LLOYDMINSTER, Sask. – Handling a randy bull elk can be like dealing with a rebellious teenager: They’ll get away with what you let them.
But some bulls don’t back down if they’re challenged, elk experts told producers at a recent seminar.
“The difference between an elk and a lot of other animals is they’re pretty smart,” said elk producer Scott McAllister, of Kitscoty, Alta. “They don’t forget things.”
McAllister said bulls are generally good natured and easy to handle, except when they are in rut. That’s when farmers find it most valuable to know their animals, he said.
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“It’s like a switch is flipped on,” said McAllister, referring to the added aggressiveness bulls display once the September breeding season begins.
During breeding season, bull elk strive for dominance among themselves and toward human handlers. They grind their teeth, bob their heads, paw the ground, spray and run at their handlers.
Don’t run
“If you run the other way when they show aggression, then they’ll feel ‘OK, I can handle this guy,’ ” said McAllister.
Lloydminster producer Ray Ference said some of his animals seem to enjoy toying with his workers.
“When I go out there, I have no problems,” he told producers. “When someone else goes out there, they have them on the ropes.”
McAllister said most bull elk will quickly back down when challenged. And unlike cattle, which are less intelligent and may panic and run right over a challenger, elk will usually get away from a human who stands up to its bluff.
“I just run at them. You give them a chase every once in a while and they tend to gain a lot more respect for you,” McAllister said.
But, he added it’s smart for farmers to keep a wire fence between them and the bulls because some bulls won’t back down.
McAllister said dealing with bull elk is like dealing with bull cattle – the producer has to know his animals well so he can predict how they will act.
Because elk are intelligent, their behavior is easier to predict, he added.
Careful breeding can help reduce aggressiveness in the herd, he said.
A bull may have admirable antlers, size and body condition, but if it is very aggressive, a producer should think twice before making it a herd sire.
McAllister said his present herd sire is a good looking animal, but is very gentle and easy to handle.
