Elk to arrive in Missouri on April 30

The first group of elk that are part of the Missouri Department of Conservation’s elk restoration project are scheduled to arrive in the state on April 30.

The 34 elk will complete their 90-day quarantine and final health testing in Kentucky before being transported by a semi-driven livestock trailer to Missouri.

The elk will be released from Kentucky pending approval by the Missouri Department of Agriculture. The elk also have been fitted with ear tags, microchips and GPS collars.

After their arrival in Missouri, the elk will be held in a pen at Peck Ranch Conservation Area for up to two weeks, before being released into the wild.

Peck Ranch is part of a 346-square-mile elk restoration zone in Shannon, Carter, and Reynolds counties.

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Turkey hunting limited at Peck Ranch this spring

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is closing portions of Peck Ranch Conservation Area to turkey hunting this season due to its elk reintroduction project. 

The MDC says that turkey hunters would disturb the elk, which will have recently arrived from Kentucky. They want to minimize human to elk contact during this time.

Area manager Ryan Houf says that other hunting seasons will not be affected by the elk.

“By the time any of our other hunting season come about, the elk will already be released out into the wild. This is just specifically dealing with spring turkey season,” Houf says.

The elk will be released slowly into the Peck Ranch Conservation Area in Shannon and Carter Counties. The release is scheduled for late April. Spring turkey season runs between April 18 and May 8.

Jacob McCleland, KRCU

Peck Ranch Closure Map courtesy of the Missouri Department of Conservation

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