslow Hill for twenty years or more, reports that lot prices have skyrocketed lately with lots going for six times what they did in the early 1990s. Shank feels that a recent steep price increase is because the company which owns the undeveloped land anticipates a greatly increased demand for campsites with the opening of the visitor center. Shank also points out several key properties on Winslow Hill that are unprotected from development, and wishes he had the resources to purchase them and eventually turn them over to his son or an organization such as The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, or The Pennsylvania Game Commission so that they would be preserved.

Vulnerable Habitat: Photo by W.Hill

A couple who are long time members of the RMEF also thinks much the same way and ponder if perhaps money spent on building a visitor center would not have been better utilized in buying and protecting more land.

It is possible that the Center will provide a focal point for elk based tourism to such an extent that the casual tourist will not be inclined to explore other areas that are not developed for tourism, and thereby alleviate tourist pressure. This is not a given; however, as it is possible that the network of trails and viewing blinds at the Center will not be able to handle the influx of tourists at peak periods, which could result in increased pressure on surrounding private property and public lands.

A successful Visitor Center should help counteract those who would like to see a substantial part of the herd on Winslow Hill shot off. There are those who view the elk as a problem and would like to see a drastic reduction in the herd of acclimated elk. This ranges from some in the Pennsylvania Game Commission who either view the elk primarily as a problem, or solely as another hunting opportunity, to the private landowner that may object to elk damage and would rather not have them around, or may actually like the elk, but is so upset by rampant trespassing and traffic congestion that they would prefer to see the elk herd drastically reduced, which in time would cause a marked decrease in tourism. Some who view the elk situation from a hunting opportunity standpoint alone, give the impression that they would like to have the herd on Winslow Hill reduced to the point that it is no longer easily visible, which would result in more of a fair chase hunt, and reduce problems with tourists, but at the expense of viable elk tourism. The Center should also lend increased weight to the demand for more mature bulls and improve the chances for implementation of more strategies to prevent the over-harvest of this class of elk, which has occurred since the elk hunt began in 2001.

More Mature Bulls Needed: Photo by W.Hill

Whatever one's point of view, the Visitor Center is about to become a reality, but there certainly is room for continued debate about where we should go from here and what steps should be taken to preserve the character of the Benezette area.

While the Center apparently did not open for the Labor Day weekend, it appears that they will open to the public later this month, but the official Grand Opening will not be until October.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

Keystone Elk Country Alliance To Decide On Wednesday About Labor Day Weekend Opening

2010-08-30T22:42:00.001-04:00

Elk Country Visitor Center: June 16, 2010-photo by W.Hill

There has been a lot of speculation as to when the Elk Country Visitors Center near Benezette, Pa. will open and today Paul Staniszewski, a Juried PA Wilds Artisan, sent the latest news concerning the center and the opening date.

Mr. Staniszewski reports, "I went up to Benezette this morning (Monday) and saw that a black iron gate like the one going to the Homestead has now been installed at the entrance to the visitors center.... Also, a cinder block base has been constructed to hold the Elk Country Visitors Center sign.... The people at the visitors center tell me that they will decide on Wednesday if they will open for Labor Day week".

The opening date will be posted on The Keystone Elk Country Alliance Website. Be sure to click on the Visitor Center tab.

Paul also reports seeing several bulls and hearing a lot of bugling on Winslow Hill as the rut gets underway.

Paul has also heard that the buildings at the Gilbert Viewing Area are scheduled to be razed very soon as the reclamation project in that area comes to a close.

Gilbert Buildings Likely Scheduled For Demolition: Photo by W.Hill-Winter 2006

I have referred to this as "The Gilbert Viewing Area" for years, but this is not the official name at present. It was called The Gilbert Farm when I first went to Elk County in 1995 as it was owned by Kenny Gilbert who spent summers there and winters in Florida. In 2000 the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation partnered with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy to purchase the land. Later stewardship of the property was transferred to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. At the time of purchase , it was simply referred to as "The Gilbert" and it seemed likely that it would be called "the Gilbert Viewing Area", yet when a sign was erected last year, it was named "The Porcupine Hollow-Winslow Hill Viewing Area".

Porcupine Run-Winslow Hill Elk Viewing Area Sign: photo by W.Hill

We have no other confirmation that the demolition is scheduled, but it is consistent with Game Commission policy as in most cases he PGC does not maintain buildings on lands which it acquires unless they are suited for a specific need.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

Elk Country Visitor Center To Open September 9th?

2010-08-21T22:28:00.002-04:00

Elk Country Visitor Center Under Construction June 16, 2010-photo by W.Hill

Rumors abounded in Pennsylvania elk country during the late 1990's and early 2000's about the future construction of a visitors center for elk tourism on Winslow Hill. At that time the favored spot was in the area known as “The Saddle". This is the area on Winslow Hill, near the Gilbert Farm, which has been the site of a reclamation project for most of this decade. Most assumed that a visitors center would be built and operated by The Pennsylvania Game Commission, but subsequent events proved this to not be the case.

Perhaps the initial happening in a string of events that was to change the situation entirely began in 2002 when Pennsylvania Game Commission Elk Biologist Rawland, “Rawley” Cogan resigned his position as elk biologist with the Pennsylvania Game Commission and went to work for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation as Northeast Lands Program Manager. The next important step was when the RMEF purchased the 245 ace Betta Tree Farm on the lower reaches of Winslow Hill, which became known as Elk Mountain Homestead. It is unclear as to whether the property was purchased with the goal of building a visitor center, but within a short time of the acquisition the possibility was openly discussed and the RMEF Newsletter “Wapiti” featured an article by Julie Cowan in the winter 2007 edition, “Elk foundation, Pennsylvania DCNR Announce Partnership for Visitor Center” , which verified that this was to be the official course of action.

The official groundbreaking for the construction of the center was on September 25, 2008, but actual construction did not begin until late May of 2009 (Source-May 20, 2009 issue DCNR Newsletter “Resource”)

According to the 2007 article by Ms. Cowan, the center was to be open by the fall of 2009, but this was not to be and the project met a major set-back instead when the RMEF abruptly withdrew from the project in September 2009, and transferred ownership of the property to DCNR. It was soon back on track; however, with the founding of the Keystone Elk Country Alliance, which stepped in to fill the void left by the departure of the RMEF and named Cogan as project Manager for the Visitor Center.

"Rawley Cogan" Project Manager For Visitor Center Addresses "Wild About Elk Workshop" June 16, 2010-photo by W.Hill

The actual opening date has been difficult to pin down, as The Keystone Elk Country Alliance Website has not given a firm opening date until very recently. It now appears that the center should open no later than September 9, 2009 according to Paul Staniszewski, a Juried PA Wilds Artist, who specializes in macro-photography and the production of Floral Note Cards. Mr Staniszewski has been engaged to provide products for the Visitor Center gift shop, and recently received official notification that the “for sure” opening date is September 9th, while Visitor Center Officials are still hoping for sooner if possible. This is further confirmed by the recent updating of the The Keystone Elk Country Alliance Website's Visitor Center Page which now says, “anticipated to open September 9, 2010.

