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Right. The Roosevelt Elk are found west of US 97. In some parts of the Cascades, Roosevelt Elk and Rocky Mountain Elk share the area.

There are three primary subspecies of elk (also known as wapiti, scientific name Cervus canadensis) in the western US:

Rocky Mountain elk (C. c. nelsoni)
Roosevelt elk (C. c. roosevelti)
Tule elk (C. c. nannodes)

The Tule Elk is interesting. It is the smallest subspecies, with mature bulls typically weighing around 400–700 lbs (often under 600 lbs) and cows 300–400 lbs. They are endemic to California and highly specialized for open, semi-arid or Mediterranean climates, including grasslands, oak savannas, marshes, and coastal ranges in the Central Valley, coastal mountains, and areas like the Tehachapi Mountains. Historically more widespread in California, their range contracted dramatically but has rebounded through conservation efforts; they do not occur naturally outside the state.

The Tule Elk were almost wiped out in CA by the early 1870s. They had been hunted nearly to extinction due to market hunting after the Gold Rush and habitat loss from agriculture and livestock grazing. They were thought to be gone by around 1870. Henry Miller (born Heinrich Alfred Kreiser), was a prominent German-American cattle baron and landowner in California's San Joaquin Valley and he is widely credited with starting the conservation of tule elk in the state.

In 1874, while draining a marsh on his vast Miller & Lux ranch near Bakersfield (in the Buena Vista Lake/Tulare Lake area), Miller's workers discovered a small remnant herd—estimates range from as few as 2–10 to about 30 animals.

Miller took decisive action. He immediately protected the elk on his property, banning hunting there. He sent vaqueros (cowboys) to search for any remaining animals. He ordered the herd to be safeguarded at all costs and kept its existence relatively quiet to avoid poachers (offering rewards for reports of threats).

By 1905, the protected herd had grown to around 140 animals. When the growing herd began damaging crops and fences, Miller captured some and moved them to other parts of California—the first deliberate conservation translocations of the subspecies.

Miller's efforts were among the first environmental programs in CA.

Today, the Tule Elk herds have grown and have been extended to many parts of the state. Pt. Reyes has a famous herd. There's a herd close to downtown San Jose. You can see Tule Elk in a fenced area at the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge in Los Banos. There's a five mile drive around the fenced-in area. It's a fun visit.

So what were the elk that used to roam around in the East?

The Eastern elk (Cervus canadensis canadensis), a distinct population of North American elk that lived in the forests and woodlands from the northern and eastern U.S. to southern Canada. They are extinct.

The reintroduced herds in the East are Rocky Mountain Elk.

That's a great story. Also shows the power of an individual to get things done. Didn't need Elizawitch Warren speechifying to get it done.

Henry Miller

That was the name of my grade school, 1st and 2nd grade, in Los Banos,,always wondered who he was and why a school was named after him.

Never knew about the reserve or elk.

Thanks for the backstory.