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Our Trip to Cataloochee in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to observe the Elk migrate to the fields to rut. (AKA court the females)
Once native to Tennessee, the elk were irradicated by uncontrolled hunting and habitat loss by the mid 1800's. The National Parks Service initiated a plan to re-establish this magnificant animal to it's former range in the Great Smoky Mountians National Park.
Rand volunteered to assist in the effort to establish a seed population of elk in Cataloochee in the winter of 2001. The initial elk herd has now grown to roughly 85 head. In the fall, the growing herd returns to Cataloochee for the annual rut. It has become quite a tourist draw to this under-utilized area of the park. This was a special day. We not only witnessed the annual rut, but also explored the 1800 era settlement and met some interesting people along the way. Please put this on your TO DO list in the fall of the year.
I feel that is important to the soul to get outdoors. See and experience things that you’ll never do while sitting in front of the TV. Little outings, like this one, helped me a great deal. I was able to get out in the sunshine, enjoy nature in all of her glory, and spend a wonderful day with my husband.
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