Apparently it won’t be long now until RMNP starts to shoot the excess elk they have. The announcement is soon coming that they will eliminate up to 1,000 elk, or more, over some unannounced time frame. The elk herd has been studied for years to determine what to do about it as huge populations of willows, aspen and other plants have been destroyed which changes whole mammalian populations as well, such as beaver, ground mammals, nesting bird populations and more.
They do know that for awhile at least the herd in Estes Park will increase as the hunted elk turn to the no hunt zone for protection. This might not be the year to plant flowers folks, there will be more elk competing for the same amount of food. Our lawn, trees, shrubs and gardens will have to make sacrifices.
