Rocky Mountain Elk in Arkansas

The Elk population in the United States once numbered in the millions. But overhunting and shrinking habit reduced the elk to a few populations in the west. In the early 1980's, The National Park Service reintroduced the elk to Arkansas along the Buffalo National River.

Monday we visited the Elk Education Center. And picked up some "trophy antlers" of our own!

The Arkansas herd now numbers around 500 elk. Throughout the winter, Mom and Dad saw hundreds at a time when they would go down to Ponca.

Now that the weather is warm, the elk stay hidden in the woods except for dusk and dawn.

But we did see three the afternoon we were there!