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Yukon ranchers actually love the elk

Don’t lump LaPrairie Bison Ranch in with farmers who want to cull the herd
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Area ranchers actually love the elk

This is in response to the Nov. 1 article by Lori Fox, “Elk population a headache to farmers.”

We rather resent having a photo of the elk on our ranch used for your article, implying that we are one of the farmers who take issue with the elk on our land.

We are not even in Brad Cathers’ riding of Lake Laberge but in the Kluane riding. Our sentiments toward the elk are quite the opposite: We miss seeing them around our property accessing the corridors we created for their movement. The bull elk can often be heard bugling in September and October through the corridor near our home.

We remember that we did not put in claims for elk damage, unlike some farmers who do not remember the $175,000 claimed in elk damages. Why aren’t the recipients of claims listed?

We made land available to the wildlife branch for the elk tick project, so the elk could be corralled and treated. The project probably contributed to the successful birthing of calves from mothers who were treated for ticks. But that was in 2008 and can hardly be used as the reason for the current population explosion.

Like farmers on the prairies with the deer problem, there will always be some conflict between wildlife and farmers. Now that deer are moving into Yukon, will they be hunted too?

Brad Cathers, your solution of hunting the elk to extinction is a bad idea, much like when the bison were on the Alaska Highway and the Yukon News headline was “Renegade bison to be shot.”

Virginia and Cliff LaPrairie LaPrairie Bison Ranch