"Wild About Elk" Workshop Participants Observe Elk Near Visitor Center Parking Area-June 16, 2010- photo by W.Hill

I hope to take a closer look at the impact the Visitor Center may have on the Benezette area in the next installment, which should be posted within the next few days.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

Genetics and the Hunt

2010-08-15T09:10:00.000-04:00

Broad based hunting seasons with the general population hunting is assumed to normally distribute the harvesting of young through mature male animals. However, without controls and restrictions the maturity and broad based gene pool is still often effected as evidenced by the Pa Whitetail deer hunting program. For a number of years the antlered season was run without any restrictions other than the antlered deer had to have one antler at least three inches long. With advances in rifle and scope technology and the easier access to all hunting grounds, the Pa whitetail deer population had few males reaching 4 to 5 years old and most antlered deer harvested were small in antler structure. That style season did not selectively harvest trophy animals as most of the hunters afield only wanted to say "I got my buck". A few years ago an antler restriction of at least three points per side was added and a significant change has occurred in the antlered deer population in PA with many more very mature antlered deer resulting.

The Pa Elk Hunt is administered with antlerless and antlered tags. There is no program currently to cull particular gene pools from the elk population or control the age and genetic make up of the animals that are harvested. The data collection and interviewing I have done of hunters that desire to hunt bull elk in PA has brought to focus a concern for the long term health of the Pa Elk Herd. Most of the hunters are only interested in harvesting a "Trophy" bull. they are paying a significant guide fee and it is like winning the lottery to draw a permit, let a lone an antlered permit. With a small herd (less than 800) this can create a situation where the breeding bulls with what is considered "trophy racks" can be culled from the herd to the point that the bulls with non-trophy or deformed racks become the primary breeding stock for the Pa Elk Herd. It is recognized among game biologists that selective culling must be done in small herds to maintain a herd with broad based genetics. I began researching this topic after seeing five bulls in the same area near Benezett last winter that all had similar deformities of the right antler. It was obvious from observation that all of these bulls were genetically deformed and had not had some antler damage done during velvet to cause the deformity as some tried to convince me.

Here are images of three of the bulls:
(these images do not follow rules of photography of animals--they are cropped to illustrate antler structure)

This one may be Dad or Grandpa

The other two bulls that were with the above three stayed deeper in the brush and did not provide me with an opportunity to photograph them clearly.

All of these bulls are within the hunt zone. If the hunt is continued on the same basis as it is now-bulls like these could become the primary breeding stock of the herd which could result in the majority of the bulls in the herd having antler structure such as this is some other antler form. Since the Pa Bull Elk are so easily accessible (guides would lead you to believe this is not true-but look at the 100% kill stats in Pa compared to 15% in western states) the Pa Game Commission could implement a program similar to what is done on ranches in Wyoming, Montana and Texas for deer. That program would have tags that are for specific animals that would be culled from the herd for long term health of the herd. An outfall of that would be that antlered tags would not be as cherished and the number of applicants might go down. The bottom line is that the Elk Hunt in Pa has not been very well thought out in terms of management of the herd for its long term health.

Respectfully

Jim Borden

Click here For more camera critters

Wild About Elk: Elk And People-Issues With Elk: Part II: Artificial Feeding

2010-07-29T15:35:00.001-04:00

Hand Feeding Of Elk Is Risky, And Is Illegal In Pennsylvania: Photo by W.Hill

According to WCO McDowell, the PGC suspects feeding as the cause of death for 12 elk, but only four cases have been confirmed in laboratory tests. One workshop attendee questioned why elk could die from eating corn, but it was not a threat to deer. At this point Mr. McDowell explained that deer are also vulnerable and dealt with the situation in depth,

His presentation covered much of the information given in PGC News Release #088-09 "ARTIFICIAL FEEDING CONFIRMED IN DEATHS OF FOUR ELK: GAME COMMISSION SAYS LITTER CAUSING RISK TO WILDLIFE ” Source: The Pennsylvania Game Commission:-Resources-News Releases-1999-2009 Archives

The following is a pertinent excerpt from the Release:

HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Game Commission officials recently reported that there have been four cases involving elk that have died of rumen acidosis, which is directly related to artificial feeding that causes an abrupt change in an elk’s diet that wreaks havoc with its digestive system. Feeding elk is illegal, as it causes problems by habituating elk to find food around homes and can be dangerous to those who attempt to feed elk by hand. So far, we have been able to document four cases of such deaths,” said Dr. Walter Cottrell, Game Commission wildlife veterinarian. “There have been other deaths that believed may have been caused by such feeding, but, in those cases the animal was either decomposed or other circumstances prevented it from obtaining the carcass in time for laboratory analysis to take place.”

Dr. Cottrell explained that elk, as well as white-tailed deer, adapt to a winter diet of primarily woody vegetation and they will die of acidosis caused by a build up of lactic acid in the rumen, chambers of its four-part stomach that is responsible for fermentation of food. If they consume too much high-fermentable grain, such as corn, which is the most common artificial feed put out by local residents, the pH level falls quickly and a shock-like syndrome can occur.

Local residents have been issued citations for the illegal feeding. In one case, an elk was found lying dead on a pile of corn. In another case, a resident dragged the carcass of a dead elk into the woods in an attempt to conceal the situation.

We need to have local residents and district justices understand that the well intentioned individuals are actually killing elk,” Dr. Cottrell said. “For those who truly enjoy seeing elk it is best for them to stop artificially feeding elk and other wildlife. It would be far more beneficial if they were to implement some form of habitat improvement producing cover to reduce weather-related stress or food in the form of digestible native plants on their property.”

PGC Recommends Landowners Plant Food And Cover To Attract Wildlife: Photo by W.Hill

Elk Feeding In PGC Food Plot (herbaceous opening) Planted In Grain: Photo by W.Hill

Some view the news release with a certain degree of skepticism and point out that they have not seen or heard of large numbers of deer lying dead in corn fields left standing into the winter and in their opinion this should be no different than animals eating corn at a feeder. I recently spoke with a retired PGC Maintenance Supervisor who began working for the agency in the 1960s at a time when they still planted food plots in corn, which was left stand for winter wildlife food. This was at a time that the deer population was not large enough to decimate the corn before it ripened, and it was common to go into winter with a field loaded with corn ears, yet he only recalls finding one dead deer in these fields. In light of this, it seems likely that the problem is caused by sudden exposure to a large amount of corn such as when a truck-load is abruptly dumped in an area, and not simply feeding on corn per se. Dr. Cottrell refers to this when he mentions, "if they consume too much highly fermentable grain such as corn". Those deer utilizing a corn field may have gradually become accustomed to the change in diet as the corn ripened and thus avoided problems.

Much supplemental feeding is done on a small scale, or occurs when animals raid bird feeders,etc. and is not as likely to be lethal as large scale operations, but all are well advised to remember that intentional artificial feeding of elk or bears is illegal under the Pennsylvania Game And Wildlife Code.

