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Iowa Elk herd to be shot...

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ArcheryIA44

PMA Member
http://www.kcci.com/news/26852358/detail.html

What do IowaWhitetail.com viewers think?

WAUKON, Iowa -- A small herd of elk roaming southern Allamakee County is causing an uproar.

Jim Jansen with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources told the Cedar Rapids Gazette newspaper that the state has shot some of the elk and there are plans to take down the rest.

But several residents think the state should consider allowing the elk to roam free and re-establishing Iowa's wild elk population. Tim Mason, of rural McGregor, said the animals should be nurtured, not shot.

The herd has been seen along the Yellow River. Estimates of its size vary from five to 12.

Jansen said the elk likely escaped from a captive facility. He said they threaten the health of the local whitetail deer population.
 
Is it just me or couldn't they have moved these animals instead of just shooting them? They better have used everything they could have from these animals by shooting them like this. Personally, I wouldn't mind Iowa re-establishing wild elk population but the habitat is much more suited to the whitetail population than an elk's. I do think that elks would thrive well though.
 
I work with a person who had a small group of elk wander onto his property in 2009 near Colesburg. According to him a DNR officer shot and killed one (or 2 I cant remember) and just left them lay there to rot in his pasture. If this is true it seems messed up to me. Someone should benefit from something that big.
As far as whether they should be allowed to flourish, I really dont know what to think. Would be cool to see elk in Iowa, but I dont want deer populations to be affected adversely.
 
I'm suprised the DNR didn't just sell a couple tags and let other people shoot them. DNR makes a couple bucks and doesn't waste time tracking and shooting them. All profit for them.
 
SCOFFIN said:
I'm suprised the DNR didn't just sell a couple tags and let other people shoot them. DNR makes a couple bucks and doesn't waste time tracking and shooting them. All profit for them.
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Anything along those lines would be better than what happened. Just seems like a waste:confused:
 
My opinion...Elk are grazers, not browsers like deer. There just isn't enough grazing land in Iowa (in general) to support a significant elk herd. I would like to see them fence in the entire Neal Smith Refuge (8000 acres) and get a larger herd going that would support an archery hunt (perhaps selling the few tags to support the refuge). Maybe some of the Loess Hills might work for an elk herd.

Brian
 
It always seems to be the captive elk herds that start the CWD outbreaks, and obviously why the DNR wants to shoot them. Although i would love to see them around, maybe we would be better off without them.
 
fence in the entire Neal Smith Refuge (8000 acres) and get a larger herd going that would support an archery hunt (perhaps selling the few tags to support the refuge).
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Not sure I want to see the DNR get into the high fence business. That could be a slippery slope: how about fencing in all public ground and selling deer tags?
 
i had a large bull elk come by my stand this november, i then got a picture of him 15 miles away from that stand on my trail cam. I could have shot him but i figured it was most likely illegal, i woulda gladly slapped my deer tag on him though, he was a very nice bull.
 
JNRBRONC said:
Not sure I want to see the DNR get into the high fence business. That could be a slippery slope: how about fencing in all public ground and selling deer tags?
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Not the Iowa DNR, this is a federal setup. There is already a small herd of elk along with the bison in the Neal Smith refuge, but they have fenced only a small portion (maybe 600-900 acres; hard to say exactly). I'd just like to see them roam the whole range and why not give us a shot at an elk in Iowa? They are there already.

Brian
 
I seen this and heard a few things from some neighbors to the north...but I have to say..... having to know Jim personally I trust his judgement on this one. I went to colllege at ISU with him and know his true love is the iowa deer herd.He is very educated on this matter and I trust what he says.Jim knows his stuff and wont steer us wrong. He's one of the good guys within the DNR.
 
To each his own: I'd like to see a hunt-able mountain lion population in Iowa, can someone set some loose? :grin: Next is bison and moose, possibly bear, nah, I don't care to hunt them, scratch bears off the list for me...... :D
 
If it is illegal to shoot an elk in Iowa, which i believe it is, then why is the DNR shooting them? In that case if the same type of scenario come by me as Hotshott....I am letting an arrow loose and should not get in any trouble right???
 
I think it would be cool to have elk in Iowa however I would rather stay known for the deer population and keep them outwest if it can effect the deer population. Also there it could be just me but I don't think there is enough land in iowa that is suitable to sustain a large elk population.
 
If it is illegal to shoot an elk in Iowa, which i believe it is, then why is the DNR shooting them? In that case if the same type of scenario come by me as Hotshott....I am letting an arrow loose and should not get in any trouble right???
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Let me know how that works for ya! ;) The elk you shoot better be sporting an ear tag is all I'll say, then the "owner" might have some grounds to seek restitution.

The DNR are pretty certain that these elk are farm escapees and their offspring produced since the escape. It is within their job responsibilities to shoot them. Say you hit a deer with your car, it isn't season. You can get into trouble for "finishing it off" before the Sheriff or the DNR gets there, but they can make the call and are within their rights to dispatch it. This is also probably part of the reason they have to leave them to rot though, as if they made use of them, some might claim they were shooting them for "benefit". One of those damned if you do, damned if you don't situations.
 
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