Ben Porkolab, Conservation Education Coordinator, at the Elk Viewing Center, Benezette, PA, was the guest speaker at the Rotary luncheon meeting February 23rd.
Ben grew up in Kane, earned a scholarship to attend the Safari Club International’s Wildlife Leadership School in Jackson Hole Wyoming while in high school. After high school, Ben attended IUP and obtained his Bachelor Degree in Elementary Education, teaching elementary school for two years in the bush country of Alaska and then one year in Nevada. Ben retired after teaching 19 years at the Cameron County School District after an opportunity to teach what he loved most, wildlife, came up at the Elk Viewing Center. Ben’s teaching skills have continued for the past two plus years at the center where he interacts with many children teaching various wildlife programs.
The program focused on the Elk Hunt which has been going on for the past 20 years. Ben was lucky enough after 7 years, to draw a tag to hunt a bull elk. There are 14 zones in PA, Ben killed his in Zone 1 on Hickory Road. Some facts he gave the group included elk eating about 25 lbs. a day. They are grazers, but in during the winter months eat tons of bark off the trees and can become very destructive. PA is home to approximately a 1,500 elk herd and they are found in 10 counties. Cows can range from 10-12 square miles and bulls up to 25.
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