"We're constantly working to haze [elk out of the townsite], to manage them, to force them out into the wildlife corridors around the town," said Bill Hunt, resource conservation manager for Banff.

"It's partially successful, but with some individuals, they are extremely resistant to that, and these four animals showed that behavior where we'd haze them out of town and literally in a couple of hours they would be back in the residential area again."

Deerbusters begs the question "Why not install elk fence?" Elk fencing can be used to keep away elk from residents and visitors of Banff as well as serve as a protective barrier for the elk. We can't have elk roaming the streets - causing vehicle accidents and crop damage - after all.

Elk are increasingly becoming a problem across Canada, not just for parks, but also for livestock farmers. Elk can carry Elk Hoof Disease and spread it to cattle, goats and sheep, making them very ill. In Alberta, over 800+ herds of elk are reportedly causing agricultural damage.

UltraMax Elk fence is the best fence for elk management. The polypropylene material has a certified breaking load of 1400 pounds and a life expectancy of at least 30 years.

Elk culling can become a thing of the past, if only we can get Canada parks to listen.

Story re-posted from DeerbustersCanada.ca.