Elk in Arkansas
As the largest species of mammal currently found in Arkansas, Elk is one of the state's most sought-after species of wildlife in Arkansas, both for viewing and
photography .Elk once lived throughout much of the U.S., but shrinking elk habitat and over-hunting reduced them to a few herds in the nation's western, mountainous regions. The Eastern Elk (Cervus elaphus Canadensis), the subspecies native to Arkansas, became extinct in the late 1800's. In 1933, the U.S. Forest Service restocked Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) into Franklin County and the herd persisted into the mid-1950's before disappearing.
Between 1981 and 1985, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission released 112 Western Elk in Newton County near the Buffalo National River. Though Elk in Arkansas have subsequently been observed in 14 counties, most of the estimated 450 to 500 members of the species now believed to inhabit the state occur in Newton and Searcy Counties on National Park Service land along the Buffalo's upper and middle sections. The commission, the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service and private interests are all engaged in efforts to maintain
and expand suitable elk habitat within Arkansas.