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PRAIRIE FAQs
How do you know Western Kentucky was once a prairie inhabited by elk and bison?
For one thing, the historic record indicates around 2.4 million acres of
Central and Western Kentucky were a grassland. In 1766, English trader George Croghan reported seeing thousands of deer, elk and buffalo at Big Bone Lick, Kentucky. In 1783, Daniel Boone described the Kentucky landscape as "extensive plains" and the buffalo so abundant, "...we saw hundreds in a drove, and the numbers about the salt springs were amazing."
Do the elk and bison compete for the same food? Will they get enough to eat in a 750-acre enclosure?
As with most species sharing the same habitat, elk and bison have evolved different eating behaviors. Although there is some overlap, elk for the most part eat woody "browse" -- shrubs, twigs and leaves -- and some grasses. Bison 
for the most part eat grass. However, our prairie grasses are still becoming re-established, so we supplement the food supply with hay during the winter months.
How long will it take for the prairie to be completely restored?
It took less than a generation for this habitat to be lost, but it will
take many, many years for us to bring it back. This is a long-term project requiring constant monitoring of the wildlife populations, grass re-seeding, controlled burns, and habitat monitoring.
Why were Canadian elk introduced into the prairie? Why not get elk from the Rocky Mountains?
The Canadian elk were readily available and were free of disease that
could be transferred to livestock and wildlife. Also, biologists believe
the Manitoban sub-species released at Land Between The Lakes may have closely resembled the Eastern elk which originally inhabited the region. The eastern sub-species became extinct around 200 years ago.
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