To be continued:

Originally Posted At:Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill

Wild About Elk: Elk And People-Issues With Elk

2010-07-23T16:24:00.002-04:00

The Wild About Elk workshop which I attended in mid-June was broken down into segments built around areas of specific interest in elk management. These segments were presented to the class by persons extremely knowledgeable in that specific area of interest, and in most cases by the person responsible for implementing that portion of the elk program for The Pennsylvania Game Commission.

We discussed the presentation by Jon DiBerti, PGC elk biologist, in two previous posts and hope to dwell on a few more aspects of his presentation in the future, but today we begin dealing with: Elk And People-Issues With Elk, which was presented by Elk County WCO (Wildlife Conservation Officer), Doty McDowell who is assigned to perform and direct law-enforcement functions in the core elk range on Winslow Hill and surrounding areas.

WCO Doty McDowell Addresses Workshop On Elk And People Issues

WCO McDowell stressed that many elk and human conflicts result from both animals and humans being attracted to the same places. Much of the human population in the mountainous northcentral region of the state is clustered in the lowlands and of course along roadways. There is a lot of undeveloped land, much of it owned by the state government and administered by DCNR or the PGC. In most cases, this land is managed for wildlife or multi-purpose use, with wildlife interests being kept strongly in mind. The problem is that much of this is rugged mountain land, which is less than ideal wildlife habitat in dry summers or severe winters. This means that elk gravitate to areas where there is more moisture and abundant plant growth and these areas are often near human habitation. While some are pleased to see the elk near their homes, others are not as the animals can do significant damage to ornamental plants, gardens, and agricultural crops, and may present a hazard to motorists. This means that a substantial portion of a conservation officer's time is spent in dealing with complaints. The conservation officer is caught between the proverbial "rock and a hard place" as a portion of the public is displeased if they remove the animal from an area, but ignoring the complaint is not an option as those with the problem will continue to demand action.

According to WCO McDowell, many of the complaints in the late winter and early spring months arise from the practice of winter feeding. In many cases this is done to attract bulls with impressive antlers to a certain spot and to keep them in that area until the antlers are shed, so that the person doing the feeding can collect the antlers. It is legal to possess shed elk and deer antlers in Pennsylvania, but they may not be sold. There are few complaints until the antlers are shed, but they increase dramatically thereafter, especially when the animals graze on ornamental shrubs and flowers.

It is currently illegal to feed bear and elk. in Pennsylvania., but bans on the artificial feeding of wildlife is a controversial subject. Attempts to enforce the elk feeding ban have met with limited success as it seems that in most if not all cases, those charged with violating the ban have been acquitted in magistrate court by district magistrates not sympathetic to this law in particular, or the PGC in general. A notable exception is a camp owner that placed hay and possibly a small amount of corn to attract elk to his property during the early years of the feeding ban. He was confronted by a DWCO (Deputy Wildlife Conservation Officer) about the situation, readily admitted that he had placed the food for elk and paid the fine without contesting the charge. His position was that he had done nothing morally wrong, but that he did place the feed for elk and would pay the penalty. It seems the most common defense is to claim that the feed is for some other species and I have seen signs that state some variation of the following: "Food For Deer Only!, Elk May Not Feed Here!"

Bull Elk Spar At Feeder

Since enforcing the ban by arrest and warnings has been less than successful, the agency has attempted to gain voluntary compliance by public education about the problems associated with artificial feeding.

An excellent example of trying to gain voluntary compliance occurred in the early years of the ban before the current educational initiative became the order of the day. This incident involved a retired PGC employee who is also a long time camp owner. One of his favorite pastimes was going to camp during antler shedding time. He and his family and friends sat in lawn chairs, watching the elk feed in the camp lawn. A good time was had by all as they socialized and waited, in the hopes that a bull would lose his antlers while they waited. This was a deeply ingrained tradition and an event to look forward to each year, yet suddenly it was illegal. In this instance the camp owner was approached by a high ranking PGC official and was told that the agency was aware that he was feeding elk and that a "word to the wise should be sufficient". This was certainly the "decent" thing to do, but some felt it was either unfair or sent an inconsistent message in light of other persons being charged for the same offense.

Yet it turns out that elk-human conflicts and elk habituation to humans is no longer the primary objection to elk feeding. Instead the PGC now contends there is a scientifically proven link between artificial feeding and elk mortality.

Shelled Corn At A Feeder-Is This A Deadly Food?

To be continued:

Originally posted by Willard Hill at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer

Pennsylvania Elk Management: "Wild About Elk" Part 2

2010-06-28T13:59:00.004-04:00

John Di Berti, PGC Elk Biologist made several more points at the "Wild About Elk " workshop. I will cover some of them below. They are not verbatim quotes, but rather a synopsis of what was presented, with some of my input such as in comparing the relative reproduction capabilities of elk and deer.

PGC Elk Biologist Jon Di Berti Gives PowerPoint Presentation-Photo by W.Hill

Cow elk usually do not give birth until they are three years of age and they usually only have one calf, in contrast to whitetail deer that may give birth at one year of age, usually give birth at two years, and frequently have twins and sometimes triplets. In practical terms this means that elk do not have nearly the reproductive potential that deer do, and therefore it is much easier to control their numbers so that they do not damage their habitat.

Dealing with elk human conflicts is an important concern in elk management. This segment was covered by Wildlife Conservation Officer Doty McDowell and will be covered in depth in a future post.

Maintaining a healthy herd with a good age structure is extremely important. It seems that we are basically doing well with the elk here in Pennsylvania, with the exception that there are not enough bulls making it past the 51/2 year point. According to Mr. Diberti, a bull will reach his maximum potential between the age of 6-9 years, but the ability to grow large racks may continue past the ninth year.

Young Bull Browsing: Bulls Must Be At Least 6-9 Years Old To Reach Full Potential-Photo by W.Hill

Mature Bull Taken on Same Day-Note Extreme Difference In Antler Size-Photo by W.Hill

The number of tags issued does not seem to greatly influence the number of applications received. Over 50,000 applications were received for the first hunt in 2001, but numbers then declined to a low of 17,245 in 2007. They then increased slightly in 2008 and 2009 and have basically stabilized at just below 20,000 applicants.

The hunt has not significantly lowered elk mortality from other causes such as killing for crop damage, roadkill, or natural causes, but rather is additional mortality above and beyond these factors.

Habitat management practices directed toward elk is beneficial to a wide variety of other species as well. We will cover this in further detail in a future post with photos from a field tour with Land Management Officer John Dzemyan.

Original content posted at http://pawildlifephotographer.blogspot.com/

Pennsylvania Elk: Management: A Need For More Mature Bulls

2010-06-22T14:56:00.001-04:00

I recently attended a "Wild About Elk" workshop, which involved an afternoon of classroom training on the first day, and a morning of field study on Winslow Hill on day two. This also included a tour of The Elk Country Visitors Center, which is currently under construction and expected to open in late September. The workshop was sponsored by The Pennsylvania Game Commission and co-ordinated by Theresa Alberici, Wildlife Education Specialist, Harrisburg, PGC. Administrative Assistance was by Kathy DePuy, Harrisburg, PGC.

