Managing Ontario's Elk Population
August 30, 2010 3:30 PM
McGuinty Government Seeks Public Comment On Elk Management Program
Ontario is seeking public feedback on new approaches to managing the province's elk population.
The goal of the proposed program is to ensure a healthy elk population while reducing their impact on agricultural lands.
The proposals are posted for a 45-day public comment period on the Environmental Registry.
Quick Facts
- Elk disappeared from Ontario in the late 19th century due to unregulated over-hunting and pressure from human settlement.
- Elk from Alberta's Elk Island National Park were released in Ontario starting in 1998.
- Wild elk are now found in four areas of the province: near Lake of the Woods, Blind River, Sudbury and Bancroft.
Learn More
- Read Ontario's Elk Management Plan.
- Find out more about the presence of elk in Ontario.
- The following proposed management approaches are posted on the Environmental Registry for public comment:
- Elk Harvest Allocation System (#011-0741)
- Elk Populations Objective for the Bancroft-North Hastings area herd (#011-0742)
- Elk Population Objective Setting Guidelines (#011-0743)
- Elk Harvest Management Guidelines (#011-0744)
- Policy for Protecting Agricultural Property from Elk (#011-0745), and
- Regulations to Establish an Elk Hunt under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act (#011-0746).
Contacts
- Media calls only: Maya Gorham
Minister's Office
416-314-2198
- Media Desk
Communications Services Branch
416-314-2106
- Emily Kirk
Minister's Office
416-314-1100
Ministry of Natural Resources
ontario.ca/natural-resources