ROOSEVELT ELK

In 1898 an American biologist, C. Hart Merriam, first described the elk found in the coastal rainforest of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. He identified it as a subspecies of elk in North America. He named it Roosevelt in honor of Theodore Roosevelt, who was a naturalist and conservationist. The Roosevelt elk are also known as Olympic elk. The first successful translocation involved eight Roosevelt elk calves that were captured on the Olympic Peninsula in 1928 and moved to Afognak Island in 1929. These elk have successfully established themselves on both Afognak Island and neighboring Raspberry Island.

The antlers of the Roosevelt elk on Afognak Island are heavier, but shorter, lacking the long, graceful lines of their cousins, but make up for it in mass. These elk can weigh up to 1,300 pounds with 700 pounds of meat for the freezer. The meat is superb and is light flavored and lean. It is an exciting, challenging and rewarding hunt due to the elusiveness of the elk, harsh weather and rugged terrain. The country itself is magnificent and these animals are very good at surviving. They are occasionally found near a beach but mostly use the steep terrain to their advantage. It is recommended that anyone considering this hunt be in good physical condition. This hunt can be combined with blacktail deer and sea ducks.

SEASON, LOCATION & PERMIT INFORMATION

Elk hunts take place on Afognak Island, just northwest of Kodiak Island. The season is October 23rd to November 30th. You may bag one elk per hunt. Permits are available in person over the counter at Fish and Game in Kodiak. You will need to purchase an Alaska Hunting License and an Elk tag.

Please give us a call for pricing and availability. There is a permit drawing for early season.