Market hunters had just about wiped out our deer and elk by the 1890's.
That and a near total deforestation of the state during that approximate time period.
The Eastern Elk were wiped out from an article I read. The Deer were close to it and I heard stories of them also being stocked, from Michigan I believe?
There's a good article on our Elk History on the Pa. Game comm. website, Written by Joe Kosack.