Elk hunting – Is it Legal?
If you have seen a deer around, most probably you are seeing a common red deer,
or if you are out in the wild, the possibility of bumping into an elk is as
high as bumping into an antelope. Elks are one of the largest species of deer
in the world. With their natural habitat falling in the meadows and forest
edges, they are often being chosen as a game species because of its large body
size, threatening numbers in certain countries, the prized meat, and so much
more.
Coming into the hunting part, is it legal to hunt them? It is legal, but not
for anyone anywhere. Hunters must acquire local game license that is
specifically targeted at elks. Using this way secures controls the number of
elks in the country, avoiding over hunting that threatens the numbers of elks,
which causes them to fall into the group of extinction animals.
Male elks are known as bull and the females are known as cow. Each year, state
governments offers different license to allow hunters to hunt them. Bull elks
are being offered with a purchasing license in certain states while cow
licenses are on draws to acquire the license. There are closing dates to draw a
cow license but you can simple buy one from hunting lodges when you are off to
hunt, which does not have a closing date to be purchased.
There are certain reasons for being letting elks to be hunted around as a game
or trophy animal. At one time numbers of elks are actually causing threats to
Argentinean wildlife, where elks are actually competing for food with other
herbivore species. This seriously threatens the ecosystem, causing none either
good or bad to both type of animals, and also the plants.
Elks can be hunted for its meat too, but at a controlled numbers. Usually elks
are hunted for it’s antlers in the Asian countries where mountain elks are more to be found
roaming around grazing the grass. Antlers that are hunted legally are being
used for medicinal purposes in recognized medical halls. Meat on the other
hand, are said to taste better than venison but lower than beef. It’s high protein and low fat value is the selling point of elk meat.
Canned hunting is set up to offer a guaranteed game bag, where elks are being
kept in captivity and offers hunters to hunt them easily. This is also legal in
a way of hunting an animal being kept in captivity as long as it is not a wild
animal which requires license.
The main problem with illegal hunting of elks is still poaching. Poachers hunt
animals that live in the wild with no license with them, making them a main
cause of elk numbers decreasing. Over the years poachers are a being targeted
by the law and often punishing them more severely than other offenders.
Poachers use other ways to hunt animals for instance poaching nets, illegal
traps, chloroform, and anything other than the legal rifle that is set by the
rules.
To say that it is legal to hunt the elks, wait for the open season to hunt
them. And, don’t forget your license too.