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Here is a link to that story that came out about the 2 bulls in Nevada.
Here is the story....
Dead elk
By Jerry Blair
Elko Daily Free Press
ELKO, Nev. -- Two large bull elk died this past week after their antlers became locked while sparring and a rancher prevented state wildlife officials from attempting to aid the animals.
The elk were reported to the Elko office of the Nevada Department of Wildlife Monday, said Jerry Smith, a wildlife game warden supervisor for Nevada's eastern region.
The two bulls were discovered by a passer-by the day before near Goose Creek in the extreme northeastern corner of Elko County, just a few miles from both the Idaho and Utah state lines.
It was later determined the elk were on land owned by rancher Bud Bedke, whose property is located in all three states.
"We got the message they were locked on Monday, alive and in the field," Smith said. "Our response was to put together a team of biologists and wardens in an attempt to get them unlocked."
That same day, Department of Wildlife biologist Larry Gilbertson met with the rancher, asking for permission to come onto his property in an attempt to separate the elk.
"Mr. Bedke denied our people access ... after quite a bit of discussion," Smith said.
Smith said Bedke apparently is "not happy with management practices up there when it comes to elk in particular."
An attempt to contact Bedke for comment was unsuccessful.
After being denied access, Smith said Department of Wildlife personnel honored Bedke's request not to go onto the ranch and returned to Elko.
"We began to search for a legal means of gaining access to the property with the limited purpose for separating those bulls," Smith said.
After consulting with the Elko district attorney's office and, in turn, with the Nevada Attorney General's office, it became clear Bedke was within his rights to deny access to his ranch, Smith said.
"There's nothing in the law compelling access onto the property against Mr. Bedke's wishes," he said, adding, "private property rights are paramount, as they should be."
By Tuesday, the Department of Wildlife received a report that one of the elk had died, and, by Wednesday, both were dead, still locked together in the same area where they'd been discovered.
Smith stressed that even if the wildlife department had gotten to the elk, there's "no guarantee those bulls would have lived." He added, however, that elk often suffer life-threatening injuries during sparring, so there's "a pretty sure guarantee if they are not separated, they will die."
On Wednesday, the Department of Wildlife's Don Klebenow met with Bedke and his son, Will, to seek permission to retrieve the elk heads.
Elk, as with all wildlife, are considered property of the state. If the Bedkes had processed the animals without a proper tag, they would have been considered in violation of Nevada law, Smith explained.
Without a valid elk tag, the only other alternative for the ranchers would be to allow the dead animals to naturally decompose.
Smith said the Bedkes agreed to allow wildlife personnel to retrieve the elk heads, which will be mounted and used by the department for education purposes.
"We're happy that they chose that option," Smith said.
The larger of the two bulls has an antler point size in the 340 range, and the smaller one is around 300 to 310, Smith said. A 400-point buck is considered record size.
Smith said the Department of Wildlife will continue its investigation into what he said was an extremely rare event.
During his 20 years with the department, he said this was the only time he's aware of that wildlife officials have been asked for their assistance in separating two living elk whose antlers were locked together.
While biologists would have preferred a chance of getting to the elk before they died, Smith described the incident as a "natural habitat event" not in any way caused by the ranchers.
The pic....
Here is the story....
Dead elk
By Jerry Blair
Elko Daily Free Press
ELKO, Nev. -- Two large bull elk died this past week after their antlers became locked while sparring and a rancher prevented state wildlife officials from attempting to aid the animals.
The elk were reported to the Elko office of the Nevada Department of Wildlife Monday, said Jerry Smith, a wildlife game warden supervisor for Nevada's eastern region.
The two bulls were discovered by a passer-by the day before near Goose Creek in the extreme northeastern corner of Elko County, just a few miles from both the Idaho and Utah state lines.
It was later determined the elk were on land owned by rancher Bud Bedke, whose property is located in all three states.
"We got the message they were locked on Monday, alive and in the field," Smith said. "Our response was to put together a team of biologists and wardens in an attempt to get them unlocked."
That same day, Department of Wildlife biologist Larry Gilbertson met with the rancher, asking for permission to come onto his property in an attempt to separate the elk.
"Mr. Bedke denied our people access ... after quite a bit of discussion," Smith said.
Smith said Bedke apparently is "not happy with management practices up there when it comes to elk in particular."
An attempt to contact Bedke for comment was unsuccessful.
After being denied access, Smith said Department of Wildlife personnel honored Bedke's request not to go onto the ranch and returned to Elko.
"We began to search for a legal means of gaining access to the property with the limited purpose for separating those bulls," Smith said.
After consulting with the Elko district attorney's office and, in turn, with the Nevada Attorney General's office, it became clear Bedke was within his rights to deny access to his ranch, Smith said.
"There's nothing in the law compelling access onto the property against Mr. Bedke's wishes," he said, adding, "private property rights are paramount, as they should be."
By Tuesday, the Department of Wildlife received a report that one of the elk had died, and, by Wednesday, both were dead, still locked together in the same area where they'd been discovered.
Smith stressed that even if the wildlife department had gotten to the elk, there's "no guarantee those bulls would have lived." He added, however, that elk often suffer life-threatening injuries during sparring, so there's "a pretty sure guarantee if they are not separated, they will die."
On Wednesday, the Department of Wildlife's Don Klebenow met with Bedke and his son, Will, to seek permission to retrieve the elk heads.
Elk, as with all wildlife, are considered property of the state. If the Bedkes had processed the animals without a proper tag, they would have been considered in violation of Nevada law, Smith explained.
Without a valid elk tag, the only other alternative for the ranchers would be to allow the dead animals to naturally decompose.
Smith said the Bedkes agreed to allow wildlife personnel to retrieve the elk heads, which will be mounted and used by the department for education purposes.
"We're happy that they chose that option," Smith said.
The larger of the two bulls has an antler point size in the 340 range, and the smaller one is around 300 to 310, Smith said. A 400-point buck is considered record size.
Smith said the Department of Wildlife will continue its investigation into what he said was an extremely rare event.
During his 20 years with the department, he said this was the only time he's aware of that wildlife officials have been asked for their assistance in separating two living elk whose antlers were locked together.
While biologists would have preferred a chance of getting to the elk before they died, Smith described the incident as a "natural habitat event" not in any way caused by the ranchers.
The pic....