Vancouver Island farmers struggle to deal with threatened elk species

Farmers in the Cowichan Valley are losing crops and dealing with property and field damage caused by Roosevelt Elk, which have become a regular fixture on some farms in the area.

Farmers in the Cowichan Valley are losing crops and dealing with property and field damage caused by Roosevelt Elk, which have become a regular fixture on some farms in the area.

The threatened species typically moves to lower elevations during the winter months searching for more plentiful food, but in the last few years, in the Duncan area, some herds have been staying year-round on farmland.

In North Oyster, where Howie Davis has farmed cattle for more than 50 years, a herd of 12 elk showed up in December four years ago. Fortunately for him, they've so far always left by February or March.

“The herds are expanding every year,” said Davis.

In the few months the elk are on the farm, Davis said they cause a lot of damage, knocking the down fences, tearing the hay fields up with their hooves and eating whatever hay is growing over the winter “right down to nothing.”

The elk damage to the hay fields has reduced the number of harvests from four to three in a season, said Davis.

“That’s one crop you don’t get to sell, less income,” he said. “(The provincial government has) been compensating me for that … not to what it costs.”