July 31, 2026
HDOnTap/YouTube
The Pennsylvania Game Commission's 24/7 Elk Cam will have an active livestream from Aug. 1 to Oct. 3. The camera is on state game lands in Benezette, Elk County, which is home to the largest elk herd in the northeastern United States.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission's annual Elk Cam livestream returns Saturday to give wildlife enthusiasts a glimpse into the life of the herd in Elk County.
The 24/7 feed comes from a camera positioned on state game lands in Benezette, which is known as one of the best places to see elk in the eastern United States. Northern Pennsylvania is home to a free-roaming herd of about 1,400 elk, whose late summer and fall mating season has made the region a yearly tourist destination.
Elk are one of the largest species in the deer family. During their annual rut, the males make distinct bugling calls to attract females and scare off other males. The livestream occasionally captures bulls locking horns in a territorial standoff.
The game commission recommends viewing the Elk Cam during the morning or evening for the best chance of catching the animals live. At night, the camera switches to infrared. It's not uncommon for viewers to see turkeys, deer, bears, coyote and other wildlife at different hours of the day.
Highlights from last year's Elk Cam can be viewed below.
Most of Pennsylvania's elk live in the Poconos and north-central counties. The species was once widely found in Pennsylvania and much of the Northeast, but hunting mostly eliminated them from the region by the end of the Civil War.
A federal repopulation program began in 1913 to bring elk back east from Yellowstone National Park. They were shipped on trains out of Wyoming, where many of their feeding grounds had been depleted by agricultural expansion.
Elk hunting was illegal in Pennsylvania from the 1930s through the 1980s, but the Game Commission has since introduced a limited lottery system that allows the species to be hunted during three timeframes during the fall and winter.
Those who visit elk country in Pennsylvania are advised to keep a distance of at least 100 feet. Males can become aggressive during mating season. Females may also defend their young when threatened. The Elk Country Visitor Center in Benezette provides resources on elk viewing and works with the state to conserve their habitat. The nonprofit Keystone Elk Country Alliance also sponsors public programs, fairs and other educational events to support the elk population.
The Game Commission says the elk cam draws millions of viewers each year. It's one of several Game Commission wildlife livestreams hosted by HDOnTap, which compiles highlights that people can watch when the live feed isn't showing any animals.
This year's Elk Cam will be live until Oct. 3, when the first elk firearm season begins.
