Beware of the Wandering Elk in Missouri

(Bixby) Missouri’s elk herd is supposed to be staying in parts of Reynolds, Carter and Shannon counties but elk don’t follow instructions well and a fence can’t stop one of these majestic animals from going to the other side of the fence if that’s what the big animal wants to do.

Sarah Ettinger-Dietzel is the conservation agent for Iron County.

She says don’t be all that shocked if you happen to see an elk that has wandered into a non-official elk county.

Ettinger-Dietzel understands that some landowners could be concerned a little.

The Missouri Department of Conservation has a map on it’s website, showing since 2013, where elk sightings have took place outside of the elk management zone.

Locally, there have been 4 elk sightings in Dent County, 3 in Washington County, 2 sightings in Iron County and one sighting in Madison County.

In all, 44 counties not in the elk restoration zone have had elk sightings reported in the last ten years.

Some of these sightings could also be elk that wandered into Missouri from other states.