The Elk Ways
The elk were reintroduced into the Great Smoky Mountain Nat'l Park in 2001. It has been extremely successful with the herd now totaling somewhere near 200. Elk viewing is a favorite activity of visitors to the Park. As an employee within the Park I get every bit as excited as our visitors each time we see the elk. They are simply beautiful, majestic, interesting in their habits and particularly during the October mating season referred to as "the rut." There is typically one dominant male who rules the herd, has his own 'harem' of cows, and works hard to maintain his position. At GSMNP we affectionately refer to the 'head elk' at Oconaluftee (who has been the alpha for about 5 years) as 'Big Boy'. I'm dedicating this song to him, for he has captured my imagination. My baritone ukulele and Native American flute are greatly enhanced by the beautiful guitar playing of local musician Dave Stewart. This song was debuted at an event at the Macon Co. Library in Franklin.