Wild About Elk is part of Project Wild, which is administered by the Council for Environmental Education and is co-sponsored by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Project Wilds mission is to provide teachers with information and motivation to develop, and present an environmental curriculum for students ranging from kindergarten through high school. It is also geared toward informal environmental educators such as those who give presentations to sportsman clubs and civic organizations, or participate in outdoor blogging and video production.

PGC Elk Biologist Jon Di Berti Explains Radio Collars: Photo by W.Hill

PGC Elk Biologist, Jon De Berti was the first speaker and presented an excellent power-point presentation, which dealt with general information about the herd, research, and monitoring of the population. Mr Di Berti made two points, which validated much of what I have been saying on this blog.

We need to manage for trophy bulls. Too many bulls are being taken at or before 5 1/2 years of age and not enough are living to reach their full potential.

I asked Mr. Di Berti if there are more large bulls today than there were before the hunt and he said there is not. The question was asked because some defenders of the hunt as it is currently implemented claim that the bulls are getting bigger as a result of the elk hunt and other management policies. There is no doubt land management practices have resulted in better habitat for elk, but there seems to be no reason to believe that the hunt has increased the number and quality of mature bulls.


A Monster Bull In Pre-hunt Era- Video Still by W.Hill

Few if any bulls live to reach this size today, a prime example being the bull pictured below, which was already a large bull in 2002, but not as impressive as the bull above. It survived the first season, but not the second. It was acclimated to humans and was commonly seen around Medix Run and Winslow Hill. It was allegedly killed at Medix Run that year. If a bull reaches exceptional size now, a tremendous effort is mounted to take him, and there is little chance that he will survive for a significant length of time unless he remains in the No Hunt Zone or property where elk hunting is not permitted.

Acclimated Bull February 2002: Photo-W.Hill

Mr. Di Berti also addressed elk numbers, and his presentation reinforced information we received last year that indicated that there were likely less elk than what many think. In fact there are likely less elk now than there were before the hunt began contrary to the claims of some.

Population estimates are far from an exact science. "There is 95% confidence that our elk population is somewhere from about 450 animals, to just over 1,000 animals."

Mr. Di Berti went on to explain that often when allocations were set in the past, many PGC Commissioners focused on the high number, which resulted in license allocations being higher than could be justified, because the actual number of elk was much lower. Since 2008 allocations have been based on the lower number known as MNA, which means minimum number alive.

According to Carol Mulvihill, writing in the June 19, 2010 edition of Endeavor News, "the herd is smaller than the 700-plus elk population that existed before hunting began in 2001." Ms Mulvihill then goes on to make the point that it may be time to let the herd grow to 800-1,200 animals. I recall that this was the plan when the trap and transfer program was taking place during the late 1990s, but this figure seemed to vanish from discussion when trap and transfer was discontinued due to resistance from landowners. Still the elk have naturally spread over a larger area and it seems that the herd could be allowed to increase to those numbers without putting undue pressure on the habitat or the inhabitants of Pennsylvania's Elk Country.

Original content posted at http://pawildlifephotographer.blogspot.com/

Please Join Us......

2010-06-20T00:03:00.001-04:00

For more PA elk photographs and info, please join us on facebook!

Support PA Elk - Facebook

Pennsylvania Game Commission Announces 2010 Elk License Allocations

2010-04-28T10:05:00.003-04:00

Will Hunt Zones Be Realigned To Provide Sufficient Protection For Bulls Such As This?

In a somewhat positive move, the Pennsylvania Game Commission reduced the elk license allocation for the fall of 2010 from what it was last year. The figures are as follows with 2009s allocation shown first for comparison purposes:

2009-59 licenses available-20 antlered, 39 antlerless+1 Conservation Tag=60 Total
2010-50 licenses available:17 antlered and 33 antlerless +1 Special Conservation tag=51 total.

This is 6 less cow and 3 less bull tags for a total of 9 less licenses than last year, which is a step in the right direction. The really crucial part will be how the hunt zones, or kill zones as many prefer to call them will be fine tuned this year. That information will be released at a later date.

For those who are unaware of what the Special Conservation Tag is, here is the explanation from PGC News Release #038-10:

The Special Conservation Tag was created by Act 101 of 2008. Under the law, the Game Commission is authorized to provide one antlered elk license to a wildlife conservation organization to auction. Of the auction proceeds, up to 20 percent may be retained by the wildlife conservation organization and the rest is turned over to the Game Commission for elk management. The new law sunsets on July 1, 2013, and requires the General Assembly to re-authorize the authority to allow for the auction of one antlered elk license per license year.

In another move, approval was given for an extended elk hunting season to be held after the regular season, as PGC Executive Director Carl Roe also explains in News Release #038-10.

“From time to time, elk wander outside the boundaries of the area in which the Game Commission is attempting to contain them in,” said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director. “Because of elk-human conflicts, we do not want to have elk establish populations in areas outside a certain area.
For this reason, we want to allow elk license holders who have not taken an elk during the regular season to be able to participate in an extended season to target elk that have gone outside the elk management area.”

Time will tell if this proves to be a controversial decision or not. Look for more information on The Special Conservation Tag, and the expanded hunting area in future posts on Country Captures, Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer and Support PA Elk.

Scientific Wildlife Management?

2010-04-16T11:24:00.002-04:00

6x6 Bull Elk-Hunt Zone 2

Many who support the Pennsylvania elk hunt, as it is currently implemented, base their defense of the season on scientific grounds. It seems they focus on three major points. 1. Science demands that there be a hunt. 2. The number and quality of large bulls has increased since the hunt began. 3. We have a healthier herd today as a result of the hunt.

Few would contest that science and scientific management is a fine thing, but is our wildlife managed by scientific principles? While it is certainly true that The Pennsylvania Game Commission does much scientific research on wildlife species, it is by no means a given that management decisions are always based on scientific fact. A decision may be based entirely on science, partly on science, or science may be completely disregarded.

Gathering Scientific Data At Check Station

A classic case in point is the elk license allocations during the early years of the hunt. The first year saw a somewhat reasonable allocation of 40 licenses (if we accept that we had to have an elk hunt at that point in time), but in 2002, the allocation was increased to 70. According to a source speaking on condition of anonymity, a high ranking Pennsylvania Game Commission official, made a statement that he wanted 70 licenses this year(2002), 100 next(2003), and 150 (2004) on the following. This caused some heated discussion and it was reported said, that "no one up north asked for that many licenses", which translates into that those closely involved with the elk program from The Northcentral Region did not recommend these allocations.

