Kleven MacDougal was pushing snow in his yard when he heard gunshots.
He investigated and found two of Brimac Farms’ domestic elk. Dead.
The pregnant three-year-old cows had been on the farm only two days.
Hunters apparently shot the elk by mistake, saying they thought the animals were white-tailed deer does. The elk were killed as they bedded down in the late afternoon. The pen was less than 500 metres from the farm buildings.
The elk are the first game farm animals to be accidentally killed in the province during hunting season, say Saskatchewan wildlife officials.
Read Also
VIDEO: Agritechnica Day 4: Robots and more robots, Nexat loves Canada and the trouble with tariffs
Agritechnica Day 4: Robots and more robots, Nexat loves Canada and the trouble with tariffs.
“The hunters were very responsible about it. The moment they realized they had killed domestic animals they came right over. I’ll give them credit for that,” said MacDougal.
Strange situation
“They were pretty sick over it. But I still don’t know how they could miss the fence…. There were five elk in the compound. It is all very strange,” said Cherlynne Brister, who is a partner in Brimac with husband Trent.
“The hunters were charged with careless hunting under the wildlife act…. They face a maximum fine of $1,000 each but the real penalty will be in making restitution for the animals,” said Dave Harvey, director of enforcement for Saskatchewan’s wildlife branch.
The hunters are scheduled to appear in court in Regina in January.
The elk are valued at between $22,000 and $25,000 each. Brimac partners say the animals were insured for a portion of their value but the loss will hurt the elk operation in its first year of business.
