A Brief History of Elk in Ontario

The earliest confirmed archaeological record for elk in Ontario is from near Sarnia, where the remains of five elk dating from over 3000 years ago were uncovered.  This and other archaeological evidence suggest that elk entered southern Ontario thousands of years ago, immediately following the last glacial period.

The last recorded historic elk kill in Ontario occurred between North Bay and Latchford in 1893.

Historic accounts from the early 1600s record the existence of elk populations in southern Ontario. Alexander MacKenzie wrote of abundant elk while travelling the area between Lake Superior and the Manitoba border in 1789.

By the mid 1800s, southern Ontario was undergoing rapid settlement. Land was being converted to the production of crops and livestock.  As a result, elk experienced both a loss of habitat and increased competition for resources. 

These factors led to the decline in populations in southern Ontario. Smaller numbers of elk continued to exist in north-eastern Ontario, along the Ottawa River watershed, but due to continuing settlement pressures and unregulated hunting, elk were eventually extirpated from Ontario.

Early Distribution    

Approximate historic range of elk in Ontario

There are varying estimates of how far north the historic elk range extended.

It is clear that elk were most abundant in the eastern deciduous forest region of southwestern Ontario, where it is suggested that herds could number more than two hundred animals.

Elk also occurred in lesser concentrations north of the eastern end of Lake Ontario in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forest region (i.e., Kingston and Ottawa areas).

Historic Restoration Efforts

An attempt to restore elk into southern Ontario and Algonquin Provincial Park occurred between 1900 and 1912.  The attempt was was unsuccessful.

A second effort was made in the 1930s by the former Ontario Department of Lands and Forests. Elk transported from Alberta were held in enclosures at numerous sites across Ontario.  Sites at which elk were released include Chapleau, North Bay, Burwash and Apsley. The high concentration of elk remaining in holding facilities, however, created conditions that caused many animals to be infested with liver fluke (Fascioliodes magna). Concerns regarding the health of livestock and existing cervid populations led to the decision to exterminate most of the translocated elk.

Two small remnant herds of elk from the 1930s restoration efforts inhabited the Burwash and French River area of central Ontario when the province’s most recent program was initiated.