Missouri Elk Tour Offered To Local Youth

Youth, ages 6-18, can register to attend a specially-arranged tour hosted by Young Outdoorsmen United of Missouri’s new restoration elk population on Saturday, Jan. 27, and Sunday, Jan. 28, at the Missouri Department of Conservation’s 23,763 acre Peck Ranch Wildlife Conservation and Research Center located in northwest Carter County and eastern Shannon County near Van Buren.

Interested youth can submit name, age, phone number, mailing address to infor@youngoutdoormenunited.com by Monday, Jan. 22. All participating youth must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

The two-day tour will include a private tour of the facility by Missouri Department of Conservation elk biologist David Hasenbeck. Guests will learn the history of Missouri’s new elk herd such as preparation, site selection, public input, transporting, along with health and disease control. As part of the tour, Hasenbeck will demonstrate the use of telemetry equipment to locate radio-collared elk, allowing the group to view the elk at close distance.

Other activities planned on the outing for the youth is a visit to Ozark National Scenic Riverways, operated by the National Park Service. Specific sights are Alley Springs, Rocky Falls, and Big Spring, with an average daily flow of 286 million gallons, making it the biggest spring in the United States.

The number of participants is limited due to space and funding restrictions. Overnight accommodations have been arranged and paid by Young Outdoorsmen United. Visitors will be responsible for their own transportation (car-pooling is suggested), snacks and drinks (excluding Saturday evening dinner). The participants will depart, travel and return as a group.

Once found throughout most of Missouri, elk disappeared from the state about 150 years ago because of over-hunting and habitat loss. In 2011, the Missouri Department of Conservation began restoring the species, using elk trapped in Kentucky. The Conservation Department brought in additional shipments of elk, for a total of just over 100 released. They are thriving, producing calves that enlarged the herd to about 180 today. The goal is to have a population of some 500 animals, which could take up to 20 years at the current growth rate. The Conservation Department is managing the elk as a game animal, meaning hunting seasons may be established when numbers increase.