Certainly this individual's input should merit serious consideration since he had to have an excellent understanding of elk management issues based on scientific fact, or did he? What qualifications did this individual have for his position? He had previously served on The Sportsman's Advisory Council, came from a business background, and was reportedly a personal friend of Governor Tom Ridge, but he had no formal training in wildlife management. Like most outdoor enthusiasts he was, well lets say, enthusiastic about the outdoors, and this spilled over in an unbridled enthusiasm for Pennsylvania elk hunting.. He reportedly did not follow through with a request for 150 licenses in 2004, but rather asked for 100 once again. This provoked a strong public reaction, after which the allocation was reduced to 40. Does this sound like management based on sound scientific principles?

Ironically many who endorse "scientific management" when it suits their purposes, question the "science" when it does not. An excellent case in point is Pennsylvania's deer management program. I would wager that some of the most vocal defenders of the elk program, are less than pleased with the deer program, which is of course supposedly based on sound scientific principles, yet they do not question the science behind elk management or if decisions are made based on scientific principles.

While some may claim that science dictates the proper use of the elk resource, in fact, the herd can be scientifically managed for tourism, for hunting purposes, or a combination of both, but science does not necessarily determine the proper use of a resource. In fact it is only one of many factors that influence the management of any wildlife species. According to PGC elk biologist Jon Diberti, "The PGC must consider the biological, sociological, economic, and environmental issues associated with the elk when developing a management plan",(DiBerti-Elk Management Plant For Elk In Pennsylvania 2006-20016). The plan also states that the herd has both a biological and a social carrying capacity,and that neither has yet been reached (Management Plan: p-12. If this is the case, it appears there is no scientific necessity for a hunt at this time.

A Gentle Giant

2010-03-11T20:30:00.002-05:00

At first light Sunday morning Willard and I again began driving the roads around Benezette in search of elk. After checking Winslow Hill we turned onto Rt 555. After checking out a herd of cows, calves and young bulls feeding in a lawn we were heading back towards Benezette when I spotted two rack bulls feeding between a house and barn.

Turning onto a side road we stopped to photograph the bulls. The largest bull, posted here, turned out to be a bull we were very familiar with. I have had the privilege to have photographed him over a period of four years. Currently one of my images of him from the rut of 2008 graces both the 2010 Pa Game Commission calendar and the March/April issue of Pennsylvania Magazine.

During all of my encounters with this animal he has been very docile and absolutely fearless of humans, neither attempting to approach or to retreat. This photograph was taken in the current Elk Hunt Zone 2.

How can I say it; it both breaks my heart and makes me boiling mad, that some would kill & assist to kill this gentle animal in the name of sport hunting and then have the audacity to call him a “Trophy”.

Republished from Country Captures

Why Hunt our Elk?

2010-02-26T20:06:00.004-05:00

Considering that the small free-ranging Pennsylvania elk is a significant tourist attraction and that it benefits both the state and local economies and considering that according to the PGC’s 2006 Elk Management Plan neither the Biological Carrying Capacity nor the Sociological Carrying Capacity have been reached or exceeded, one must ask why then was some individuals so intent on creating and currently upon carrying on this modern-day elk hunt.

If one takes the time to research this subject they will find many answers offered; population control, elimination of human-animal conflicts, gathering of biological data, etc. Of course there are many reason for hunting these animals at this time, some have merit and others perhaps not so much.

A stated goal of the 2006 Elk Management Plan is to expand the Elk Management Area from its current size of 835 square miles to an area of 3,750 square miles, allowing elk to fill areas of public land where they currently do not exist. Why then is there a hunt?

Let us take a moment simply to consider the angle of money and the role it plays in the management of our states most magnificent wild animal.

First we must take a quick look back into the history of our herd. After initial stocking and limited hunting the hunting was eliminated and for many decades only a small population remained. During this time the population changed very little overall. What you might ask caused this tiny herd to grow into the healthy herd we have today? From the research that I have done it can primarily be summed up with one word, HABITAT.

Elk, while requiring the shelter of the forest also require herbaceous opening containing their preferred foods to prosper. Herbaceous opening do not just naturally occur in Pennsylvania’s elk range, they must be constructed and sometimes at considerable cost. Providing this habitat has been the key to growing our elk herd, it is the key to the current health of the elk herd. Habitat is the key, not the hunting as has been disingenuously offered by some who have both a macho and financial stake in the hunt.

Please remember that in most part our PGC is funded by the hunters and trappers of the commonwealth. Quoting from the 2008-09 PGC Annual Report: “As Pennsylvania’s wildlife management agency, the Game Commission is responsible for managing more than 460 species of wild birds and mammals. Primary attention, due to funding sources and limitations, is directed to select game species and the commonwealth’s most imperiled nongame species.”

In my opinion one of the primary reasons behind the current elk hunt is all about the money, not that the PGC is trying to fund other species or projects with elk tag and application monies, but rather to justify the large investment of money and resources into the elk management program.

As long as hunters and trappers are the primary source of funding for our wildlife management agencies, wildlife will be managed primarily for the consumptive sports and not necessarily in the best interest of the species being managed.

Game Commission Proposes Expanded Elk Season

2010-01-31T21:09:00.001-05:00

Mature Bull: 2006

On January 26, 2010 The Pennsylvania Game Commission gave preliminary approval to seasons and bag limits for the coming license year. This includes significant changes in deer, bear, turkey, and elk seasons. Seasons and bag limits will be finalized during the Commission's April 19-20th meeting.

As part of these sweeping changes there is a proposal to add an extended elk season for those few who are unable to fill their tag during the regular season.

According to PGC News Release#05-10 Jan.26, 1010:

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today gave preliminary approval to a regulatory change to allow any unfilled antlered or antlerless elk license awarded for an annual elk season to be valid for taking either an antlered or antlerless elk anywhere within this Commonwealth outside of the elk management area during any designated extended elk season following the regular elk season.

“From time to time, elk wander outside the boundaries of the area in which the Game Commission is attempting to contain them in,” said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director. “Because of elk-human conflicts, we do not want to have elk establish populations in areas outside a certain area."

“For this reason, we want to allow elk license holders who have not taken an elk during the regular season to be able to participate in an extended season to target elk that have gone outside the elk management area."

The Board also approved the 2010 elk season to be held on Nov. 1-6, and to an extended elk hunting period for those with unfilled elk licenses to be Nov. 8-13.

In related action, with the agency continuing to work to update and implement the elk management plan, the Board gave preliminary approval to regulatory changes to address a somewhat confusing aspect of elk management policy.

Under the proposal, terms such as elk range, elk management area, elk hunt zones will be clarified in the management plan and regulations.

Under the regulatory change, Elk management area” would be defined as that portion of Wildlife Management Unit 2G in McKean, Potter, Tioga, Elk, Cameron, Clinton, Lycoming, Clearfield and Centre counties, bounded on the north by Rt. 6, on the east by Rt. 287, on the south by Rt. 220 and I-80 and on the west by Rt. 219.

Also, “elk hunt zones” would be comprised of areas as established by the Director on an annual basis prior to the opening of elk season. The divisional line between two or more elk hunt zones shall be the center of the highway, natural watercourse, other natural boundary or marked boundary.

