That's what the instructor at the Hunter's Ed class told us.

Is it true? If so, how long ago were they common to see?

Officially, the only elk native to Texas were in the Guadalupe Mountains. They were part of a now extinct subspecies that were basically eliminated in the early 1900's.

That being said, I can make arguments otherwise. There are accounts of elk being found in the "prairies" of Texas.

Adding a link with good history on the matter--
http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/tmot1/cervelap.htm

Sounds like I need to set up another hunter ed advanced training.

[This message has been edited by ursusguy (edited 8/24/2009 9:37p).]

Thanks ursusguy, you always have great information to share.

I may have misheard about the location the instructor said, because the Guadalupe Mountains aren't in what I would consider the hill country.

The link said that in the late 80's early 90's there were less than 400 free (for lack of a better term) Elk in Texas. Is there any more recent estimate? Or are the only elk in Texas on managed ranches now?

From http://www.rmef.org/AllAboutElk/ElkRange/

I'm sure some would wonder into Texas.

BQ---Like I said, I can make other arguments. Specifically, there are accounts of them in the northern part of the Blackland Prairie periodically. You can find several historic range maps that all vary some. One I can think of extends the elk historic range down as far as Palo Duro. I also know one of the best elk biologist that stands behind the idea that the Merriam elk wasn't completely eliminated.----Large mammal biology/taxonomy was sort of my specialty before getting into bears

AgBrad--here is another site to look at
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/elk/
I know I've seen some figure recently, but I'll have to dig around for a bit. Most of the "free ranging" elk are going to be in the five herds mentioned in the link. When you read over the link, you will see why they are basically considered to be feral on TPWD property. The prevalence of elk on game farms probably represents how CWD will get to Texas if it ever does.

I can remember talking with some biologist in when I worked in Louisiana. They've found bones of bison and elk in many of the mounds. The only problem is it's hard to tell if the animals where actually there or where the bones/antlers brought their from the trade routes.

Yep, and the same arguement can be made about Vermont. At least La. makes it on to the RMEF map, Vermont doesn't. They have a pretty good collection of elk parts collected in Vt.

If you really want to have fun. That population in eastern Ky., damn near became the Illinois elk reintroduction. A Illinois state trooper happened to pull over the semi the elk were in. The trooper, and then an official Illinois's ag dept. wanted the elk released on the side of the highway to drink in a roadside ditch (no fence of any variety). Even though the vet sitting in the semi said the elk were fine. The vet eventually won.

[This message has been edited by ursusguy (edited 8/24/2009 10:46p).]

early explorers lois and clark talked about em being thick through the plains and prairies. Its just crazy to think about now bc I can not picture them there.

While I was out in the west texas pan handle driving down the road with an old timer (somewhere between levelland and hereford, maybe closer to littlefield) we drove over a shallow but well defined draw. The man said the draw runs all the way to the mountains in New Mexico, and that occasionally elk and bear are spotted to this day.

I know both have been seen around Friona and Dalhart. So I wouldn't be completely surprised.

elk were originally grassland species but due to human encroachment got pushed to higher elevations


i think that's what i remember from some wildlife classes

I have only seen one "free range" elk and that was in the grasslands east of Alpine. Boy was that a sight to behold!!!

The two historic range fingers into Mexico are very interesting. They almost reached the Gulf!

there are some big ass elk out between Alpine and Fort Davis

There are some elk running around College Station in the woods around Easterwood.

I'm willing to bet if you did some fossil collecting in riverbeds in aluvial deposits across Texas, you'd find elk bones. Maybe not many, but they'd be there.

Fishing, that is a popular theory that is taught, and not a bad one. I will say, there are holes in the theory.

Mouth, that is probably true. Now if we are playing around in the fossil record, are they elk as we know them?

quote:

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While I was out in the west texas pan handle driving down the road with an old timer (somewhere between levelland and hereford, maybe closer to littlefield) we drove over a shallow but well defined draw. The man said the draw runs all the way to the mountains in New Mexico, and that occasionally elk and bear are spotted to this day.

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might be the "running water draw" and if that is the one, it eventually empties into the Brazos, or a tributary of the the Brazos if I'm not mistaken

Well, I've found a LOT of blackened partially mineralized bones in the Brazos and Navasota riverbeds that could be thousands of years old, possibly. That's really what I'm referring to. They'd essentially MOSTLY be the same species we have today.

Cool, that's what I figured you were talking about. I just having some fun for the morning.