In 2001, 25 wild elk thundered out of a trailer onto North Carolina soil—the first to make tracks there in 200 years. Twenty-five years later, hunters—who were some of the most ardent supporters of the effort—celebrated when Gov. Josh Stein signed House Bill 747 in July legalizing elk hunting in the Tar Heel State.

Under the new law, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) will offer two bull permits for the elk season, slated for Oct. 1 through Nov. 1, 2027. NCWRC will designate one of the permits for auction each year to a nonprofit organization that was involved in the elk reintroduction effort. RMEF was chosen to auction the permit for the inaugural 2027 season. Scheduled to be held in the spring as part of RMEF’s National Tag, Hunt and Trip Online Auction, bidding will be open to both residents and non-residents. Although the North Carolina law allows nonprofits to retain up to 25% of the proceeds of the elk permit auction, RMEF will forgo this allowance so that all proceeds go to the state’s Wildlife Resources Fund (WRF) to be used for elk management and conservation in North Carolina.

Hunters will vie for the second tag through a random lottery conducted by NCWRC that is open to residents only. Raffle tickets will be offered at $20 per ticket or a maximum of 30 raffle tickets for $500. Proceeds will be used to cover the cost of conducting the raffle, and the remainder will go to the WRF, also earmarked for elk management and conservation.

Once plentiful in the eastern U.S., elk fell victim to unregulated and commercial harvest and habitat loss. They were extirpated from North Carolina by 1800. In 2001 and 2002, RMEF and the National Park Service (NPS) joined forces on a multi-year effort that brought 52 elk from Alberta and Kentucky to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s (GSMNP) Cataloochee Valley.

The NPS initially viewed the herd as experimental, but thanks to careful management by the agencies and continuing investments in research, land protection and habitat stewardship by RMEF and other partners, by 2008 wapiti had earned a permanent home in the state. In 2016, NCWRC removed elk from the state’s species of concern list and began creating a framework for an elk hunting season once the population was large enough to support it.

“Right now, our population is sitting at about 250 elk,” said Justin McVey, NCWRC district biologist, during an interview with Waynesville, N.C., newspaper The Mountaineer. “We’ve been working for a number of years, getting those population estimates as well as some other parameters like annual growth and survival. Through all of that research, that’s how we came to the conclusion that at this point and time, we can have a limited harvest of bulls.”

Since 1997, RMEF and partners have completed nearly 150 projects focused on land conservation and access, habitat stewardship, wildlife management and hunting heritage in North Carolina with a combined value of more than $6 million. These projects have conserved or enhanced more than 5,300 acres of habitat and opened or improved public access to more than 2,300 acres.

“We’re excited to see the efforts of RMEF and its members, partners, volunteers and supporters pay off in North Carolina,” said Kyle Weaver, RMEF president and CEO. “Our work here benefits not only elk and hunters, but also other wildlife, other outdoor enthusiasts, and local communities and economies. Hunters have contributed greatly to the elk success story in the eastern U.S., and we are proud to carry on the tradition of conservation through this new hunting opportunity.”

Hunts will be conducted outside of GSMNP boundaries on nearby state and private lands and the Pisgah National Forest. The measure gives NCWRC flexibility to issue additional permits in the future if necessary to meet management goals. Check RMEF.org in early spring for details on bidding on the North Carolina elk permit during the RMEF National Tag, Hunt and Trip Online Auction.