🎵🎶The Ozark Hills are alive, with the sound of bugling....🎶🎵
Hey, local day trippers! Obviously, I'm a travel writer and not a singer. But you know who is singing this time of year? Wild elk.
Elk were as native to Missouri as John Goodman, but by the late 1800s, they had mostly disappeared due to unregulated hunting and habitat loss. The Missouri Department of Conservation recently said, "Wouldn't it be kinda cool to bring 'em back home?" and in 2011, they began the restoration effort that released wild elk into Carter, Reynolds, and Shannon counties.
Want to see one? I met an MDC regional planner who recommended the Elk Driving Tour at Peck Ranch Conservation Area outside Winona, Missouri.
The best time of year to play elk-y I spy is mid-September through mid-October, when fall mating season gives the animals a one-track mind. And the best times of day are early morning and dusk. This time of year, they also bugle, i.e., sing woodland love songs.
We did the Elk Driving Tour at Peck Ranch Conservation Area last October. A herd was bedded down behind a tree line, and a few elk cows were grazing in the fields. We also saw wild turkeys, skunks, armadillos, and white-tailed deer. But even if you don't spot any critters, it's a beautiful drive. Worst case scenario, all the animals stay hidden and break your heart, but never fear. It's a gorgeous area. Take the short drive over to Rocky Falls and wipe your tears beside a waterfall.
Go on then. The window closes fast on distracted elk season. Go try your luck and patience.
