CALLICOON — A bull Elk, thought to be a 5 by 5, has been spotted in the woods near Callicoon, according to several hunters.

Word of the siting has been spreading throughout the hunting community as it is illegal to harvest one in New York.

While it is unknown where the Elk may have come from, many are surmising it may have escaped from a penned hunting area or possibly crossed the Delaware River from Pennsylvania.

According to a New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) officer, an elk was reportedly seen in the Eldred area last year.

“We heard reports of an elk being seen between Jeff and Youngsville this year also,” he said. “It’s probably the same elk, if it’s true.”

The elk seen near Callicoon was captured on a game camera, clearly showing the massive elk walking into the frame.

Acccording to the DEC officer, hunters are not supposed to shoot an elk as there is no open season in New York State.

Elk can travel four or five miles a day looking for food and water, according to published reports.

Today, elk can be found in 10 counties in the central/western portions of the Keystone state. There is a lottery whereby hunters can apply for a license to hunt the elk from the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The agency awarded 140 tags for three 2025 hunting seasons this year, and 22 of them were won by people living in other states.

There are currently an estimated 1,000 elk in the state. They can only be hunted by those lucky enough to win special tags through the lottery program.

Elk is the second largest deer in North America, behind the Moose. Maximum weight can reach 1,323 pounds and height is 5.2 feet from hoof to shoulder.

This massive deer is a mainstay in many locations out West. Their rut, or mating season, which occurs every autumn, is a tourist magnet in places like Estes Park, Colorado, drawing thousands of visitors every year. The males showcase their antlers, occasionally spar with other males, and let out a haunting bugle intended to attract females. They have light brown coats with shaggy manes and a pale rump patch.

There are now over 1 million elk in North America.

The last evidence of elk being harvested in New York took place in the Adirondacks, where there was a report of one shot in Essex County in 1946.

In 2014 a 1 1/2-year-old moose, North America’s largest deer, was seen wandering throughout the Catskills, finally finding its way to the Town of Neversink. The moose was shot by a hunter as it charged their hunting party, according to a DEC report.