Summer Elk Camp attendees learn about challenges elk face
BENEZETTE – Elk face a number of challenges year round in order to survive, such as evading predators and crossing busy roadways in search of food. One of this year’s activities as the Keystone Elk Country Alliance’s (KECA) Summer Elk Camp focused on teaching youngsters about some of those challenges through an obstacle course-type program called Elk Survivor.
Summer Elk Camp was held at the Elk Country Visitor Center in Benezette.
KECA Conservation Education Coordinator Ben Porkolab explained that in coming up with the activity all of the challenges elk face were considered and an obstacle course consisting of four stations was created.
Two sessions of Summer Elk Camp were held this year for youngsters between the ages of eight and 12, and the Elk Survivor activity was part of both sessions.
As he explained the challenge of the first station, Porkolab also provided youngsters with a brief overview on elk antlers, including the timeframe it takes for them to grow and what their purpose is for bull elk.
The first station focused on youngsters holding a pair of antlers at the sides of their head and trying to make their way along a path through some trees and showed the challenges bulls face as they try to navigate through areas with their antlers.
The second station focused on elk calves and their survival.
“When the baby elk calves are born, they weigh about 35-45 pounds. They’re not very quick on their feet for the first four or five days, and coyotes and bears may like to eat them,” Porkolab explained. “In this station, somebody is going to be the calf, somebody is going to be the bear, and somebody is going to be the coyote.”
To represent the challenges newborn calves face, the person designated as the calf had to hop on one foot until they reached an area designated as a safety zone, and they had to get there before being tagged by either the bear or coyote. The youngsters representing the bear and coyote were only allowed to go after the person playing the calf once they reached the halfway point to the safety zone.
The third station also focused on evading a different kind of hazard – vehicles.
To make this station more challenging, Porkolab explained that participants had to wear an elk pelt while trying to cross over a rope being moved along the ground without being touched by the rope. Porkolab also used the opportunity to teach the youngsters about the coats elk have at different times of the year.
“This is a winter coat, a winter hide,” Porkolab said of the pelt being used for the activity. “Elk have a winter hide and a summer hide. They only wear the summer coat for about three months. About nine months, they have the winter hide. This is not fur, it is hair. These hairs are very warm because each of them is hollow. Hair is a very good insulator, which makes this winter coach very warm.”
Porkolab went on to explain that during the winter months elk tend to be more active around roadways as they move around in search of food. This can, and does, lead to elkvehicle incidents.
“About 30 elk die every year because they are hit by vehicles,” Porkolab said.
The fourth, and final, station focused on the state’s elk hunt. After explaining the purpose of the hunt and the benefits of the information gained at the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s elk check station, Porkolab demonstrated how the station worked. A participant designated as the elk had to run past an individual designated as the hunter and evade being hit by pieces of foam that the hunter threw at them.
In addition to Elk Survivor, participants at both of this year’s sessions of Summer Elk Camp also participated in a mock calf capture, tried their hands at archery, enjoyed a visit to the center’s 4D theater, completed an elkthemed craft, and took part in a scavenger hunt.
Porkolab indicated that he plans advertising for next year’s sessions of Summer Elk Camp in March 2023 and encouraged those who are interested to keep an eye on the KECA website and Facebook page.