Too many Elk in Western Alberta?

[Ohwildwon]

Found this article in The Sun today...

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/western-albertans-want-province-to-take-aim-at-growing-number-of-hungry-elk (http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/western-albertans-want-province-to-take-aim-at-growing-number-of-hungry-elk)

Any ideas on how to push some of them into BC? HAH!!

[knighthunter]

I don't believe for a second a main reason is because not enough hunters can shoot straight. I would say a big cause of elk destroying crops & hay land is because ranchers post their land "no hunting" or won't give hunter's permission when they ask.

[Wild one]

I don't believe for a second a main reason is because not enough hunters can shoot straight. I would say a big cause of elk destroying crops & hay land is because ranchers post their land "no hunting" or won't give hunter's permission when they ask.

You got it the elk out there learn fast which chunks of land they are safe on. There is a lot more ranchers open to letting hunters on in Alberta than BC but there is still large chunks of land no access or limited access is granted. Large chunks of public land that can only be reached by crossing private as well and if you can't get access to cross you can't reach the elk. The elk just move into these areas shortly after hunting season and stay their till it is over.

Seen this first hand and come winter time the elk hit the farms hard

[walks with deer]

I am going to get one.
Win number is in safe

[AltaElkhunter]

Biggest issue is large ranch's that either refuse hunting or limit the hunting to outfitters only. Also the elk do not seem to move back into the mountains any more, likely due to high predation by wolves. Then the larger herds in the winter congregate on the best food sources and some, only some, have no tolerance for them.

But seeing as alberta has been providing free high fencing for hay stack's for many years, ranchers really should have nothing to complain about. We finally seem to have a decent number of elk and they want them all killed off? Sw corner here there does not seem to be to many, several decent herds around in the winter, but they sure seem hard to find in the fall, unless one can get on the bigger ranch's by paying there fee, then it maybe ok.