Formerly The Outspoken Sportsman
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Elk problem in the Pigeon River area...
Nanette White / April 1, 2009
A Pigeon River area resident is being investigated for "baiting" after repeated calls to the MDNR for help with the elk breaking through her horse fencing repeated times and for help in controlling the elk from dining on the her feed supply for her horses. This problem started in November with the first elk. This resident has lived at this property for about 14 years and has never had a problem such as this prior to this winter. She resides alone and is disabled. She is living on a fixed income and this winter was especially a hardship for her to unwillingly feed the elk as well. She does not hunt, but had to call hunters in to hunt the property in the hopes of controlling the elk problem.
Vicki Reinhardt say's she has ridden in the Pigeon River since 1987, taking pictures of the elk from her horse and looking for shed antlers in the spring. Vicki states she never dreamed she would have to bring in hunters to shoot these beautiful animals.
Just ONE of the elk runways that go right to the hay and pasture on her property. She had to put up fencing again just this past Thursday. She needs to recruit help in repairing the fencing after the elk go through it. Vicki is disabled and can't do the work herself, so she must hire people to assist her. She lost about 1/2 of her hay supply that was put up for this winter due to the elk. She has over $300.00 invested in repairs and costs for fencing so far.... in trying to keep the equine in and the elk out.
The elk head right into the tarp! Tarps were easily torn up or chewed through by the elk.
The homeowner must hire people to haul the hay out for her and re-tarp it about twice a month. While also hiring people to help repair the fencing.
The homeowner would like it clarified that she did not charge anyone to hunt elk on their property! And that she is not in the business of "selling elk" or holding "elk hunts". She had to resort to letting hunters hunt the property in the hopes of helping to keep the elk from over-taking her equines areas and feed supply. She had tried to do what she could to alleviate the problem, prior to calling in the hunters, including contacting the DNR for assistance. The DNR gave her fire-cracker bullets to shoot. She said they would work for the first couple of shots and then didn't seem to phase the elk. She tried to work with the DNR on this issue.
Vicki watched many of these elk grow up and mature over the years, she was heartbroken to know that these animals had to be hunted. She had gotten so accustomed to some of the elk that they knew certain elk by sight. She had even named some of them over the years. Vicki said "it was like watching old friends die".
To add insult to injury, the DNR and Dept. of AG accused this resident of baiting the elk! The DNR was contacted prior to the first elk being shot. The DNR informed this resident that it wasn't a problem. She also said that she asked the DNR again about the taking of these animals, in regards to the 2nd and 3rd elk, she said they received the same answer from the DNR, "not a problem". And now there has been a complaint filed with the Dept. of AG sparking this "investigation" for illegal baiting.
Here's a closer look of "Big Boy". (The photo is blurred from the shutter being slowed down for night pictures, elks moving horns are blurred.)
Here's a closer look at the fence a day after a $ 200.00 worth of HIGH TENSILE fence was put in! This fence had 10,000 volts going through it! This is nothing for the elk to go through.
Living out of town she has no close neighbors and so she must run to town to hire teens to help with the fence repairs and then drive the teens back home.
Here is a photo of one of the elk that was taken off of the homeowners property. The resident says, "that ALL the elk were skinny like this one, back bones and hips sticking out. One weighed in at a whopping 400 and some pounds, when they should have been a few hundreds pounds or more".
Nanette White / April 1, 2009
A Pigeon River area resident is being investigated for "baiting" after repeated calls to the MDNR for help with the elk breaking through her horse fencing repeated times and for help in controlling the elk from dining on the her feed supply for her horses. This problem started in November with the first elk. This resident has lived at this property for about 14 years and has never had a problem such as this prior to this winter. She resides alone and is disabled. She is living on a fixed income and this winter was especially a hardship for her to unwillingly feed the elk as well. She does not hunt, but had to call hunters in to hunt the property in the hopes of controlling the elk problem.
Vicki Reinhardt say's she has ridden in the Pigeon River since 1987, taking pictures of the elk from her horse and looking for shed antlers in the spring. Vicki states she never dreamed she would have to bring in hunters to shoot these beautiful animals.
Just ONE of the elk runways that go right to the hay and pasture on her property. She had to put up fencing again just this past Thursday. She needs to recruit help in repairing the fencing after the elk go through it. Vicki is disabled and can't do the work herself, so she must hire people to assist her. She lost about 1/2 of her hay supply that was put up for this winter due to the elk. She has over $300.00 invested in repairs and costs for fencing so far.... in trying to keep the equine in and the elk out.
