As dusk started to settle in, I spotted an unlikely figure in the distance.
“Dad stop the truck. It’s an elk! Let me photograph it,” I said.
He stopped the vehicle and I got my camera ready. With my Canon DSLR in tow, I began snapping photos of the spike bull elk.
Stoic yet graceful, the magnificent animal stood there in the field unperturbed by our group of trucks. He was full-bodied, healthy, and boasted light tan fur.
After he darted off to follow some elk cows, we followed the rest of our party to the next location. Then, 100 or so members of the burgeoning herd appeared before our eyes. They were wild and free, in their element, deep in the heart of Virginia’s coal country.
This encounter was a great way to kick off festivities for the Virginia Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) state chapter’s annual Elk Rendezvous Weekend.
From March 29-31, 2019, volunteers from around the Commonwealth, nearby West Virginia and as far as Maryland, descended on the town of Grundy in Buchanan County to help restore habitat and meet other elk enthusiasts.
Organizers said 28 people previously showed up to help the year before. Thanks to social media promotion, attendance reached 124.
While I reported on the miracle happening there, my dad, a general contractor by trade and an eager helper, took the lead in helping improve existing shelters and other wildlife-viewing structures on site.
For many of us, that weekend was life-changing. It certainly was for me.
History of Elk in Virginia
Seeing North American elk (Cervus canadensis) thrive downstate isn’t an anomaly. In fact, it’s the “Elk Capital of Virginia.”
But this wasn’t always the case.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Winter 2019 من The Virginia Sportsman.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Winter 2019 من The Virginia Sportsman.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
The James River Makes A Comeback
“America’s Founding River ” wins an international award for river-basin management and restoration.
GREENLAND'S ICEBERGS
THROUGH THE EYES OF LENSMAN AND ALPINIST JIMMY CHIN
Creating Habitat to Save the Bobwhite Quail
PRIVATE AND PUBLIC LANDS CAN DO MORE FOR QUAIL—AND OTHER WILDLIFE
CAST AGAIN
A Tribute to Orri Vigfússon, The Greatest Friend Wild Atlantic Salmon Could Ever Have
“SOME STORIES: LESSONS FROM THE EDGE OF BUSINESS AND SPORT”
Patagonia Releases New Book Featuring Yvon Chouinard ’s Iconic Storytelling, Favorite Writings and Life Lessons
BONEFISH & TARPON TRUST'S TARPON ACOUSTIC TAGGING PROJECT
Multi-Year Study Aims to Better Understand Tarpon Movement and Habitat Use
A Pristine And Abundant Environment
Fishing options cover the waterfront at The Ford Plantation in coastal Georgia
Speed And Innovation In The America's Cup
Visitors are looking up to the Mariners’ Museum and Park’s New exhibition
Tyler Childers Stays True To His Roots
Tyler Childers stays true to his roots