Roaming elk were a concern in 2000. How would the Department handle elk that moved onto private land where they are not wanted?
We are talking with private landowners in and around the restoration zone in southeast Missouri and addressing their concerns about elk that wander where they are not welcome. Our specially trained staff will quickly respond to complaints about unwelcome elk and use various methods to remove them where they are not welcome. The key to preventing elk problems on private land where they are not wanted is to provide excellent elk habitat on public lands in and around the restoration zone. Sixty (60) percent of the land in the restoration zone in southeast Missouri is public land. Another 27 percent consists of Pioneer Forest land owned by the L-A-D Foundation, which supports our elk restoration efforts. Elk that are moved to new areas can travel long distances, but seldom do. With good habitat, which our restoration zone in southeast Missouri offers, an elk’s home range can be a small as 1 -20 square miles, compared to 100 square miles out west. Other states have larger elk numbers than w