The elk head right into the tarp! Tarps were easily torn up or chewed through by the elk.
The homeowner must hire people to haul the hay out for her and re-tarp it about twice a month. While also hiring people to help repair the fencing.
The homeowner would like it clarified that she did not charge anyone to hunt elk on their property! And that she is not in the business of "selling elk" or holding "elk hunts". She had to resort to letting hunters hunt the property in the hopes of helping to keep the elk from over-taking her equines areas and feed supply. She had tried to do what she could to alleviate the problem, prior to calling in the hunters, including contacting the DNR for assistance. The DNR gave her fire-cracker bullets to shoot. She said they would work for the first couple of shots and then didn't seem to phase the elk. She tried to work with the DNR on this issue.
Vicki watched many of these elk grow up and mature over the years, she was heartbroken to know that these animals had to be hunted. She had gotten so accustomed to some of the elk that they knew certain elk by sight. She had even named some of them over the years. Vicki said "it was like watching old friends die".
To add insult to injury, the DNR and Dept. of AG accused this resident of baiting the elk! The DNR was contacted prior to the first elk being shot. The DNR informed this resident that it wasn't a problem. She also said that she asked the DNR again about the taking of these animals, in regards to the 2nd and 3rd elk, she said they received the same answer from the DNR, "not a problem". And now there has been a complaint filed with the Dept. of AG sparking this "investigation" for illegal baiting.
(Night shots) DNR came and told the resident to tarp the
hay better!
Here is an elk eating out of the tarp, they ripped a hole in a $100.00 tarp, said Vicki. The elk ate a bale a day, per an elk. They took turns in this stack!! (The green is the tarp.)
Here is an elk eating out of the tarp, they ripped a hole in a $100.00 tarp, said Vicki. The elk ate a bale a day, per an elk. They took turns in this stack!! (The green is the tarp.)
Here's a closer look of "Big Boy". (The photo is blurred from the shutter being slowed down for night pictures, elks moving horns are blurred.)
Night photo of elk INSIDE the horse fence while eating the horses evening hay.
Notice the yellow fence post caps (above). The Elk are on the INSIDE of the fence.
Here's a closer look at the fence a day after a $ 200.00 worth of HIGH TENSILE fence was put in! This fence had 10,000 volts going through it! This is nothing for the elk to go through.
Living out of town she has no close neighbors and so she must run to town to hire teens to help with the fence repairs and then drive the teens back home.
The residence's horses spent 3 weeks tied to trees due
to elk breaking fences down and fear of her horses running free. Vicki said "If a horse got hit
by a car, she could be sued!!". Her horses were tied to trees when it
was -35 below out. The horses need to move around to keep warm, but she had to keep
them tied like this for their and the homeowners safety. The elk would come right up to
the horses on the short line and take the suit out of the trees.
Here is a photo of one of the elk that was taken off of the homeowners property. The resident says, "that ALL the elk were skinny like this one, back bones and hips sticking out. One weighed in at a whopping 400 and some pounds, when they should have been a few hundreds pounds or more".
This is photo of one of working horses kept on the residence. Vicki states that "this is not just a
pleasure horse. He is
a mounted police officer's horse and if a person should hurt him it would be the same as an
officer down!! And they would be charged as such". There are 2 mounted
police horses kept on this residence's property.
The residence has a part time job and would come home from work, on two occasions, to find the horses were loose and off the property. They had to go out and round up the horses alone at night. Due to the risk of the horses getting loose or harmed by the elk, the homeowner had to stay home from work. Fortunately her employer worked with her until she felt it was safe to leave these equine unattended. She was unable to return back to work until March 24th, after the snow had melted and the elk had moved on.
Also note that no hunter dollars went to the residence or exchanged hands.
nw
The residence has a part time job and would come home from work, on two occasions, to find the horses were loose and off the property. They had to go out and round up the horses alone at night. Due to the risk of the horses getting loose or harmed by the elk, the homeowner had to stay home from work. Fortunately her employer worked with her until she felt it was safe to leave these equine unattended. She was unable to return back to work until March 24th, after the snow had melted and the elk had moved on.
Also note that no hunter dollars went to the residence or exchanged hands.
nw