West Virginia’s restored elk herd is finally roaming further afield; This is how the return of conservation is changing the landscape
Nearly a decade after elk returned to West Virginia, the growing herd is beginning to venture beyond its familiar range, offering a new sign of how far the state’s ambitious wildlife restoration effort has come.
The move was highlighted by WV MetroNews, which reported in July that wildlife officials are seeing more elk exploring beyond the Tomblin Wildlife Management Area in Logan County. The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR), meanwhile, says the restoration program has raised the herd to about 130 animals and has recorded at least 60 native calf births since the project began. A young woman recently traveled north to Lincoln County near Harts Creek and spent time along a ridge and in a pasture on private farmland before returning to the Tomblin area.
Wildlife officials were able to track their movements via GPS telemetry. The trip is significant not because elk are suddenly spreading across the state, but because it shows that individual animals are beginning to test the broader landscape available to them.
From endangered species to growing herd
Moose once roamed widely in West Virginia, but disappeared from the state in the late 19th century, largely due to overhunting and habitat loss. The modern restoration effort began after years of studies that identified southern coalfields as particularly suitable for elk. Large areas affected by open pit mining had created open habitat, while relatively limited agricultural land reduced the likelihood of conflicts with farmers.In December 2016, the WVDNR released its first 24 elk into the Tomblin Wildlife Management Area, marking the return of the animals after more than 140 years. The state later added another 95 elk, 53 from Kentucky and 42 from Arizona, beginning in 2018. Additional releases in 2024 brought the estimated herd to about 130 animals. Since the program began, at least 60 calves have been born in West Virginia.
Why do moose start wandering?
For now, Tomblin remains the center of the pack’s home range. But as the population grows, some animals begin to look for their own territory. GPS collars placed on released elk, along with collars placed on previously unmarked animals, allow biologists to track where they travel and how they use the landscape.Therefore, recent movements toward Lincoln County give researchers an idea of what the next phase of restoration might look like.
West Virginia’s designated Elk Management Area already covers approximately 2,845 square miles, encompassing all of Logan, Mingo, McDowell and Wyoming counties and portions of Boone, Lincoln and Wayne counties.The state’s management strategy requires officials to monitor elk movements around those boundaries and consider adjustments if the animals’ use of the broader landscape changes significantly.
A return of conservation that also attracts visitors
The return of the moose has transformed the animals into a conservation success and a growing tourist attraction.
The WVDNR’s 2026 elk driving tours are scheduled to begin Sept. 13, with four-hour guided excursions continuing on weekends through Oct. 24. Tours take visitors to elk country around Logan County, where park staff explain the animals’ behavior, history and conservation.An observation deck and education center at the Tomblin Wildlife Management Area, opening in 2025, has added another way for visitors to see the herd while learning about the restoration effort.However, the broader importance of the program goes beyond tourism. A species that disappeared from West Virginia more than a century ago is now reproducing in the wild, establishing a range and beginning to explore beyond it. For conservationists, those wandering elk may be one of the clearest signs yet that restoration is no longer just about getting the animals back, but about seeing them become part of the landscape again.
