Wild elk are eating Oregon farmers' hay

(FEBRUARY 4, 2022) Wild elk are beautiful animals. But they cause problems for Oregon farmers. They eat the farmers' hay. Farmers are mad because they need to sell the hay.

"Your hay is your paycheck," says one farmer. "That's how you pay your bills. That's how you support your family. And they just take it. You know, they're animals. That's what they do."

The elk look for food on farms because there is a lot of snow in the mountains. Another problem is drought. That means not enough rain. Less rain means fewer plants to eat. The drought also means hay is expensive. If wild elk eat it, then farmers lose money.

And the hay is not always good for the animals either. Elk do not usually eat hay in the winter. They usually eat other kinds of plants. An elk's stomach cannot process hay well. Elk can starve. They can die even when their belly is full of hay.

Also, a big stack of hay can fall on elk. Sometimes the falling hay can kill elk.

Farmers try many things. For example, some farmers cover the hay stacks. Other farmers use fences. But every year the elk return.