Vehicle collisions were a concern in 2000. How would the Department minimize this potential problem with elk?
We know from other states that elk-vehicle collisions do occur, but are infrequent. Other key states have larger elk numbers than we will have and their herds cover larger areas with more roads than ours will. The 365-square-mile restoration zone around Peck Ranch Conservation Area in southeast Missouri contains 77 miles of blacktop highway inside the focus area. This zone has fewer roads per square mile than elk areas in other states. For example, Arkansas’ elk areas have about 2.1 miles of roads per square mile compared to 1.2 miles of roads per square mile around in our proposed restoration zone. Arkansas has about 500 elk in an area covering 500 square miles and has had one or two elk-vehicle accidents per year over the past 25 years – with no human fatalities. Kentucky has about 10,000 elk in an area covering about 6,400 square miles throughout 16 counties and had about 20 elk-vehicle accidents last year. Kentucky has had no human fatalities from elk-vehicle collisions. That same