Analysis Of The Situation:
The implementation of the expanded elk season sends a strong message that the PGC does not want the elk herd to expand into more heavily populated areas of the state, especially those in close proximity to highways with large traffic volumes. It is hard to say just what this proposed season means in the overall scheme of things.

What will actually be more telling in the short run is to see how the hunt zones are realigned and what allocations are assigned. Certain PGC officials have recently made remarks about shifting the focus of elk management from hunting to tourism, yet one can go back to a 2003 news release and find where they were saying the same thing about shifting hunting pressure away from the mature bulls and that did not happen to a significant extent until the 2009 season when the combined hunt zones were eliminated.

Whatever the final decisions that are made for this year, they are never the FINAL decisions and wildlife management policies are in continual flux from year to year and will continue to be so. Whatever the outcome, it does not change the fact that there are agency personnel that are extremely concerned about the amount of hunting pressure that has been recently directed at the mature bulls.

Some in the hunting industry bask in a state of blissful euphoria as they skim the top off of the few exceptional bulls that the state produces each year, certain that this will continue indefinitely, but they would be well advised to feel a sense of unease even as they do so, for their sport is regulated by a totally unpredictable agency.

What if The PGC decides to drastically increase the license allocation and issues 100 bull tags for the 2011 season(this scenario is assuming that the elk herd remains at about 700-800 animals)? How would this impact the attempt to build a guiding industry around killing exceptionally large bull elk? Would those who support the hunt as it is currently implemented, think this was a good idea? How long would it be until they were talking about the good old days when we had large bulls to hunt?

A scenario such as this is not LIKELY to happen anytime soon, but it is not written in stone that it will not. Those who hang their hat on the belief that wildlife is always managed by scientific principles needs to get a grip on reality and take a closer look at how important management decisions are sometimes made.

Willard Hill

More Mature Bulls Now Than Ever Before?

2010-01-25T12:44:00.011-05:00

"Crazy Legs 1997": A Monster Bull*

Today's photos are video still captures from Hi-8 video tapes, which cannot compare to output from a dedicated still camera or even a modern camcorder.

In a recent internet debate with SupportPAElk, Jack Manack Jr. of Elk County Outfitters made the following comment in reference to our contention that too many of the large bulls have been killed in the elk seasons.

"You guys question my comments about there being more mature bulls now then ever before and the fact that there are less to see around the no hunt zone. The answer to both of these questions is the same. This is how much good the elk hunt is doing for the health of the herd. What it took people 70 years to do to the elk, the hunt is reversing in just a few".

Jack Manack Jr. 2009

In light of this statement a brief look at the historical record is in order.

Elk vanished from the state sometime in the late 1870s. The Pennsylvania Game Commission was established in 1895 and a serious effort to re-establish decimated or extirpated wildlife populations began. According to Ralph Harrison, writing in "The History of Elk Country", elk from Yellowstone Park were released in The Commonwealth from 1913 to 1915, along with 22 animals from a preserve in Monroe County. Six more animals were released in 1924 and four in 1926 for a total of 177 animals released.

A season for bull elk was established in 1923 and 23 bulls were taken. The harvest climaxed in 1927 at 26 animals and declined to five in 1930. Only one animal was taken in 1931 and the hunt was discontinued.

The decline in numbers continued until it is estimated that there were between 24 and seventy animals in 1970.

At this time Ralph Harrison organized an effort to improve elk habitat and the herd began a steady increase.

This positive trend continued until "the first modern day Pennsylvania elk hunt in 70 years was held in 2001. The herd now numbers 700-800 animals. An important consideration to bear in mind is that the PGC is reasonably certain that 80% of these animals do actually exist. They are counted and monitored on a regular basis. The other 20% of the herd is estimated to exist. The key word here is ESTIMATED. Some who are extremely knowledgeable about the elk herd question the accuracy of this estimate and feel that the number is actually less, and most likely a great deal less. These are not tourists, or elk guides, but rather persons who live in the elk range and observe the animals on a daily basis. These same persons also do NOT believe that there are more mature bulls now then ever before, but rather contend that too much hunting pressure has been directed at them and that there are now less mature bulls on Winslow Hill and less in the back country than before the hunt.

Before the hunt it was fairly common to see bulls such as the following one on Winslow Hill. There is some room for error here, but this animal was most likely taken on the fourth day of the first elk hunt season. If this is the same bull, it was the largest rack taken and the 3rd heaviest animal during the 2001 hunt.(PGC News Release 102-01)

8x9 Near Gilbert Viewing Area:1997

8x9 :Another View

I admit to being somewhat confused! How is it a good thing that there are less bulls of this caliber on Winslow Hill now, than there were before the hunt?

In the past 70 years the elk herd rebounded from only a few animals to an estimated 700 animals before the 2001 hunt, (PGC News Release 102-01), yet Mr. Manack defends the hunt by saying, "what it took people 70 years to do to the elk, the hunt is reversing in just a few".

It seems things were going to hell in a hand basket before the hunt came along and saved the day, yet during this time elk numbers were increasing and the herd was expanding. What problems has the hunt reversed? We will explore this subject in more depth in the near future.

Who Really Pays For Elk Management-Is A Change Needed ?

2010-01-10T10:20:00.018-05:00

Bull 36-2005

There is a belief among some that support the Pennsylvania Elk hunt as it is currently implemented, that their opponents are misinformed, uneducated persons, who have little understanding of the situation. If if they could only grasp the "scientific" facts of modern wildlife management they would become enthusiastic supporters of the program instead of shouting "half-truths" from the rooftops.

First, I must confess that I did agree with this point of view to a certain extent in my early years, with the exception that elk did not enter into the equation when I entered the outdoor arena in the mid-1960s as there was only a small remnant of a herd and little or no discussion of Pennsylvania elk in any of the outdoor magazines. How then did one who was educated, enlightened and totally with the program come to develop a diametrically opposite point of view after spending the majority of their life working in the front ranks of land management and law-enforcement with the Pennsylvania Game Commission? It would take an entire book to deal with this issue in a satisfactory manner, but I hope to address it to a certain extent in a series of posts in the near future.

With this thought in mind I wish to toss out a few thoughts on who pays for our wildlife conservation programs and on elk management in particular.

Carol Mulvihill has an interesting article on this very subject in the January 9th, 2010 edition of Endeavor News . Ms. Mulvihill raises several interesting points:

"Elk management in Pennsylvania is the responsibility of the Game Commission and the funds to do it come from hunting license sales, Pittman-Robertson funds (federal excise taxes on firearms and ammunition) and funds from timber and oil/gas resources from state game lands used for hunting."

"The truth is that elk management is subsidized entirely by hunters. Animal rights advocates don’t give a penny toward elk management. Neither do tourists."

"The situation is not fair – and it’s not sustainable. Wildlife management in this state must soon be paid for by all citizens. We have hunters to thank for the subsidy of the Game Commission’s budget to manage an elk herd in Pennsylvania that tourists from far and near come to photograph and enjoy. But they can’t keep paying the entire bill by themselves."

