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The Hatfield–McCoy elk statue honors the people who helped bring elk back to West Virginia.
This story was originally published in the August / September 2026 issue of Wonderful West Virginia. Subscribe here.
Above: Larry Bob Wilson’s namesakes, pictured left to right: Bob Fala, former director of the WVDNR; Larry K. Rockel, retired West Virginia Natural Resources Police sergeant; and Kenny Wilson, former West Virginia Natural Resources commissioner.
Photo courtesy of Hatfield & McCoy CVB
The elk statue outside the Hatfield & McCoy Convention and Visitors Bureau in Logan now officially has a name: Larry Bob Wilson.
The name came out of a community-wide naming contest, with the winning idea submitted by Fallon Walker. Her suggestion of “Larry” was inspired by her father, retired Sergeant Larry K. Rockel of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) Law Enforcement Section, who supported elk restoration efforts in the state. The final name also honors several key people who helped bring elk back to the Mountain State, including former WVDNR Director Bob Fala and Commissioner Kenny Wilson.
Together, their work helped turn elk restoration into a reality. From 2014 to 2016, Wilson helped acquire 44,000 acres that would become a wildlife management area that supported the elk reintroduction program. Fala also played a critical role in moving the project forward, helping to secure the legislative support needed to make restoration possible.
In December 2016, the first 24 elk were released in Logan County. Today, the herd, which resides primarily within the Tomblin Wildlife Management Area in the Hatfield–McCoy Mountains region, has grown to an estimated 140 animals.
Larry Bob Wilson stands as a tribute to both the region’s thriving elk population and the people whose hard work and dedication helped return one of North America’s most iconic wildlife species to West Virginia.
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