The Elk & Bison Prairie Story

The Elk & Bison Prairie Story

As adapted from a 1996 Elk & Bison Prairie brochure Many generations of animals and people inhabited this region long before the forming of Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area in 1963. The Elk & Bison Prairie captures the world as it appeared to 18th century hunters. At the time, more than 300 years ago, vast herds of bison and elk blanketed the landscape, creating broad paths in the land as they migrated. Today, we travel many of those same paths—Interstate 24, for example, follows the path of an ancient bison trail. When native peoples used this land as…
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Armadillos Have Arrived

Armadillos Have Arrived

By John Pollpeter, Lead Naturalist at  Woodlands Nature Station People associate Land Between The Lakes with eagles, pelicans, white-tail deer, turkeys, and now – armadillos.  Our region boasts the largest population of the nine-banded armadillo in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. So let’s learn about our newest resident: How did they get here? Armadillos have been naturally migrating north from two southern populations --Texas and Florida.  Armadillos are native to Texas.  In the late 19th century a resident of Florida introduced a small population into Florida. These two populations later merged and have been marching north ever since. Rivers and streams…
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