Ms. Mulvihill is accurate in her assessments to a great extent, but there are a few other aspects to the issue.

Perhaps most important is that until the last few years the PGC DID NOT WANT to receive funding from other sources. It was only after the legislature decided to play political hardball with the agency and refused to grant a license increase, that alternative funding received serious attention. The reason was quite simple and went much like this: "If they help pay, then we must give them a seat at the table and a voice in the decision making process," and this the agency DID NOT want to do.

Another aspect to this is that many tourists and photographers do hunt some species, do buy a hunting license each year, and do help foot the bill for the elk management program. Most of the persons I personally know who photograph Pennsylvania elk are licensed hunters so the issue is not as simple as it seems on the surface.

That being said, the situation must change, but to receive public funding there needs be substantial change. First the agency needs to become The Pennsylvania Wildlife Commission, but the change in name must be followed by substantial changes in how the agency operates.

The PGC is responsible for maintaining a written elk management plan, which sets seasons and bag limits , etc., but much of the public land in the elk range is State Forest Land, which was not purchased with, nor is it managed with hunting license dollars, yet most of this land is open to public hunting.

Food Plot On State Forestry Land-Elk County Pennsylvania

This land is managed by DCNR, an agency which does plant food plots, has law-enforcement officers, etc. The PGCs role on State Forest Land is limited to enforcing laws, gathering biological data, and setting seasons and bag limits. They do not do habitat improvement work there-unless it is a co-operative type project. DCNR is a general fund agency, which is largely funded by taxpayer dollars, timber sales, etc. It could well be that the benefit the hunting industry receives from the use of these lands far outweighs what the tourist industry and animal rights advocates receive by using State Game Lands.

A close look at the 2001 elk harvest map reveals quite a bit as to land ownership patterns in the elk range. State Game Lands are shaded in gray, State Forest Lands in light green,State Parks in dark green and private property in white.

2001 Elk Harvest Map:

Courtesy The Pennsylvania Game Commission Media Resource Center

Another aspect of the situation that is often overlooked is that State Game Lands are not always purchased with hunter's license dollars. In 2000, the PGC, DCNR, The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and RMEF partnered to purchase the Gilbert Farm, which is now The Gilbert Viewing Area. The property was then conveyed to the PGC to manage and maintain. This begs the question as to what portion of this acquisition was actually paid for with hunter's license dollars.

The bottom line: While the PGC does pay for "elk management" with hunters license dollars and does own and maintain several important tracts of land, the vast majority of public land in the elk range is State Forest Land, which is paid for and maintained by everyone's dollars!

Trusting Animals: Photographing Wildlife

2010-01-02T10:52:00.001-05:00

Photographing wildlife is no easy task, the beauty of the creatures, their environment and photographing their interaction is what keeps drawing me back time and time again to photograph God’s untamed creatures in their free roaming habitat.

Snapping a picture of a wild creature sometimes is easy and other times not so easy but making a Photograph is an entirely different situation. A studio photographer typically is in control of his subject, the lighting and the background environment but in wildlife photography all of that control is out the window.

For lighting we are strictly at the mercy of the weather and the animal’s whims. Even if we do find our subject during the very best light of the day, if the animal or our observation post is not properly positioned to take advantage of the beautiful light, our efforts are in vain. Sure a picture can be snapped to show what we saw but a real photograph, one such as you might find on a magazine cover will be impossible if we cannot change position to take full advantage of the situation.

Backgrounds are another issue. With wildlife the animal chooses where it will be and when it will be there. Sometimes the encounter is perfect with a great natural background and other times; oh well just another snapshot to be deleted later or kept as a reference to show what was encountered, unless the photographer can move to a more advantageous shooting position.

The value of trusting wildlife for photographic purposes cannot be overstated. With wildlife that does not become overly alarmed by human presence the success of the photographer as well as of the casual viewer is greatly enhanced.

It is no secret among wildlife photographers that many if not most wildlife photographs found in publication are photographs of trusting animals. These animals normally live in areas protected from hunting pressure. Areas such as National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, and other protected areas as well as pen raised animals are utilized extensively by wildlife photographers.

Whether the subject is a songbird conditioned to human presence by feeding or a mature whitetail in a National Park there is no shame in photographing trusting animals, this is what we need to be successful. The challenge is not in the hunt but rather in using all of the tools, our knowledge, and our creativity to produce a beautiful memorable photograph that celebrates the beauty of nature.

Wildlife images featured on my blog, Country Captures, for the most part are of wildlife that has a certain amount of trust or tolerance for humans. With some subjects tolerance can be built with only a few quiet non-threatening visits while others require a considerable effort be expended acclimating the animals to human presence, sometimes years!

One of the great values of the Pennsylvania elk herd is the almost total lack of fear of humans. The elk found around the traditional viewing areas are accustomed to human presence. Seventy years of protection and the influx of tens of thousands of visitors each year has conditioned these animals to such a degree that they simply go about their daily business regardless of human presence.

With the current tiny no kill zone the quality of available animals has been eroded over the years of the hunt and perhaps their trust will be the next to go. Some do not see the value in preserving this unique experience that thousands enjoy and consider the changes brought on by the hunt to be positive.

In my opinion reducing these majestic trusting free ranging animals to a trophy hanging on the wall, a set of number in a record book, and a hunting story does nothing positive for the image of hunting or of hunters and nothing positive for this unique Pennsylvania Treasure.

Republished from Country Captures

Keystone Elk Country Alliance-A New Partnership

2009-12-29T18:59:00.002-05:00

We recently linked to a press release date Dec. 21, 2009 by The Rocky Mountain Elk "Foundation regarding a new PA chapter in Elk Conservation. This was concerning the founding of a Bloomsburg/Danville chapter.

It is no secret that there has been much discord among Pennsylvania RMEF members, with some regarding the RMEF's withdrawal from the Winslow Hill Visitor's Center as a positive thing, while other members have been very displeased.

We recently received information pertaining to the founding of another new organization, Keystone Elk Country Alliance, which is not affiliated with The RMEF.

SPE extends a special thanks to Jeff Thomas for providing this timely information!

Keystone Elk Country Alliance
John Geissler, Chairman
3539 Reichert Road
Erie, PA 16509

John Geissler
Elk Creek Chapter Chair
3539 Reichert Rd
Erie, PA 16509

December 12, 2009

Dear Chapter Chair and Volunteer Committee Members

As Chapter Chair and Committee Volunteers, you are probably aware that RMEF has abandoned Pennsylvania by terminating a 30 year signed agreement to partner with the Pennsylvania Department of Natural Resources to own and operate our state of the art Elk Country Visitor Center in the heart of PA’s Elk Country. This also applies to the ownership of the pristine Elk Mountain Homestead. As an 18 year member, Life Member, Habitat Partner, Committee Chair, State Leadership Team, and member of the Visitor Center Building Committee I was devastated by this news. The RMEF to this day has been at best disingenuous with the volunteers by keeping this “poor administrative decision” as low keyed as possible. Many of the great volunteers across the state are totally unaware this has taken place. This action by RMEF has resulted in the resignation of Mr. Rawley Cogan, RMEF Lands Manager; Sue Meehl, State Chair; the PA Leadership Team; and many volunteers and committee members. Because of these developments a new entity has been formed to finish what RMEF carelessly gave away.

