Post by diane9247 on Oct 15, 2021 4:07:10 GMT
A northeastern Colorado elk was seen two years ago by wildlife officers wearing a tire around his neck. They watched the four-year-old bull for two years on trail cameras and tried to find a way to relieve him of his accessory.
From this source:
This year, a dry year in the American West, the herd moved closer to residential areas. The elk was spotted several times by local people and the officers finally tracked it down. They removed the tire by cutting off the bull's pride and joy. His antlers. The tire contained about 10 lbs. of dirt and debris, making the bull's total burden about 35 lbs. The antlers will grow back, but until then he'll just have rough-cut nubs to try winning over the ladies. To do this, he'll have to attempt battling other male elk, which is a violent and sometimes deadly affair going on for days. (Let's wish him luck!)
See the source above for more photos, including those of rangers cutting off the antlers. My placemark is located based on a rough estimate, based on the Colorado wildlife service logo in the news article, designating "NE Region." This area is one of the least populated, as it is the Pawnee National Grassland, so it seems probable that they would be grazing there. Elk usually prefer high-altitude forest in summer, and a mix of foothills, meadow and dry grassland in winter. (Source)
Colorado Elk herd.kmz (874 B)
From this source:
“Being up in the wilderness, we didn't really expect to be able to get our hands on the elk just because of the proximity or the distance away from civilization,” CPW officer Scott Murdoch said in a press release. “It is harder to get the further they are back in there and usually the further these elk are away from people, the wilder they act. That certainly played true the last couple of years, this elk was difficult to find, and harder to get close to.”
This year, a dry year in the American West, the herd moved closer to residential areas. The elk was spotted several times by local people and the officers finally tracked it down. They removed the tire by cutting off the bull's pride and joy. His antlers. The tire contained about 10 lbs. of dirt and debris, making the bull's total burden about 35 lbs. The antlers will grow back, but until then he'll just have rough-cut nubs to try winning over the ladies. To do this, he'll have to attempt battling other male elk, which is a violent and sometimes deadly affair going on for days. (Let's wish him luck!)
See the source above for more photos, including those of rangers cutting off the antlers. My placemark is located based on a rough estimate, based on the Colorado wildlife service logo in the news article, designating "NE Region." This area is one of the least populated, as it is the Pawnee National Grassland, so it seems probable that they would be grazing there. Elk usually prefer high-altitude forest in summer, and a mix of foothills, meadow and dry grassland in winter. (Source)
Colorado Elk herd.kmz (874 B)
