Guy I know has a place out in SW Texas near Big Bend (Presidio area). He was out there this last week, and said he saw an elk. He says he has heard they have started releasing them. Anybody know anything about this? True or not? Areas of release, etc.?

There are some free range elk in west Texas.

I think they have a heard near Fort Davis.

I know the one of these herds mentioned here VERY well. Not really a release herd. Elk were once native to Texas and Big Bend is actually the tail of the rockies. There are book, low fence, elk in Texas. No doubt. You can find them on MANY ranches south of I-10. I jumped a nice cow elk while scouting a ranch near Bakersfield and Squa-tit.

Big and Little Shebano (I have no idea how to spell this ranch) released some on their ranches and let them go wild (no fence) a few years back.

Panhandle hunters will knock down an elk that comes over the state line from time to time from OK or NM.

Some were released out there in the 70's, and some have moved in from NM.

There are more free range elk in Texas than a lot would believe. At one time there was an elk season but the State decided to just classify all elk in the state exotics even though many are not.

30's

I've seen them in the mountains south of Sierra Blanca.

There used to be elk native in the panhandle. They would winter in the panhandle, and go to the mountains in the summer. Now they just move up and down a mountain.

Close enough.

Records were sketchy way back, but some historians think Merriam's elk, now extinct, were in the Guadalupe Mountains (and on through the southwest). All elk in Texas now seem to be from released stock.

I know the state wants you to shoot them in the Sierra Diablo mountains, if you get drawn for a mule deer hunt there. They want the terrain as pristine as possible for the Desert Bighorns.

I have heard of an elk being seen in central Texas. There is a high fence area near by that has stocked exotics, maybe one or more elk were there and got out.

Muley Mike can book you a free range Elk hunt in west Texas if you have the $$. The ranchers there are doing a good job of nuturing the herds.

Last year the bull below was shot in Palo Duro Canyon in the panhandle.

I got a picture from a buddy around Semour at his feeder it looked like elk cows or stag to me. only saw them once and there was about 5 of them

the elk in New Mexico are also released elk, from the Yellowstone herd.

I have seen Elk South of Van Horn while hunting mule deer.

Pretty much what you guys have said. From what I have been told. the native Elk where shot out and are now extinct. The elk here now are the result of animal trades with other states, and some that have migrated from NM.

There is a free range herd in the hills around Garner State Park. A guy who sells real estate and did some taxidermy on ten side had 80 acres he hunted and shot an enormous 6x6 that happened to wonder by his stand.

Hmmm...I've heard of West TX free range elk. Not many. Would be nice to see a growing herd here.

Thanks ya'll, that is interesting info. Of course living in East Texas I have never seen one in the wild. Figured there would be a chance of HF getting out. We had a zebra running around the river bottoms here a few years back LOL. Elk hunt is definately on my to do list, and would be even better if it could be done in Texas.

And Arizona. Texas/NM/Arizona where the orginal merriam elk herd. Think i read some of those elk also came from the Dakotas in the 30's also

Merriam herd actually had biggr antlers. DNA mapping is saying a few Merriams might of made in AZ on a few Reservations why such big elk come out of AZ. I think that might be some of it and the limited Tags..

A lot more then one would think. For years they been on the downlow. Youve got to remember the ranch sizes out there, 100'000's acres plus. Been a pretty well kept secret, now the herds have expanded east and hit the smaller properties

elk are all over the place once you hit Marathon. Catto Gage loaded up with them, Cibolo Creek Ranch and on down toward Big Bend STATE Park there is a ton. Almost time to afford them protected status in my opinion, too majestic of an animal to be categorized as invasive.

Make zero sense, the reason the herds have grown so large are because of private land owner actions.

A buddy of mine hunted a ranch outside of Sanderson the last few years that had 6-8 elk show up 2 yrs ago. They didn't shoot any of them though.

I have personally talked to Clayton Wolf about the free range herd. TPWD was shooting elk on sight at the Sierra Diablo. The man that owns the Circle ranch called them on that and the TPWD stood down from killing them. Clayton says they are not native. I told him that wasn't the spill the TPWD was selling back in the 80's. It wasn't until the drought hit that the TPWD led by Nolan Ryan, decided to side with the high dollar bighorn and make the elk a non game animal, kill them on sight. Much to their chagrin the elk have made a huge come back. The Circle and the Longfellow ranches both offer hunts and kill some monsters. Muley Mike here has some great ground he hunts. A coach I know at Dell City says during the winter they are over run with elk around town. The Canadian River Ranch, up in the panhandle also has a native herd. I believe they have over 100 elk on their 770000 acres.