Please allow me to introduce the “new kid on the block”:

Keystone Elk Country Alliance!

John “The Sheriff” Geissler, Chairman Ron Alcorn, Vice Chairman
Randy Kimmel, Treasurer Mike Odasso, Secretary
Rawley Cogan, Project Manager

Keystone Elk Country Alliance is our new Pennsylvania entity. We will be holding great fundraising banquets, special events and raffles and now ALL of the fundraising proceeds will stay right here in PA!! The focus is on completing the Elk Country Visitor Center as was originally promised to our volunteers and donors.

RMEF has transferred the property to PA DCNR. The donors who contributed to the Homestead property insisted it stay with the Visitor Center project. Because RMEF terminated the agreement, the Keystone Elk Country Alliance has now partnered with DCNR to complete the project and become involved in the operation of the Visitor Center and the Elk Mountain Homestead in the near future. Our Elk Country Visitor Center is well underway and we will see it finished for a 2010 Summer Grand Opening.

We are starting out the 2010 Banquet Season with several committees stepping up to hold banquets under the Keystone Elk Country Alliance and would ask you to consider this option as well, as we move forward. The goal of this alliance is to join strength all across the State to continue our great conservation education heritage, work with our youth in habitat enhancement, and continue to be great stewards of “your” Elk Mountain Homestead and to provide a multitude of people of all ages the “premier, state of the art” Visitor Center in the United States.

We have a team ready to meet with any committee for further explanation and details of the Keystone Elk Country Alliance. We would sincerely welcome you joining your fellow PA Volunteers and lending your support to fulfill a given promise and commitment. This is exciting! Join the 2010 Banquet Season of the Keystone Elk Country Alliance line-up and be listed as “Founding Chapters” – what a legacy to have noted in the Pennsylvania history archives!!

Yours in Conservation and Education,

John “The Sheriff” Geissler, Chairman Contact Info: jlgeissler@peoplepc.com
Members of the Board Hm# 814.866.6421
Keystone Elk Country Alliance Cell# 814.602.4901

SPE and Elk County Outfitters Engage In Debate

2009-12-28T22:11:00.007-05:00

Recently several members of SupportPaElk engaged Jack Manack, Jr. of Elk County Outfitters in an extended discussion of the issues surrounding our elk herd, and elk management.

Mr. Manack raised some interesting points, and today we will deal with one of them.
On Dec. 20, 2009 Jack Manack, said,

"Maybe the most important thing here to remember is this hunt is a legal hunt and if people really have a problem with it the people to talk to are the Pa Game Comm. Just remember to have a better way to manage the elk herd ready to present to them. One that does the same that the current one does now..... strengthen and help the herd to be better and healthier than it is today."

My response:

I have always been aware that this is a legal hunt and that The PGC is the agency that is responsible for managing the resource.

Expressing one's ideas by word and print is a time-honored American tradition. While it is true that private citizens should write their legislatures, state agencies, etc. about matters of public concern, opinion columnists continually write articles for publication in newspapers and magazines to spark awareness and discussion of issues of importance. They do not write letters to, or confront politicians on a daily basis. With the internet gaining in importance, editorializing on it has become commonplace. It is in the best traditions of free speech and advocacy of worthy issues that SupportPaElk has embarked on a discussion of elk management in this type of forum.

I did set forth a alternative management plan, in the documentary film, The Truth About Pennsylvania's Elk Herd". This plan advanced concepts for correcting the current over-harvest of mature bulls. In light of our exchange with Mr. Manack and other information that has come to our attention, it seems that perhaps we were underestimating the gravity of the situation and there may be a need to call for wider, more encompassing reforms.

Reliable information has it that the PGC is also concerned about too many large bulls being taken and that the management plan is being updated. Now more than ever, it is important for those who are concerned about the future of our largest species of wildlife to become involved with the issues and raise their voice in support of their concerns.
Willard C. Hill

PA makes top 10 list of places to find "monster elk"

2009-12-22T15:00:00.001-05:00

Click HERE to read the press release dated December 21, 2009 by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation regarding new PA chapter in Elk Conservation.

This is big news and is sure to spark some debate here on Support PA Elk. Please let us know your thoughts on this development.

Another Guide Responds

2009-12-16T00:12:00.001-05:00

EJM has responded by posting a comment to My Profile On You Tube:

After one brothers offensive rants and threats, the other brother now has a message to deliver. These gentlemen are the ultimate goodwill ambassadors for the hunting community.

Here is the comment in its entirety:

"Mr Hill, You have brother number 2 here. We were just laughing at your blogs. I only have one comment for you sir, If the elk hunt is a joke to you and we are a joke as guides, and we shoot tame barnyard elk. Then how can you possibley sell a video that features tame barnyard elk. Are you a wildlife photographer or a livestock videographer. Anyone could do that. So, to you sir, if we are a joke, then you and your time scouting and your movie is a joke to us. By the way I have personaly witnessed a camp full of hunters fall asleep to your joke. Maybe you would like to see the perfect 200 yard first shot on that 9x8 bull and thats no joke. By the way sir how close did you get to that elk? When you filmed him, may be he was stunned by your camera flash. I think he was acclimated two people trying to feed him, cameramen, and barnyard videographers."

Happy Hunting EJM

We thank EJM for his response. It is most enlightening.

Pa Elk; The PGC & the Money

2009-12-14T20:35:00.007-05:00

Bull 8A

The Pennsylvania elk herd has benefited greatly from a considerable amount of habitat improvement work in the Elk Range. Much of it has been financed by donations from organization such as the RMEF, NWTF, as well as private donations. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has been very active in this work as well as the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

As the agency responsible for managing all of Pennsylvania’s wildlife, the PGC has invested considerably in the biological research of our elk herd. Numerous animals are fitted with numbered collars, radio tracking collars, and ear tags. Biologist, Jon DeBerti, is assigned full time to this most important work as was R. Cogan before him.

The work of the PGC has taken place at a time when the agency is cash strapped by the lack of a hunting license increase in ten years. Hundreds of acres of abandoned strip mines have been reclaimed and converted into first grade elk range with areas of cover interspersed with herbaceous opening. The habitat improvement work allows the range to now support more wildlife than it did previously while helping to keep the elk away from agricultural areas. As anyone reading this well knows the cost of labor, equipment, fuel and salaries has raised considerable during this time but the PGC’s major source of funding has not.

The revenue from the elk license application fees and the license fees are the only monies the PGC derives directly from the elk herd. Tourism, while contributing more to the region’s economy than the elk hunt, contributes nothing to the PGC, an inequity that should be addressed.