Hatfield Knob Wildlife Viewing Stand Visitors Welcome

The Viewing area and food plots for the animals are
provided by the following
partners:
Tennessee Wildlife Federation
1-(800)-822-9919
www.tnwf.org
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
(TWRA)
1-(800)-332-0900
www.tn.gov/twra
National Wild Turkey Federation
(NWTF)
1-(803)-637-3106
www.nwtf.org
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
(RMEF)
1(800)-225-5355
www.rmef.org
Campbell Outdoor Recreation Association (CORA)
1-(865)-584-8896
www.cora-tn.org
Campbell County Chamber of Commerce
1-(423)-566-0329
www.campbellcountychamber.com
Text by Jerry & Jo Stout
Pictures By Terry Lewis
Volunteers for these organizations
have spent countless hours on projects like this, please contact one of
these organizations to offer you assistance. Enjoy your adventure and tell
others about our herd.
Hatfield Knob
Wildlife Viewing
Stand
YOU ARE WELCOME TO COME TO OUR PUBLIC ELK VIEWING SITE LOCATED A SHORT
DISTANCE FROM
LAFOLLETTE,TN.
Visitors Welcome
DIRECTIONS TO OUR SITE ARE AS FOLLOWS.
1)
FROM LAFOLLETTE DRIVE ON HIGHWAY 25W NORTH
TOWARDS JELLICO, TN FOR APPROXIMATELY 7 MILES.
2)
AS THE 3-LANE ROAD UP PEABODY MOUNTAIN NARROWS TO TWO LANES, TURN LEFT AT THE RED GATE
ONTO A GRAVEL ROAD.
3)
SUNQUIST W ILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA AND W ILDLIFE
VIEWING AREA SIGNS ARE LOCATED ON THE RIGHT SIDE
OF THE GATE.
4)
PROCEED APPROXIMATELY 3.1 MILES(NO TURNS) TO A
FORK IN THE ROAD.
5)
GO RIGHT FOR 1.4 MILES TO THE FREE PARKING AREA.
WALK AROUND THE CLOSED GATE AND FOLLOW THE
WALKING TRAIL APPROXIMATELY 500 YARDS TO THE
VIEWING STAND. PLEASE REMAIN QUIET WHILE YOU ARE
APPROACHING AND ARE ON THE VIEWING STAND.
 IF DRIVING SOUTH FROM JELLICO ON HWY 25W
BE
IT WILL
18 MILES TO TOP OF PEABODY MTN. (THEN RIGHT)
Tips\Elk Facts

Bring your binoculars and your camera. The best viewing
time is late afternoon. You may need a flashlight to return
to parking area.
Elk are very social animals as evidenced by them
living in herds. A healthy can live 18-22 years.

Elk in the U.S. today are descendants of red deer from
Asia that crossed the Bering Land Bridge about 120,000
years ago
A bull(male) elk can weigh over 1000 pounds. Cows
(female) average 500 pounds. Newborn calves
weigh about 30 pounds.

Both have large ears, a large light colored rump
patch and rather short tail compared to deer.

Elk were no longer in Tennessee in 1865 due to over
harvesting and farming practices by settlers.


Elk were first brought back to Tennessee in Dec. of 2000,
with additional elk releases in 2001, 2002 all from Elk
Island in Alberta, Canada; also in 2003 and 2008 elk from
the U.S. Forest Service at Land Between the Lakes in
Kentucky, were released. A total of 201 elk.
Elk antlers are impressive and are at their best when
elk is 11 or 12 years of age, and may reach 5 feet in
length and weigh 25-40 pounds.

Unlike Deer, points on elk are counted on one side
only. An elk with four points on each side would be
described as “4-by-4”

The Present elk herd is estimated statistically at 450.

Elk can run long distances at 30 mph and can jump
10 feet high.

The “elk” zone” includes about 670,000 acres in Scott,
Morgan, Campbell, Anderson and Claiborne counties.

Breeding season (rutting) is in September, when the
herd bulls “bugle” to attract their mates. Gestation is
8 1/2 months with calving season in May.


Help us keep this area safe.
Please do not go into fields set aside for wildlife.
TWRA rules require that you stay on the designated
trail and viewing area. These animals are wild and not
predictable. Their response to humans may be to challenge and charge you. Especially when calves are
present.