I came home and, as I got close to my house, this fellow was standing by the porch.
Apparently the elk are beginning to explore up this way.
Back in the 1980s someone imported a few elk, to let them grow so that eventually they would have a large enough population that they could shoot a few of them.
When I pulled up, he trotted off and stopped for a look back before vanishing into the woods. I’m sure he won’t go far. This means that I won’t just have annoying deer to worry about. In the fall I do not want male elk in my yard, commenting on eachother’s youtube videos and whanging their skulls together.
[I would have shot a much better picture with my DSLR execept after the bobcat incident I have learned “shoot pictures first then go get the camera.” As soon as I started toward the house, he decided to leave, and this was as good as my iPhone could do at 100yd. By the way, anyone who says iPhone cameras are great clearly does not understand what a “camera” is.]
Annoying deer? Back in autumn you made some blog posts about deer living next to your home, and then I got the impression that you like deer.
Ieva Skrebele@#1:
I got the impression that you like deer.
They ate my cilantro and my poppies. So I like them, but there are limits to how much I like anyone who eats all my cilantro.
This fellow is the size of a small horse and has very impressive weaponry. So, if he wants my cilantro, I am going to lose.
I am not looking forward to having elk as another potential “thing that you can hit with your car” – the deer are bad enough, already. I guess at least it’s not moose.
An elk eek!
Lofty@#4:
“I have a theory which is mine…”
I have people ask, “How do you keep the deer out of your garden?” to which the only reply is “A fence. A BIG fence. VERY big. Helps if it’s electric” but what they usually want me to tell them is that if you spray Aromatherapy Deer Repellant, or Special Herbs and Spices, they will stay out of your yard. Um. No. Same thing for elk. As to how do you avoid hitting them, people are disappointed when I say drive more carefully. I know it is impossible to always avoid them but still, being careful is fairly effective.
We have on occasion come across HUGE herds of elk on the road. It’s all part of the fun of living on planet Earth. One must be particularly careful driving through the mountains, which a lot of people are not… I guess they feel kind of like the elk do: “I’m here, so everyone else should stay out of my way.” Except an elk will usually win unless of course you don’t mind being slammed into your windshield at X miles per hour. As Marcus has pointed out, we are talking about an animal that weighs 500 to 730 pounds. Personally I have found it prudent to pay attention and try really hard not to drive into one.
Congrats on having them in your yard! A nice sight even if they do eat all the cilantro.
kestrel@#6:
Same thing for elk.
I assume “A bigger fence. Way bigger than for deer. The biggest fence. Just be glad you haven’t got moose.”
A nice sight even if they do eat all the cilantro.
Will trade elk for cilantro. Enquire of proprietor.
We have on occasion come across HUGE herds of elk on the road.
I knew a guy who went through a flock of turkeys at high speed, in one of those low-slung cars with the front grille designed to suck air in to the ravenous engine… And then there was the time I was putting along on my sportster and a momma bear was teaching her cubs how to cross the road. I was very polite and so was she. Wouldn’t want to hit a bear cub.
Yeah, it’s things like that which are why I kind of doodle along at a decent pace and listen to a podcast.
Actually the standards of Finnish Transport Agency for roadside moose and deer fences seem to state that the height of the protective fences should be 2.25…2.35 m and in areas where the population of the (introduced) whitetail deer is dense, 2.45 m. I’d guess the structures have to be more sturdy for moose than for American elk or deer. I wonder how high can the elk there jump?
I’m writing this just because I was curious about just in what ballpark are the specs of the fences here and found the standard (in Finnish).
Those aforementioned heights are minimum heights. The poles of the fence are required to be 100 mm wooden poles or 60 mm steel pipe poles (2 mm wall thickness) and they are put up about every 4 meters (max). The poles have to be able to endure a short-time 1.0 kN load on the height of 1.2 m, even 20 years after the fence has been built.
Re: fence heights for elk… they “suggest” 8′ or 2.4m. There is a ranch about 40 miles from here owned by a complete jerk who shot all the elk on his place…. the Forest Service people came and built a fence all the way around his place and it’s possible it’s only 8′ but looks a lot more like 10′ when you stand next to it. It’s pretty impressive and apparently the only way they could stop this guy killing everything that came on his place. ***i have no words***
Re: cilantro deprivation. Here at least, if one feels one is truly being deprived by deer or elk, the state Game and Fish will give the land owner a permit (once they have someone go out and verify they are indeed being deprived by deer or elk) for hunting one. To me it sounds like it’s hard to get it started but once they have given you one permit you can pretty much depend on it every year. Although I guess I can grasp shooting ONE if they are destroying your hay field or something, I can not countenance shooting an entire herd of (as I recall) over 30 like the above-referenced jerk did.
I have encountered both elk and moose whilst walking in the woods.
I usually stand quietly behind a tree.
I encountered a bison while biking through Elk Island Park* (outside Edmonton). He was sitting in the road, covering most of its width. A quandary.
*Never saw any elk there. Just elk shit.
Rob Grigjanis
So. Time for a cup of thermos tea and a cookie?
kestrel@#10:
if one feels one is truly being deprived by deer or elk, the state Game and Fish will give the land owner a permit (once they have someone go out and verify they are indeed being deprived by deer or elk) for hunting one.
I am gonna try to grow cilantro in a hanging basket in my library. That way nobody has to die.
coriander is a lovely spice
cilantro is compost
The problem with Elk in the fall is not only the noise. They are also very aggresive and can kill a man who comes too close and spooks them.
BUILD THE WALL!
Quite literally, “camera” means “box”. The issue is with the lens.
Charly@#16:
They are also very aggresive and can kill a man who comes too close and spooks them.
I’m pretty sure the local hunters will be thrilled and they’re going to all be blown away on the first day of deer season. “I thought it was a deer!” will be the cry.
kestrel:
fence heights for elk… they “suggest” 8′ or 2.4m
Holy shit! Build that wall!
Joking aside: elk don’t have ladders. Building walls against primates is basically playing right into their strength.
Deer problems in your garden? There is a fishing product called Spiderwire. It is a very small diameter fishing line with very high strength. Get yourself some 25lb spiderwire in a color that will blend in with your surroundings. They come in a couple of colors. 25lb spiderwire is very small diameter and if you string it around your garden at a height that is about chest high for deer, they will not be able to see it. They will walk into it and not see it and they will not try to cross it. This is what a friend of mine uses here in Oregon. It keeps the deer out nicely, and causes them no harm. Don’t think that’s going to work on elk as they will just bull right through any obstacle in their way. Good luck.