Posted on 04/19/2026 11:09:24 AM PDT by MtnClimber
As herds of elk have overtaken a beach in a small Oregon coastal town, tourists have tried to put their children on them to ride and others attempt to feed them carrots. “We have visitors who don't know elk are wild animals,” said the local chamber.
It’s a sight most in Wyoming would consider extremely odd: herds of elk lounging around the beach.
That’s what’s happening in the small Oregon coastal town of Cannon Beach, where elk are taking over the beaches, looking completely out of context in the sand and surf.
And as in Yellowstone National Park, Estes Park, Colorado and other places where people and elk are in close proximity, some people behave stupidly, said James Paino, executive director of the local chamber of commerce.
“We have a lot of visitors who just don't think that it (an elk) is a wild animal,” he said. "I’ve seen people try to put their kids on an elk’s back, or walk up and feed them carrots."
The elk could possibly drawn to the beach seeking saltwater therapy for biting pests.
“It’s not uncommon to see elk going out into saltwater. It’s commonly thought to be therapeutic for external parasites, such as fleas,” said Paul Atwood, a district wildlife biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.....SNIP
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Real life is not a Disney movie.
"I’ve seen people try to put their kids on an elk’s back"
I am not at all amazed.
The entertainment industry has been anthropomorphizing animals for about 80 years.
That and most people in developed countries have been divorced from the land for generations. Most people have never been close to a farm animal let alone a wild animal in their lives.
Pets comprise most people's entire experience with animals. Even if they have watched an occasional documentary on wild animals, those infotainment shows will never show a true violent interaction of an animal and a human.
Modern man has been basically brainwashed into believing that wild animals and humans can have casual, friendly interactions or a regular basis.
The internet has made this process immeasurably worse with videos showing bears and other large animals bringing their injured young to humans for help.
If this ever really happens it is extremely rare and the animal in question was probably raised by humans (socialized to humans).
This brainwashing has caused severe injuries and death to those affected with this ignorance and indoctrination.
The people that try to get selfies with bison and bears are just too stupid to live and are trying to hard for those Darwin Awards.
“That’s a great story.” — I know, isn’t it? I read about him when I visited the preserve in Los Banos and followed up a bit more when I got home. What a great way to use your fortune! He is just another unknown guy who did some real, lasting good in the world we can all now enjoy.
They need to put a few dots in the Texas Hill Country. I have seen them a few years ago. Unless they have all been shot. No seasons or bag limits.
Yuk yuk.
Henry Miller
That was the name of my grade school, 1st and 2nd grade, in Los Banos,,always wondered who he was and why a school was named after him.
Never knew about the reserve or elk.
Thanks for the backstory.
I remember riding in a friend’s 1985 Ford pickup when a herd walked out of the woods around us - they towered over the Ford.
We do have wild horses in NC. Go to Beaufort. Wild horses on the island.
I know they’re out there. I just haven’t personally seen one. I’m the only one in my family who’s never seen one.
It’s a sore spot.
Pretty sure the state is in the process of attempting to outright ban hunting(and slaughtering)
There is that.
Ride ‘im, elkboy!
LOL.
Fortunately I live 2 miles from Beaufort. So I get to go and check them out. They are there. All timing. Beautiful creatures.
There is a small herd of Elk here in Illinois. They’re in Cook County in a town called, coincidentally enough, Elk Grove Village. The Forest Preserve District owns them.
Magnificent animals.
L
You've never met my sister...
And don't call me Shirley.
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