Elk known to Maggie Valley residents euthanized

A frequently seen bull elk known affectionately in the Maggie Valley area at Jeffrey was euthanized Sunday after being struck by a vehicle.

Justin McVey, district wildlife biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, said the elk, formally recorded as bull 968, “was the first elk that the Wildlife Division had ever collared. It was the first bull I’d ever put my hands on.”

McVey said Jeffrey had been previously hit by vehicles, sustaining injuries to both his front and rear legs, but each previous time it was able to recover. He said he previously had removed telephone wires and a lasso from Jeffrey's antlers.

This time, McVey said it appeared the bull wouldn't survive.

“I made him get up. He got up and hobbled. I could see the knee was totally dislocated. He took a few steps and laid right back down,” McVey said.

“Then he laid his head and antlers down,” which is unusual behavior. “Kind of giving up,” McVey said.

“It was a tough decision, but it was time to put him down.”

McVey euthanized the bull and removed the carcass for burial at an unidentified location on state-owned property. McVey did keep the bull’s rack, which measures about three feet wide.

He said the rack would be mounted and kept at a Wildlife Resources Commission building.

McVey said he thought Jeffrey was maybe nine years old and weighted 838 pounds. “The biggest bull that I’ve ever weighed weighed 998 pounds,” McVey said, so he considered Jeffrey’s weight to be “pretty normal.”

He said the bull was known to “move from one end of Maggie Valley to the other,” with a range of about 7.5 square miles. McVey said he had seen Jeffrey in the Cataloochee Valley. He had witnessed Jeffrey breeding in the valley, but he can’t say if Jeffrey successfully fathered another generation.

Elk are in the region because in 2001 the Great Smoky Mountains National Park restored them to the Cataloochee Valley.  Initially, 52 elk were released, and McVey said Jeffrey was offspring of the surviving and growing herd.

McVey said Jeffrey was injured Sunday on Black Camp Gap Road.

He said people should not feed elk and should not try to get close to the animals. He said drivers should remain aware of the presence of elk in the region, and should drive in a manner to avoid hitting elk.