Stop near Cherokee, NC

[dsdigger]

We were in Pigeon Forge in February and while there did some sightseeing in the Smokies and went into NC. Over near Cherokee there is a re established and protected herd of about 30 Elk and got a few pics while there and here are just a few. I was about 20 feet away from a female eating and decided that was close enough in case she decided to bolt and I was in the path she wanted to go in. Beautiful and majestic! Will have to get back over to see them.

 

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[WannaDig3687]

Sweet! Looks like they are quite the attraction. We have a farm nearby where they have a couple.

 

[dsdigger]

Very much so. Where we are pulled off is a Park Visitors station and plenty of parking and information, charging for electric cars, etc. and most of the time at least one ranger. The herd was just coming out of the woods and through the small homestead they have set up at the back of the field. You are not supposed to stop on the main road like in the third picture but people do and the whole time we were there, there was a traffic back up as they stopped or pulled off and slowed up the flow. The elk did not seem to care we were there but according to signs in the station, give them some privacy too and allow 20 to 50 feet. I was close enough to realize that this was a small horse that might decide that is was a speed bump and go over me. People there walked close with kids and they just kept on grazing. Got shots of the now Alpha male (pic #1). He has been for about two years as the old alpha got hit by an F250 late one night and killed. My Brother-In-Law said he was huge and the antlers looked like trees on his head. The younger males in pic #2 were testing each other pushing heads and challenging. and then pic #3 was just some of the herd grazing out toward the main road. They came out and just wandered around and some found a spot and settled in and others moved down and back. Just before we left 6 wild turkeys ran across the road and through the filed in front of us and kept going. Guess they know that no one is hunting them so just run fast enough to stay out of trouble and that is it. If you get out that way, take your camera and enjoy the view. It is pretty and you don't see elk around here.

 

[River Rat]

Love the peaceful side of the Smokey Mountains....Maggie Valley (less tourists). In fact, we heading up in about 2 weeks to look for a summer home there. Anyway, back in October we ventured up to Cataloochee Valley where the elk were released in 2001...talk about a wild ride up & down that 11 mile one lane gravel road. LOL! https://visitncsmokies.com/blog/elk-watching-101/

RR

 

[worldtalker]

Very much so. Where we are pulled off is a Park Visitors station and plenty of parking and information, charging for electric cars, etc. and most of the time at least one ranger. The herd was just coming out of the woods and through the small homestead they have set up at the back of the field. You are not supposed to stop on the main road like in the third picture but people do and the whole time we were there, there was a traffic back up as they stopped or pulled off and slowed up the flow. The elk did not seem to care we were there but according to signs in the station, give them some privacy too and allow 20 to 50 feet. I was close enough to realize that this was a small horse that might decide that is was a speed bump and go over me. People there walked close with kids and they just kept on grazing. Got shots of the now Alpha male (pic #1). He has been for about two years as the old alpha got hit by an F250 late one night and killed. My Brother-In-Law said he was huge and the antlers looked like trees on his head. The younger males in pic #2 were testing each other pushing heads and challenging. and then pic #3 was just some of the herd grazing out toward the main road. They came out and just wandered around and some found a spot and settled in and others moved down and back. Just before we left 6 wild turkeys ran across the road and through the filed in front of us and kept going. Guess they know that no one is hunting them so just run fast enough to stay out of trouble and that is it. If you get out that way, take your camera and enjoy the view. It is pretty and you don't see elk around here.

Did you by chance get to Cades Cove? I lived on Cosby for 6 years and made many a trip through them Great Smoky Mountains.

 

[River Rat]

Love Cades Cove! Before the families/homesteads were forced out to create the GSMNP, Calaloochee Valley was more heavily populated than CC. I purchased Step Back in Time...See Historic Cataloochee Valley of the Elk by Hattie Caldwell Davis. A lot to see by just googling Cataloochee Valley seeing the old pictures & the elk.

 

[dsdigger]

My wife has had a time share in Pigeon Forge since before we met and we did Cades Cove so many times in the first 15 years that I probably could have been a guide. I know there are old miniVHS movies I took of all of the houses and churches and I went upstairs in all of them and recorded each and out side and even in a thunderstorm. Love it up there but haven't been there in about four years. Got to see some of the area that the fire in Gatlinburg hit, still a lot of downed, burnt trees and homes being rebuilt. Shame and from what I understand kids messing around did it. Nice view from NewFound Gap going over from TN to NC. Makes me wonder what the people first crossing saw from there, probably very different and awesome then. No light pollution then.

 

[worldtalker]

My wife has had a time share in Pigeon Forge since before we met and we did Cades Cove so many times in the first 15 years that I probably could have been a guide. I know there are old miniVHS movies I took of all of the houses and churches and I went upstairs in all of them and recorded each and out side and even in a thunderstorm. Love it up there but haven't been there in about four years. Got to see some of the area that the fire in Gatlinburg hit, still a lot of downed, burnt trees and homes being rebuilt. Shame and from what I understand kids messing around did it. Nice view from NewFound Gap going over from TN to NC. Makes me wonder what the people first crossing saw from there, probably very different and awesome then. No light pollution then.

You certainly understand the term "Rolling Thunder" living in those mountains!

 

[River Rat]

I had just about all the books on the history of Cades Cove...love reading history. Anyway, lost all my books in the flood of '16...lost everything even my detectors/pin pointers.

 

[WannaDig3687]

Very much so. Where we are pulled off is a Park Visitors station and plenty of parking and information, charging for electric cars, etc. and most of the time at least one ranger. The herd was just coming out of the woods and through the small homestead they have set up at the back of the field. You are not supposed to stop on the main road like in the third picture but people do and the whole time we were there, there was a traffic back up as they stopped or pulled off and slowed up the flow. The elk did not seem to care we were there but according to signs in the station, give them some privacy too and allow 20 to 50 feet. I was close enough to realize that this was a small horse that might decide that is was a speed bump and go over me. People there walked close with kids and they just kept on grazing. Got shots of the now Alpha male (pic #1). He has been for about two years as the old alpha got hit by an F250 late one night and killed. My Brother-In-Law said he was huge and the antlers looked like trees on his head. The younger males in pic #2 were testing each other pushing heads and challenging. and then pic #3 was just some of the herd grazing out toward the main road. They came out and just wandered around and some found a spot and settled in and others moved down and back. Just before we left 6 wild turkeys ran across the road and through the filed in front of us and kept going. Guess they know that no one is hunting them so just run fast enough to stay out of trouble and that is it. If you get out that way, take your camera and enjoy the view. It is pretty and you don't see elk around here.

Love the peaceful side of the Smokey Mountains....Maggie Valley (less tourists). In fact, we heading up in about 2 weeks to look for a summer home there. Anyway, back in October we ventured up to Cataloochee Valley where the elk were released in 2001...talk about a wild ride up & down that 11 mile one lane gravel road. LOL! https://visitncsmokies.com/blog/elk-watching-101/

RR

That's pretty neat! It's good to see them being reintroduced and making a comeback.

 

[Phishfarmer]

Smokies in general are beautiful, Maggie's Valley area especially. I've been many times and never tire of it. I was driving there in the early 2000's maybe '02 when there had been a lot of fires in the area. Driving through the mountains with little fires still burning here and there was surreal... I'll never forget it.

 

[worldtalker]

Smokies in general are beautiful, Maggie's Valley area especially. I've been many times and never tire of it. I was driving there in the early 2000's maybe '02 when there had been a lot of fires in the area. Driving through the mountains with little fires still burning here and there was surreal... I'll never forget it.

That was a bad year for fires,it was a tinder box EVERYWHERE.