Roosevelt Elk

[goeduck]

Two of my properties are in Roosevelt Elk territory and they have started decimating our fruit trees there. Roosevelt Elk are the largest of the elk species and can reach at least up to nearly 9 feet (measured tree damage at 8-3/4'). We have fruit trees scattered around and for decades only had deer and black bear to deal with. The necessary cages around the smaller trees have worked but since the trees are scattered a tall fence would be difficult. The elk chew the young trees down, bark, trunk and all. They grab the larger tree branches with their mouths to shake the apples off of the tree, breaking those branches. And of course, they eat all the apples off of the ground, so the deer have nothing, and the bear then have to climb the trees (breaking branches) to get apples on top. Today I ran a copper wire up the small tree trunks in hopes that will prevent chew-downs. Picture is of elk print next to deer print. Anyone have any advice?

 

[jyoutz]

Two of my properties are in Roosevelt Elk territory and they have started decimating our fruit trees there. Roosevelt Elk are the largest of the elk species and can reach at least up to nearly 9 feet (measured tree damage at 8-3/4'). We have fruit trees scattered around and for decades only had deer and black bear to deal with. The necessary cages around the smaller trees have worked but since the trees are scattered a tall fence would be difficult. The elk chew the young trees down, bark, trunk and all. They grab the larger tree branches with their mouths to shake the apples off of the tree, breaking those branches. And of course, they eat all the apples off of the ground, so the deer have nothing, and the bear then have to climb the trees (breaking branches) to get apples on top. Today I ran a copper wire up the small tree trunks in hopes that will prevent chew-downs. Picture is of elk print next to deer print. Anyone have any advice?
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I don’t have elk on my current property, but I have large mule deer. The only solution I had that works is to plant trees in an orchard, not individual scattered trees. Then I constructed a 9’ field fence around the orchard. I’m familiar with Rocky Mountain elk, and a 9’ fence also is effective at excluding them too.

 

[mapper]

Feel your pain Geoduck, we have then same problems in our neighborhood. There is a herd of about 60 around here. I mostly have problems with the young bachelor bulls in the summer that hang out in the woods by my back field. Just one can do a lot of damage.
The dog helps to keep them at bay, interesting how a 70 lb dog can make a 1500 lb elk run off!

 

[Thomas]

No elk here but we do have moose,durning rut season male rub it's antler enough to destroy tree,if fruit not protected well fruit ate limbs damage also,only thing I seen work well heavy duty fencing around tree and that lot $$$'s

 

[oosik]

I've got several small herds of elk around here. They find safe harborage on Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge. It's located just East of me - across the county road. I VERY SELDOM see elk or evidence of elk here on my property.

Lots of deer. Both whitetail and mulies. They like the apples. Along with the porcupines, raccoons and deer it was a real challenge to harvest large crops. We gave up after several years. It's just a whole lot easier and more productive to get our fresh apple from Green Bluff. It's a very productive farming area just a few miles north of Spokane.

 

[thclimer]

High velocity lead is very effective..................however I'm sure there might be just a few regulations pertaining to it in your area.

Sounds like your area is pretty large to try and control, which makes any means like a fence, motion activated sprinklers, alarms, lights....pretty expensive. A dog sounds like a good option but all it takes is one time that it's not on guard and a lot of damage can be done.

Good luck and I hope you can find something.

 

[workinonit]

You can't eat Roosevelt elk? The problem here are whitetails. They are like rats. They eat pretty much anything we try to grow. If you don't put up an 8' fence you can forget it. Hell, they even eat the shrubs in the flower beds. Killing 50 a year doesn't put a dent in the population.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

My experience has been a 338 win mag, loaded with 225 gr Nosler partitions is pure elk poison.

This came from decades of intensive research when I still resided in AZ.

 

[workinonit]

Well now. There's the solution.

 

[thclimer]

You can't eat Roosevelt elk? The problem here are whitetails. They are like rats. They eat pretty much anything we try to grow. If you don't put up an 8' fence you can forget it. Hell, they even eat the shrubs in the flower beds. Killing 50 a year doesn't put a dent in the population.

I have heard in the north east white-tailed deer should be considered an invasive species with no hunting license requirements due to the destruction of the local natural flora.

Some biologists even say in the north east they have had a larger negative impact on the environment that any other invasive species to date. They practically will mow everything down in a forest from chest height down leaving only a few select plants untouched.