Birth of an Elk Time travellers have recorded the presence of elk on earth over 120,000 years ago. During the glacial age there weren’t a lot of elk in North America. However as the glaciers absorbed water from the oceans of the world a land bridge emerged between Siberia and Alaska providing a passage from […]

The Next Chapter? During the winter of 2001/02 the MNR studied the Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) situation. The MNR commissioned the Cooperative Wildlife Disease Centre (CWDC) in Saskatoon to assess the risk of CWD transmission. The CWDC stated that there was a very low risk of importing CWD into Ontario through the shipment of elk […]

The Last Elk hunt Or, perhaps more correctly, the last documented legal elk hunt in Ontario. In fact a core group of elk in the Nipissing-French River area, numbering between 50-60 animals in 1996, survived the Ontario government’s purge of the 20th century due to an unfounded concern that they were infecting domestic cattle with […]

Visits to the Elk-man Since Joe Neuhold began feeding the elk many visitors have dropped by on a regular basis to take in all there is to see and hear, for Joe has lots to say about his beloved elk. Newspaper reporters such as Barry Hendry of The Bancroft Times, magazine writers and television producers […]

  ELK MORTALITY In 2001 Elk Island’s Rob Kaye, Senior Park Warden, and Norm Cool, Wildlife Biologist, visited the Ginn Lake site to survey the scene of the re-introduction of “their” elk. Although they didn’t catch as much as a glimpse of any elk the radio collars indicated the animals’ presence. The Albertans were interested […]

  PRINCE BILLY Most people have a bird feeder or two in their yard and are quite content to enjoy a cup of tea while watching the Pine Grosbeak, Blue Jays, and Chickadees flocking to the feed. The seed, suet, corn and other foodstuffs provide relatively inexpensive entertainment and education. Then there is Joe Neuhold, […]

INTRODUCTION or REINTRODUCTION? When Jim Lamorre and his son-in-law Steve Fox went bass fishing in 1977 little did they imagine that they would be part of the answer. The question? Were eastern Elk indigenous to the Bancroft area? This focused question was key to bringing the elk from Alberta. Nay sayers argued against introducing animals […]

A NOCTURNAL FIRST Serendipity is a descriptor that may well be applied to the first attempted “soft release” in 2000. The lack of snow and relatively mild winter weather provided for a successful unanticipated reintroduction. Serendipity struck, if such is possible, in 2001 as well although the snows, slippery roads and heavy fog experienced in […]

LETTER to the EDITOR The following letter to The Bancroft Times was published October 28, 1999. The author proved to be one of the most dynamic supporter volunteers that most programs can only hope for – let alone realize. About 1950 a hunter from Percy Bloom named Frank Midgely and his hunting buddies returned from […]