LOGAN, W.Va. — As recent talk centered around the potential for elk reintroduction in West Virginia evolved, I’ve made a few observations.
There’s no doubt in my mind the people of southern West Virginia are behind the idea. I attended the meeting in Logan to gauge the public sentiment. The packed room at the Chief Logan State Park was overwhelmingly in favor of the reintroduction. Only three people raised their hands in opposition. I’m told another meeting held a few weeks later in Gilbert yielded the same kind of support.
Regardless of public support, the elk are coming whether we want them or not. Elk already populate southeastern Kentucky and Buchanan County, Virginia. They’re wandering across both borders now. There are verified trail cam pics of the critters. Eventually, they will establish themselves in West Virginia. Most seem to want the state to haul them across the border in a horse trailer and plant the herd firmly in the Mountain State with a herd to call our own. Some question the cost of such an endeavor, but all indications are the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is on board to pick up a big chunk of the tab.
Kentucky seems to have written the book on modern elk reintroduction. Kentucky’s elk herd reached a level where they can have a controlled hunt every year. The out-of-state applications number in the tens of thousands for only a precious few permits. Each of those comes with a non-refundable fee and always adds up to a sizable chunk of change. That’s great for running the program.
West Virginia’s terrain and habitat are nearly identical to Kentucky, but the one thing which keeps coming up is the land agreements. Kentucky has struck some kind of a deal with the large landholding companies and it appears to be working. However, West Virginia officials are a bit more cautious. That’s actually not a bad thing. We’ve been burned before. The state introduced wild hogs in the 1970’s with no agreement in place to consider the distant future. When the original land was sold, the new landowner wanted no part of people hunting on the property and the state was left with no leg to stand on.
I haven’t been able to get anyone to explain the difference in the wording of the Kentucky agreement in place and the proposed agreements in West Virginia. Any agreement needs to have some sort of wording which insures West Virginia hunters, or even non-hunters just wanting to gaze upon the beasts, should be able to do that in perpituity and unincumbered. So far, there’s been very little said about the agreements other than they are being reviewed and looked at. I hope the euphoria and excitement of the idea doesn’t eclipse the need to insure a sound agreement.
The coalfield lands are just sitting there now either waiting to be mined or being held by a large corporation. The standard practice in southern West Virginia is those companies will not give permission to hunt on their land, but seem to turn a blind eye during deer season. Once elk are established on a piece of property, the game makes the land infinitely more valuable. Since the land is not state owned, absent an agreement, there’s nothing to keep the company from deciding once the herd is established to enforce their no hunting policy and even sell permits themselves for a private elk hunt. West Virginia MUST find a way to prevent such an occurrence. My guess is an army of lawyers on both sides are hammering out the agreement word by word.
Finally, if we’re going to introduce elk it needs to be in the southern coalfields. When the topic comes up, somebody always throws out the idea of reintroducing elk in the Dolly Sods or other National Forest land. It’s certainly a romantic idea for the bugle of a bull elk to echo down the South Branch Valley. I’m sure you could make a fantastic tourism video with such a scenario but the reality is there couldn’t be a worse idea.
First, the state is already fighting a losing battle in efforts to slow the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease in Hampshire and surrounding counties. Why on earth would you introduce what are considered to be “disease free” animals into a hot zone where it’s almost a near certainty they will be infected. The DNR has been trying to reduce deer numbers there. To suddenly start introducing a new an arguably more vulnerable species to the same sickness is reckless and mindless.
Secondly, unlike the southern coalfields, where agriculture is virtually non-existent, the South Branch Valley is lush with cornfields, hayfields, and many other hallmarks of a highly productive farming economy. Elk would be a guaranteed disaster for farmers, who would likely raise an even bigger stink with the legislature and DNR.
Finally, there are far more people in the Potomac Highlands region. There is more traffic and more chance of the auto vs. elk collisions. While it’s true there will be the chance for those in southern West Virginia it’s a risk most there seem willing to accept. It’s doubtful the reintroduction of elk in the mountain regions of West Virginia would be nearly as well embraced as southern West Virginia.