This story was originally published by NC Local, a nonprofit newsroom delivering public service journalism about statewide issues.
Since 2001, North Carolina’s wildlife commission has been working to create a stable elk population in Western North Carolina. Elk management could expand to include limited hunting in the near future.
What You Need to Know
Bright yellow ropes twisted around the antlers of a majestic elk while the blue toddler’s swing dangled in front of the bull’s head. A photo of the elk shared by the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office went viral on social media last month.
Haywood Sheriff Bill Wilke, who has held the office since 2022, said calls about elk don’t happen often and they get objects tangled in their antlers even more infrequently.
“There was one point, a year or two back when something similar happened with a hammock, I think,” Wilke, who is up for re-election, said.
While this situation was unique, it highlights the ongoing project by the state’s wildlife commission to create a stable elk population in Western North Carolina. Elk management could expand to include limited hunting in the near future.
How Does the N.C. Wildlife Commission Work with Elk?
Justin McVey, the District 9 wildlife biologist for the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, covers the 12 westernmost counties and spends much of his time working with the elk in the region.
He said the viral image was the second toddler swing he has witnessed entangled in elk antlers, adding to a list of other antler-enmeshed items he has seen: bird feeders, telephone cables, barbed wire, and silt fencing.
McVey received numerous calls about the swing, but he said based on the pictures, he wasn’t concerned about the elk.
“The swing wasn’t interfering with that elk. It could move around just fine. It was eating just fine. It wasn’t affecting its behavior whatsoever. It was just a little looking piece of jewelry hanging off the antlers,” McVey said.
He spends part of the season counting the elk and updating the radio collars the commission uses to track the herds.
McVey is one of 700 full-time staff at the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission which conserves and manages the state’s fish and wildlife, including the state’s hunting and fishing licenses.
When Did Elk Live in North Carolina?
The last Eastern Elk in North Carolina is believed to have been killed by 1800.
In 2001, after discussions about reintroducing the elk in North Carolina, a herd of 25 Manitoban subspecies of elk were brought to live in Cataloochee Valley by the National Park Service. The next year, 27 more elk were brought to increase the herd in the region.
After the operation was declared a success in 2008, the commission took on full management of the elk. In 2015, there were just over 140 elk in the region. Now there are even more of the state’s largest mammal.
In November, the commission worked with partner agencies the National Park Service and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to conduct a“minimum count” of the large creatures who weigh around 700 pounds and can sport antlers up to five feet wide.
The team goes out to well-known elk spots to see how many they can find. A minimum count provides a gauge of population health, McVey explained.
The total count in 2025 was 199, up from about 155 elk in 2024.
He said the team is interested in the trends of the minimum count during one single day but that the numbers aren’t the full picture.
“We realize some years the elk just aren’t going to cooperate and not be visible,” McVey said.
They also use genetic work to track the elk, he said. McVey estimated there are about 250 elk in the region, roughly the same number as the previous year.
The two largest herds are near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center and in Cataloochee Valley in Haywood County. During the most recent minimum count in November, there were 85 and 20 at each location respectively.
Over the last decade, the Visitor Center has become larger than the first herd placed at Cataloochee. McVey said Cataloochee herd is now older, and the Oconaluftee herd has more habitat management such as greater access to large pastures.
Can Elk Be hunted in N.C.?
In 2013, the General Assembly adopted House Bill 936 which made it illegal to take, possess, or transport an elk, punishable by a $2,500 fine.
While hunting is banned right now, the goal of a “huntable, sustainable population” has always been an objective, McVey said. He explained that many wildlife have statutes that outline their protections and hunting regulations.
“There isn’t a magic population number that we would reach but a combination of growth metrics and population number. We are a conservation organization which means wise and regulated hunting falls under wise use,” McVey said in an email.
Elk management, with an overall goal of increasing population, differs from the way the commission treats management of other animal populations.
In deer management, for example, there are some areas in N.C. where the population needs to be slowed while in others “less hunting is desirable to increase population growth.”
The goal of increasing the elk population does not preclude the possibility of hunting.
“With this objective, there is still room to remove male elk from the population through hunting and still increase the overall population,” McVey said in an email.
The commission has moved toward legalizing elk hunting since 2016. At that time, the commission added an elk season to its list but made their rules contingent on an increased herd.
Now that there is a sustainable population of elk, the commission is working to organize elk hunting again.
In March 2025, the legislature considered a bill to allow elk hunting. The House bill was sponsored by Rep. Cole Huneycutt (R-Stanly), Rep. John Bell (R-Wayne), Rep. Karl Gillespie (R-Macon County), and Rep. Brian Turner (D-Buncombe.)
Two permits would be awarded if a hunt was permitted. One elk hunting permit would be auctioned to the highest bidder and another would be awarded through a raffle. Raffle tickets would be $20 per ticket or a maximum of 30 tickets. The Commission would keep the proceeds of the raffle for the conservation and management of elk.
The auction would be hosted by a nonprofit wildlife conservation organization that has been involved in the reintroduction of elk in N.C. Twenty-five percent of the proceeds of the auction for an elk hunting permit would be used for the nonprofit and the remaining 75% would go to the commission for the conservation and management of elk.
The bill passed in the House and moved to the Senate where it passed its first reading before being sent to the Senate Committee on Rules and Operations.
What Can You Do to Protect Elk?
Because the herds are part of the commission’s mission to make the population sustainable, it is critical that the public understand how to behave around elk.
The N.C. Wildlife Resource Commission recommends four rules for helping conserve elk.
- Do your part. If you see someone not following elk rules tell them to stop or report their behavior.
- Give elk space. Stay back at least 100 yards.
- Never feed elk.
- Don’t name elk. The N.C. Wildlife Resource Commission says it degrades their wild essence.
What Happened to the Elk With the Swing?
As for the elk with the swing, McVey said the sheriff’s office and the game warden received so many calls that they decided to remove it, although it would have likely fallen off in the near future.
In order to remove the swing, McVey anesthetized the elk with back-up from the partner organizations.
“From the time I pulled the trigger to the time the elk stood up was less than 30 minutes,” McVey said. “And then you know he stood up and kind of shook off the anesthesia and walked off on his merry way.”
What’s Next?
House Bill 382 is with the state Senate Rules and Operations Committee. The legislature could work on the bill in the new year or work on new legislation to allow elk hunting.
Right now, elk hunting is illegal in North Carolina and poaching carries a $2,500 fine.
If you see wildlife emergencies involving public safety or significant wildlife damage, call the N.C. Wildlife Resource Commission hotline at 800-662-7137.