Maryland to study elk reintroduction

[Gungnir]

Have to watch how this goes.....

Maryland to study elk reintroduction
Monday - 8/22/2011, 3:51pm ET
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Maryland is home to Elkton and Elkridge, but elk haven't roamed the state since the 1700s.

However, that could soon change. The Department of Natural Resources says it is forming a partnership with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen's Foundation to study reintroduction of the species to western Maryland.

The study will take at least a year and look at the biological, social and economic feasibility of elk reintroduction. The assessment will include contacting farmers and others who might be affected, as well as studying potential elk habitat.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation President and CEO David Allen says there is no higher calling in conservation than restoring a species to an area where it had once been, but citizens must support the effort.

[THE DEER HUNTER]

Sounds cool to me! ;D

[hunter]

It would be awesome to see Elk in MD again and The Virginia DNR is also working on reintrouduction of Elk into the George Washington and Shennandoah National Forests.

[davep]

MD has little suitable habitat, and it's fairly fragmented at that.
I suspect crop damage and auto insurance (esp. I 68 and I 70) are gonna come up as issues.
Hitting a deer is bad enough, but an elk: you knock his pins out and it's rolling right over the hood and into your LAP!

Best case, it'll be worse than bear. After 50 years, we'll all apply for the 2 tags they issue, and then they'll shut it down soon as the first one is killed.

That said, I'd LOVE for it to happen here!
Bugling ringing thru the hills!

Kentucky has succeded beyond anyone's expectations.
BUt they have an incredible amount of reclaimed strip mines, etc there

[THE DEER HUNTER]

The auto & crop damage thing is what I thought of too. I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure a herd of elk could do some serious damage to a field in a short time.

But I'm with you guys, it sure would be cool to go up there & hear bugles!

[osprey]

Plenty of habitat up there for them, only real concern I foresee is how private landowners feel about it. After the bears it may be a hard sell.

But I'd love to see it! Already making plans, when they'd finally have a hunt guess I'll have to go up there and fill tag #0000001 for elk, too! ;D

But why can't we get some on the SHORE?!

[Gungnir]

Well I was replying...then the quake hit and knocked out the computers.

Anyhow, this would be very cool to see happen! Elk running around Deep Creek lake...awesome!

But it'll be a looooonnnnng time before they start issuing tags!