Are elk dangerous? Apparently, they can be dangerous even in your homestead. Last Sunday, an archer hunter was gored to death by an elk in Tillamook County in Oregon a day after he shot it with an arrow but failed to kill it.
When he tried to locate the animal with the landowner, the elk charged at him and inflicted fatal injuries, which caused his death. The elk was subsequently killed, and its meat was donated to Tillamook County Jail.
Angry Elk Gores Hunter to Death
The 66-year-old archery hunter from Hillsboro, Mark David, shot at and wounded an elk with a bow on Saturday in Trask Road, Tillamook County. He had been hunting on private property when he shot the bull elk but failed to kill it.
According to Oregon State Police, when he could not locate the wounded elk before nightfall, he decided to continue his hunt the next morning. He and the landowner went to find the elk at around 9:15 AM on Sunday and found that the animal was still alive.
The angry elk charged at the hunter just before the man could have killed the elk first. The elk gored David to death using his antlers, and the property owner was helpless and failed to intervene between the elk and David.
Oregon State Police said that David died due to the fatal injuries from the attack. Subsequently, the elk was also killed, and its meat was donated to the Tillamook County Jail after the investigation, the police department said.
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Archery Elk Hunting Season
The archery elk hunting season opens in late August and ends in late September, said the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Oregon has 34 million acres of public land that hunters can use for hunting.
Meanwhile, in Wyoming, Yellowstone National Park, authorities have warned hunters and visitors to be vigilant of elk during mating season. This is a time when male elk are prone to have horn-clashing battles with each other in an attempt to impress the female elk.
Mating starts from early September and ends by mid-October.
In their Twitter account, the park posted a warning for visitors saying that elk can be 'extremely dangerous' and that visitors of hunters are responsible for their own safety.
WARNING: The elk rut has begun in Yellowstone National Park. Bull elk can be extremely dangerous during this time. You are responsible for your own safety.https://t.co/YTbWAr7Shw pic.twitter.com/aCUNE5hpKn — yellowstonenps (@YellowstoneNPS) August 28, 2020
How dangerous are elk?
Elk can be very dangerous depending. For instance, a cow elk is dangerous in spring while she is protecting her calves, and a bull elk become extremely dangerous during fall when they are challenging fellow bull elk for mating rights.
There are two times of the year that an elk can be very dangerous, according to the US National Parks Service. The first one is during spring for cow elk and during fall for bull elk.
But if for some reason, an elk attacks you, immediately back up, and run. If that does not work, experts recommend making yourself look bigger by yelling loudly and aggressively, waving your hands or a jacket.
However, if an elk knocks you to the ground, curl up into a ball and cover your head using your arms. This will protect your internal organs from being hit by the elk when it starts kicking and stomping on you. Get up only when the elk are already at a reasonable distance away to ensure that it will not attack again.
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