Elk once roamed the 15,000 acres of the Nickel ranch and the rest of the area along the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. Bringing them back to the area is part of the original plan for the local conservancy.
"We began [the elk project] at least five years ago when we started the preserve; we have never done any other animal introduction on the grounds, but we have restored a lot of the natural habitat that was once here, such as the native grasslands," said Wilson, who manages the local nature conservancy. "The general goal is for preservation, and trying to restore and maintain a piece of the Ozarks ecosystem on the preserve as much as possible - by replacing species and habitat, especially."
Elk were probably less common among the wild game, even before they were killed out and moved from the area. Wilson said the elk didn't remain in Oklahoma past the 1800s, and the ones that are shipped in next month can enjoy the hard work done at the preserve.
"We started with a feasibility study about 18 months ago that looked at two things: first, the biological potentials, which included habitat suitability like range requirements, and how much one elk needs to roam, and the disease risks," said Wilson. "The others things we looked at were sociological factors, such as agricultural conflicts that include ranching, poaching, roads and public attitude."
The public response has favored bringing elk back to the area, and Wilson has warned the neighbors surrounding the preserve.
"We have seen nothing but support for the project, but we have had a couple of ranchers with concerns," said Wilson. "Elk aren't good at respecting property, and we might have to rebuild some fence occasionally."
Twenty elk will be selected from a private ranch near Oklahoma City, where a closed herd has lived for many years, and is enrolled in a disease-free program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The ranch owner has a strong interest in wildlife, and is donating the elk to the project.
"We will be getting 15 females and five males, and there should be a mix of ages with the majority being adults," said Wilson. "Most of the females should be pregnant when they get here."
Once they arrive on the property, they will stay in a 10-acre enclosed area for a few weeks before they will be "free-ranging."
"We expect them to get here around the first or second week in March, and they will stay in the enclosure acclamation area for about three weeks," said Wilson. "Once they get calmed down and introduced to their new environment, then we will open it up and let them wander out. That's when they will officially be free-ranging."
Each elk will have a tag on its ear and wear a high-tech transmitting device around its neck. The transmitting system will help Wilson and his staff track the animals when they roam into areas that are susceptible to hunters, and can tell them what areas of the preserve they are using.
"Obviously, poaching and illegal hunting are things we will be guarding against, and the transmitters will make it very hard for poaching," said Wilson. "They are equipped with a nice technology that allows us to very quickly locate an animal that has died."
Get involved
The Nickel Nature Conservancy is open to the public for hiking and nature watching, and guided tours are also available. For more information or to book a hike to see the elk, call the preserve at 456-7601.
