BY JACKIE ROSENBERGER
Six lucky hunters come from all over Virginia or beyond and land in Buchanan County every October to be welcomed with open arms and guided through an experience of a lifetime – the Virginia elk hunting season. Volunteer guides take hunters under their wing, making sure hunters are oriented to the lands they have available to them and to accompany them on their hunt.
Six lucky hunters come from all over Virginia or beyond and land in Buchanan County every October to be welcomed with open arms and guided through an experience of a lifetime – the Virginia elk hunting season. Volunteer guides take hunters under their wing, making sure hunters are oriented to the lands they have available to them and to accompany them on their hunt.
Private landowners are the reason we can offer an elk hunt to the public. Thanks to them, more than 17,000 acres are available to elk hunters. We are very grateful and honored to work so cooperatively with a vast array of property owners, some of whom serve as volunteer guides.
Volunteers with Southwest Virginia Sportsmen get all the credit for their role in creating the Elk Camp atmosphere. A small barn at Southern Gap Outdoor Adventures is used for the camp and the check station. A continuous supply of food and campfires serves as the centerpiece for fellowship. Hunters can come and enjoy a meal when they’re not afield, and many folks are waiting to hear how their hunt is going and to cheer them on.
The most exciting call awaited at the check station is the one that sends a small army of volunteers out to retrieve an elk and bring it back to the check station. Thanks to the efforts of so many volunteers on these ventures, all 24 bulls harvested during the four hunts have been transported back to the check station whole, where both live and dressed weights were measured and organ tissue samples collected.
Every year, we learn interesting tidbits from the bulls harvested. This year, one of the bull’s ivories (vestigial canine teeth left over from what is believed to be tusks on their ancient ancestors) had a double cusp. This is something that only one of the other eastern elk biologists has ever seen before.
We all hold our elk population in the highest regard. We care for the animals themselves, but what we love most about them is how they have brought us all together and become such a positive force for the community and for the people outside the community who come to enjoy them.
We’re counting down the days to the fifth Virginia Elk Hunt, which will take place October 10-16, 2026. Keep an eye out for the elk hunt lottery application opening February 2026.
Author Jackie Rosenberger is DWR’s elk project manager.
