When people think of elk, they often think of the Rocky Mountains. But elk once inhabited most of North America. Thanks to our Elk Restoration Program they are beginning to populate their vast historic range once again.

	"Last year, I hunted elk, not in Montana or Arizona, but right here in the hills of Kentucky, practically in my own BACKYARD."
	- Eric Hart, Cumberland Valley Chapter, Kentucky

The Elk Restoration Program focuses on reintroducing elk to historic ranges where habitat and human tolerance create a high potential for self-sustaining herds. In eastern states, including Kentucky and Tennessee, our efforts have led to huntable populations of elk. But the benefits of restoration go beyond hunting.

Eastern herds help spread an understanding for elk beyond the West. They aid in educating youth about the importance of conservation. By their very presence, they improve land stewardship and positively impact land management.

Populations of wild, free-ranging elk in the East remind us that elk country is a hollow in the Appalachians or a river bottom in Pennsylvania as surely as it is a slope in the Rockies or an aspen stand in Colorado. When elk benefit we all benefit.