Like many other outdoorsmen in Virginia every year I often find myself deep in the woods in late October and November in search of wildlife. Conservation and the responsible management of Virginia’s wildlife resources is important for all Virginians.

This hunting season in the commonwealth is unique; for the first time since 1855 managed Elk are being harvested in far Southwest Virginia. Between 2012 and 2014 the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) successfully reintroduced 75 elk, 71 adults and four calves, from southeastern Kentucky into Buchanan County. Since then, the herd has grown into more than 250 in number according to a September 2020 report, and as of this year it is estimated to be over 400. The 2022 Elk season saw thousands of hunters from all over the country enter a lottery for five elk tags with a sixth going to the Virginia Rocky Mountain Elk foundation. The season is short, running Oct. 8-14.

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