I have two young cow elk that have been frequenting my feeders for the last few months. Does anybody know of any high fence ranches around montague/cooke county that they could of escaped from?? Thanks.

Some escaped from Chico area a few years ago.

There's at least several running around the north end of Bridgeport lake

How close are you to the Oklahoma Elk area? There is an expanding herd, just north of the Red River that started in the Wichita Mtns NWR, only 40 miles north of the Red.

North of Muenster

The main Oklahoma population is in the three counties around Lawton so at least 50 to 60 miles. It's possible but escapees are more likely.

No joke? That is cool. I'd welcome them here, other than the fence damage they are go at.

Look close. Might be red deer. Some got out of the high fence place on the north side of town in St. Jo
It was a couple years ago. Maybe more got out since.

x2 I was thinking the St Jo place too.

The high fence place north of St Jo has some exotics and wouldn't surprise me that Elk are in that mix.

On small high fence operations there are elk in Grayson County in a couple places from time to time...used to be several Monsters across the street from the entrance to Eisenhower SP I always enjoed watching, and some more down around 1417 & 11 a little north & east of the RR Bridge.
But the Lattimore property east of Denison on the River was s'posed to be offering 5 figure $Hunts I heard about several years ago...fly into DFW & get picked up...fly out 2 days later with a High Fence Monster shipped to your Taxi. Drove around it a little back then but never saw anything I could for sure call an Elk like I could the other places mentioned.
Ron

I took a cow in January east of Denison that had been hanging around for a month. I was out there last night and swear i heard another one in the woods.

These Elk were released by TP&W. They released 4 cows and a bull. The bull and two cows were shot by hunters who said THEY WERE TEARING UP THERE FEEDERS. It is a shame we can't have Elk here because of people like that.
this is the two that are left. picture taken at 20 feet.

I'd love to have to modify my feeders to handle elk, I'll take that trade just to have them around. Bugling in the fall is as "purdy" as gobbles in the Spring. Now they need a bull to keep some hope alive.

It's too bad Dale Moses, our local GW doesn't broadcast that info on a TPW elk release and PLEASE don't shoot'em.

When I moved up here full time in '05 we were told to leave the flocks of Eastern Wild Turkey alone as they had been planted by TPW and all the birds on the Peninsula were protected...more than once have had them walk down my road, down thru the COE park in front of the house and fly across the boathouse creek cove to the "Coors" ramp area.

Mebbe with the Schuler " Preston Harbor" project is now in possesion of all the land on the east side of Little Mineral, from south of GranPappy's fence ine to past the Hwy 406 bridge at least for a little while this area of over 3200 acres down to the water's edge will be off limits to any one wanting to pull a trigger on anything...so no "mistakes" can be made. I hate the thought of Preston Harbor being developed but what's done is done and I'll sell to someone who just wants to watch all the twinkly lights at night for several miles across the cove from my patio....like looking at NYCity from the Jersey side of the Hudson.
Ron

It is sad, The local Game Warden doesn't know if they will release here again or not.

They would definitely have to have many landowners agree to foster it for a while, but in the long run they would enjoy some great opportunities.

The first time I seen these two cows was Feb. 3 2014 the second time was March 19 2014. the two sightings were 4 miles apart.
The second sighting was on the lease where the others were reported shot. I haven't seen the two cows since.

If they had been released in Grayson County they could only have been hunted legally with archery equipment...if they had been released on the Church Camps property on Preston Peninsula they would have eventually strayed off but prolly stayed on the heavily populated in small areas Peninsula and beocme a tourist attraction.

If they had been released on Hagerman, the Federales would have protected them even from the stick & string people long enough to get a foundation herd started.

Always wanted to win a lottery big enough to buy some land like say close to Hagerman...and bought a dozen + Axis to turn loose on a low fence place. Feed 'em well enough & in a contained area for a year or two ...to get'em started and past that it'd be like watching Kudzu spread .... Oh Well It' Only Me Dreamin' About Money Again
Ron

Why would TPWD waste OUR money, releasing elk on private land.. small parcels on top of that.

I'd shoot them too. Highly destructive.

I really can't understand why TPWD would waste money importanting exotics. There are no laws protecting them, so why release them? No state has ever had a successful release program with out supporting laws. All the eastern and midwestern states have had successful relocation do to laws protecting their efforts.

Oklahoma's four different herds where protected via season and core areas.. they are so destructive they opened the season state wide

I just don't get it, waste of money.

I'd have shot one (or three) too

I want proof that TPWD released these Elk. Unless you can do this, it's mythical IMO.

I'm highly skeptical TPWD would release animals they know will be killed soon after their release.

I would be as well. Unless I saw a trailer with the "Logo", or read a Department memo, it's hard to believe they would just release them with everyone unawares. To much of a "shotgun" approach even for TP&W.

Proof or it didn't happen.

Makes zero sense, especially when they are public enemy number one at a few of TPWD west tx state ran properties