Below is a news release from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation provided both volunteer and financial support with the successful restoration of elk to their historic Virginia range in 2012.
The Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) is thrilled to announce their newest cam, the Elk Cam, is live! Elk are able to share their charismatic presence with all Virginians from the valleys of Appalachia through this live viewing camera. After nearly two years of rigorous work by donors and volunteers, the “Elk Cam” is now live to see elk while they are active during September and October as breeding season approaches. The Elk Cam will run annually from mid-August (when they expect calves and cows to rejoin the herd) through November. Elk rut peaks between late September and early October and will have the greatest amount of all-day elk activity.
Learn More About the Virginia Elk Cam
Where to View Elk in Virginia:
Three viewing stations are now open and are located on Buchanan County IDA (Industrial Development Authority) property, which is located near Poplar Gap Community Park. Each station was built on a different area of the property overlooking individual “viewing zones,” roughly within 1-mile proximity.
Learn More About Viewing Stations
Learn More About Elk in Virginia:
Elk are a native part of the Virginia wildlife community. Lack of regulations and over-hunting led to the last elk in Virginia being harvested in 1855. A restoration effort in the early 1900s eventually failed again in 1970. Elk are now found throughout an Elk Management Zone comprised of Buchanan, Dickenson and Wise counties.
(Photo credit: Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources)