VIRGINIA'S COMEBACK KID

It was the last Friday in March. With winter behind us, spring had finally made an appearance. The air was crisp and fresh. The valley was expansive and lined with gold.

- Gabriella Hoffman

As dusk started to settle in, I spotted an unlikely figure in the distance.

“Dad stop the truck. It’s an elk! Let me photograph it,” I said.

He stopped the vehicle and I got my camera ready. With my Canon DSLR in tow, I began snapping photos of the spike bull elk.

Stoic yet graceful, the magnificent animal stood there in the field unperturbed by our group of trucks. He was full-bodied, healthy, and boasted light tan fur.

After he darted off to follow some elk cows, we followed the rest of our party to the next location. Then, 100 or so members of the burgeoning herd appeared before our eyes. They were wild and free, in their element, deep in the heart of Virginia’s coal country.

This encounter was a great way to kick off festivities for the Virginia Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) state chapter’s annual Elk Rendezvous Weekend.

From March 29-31, 2019, volunteers from around the Commonwealth, nearby West Virginia and as far as Maryland, descended on the town of Grundy in Buchanan County to help restore habitat and meet other elk enthusiasts.

Organizers said 28 people previously showed up to help the year before. Thanks to social media promotion, attendance reached 124.

While I reported on the miracle happening there, my dad, a general contractor by trade and an eager helper, took the lead in helping improve existing shelters and other wildlife-viewing structures on site.

For many of us, that weekend was life-changing. It certainly was for me.

History of Elk in Virginia

Seeing North American elk (Cervus canadensis) thrive downstate isn’t an anomaly. In fact, it’s the “Elk Capital of Virginia.”

But this wasn’t always the case.