The 4^th Annual Elk Expo will be held this year on September 25 & 26 in Benezette, Elk County, sponsored by the Northwest PA Great Outdoors and the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

One highlight of the Expo is the elk watching shuttle buses to Benezette where visitors to the region are always awed at the site of the majestic, wild, free-roaming elk.

This year's event will offer new exhibitions, demonstrations, and an opportunity to meet various artists and experts in an outdoor setting. In addition, elk and turkey calling contests will be held for children and adults.

Elk once roamed throughout Pennsylvania, but rapid settlement and exploitation by early immigrants destroyed the herds. By 1867, elk had been completely eliminated from the state. Unregulated hunting and habitat loss were the biggest factors leading to their demise. Pennsylvania Game Commission introduced Rocky Mountain elk into the state from 1913 through 1926. 177 elk were trapped and transferred from Yellowstone National Park, and a private reserve in Monroe County and released in central and northeastern Pennsylvania. Only the north-central releases were successful. The herd now numbers more than 800.

8/20/2004