Tennessee Wildlife Federation
  • Latest News
  • Issues
    • Policy Action Center
    • Invasive Carp in Tennessee’s Waters
    • Chronic Wasting Disease
    • Recovering America’s Wildlife Act
    • Share Our Rivers
    • Solve Litter
  • Programs
    • Conservation Policy
    • Hunters for the Hungry
    • Scholastic Clay Target Program
    • Habitat Conservation
    • Hunting and Fishing Academy
  • About Us
    • Overview
    • History
    • Board & Staff
    • Conservation Achievement Awards
    • Contact
    • Media Resources
  • Ways to Give
    • One-time Donation
    • Monthly Giving
    • Gifts in Loving Memory
    • Legacy Giving
    • Corporate Council
    • Non Cash Gifts
    • Crypto
    • More Ways to Help
  • Donate
  • Menu Menu

Really? Elk are native to Tennessee?

(This is an excerpt from Mark Johnson’s 2007 article “Native son” published in the Tennessee Cooperator.)

Elk are not only native to Tennessee but were hugely important to the way of life of early residents of the state, even helping to shape its landscape.

“Many people don’t realize that much of the land that is now forested in Tennessee was prairie and grassland as recently as 200 years ago,” says former TWRA Region III manager Clarence Coffee, now retired.  “Back in the early 1700s, longhunters reported grasslands — or ‘barrens’ — populated with bison and elk as far as the eye could see.  Tennessee literally looked different back then.”

Sunset_Laguna_Blvd

Elk are actually native to Tennessee, as are bison. Before reintroduction, the last wild elk was killed in Obion County in 1865.

Coffee explains that for centuries, native American Indians in what is now Tennessee used fire not only as a tool for cooking but also as a means for clearing land, moving wild game to desirable hunting grounds, and renewing the forages so important to large grazing species — namely, bison and elk.  Controlled “burns” destroyed woody vegetation that, left unchecked, would become forest. At the same time, the fires stimulated the growth of native warm-season grasses like switchgrass, big bluestem, and Indiangrass, creating a perfect habitat for the grazing wildlife.

“There were large prairies all across Tennessee,” Coffee says.  “One journal entry written by an early settler who climbed Black Mountain [near Crossville] describes his view of 3,000 acres of grass that would ‘reach to a horse’s bridle.’  That, of course, was native warm-season grass.”

This ecological pattern of controlled burns and grazing continued until white settlers overtook Native Americans in numbers.  Most of these pioneers were agriculturalists who converted the prairies into farms and allowed woody vegetation to overtake native grasses — which don’t hold up well to competition — and the Tennessee landscape as we know it today began to take shape, says Coffee.

“This loss of habitat, along with extensive hunting, eventually wiped out bison and elk populations east of the Mississippi,” he says.  “The last documented wild elk in Tennessee was killed in Obion County in 1865.  That particular subspecies of elk is now extinct.”

Hatfield Knob Resources

  • Hatfield Knob Home
  • Elk history in Tennessee
  • Hatfield Knob Videos & Photos
  • Hatfield Knob Hours/Directions
  • Bugle Corps
Tennessee Wildlife Federation logo


300 Orlando Avenue
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
(615) 353-1133

© 2023 Tennessee Wildlife Federation

Donate for Wildlife
Take Action
Volunteer for Wildlife
Create a Wildlife Habitat
Programs
Media Resources
Latest News
Contact
Privacy
Scroll to top
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT