Ep. 190 What to Know About Elk Farming

What do elk eat? How much does an elk cost? Learn the ins and outs of making elk farming profitable from the North American Elk Breeders Association.

In this episode of Mother Earth News and Friends, Jon Reed, president of the North American Elk Breeders Association, chats with podcast team member Kenny Coogan all about raising elk and provides a snapshot of the elk industry for those who are interested in getting involved.

Scroll down for our episode transcript, and scroll to the bottom for our guest bio and show-note resources!

John Moore: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Mother Earth News and Friends podcast. Demand for high quality elk is on the rise in North America. But what's happening on the supply end of things? Jon Reed, president of the North American Elk Breeders Association, chats with podcast team member Kenny Coogan, all about raising elk and provides a snapshot of the elk industry for those who are interested in getting involved.

This is Mother Earth News.

Jessica Mitchell: We here at Mother Earth News enjoy hosting in-person fairs, and you can see a list of upcoming locations at www.MotherEarthNewsFair.com. We are also excited to present you with the opportunity to get that self-reliant, can-do content [00:01:00] for the whole family right from your own home. All you have to do is go to Online.MotherEarthNewsFair.com and sign up for your favorite programs. Use the code FAIRGUEST for $5 off at checkout.

Kenny Coogan: Good day everyone, and we appreciate you for joining us on another exciting Mother Earth News and Friends podcast. I am Kenny Coogan, and joining me today is Jon Reed, the president of the North American Elk Breeders Association. At Mother Earth News for 50 years and counting, we have been dedicated to conserving our planet's natural resources while helping you conserve your financial resources. Today we are going to learn about raising elk.

Jon Reed has raised elk and deer for nearly two decades. Jon is a past president for the Kansas Elk and Deer Association. Jon has served on the board of directors [00:02:00] for the North American Elk Breeders Association, NAEBA, for almost five years, three as vice president and currently as the president. Jon's current operation includes elk, whitetailed deer, axis deer, Barbary sheep, American bison, and Longhorn cattle. Welcome to the podcast, Jon.

Jon Reed: Thank you, Kenny. I’m glad to be here.

Kenny Coogan: We are excited to have you. And the North American Elk Breeders Association is a 501(c) nonprofit organization founded to promote and protect the elk farming and ranching industry. So, Jon, can you tell us what the history of ranching elk is in North America?

Jon Reed: Well, it started I wanna say back in the eighties was when the high time started, around and through the nineties. Elk ranching is it's one of the most diverse operations you can have where both [00:03:00] male and female can produce a a return on investment. You know, besides just breeding and, and meat elk bulls produce velvet. We can cut velvet antler. We can also wait till it goes into hard antler which is what everybody sees out there in the wild.

And once it either falls off or we can have it cut off the dog chew market is going through the roof nowadays. People love, it's a natural bone and the dogs will chew on it forever. Also the breeding stock. You know, more inches of antler is usually more money for the farmers. And so elk ranching has been around and it's it went through its heyday. It's it went through the lows like everything else and is, is coming back around. We cannot produce enough elk in the U.S. today to satisfy all the markets that are out there.

Kenny Coogan: If you’re gonna be selling the antlers, can you, I’m assuming you can't sell it directly to a pet store or a feed store, or can you?

Jon Reed: We, we can. We’ve, [00:04:00] we’ve talked to, you know, big corporations that are producing dog food on the markets about using antler. We have direct markets into pet stores. We sell ’em at farmers markets. We sell ’em, you know, off the back porch.

Kenny Coogan: Are there different species of elk that are farmed in North America?

Jon Reed: The main species is Rocky Mountain Elk. There are four separate species of elk in the U.S. And that's Roosevelt, Tule, the Rocky Mountain Elk….

Kenny Coogan: And a fourth one.

Jon Reed: And a fourth. Caught me off on that one.

Kenny Coogan: So why should somebody join the organization if they’re raising elk or if they wanna raise elk?

Jon Reed: That's a great question. You kind of touched on it. The North American Elk Breeder Association main mission is to protect promote and enhance the elk industry in North America. And that includes Mexico, the U.S., and Canada. So we have all three nations covered. It. [00:05:00] We really work hard on trying to make raising elk easier government relations the, the politics surrounding with cervids, or elk and deer.

These can sometimes be tough to navigate. The whole thing about being a member of North American Elk Breeders Association, or NAEBA, is we’re here to protect you and work with you. We bring a lot of information to the table. North American Elk Breeders publishes the Elk Farming Handbook which we just redid a couple years ago, bringing it up to date. And that is in itself a resource that even veteran ranchers go back and refer to. And it's great. It also, we are the Elk Breed Registry. So you have access as a member to the Elk Registry. You know, you kind of decide what program or operation you wanna run, whether it's meat, breeding for other farms to sell to other [00:06:00] farms, a hunting facility like a trophy ranch, whatever it may be. Then you’ll have access to the best animals out on the market. You’ll know what they are, you’ll know the bloodlines. And that's besides just being able to have access to probably some of the best producers in North America. They’re all part of NAEBA and they love to talk about their animals.

Kenny Coogan: Now when people are farming elk a lot of people notice that the domesticated ones are larger. How did you achieve larger elk?

Jon Reed: It's about genetics and good quality feed. If you look in the wild, you know, there are some huge animals out there, but what we do is, especially by having the breed registry, we’re taking the best cows, the best bloodlines on these cows, and the best quality, and we’re breeding the best bulls to them.

You breed for like one trait at a time. So if you want bigger [00:07:00] antlers or a taller body or a smaller body. I mean, you can breed towards those by knowing what's out there. And what we do is we stack genetics. There's nothing secret about growing good animals. They’ve done it in agriculture for years. You look at your beef industry, you know, even your equine. They’ve got a registry. They’re, they know what these animals are doing, and that's all we’re doing too. There's no chemicals, no steroids, anything like that. This is all about good genetics. And then on top of that, feeding them good quality feed and healthcare on your animals.

Kenny Coogan: Now, you mentioned a lot of the commodities that a farmer or rancher could have from elk: the antlers, the meat, the young, the offspring. So I’m assuming there's money to be made in raising elk. You even said that you can't produce enough right now. So could you talk a little bit more about the ROI and maybe how much a couple of elk [00:08:00] cost in the beginning, and then how long you have to wait before you can sell like calves and things like that?

Jon Reed: Sure. What I tell anybody that's getting into it is you’re gonna have that initial investment. One of the most costly things on initial investment is gonna be your fencing, but second thing is probably gonna be your elk. I always focus on the cows. You focus on the genetic of your cow herd. Even if you don't have a bull and you get what you’re looking for. The cows are what makes or break you a lot of times.

So we can even AI, or artificial inseminate, our cattle. So if you don't have a bull to start out with, elk cows will run $2,000 to $5,000, some may be higher. And then your bulls will run quite a bit higher than that. So if you don't have a bull to start with, you can look at artificial insemination. By that, you can have and breed with the best bulls in North America and never leave your farm. Always acquire a bull later or raise one up. Of course, the breeding stock, you can sell it at any age.

[00:09:00] Meat animals, whether it be cows or bulls, usually require them to be about two years old. The meat market right now is high. Again, we’re not producing enough. We have people looking for meat animals all the time. We’re talking $3.75, $4, sometimes even a little over $4 on the rail. So there's a return. That's always the end if there's no other way to, to move the animals. Currently, the bull market, to go to hunting preserves or trophy ranches, is what is really got things going. You know, you’re talking bulls that are, an average bull in the wild and even on the farms are probably, or a big bull in the wild, 350, 370 inches. We’re raising bulls 400, 500, 600 plus inches on the farm. That's because of those genetics. And those bulls are gonna start around $8,000 at the low end and move up. Bulls that are around 400 inches are gonna be $10,000 to $12,000. So, and that’ll take you probably four years to raise [00:10:00] that bull to that size. So a lot of people are selling them a little bit smaller, a little sooner, but as long as they have those genetics behind them.

Kenny Coogan: So I understand you said that we could start off with just cows and then AI them. With the demand. Is it easy to source cows or bulls or elk in general to add as an alternative livestock to one's homestead currently?

Jon Reed: There are plenty of breeding stock out there. You wanna know what you’re looking for and then how much you’re willing to pay for it. We have some of the best ranches in the U.S. that are selling breeding stock. Those elk are available. We don't wanna send those great breeders to, you know, a slaughter facility for meat.

So they are available out there, you can source them. I always tell everybody, you know, source from a reputable person. Ask around. And then also if you can get something that's registered or also make sure that they’re involved in the herd certification programs to make sure that they’re disease free.

Kenny Coogan: Do you have to be a [00:11:00] NAEBA member to see farms and ranchers that have stock available?

Jon Reed: Absolutely not. You can contact anybody in your area or another state and go look at their place. Now, sometimes there are biosecurity in place at some ranches and they, they’re particular about who they let on there. But you can still go to about anybody local. If you wanna know some of the best ranges to go to, yes, being a NAEBA member is definitely a plus on that.

Kenny Coogan: And are male and female elk safe to work around? You know, what kind of precautions do you need to take when you’re raising them?

Jon Reed: You know, I’ve been around livestock all my life. It doesn't matter what kinda livestock it is, you don't really wanna turn your back on it.

Thing about elk, most operations are family owned and operated. So elk, if they’re raised around small humans will not be aggressive or shy away from them. At the same time, I’m not gonna say go turn your kids out into the pasture. These [00:12:00] are still animals, though they’re domesticated, just like any other farm animal, you have to understand your animals and be around them.

The certain times of the year, the elk may be more aggressive. Bulls, of course, the breeding season, what they call the rut, and that runs from September sometimes into December. So, and they are very aggressive and protective of the cows.

Of course, the cows are also protective when they, it's baby time, and that starts in May through early part of July. They can be very protective of those babies, and when an elk lashes out, they’ll lash out a lot of times with those front feet and strike at you. You have to understand what time of the year it is. It's a couple times a year.

They’re very mild. They’re easy to raise. These are pretty relaxed animals, but I still say that any animal on a farm, you just don't wanna turn your back on. But they can sense how you’re feeling. If you’re scared or intimidated by them, they will use that to their advantage.

Kenny Coogan: For other, other farm animals, can you have them with [00:13:00] LGDs, livestock guardian dogs, or just like domesticated dogs or, or are they nervous?

Jon Reed: I, I think that it would be how you raise them. I know that there's a lot of deer ranchers that run the guard dogs in the pens that they raise ’em, start ’em as puppies and fawns and raise them together. Elk do view pets as predators. If they’re not raised in the pen with them that whole time, they can be either skittish or aggressive towards them.

Kenny Coogan: Alright, we’re gonna take a quick break in our conversation to hear a word from our sponsor. And when we return, we will learn the specifics on raising elk.

Jessica Mitchell: Books are a fantastic way to learn about rural and sustainable lifestyles and so much more at your own pace. The Mother Earth News bookstore carries hundreds of volumes to help you learn about composting, seed saving, poultry, brewing, cooking, baking, [00:14:00] and so much more. Enjoy perusing titles and getting inspired at www.MotherEarthNews.com/Store.

John Moore: And now back to our conversation with Jon.

Kenny Coogan: We are back with Jon Reed, the president of the North American Elk Breeders Association. We’re gonna be talking about raising elk now, and while we had several people like and get excited about this topic, we did get some people who were nervous. Ana Kate Skemp says, "Hunters in our area get grumpy about a big elk farm because of the potential for disease transmission. Is this valid?" And then we also have somebody else saying, @HeatherSeutter says, "I’d like to hear your thoughts on chronic wasting disease found in most elk populations." Now, I emphasized the word "most" because, Jon, [00:15:00] is it found in most populations? And what do you think about Ana and Heather's questions and comments?

Jon Reed: Well, I think they’re valid. Anybody needs to know the truth, and I think that's what we’re lacking out there is a lot of the facts. Wild herds, deer, elk, there are a lot of states it is endemic, chronic wasting disease. But you can only raise, let's just look at the U.S. You can only raise cervids or elk and deer in about half of the states.

But yet we have chronic wasting disease, coast to coast. Even in states where there are no elk farms. Your elk farms, 99.8% of them have never had or do not have chronic wasting disease. USDA and in Canada, the CFIA, has a volunteer herd certification program, so we can't take, in the U.S., elk across state lines unless we’re involved in the herd certification program. That is 60 months monitored. [00:16:00] So five years. We have to test every animal that is dies on the farm or is slaughtered from the farm to make sure that it's CWD clean. And then of course your certification builds from there. So we know that the animals going from farm to farm are clean animals.

If there's also things built into the regulations. If one test non-negative later, we have trace outs. There's a lot of ways we protect our own herds because these herds are expensive and we have a lot of time. A lot of this is folks’ livelihood, and so we’re gonna take time to protect that. Just like somebody's gonna protect their prize racehorse.

What's the biggest danger right now to our ranches is the wild herds. It is, again, coast to coast. I live in Kansas. It's endemic in Kansas. So the biggest threat to my herd is a wild deer coming up alongside my fences. Also, predators that scavenge on [00:17:00] infected carcasses in the wild. Whether that be birds or other four-legged animals. If they come through your property or fly over and deposit. The prions that cause CWD can be spread.

Though some farms have had non-negative animals, we take steps to protect that. One of the biggest threats, I didn't even realize it when I was younger, transferring of carcasses. If you hunt a, an elk or a deer in the wild and you move that carcass without de-boning it and cleaning the skull, you take a risk of spreading CWD. So hunters that are moving their carcasses are taking them home and discarding those carcasses. That is one of the biggest risks.

The other thing is, is deer and elk can't read. They don't know they’re crossing county lines or state lines. And if they have a chronic wasting disease, which doesn't kill an animal instantly, this takes years. And most wild animals don't die from chronic wasting disease. They will perish in another way or [00:18:00] succumb to something long before the disease gets to a point that it's going to affect them. So we don't really see it in the wild. I’ve again hunted all my life and I’ve never noticed it in the wild. But if that animal does cross, or move, migrate, it's going to spread that disease or drop those prions.

Kenny Coogan: So you mentioned a little bit about biosecurity measures, Ana adds, "What steps can be taken by elk farms and ranches to keep the farmed elk and wild deer healthy?"

Jon Reed: Again, that's purchasing your animals from a reputable ranch and making sure that they are in the program.

The ranches all will take precautions to protect their animals, so, but some go as far as limited access onto the property or even dipping their feet into disinfectant, so they’re not tracking anything from outside. Those are really high measures of security. Most ranchers will try to keep all [00:19:00] wild away from their property, and they’re going to continue to be monitored in those programs.

Kenny Coogan: When starting a elk operation, do you believe it's better to start with calves or adults or pregnant cows? How would, how would you start?

Jon Reed: I would definitely start with your pregnant cows. I mentioned earlier start with your cows, check those bloodlines. But then if you can get cows that are bred already, you know, you pick them up in the fall or over the winter and then they’re gonna calve that next spring, you’ve got a start on your herd already. It's a great way to get started.

Kenny Coogan: And how much space do calves, cows, bulls need?

Jon Reed: We’ll talk about kind of the average. It's almost a one-to-one, one elk per acre. I raise approximately 20 head on five acres. It depends on how much feed, supplement feed, and hay you want to use. You wanna keep these animals good and healthy.

What we recommend is, since this is kind of the new [00:20:00] livestock, if you have land, you know, whether you’re a small acreage, whether you have some unusable hillside that other livestock just don't like to get on, these animals flourish in that kind of environment. Three elk per acre is not unheard of.

And again, it depends on how much you want to feed to make sure you’re keeping healthy animals, but it's definitely a good alternative to look at for somebody that's got smaller farms or unusable ground.

Kenny Coogan: So in addition to the hay, what wild things are they eating?

Jon Reed: They are grazers predominantly. They can be grazers and browsers, but predominantly grazers.

So they like grass. Elk do not do well on fescue. Whether it be hay or grass, they prefer, you know, if you have a good brome, alfalfa. They’re gonna do that. I plant on my place brome, alfalfa, red and white clover, orchard grass, and wheat. I use a combination that keeps the animals good and healthy, sustains at different times of the year.

We also good feed. A grain. Whether you buy commercially or you are making [00:21:00] a grain at your local grainery that can produce that for you off of a blend that you come up with or somebody produces for you. Elk bulls and elk cows different times of the year will need probably different feeds to give them what they need, whether either growing antlers or raising those babies.

Kenny Coogan: So once you get your little operation going, what sex ratio is best to maintain?

Jon Reed: You know, it depends on how large you want to go. You know, bulls can cover 30 to 50 cows. One bull can cover that and do in the wild pretty regularly. They can cover more than that. But if you don't wanna stress that bull and you want to get those cows bred quickly and keep your calves in that a pretty close tight range, a good ratio is 25 or 30 cows per bull.

Now you’re gonna have to have some property to have that many animals on there. So smaller properties probably don't have to worry about it cuz they won't have enough cows to, for that bull to stress over.

Kenny Coogan: And are there any breeding recommendations or tips that you [00:22:00] wanna offer?

Jon Reed: You know, I talked about animal health. Keeping those animals in good condition, feeding them correctly. When you go into the breeding season, you want your cows in good condition and, and again, by being a member of the North American Elk Breeders, we have education on that. What your cows should look like, feeding recommendations, what your bulls are gonna look like. Cuz they’re going to, I mean, those bulls will not eat as much. You know that breeding season's pretty short and they’re gonna be worried about taking care of those cows and, and they may not be eating as much. And when they come out of the breeding season, they’re not as bad in a farmed or ranch location like they would be in the wild, but they can be stressed or skinny, and skinnier at least going in.

Kenny Coogan: Fencing requirements are defined by state law. What size would you recommend, but also how do you look up what the state law requirement is?

Jon Reed: Wherever you’re located at you, you do need to go out and research. And you can just pull up off the internet fencing requirements for cervids. Or you know, you can say deer, [00:23:00] elk, but that was what most of them will fall under. It will give you the requirements.

Most states, a minimum of 8 foot is what you’re gonna get. Some states want double fencing, so two fences. That gets almost to the point where it's, it's pretty tough to get started because that fencing is pretty expensive. But you go out and you research and, and I always recommend, when I got into the industry, I researched for three years before I got in. I visited over, you know, six or eight ranches. You know, I look at what their, you know, not only how their fences are built, where they’re built, the alleyways in which you wanna move your animals to and from your work facility. What does your work facility need to look like? That's a pretty good size expense there, because whether you use a manual chute or a hydraulic chute to work your animals.

But you do wanna have some type of a work facility in place. I’ll recommend that before anybody gets into the animals. But do your research. Like I say, again, look at the state. You can also, I became a member [00:24:00] of Kansas before I became elk owner. Then I eventually joined NAEBA as well.

Kenny Coogan: Would elk be suitable for a silvopasture, where you have them in like a wooded area in addition to pasture?

Jon Reed: Absolutely. Elk, again, they’re gonna thrive in that. You want some shade. We actually, our northern farmers don't worry about elk in the winter because they’re made for that winter cold. It's almost harder on them further south you come and it gets hotter. It's tougher on ’em in the summer. So yeah, if you have a good combination of some shade and grazing land. They’re also browsers, they can get through, and they’ll sure take care of your weed problems too.

Kenny Coogan: I was gonna ask you about the temperature maximum and minimum, because I know that up north, maybe in Canada, that a lot of moose are struggling for not having cold enough winters. What kind of shelter do elk need? I know I’m sure it depends on the [00:25:00] state, but what, what, maybe we could just talk about the temperature requirements first.

Jon Reed: Well, I’m not sure there's any requirements. I mean, they do prefer the cooler weather. You know, their generations past, they’re in a higher climate or higher level atmosphere. And so it's cooler. They, they like that cooler weather. In blizzards, they’re still laying out in the pasture. They just get their heads down and, and they’ll take it. They prefer that. And it does get hotter. You know, again, you come into Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and the southern states. It's gonna get hotter, and that's a little harder on ’em. But if you have some shade, you know, whether that be a loafing shed that they can just get behind and out of the sun and, and get a little cooler, that's gonna work for you.

But you just wanna take precautions, keep your animals cool. If you do have a, a location that has a pond or a creek, they’re gonna probably go lay in it when it gets hot.

Kenny Coogan: We were talking about fencing requirements earlier and having like two fences. Tracy Blackwolf asks, "What about predator control?" So obviously elk are [00:26:00] these huge animals, but I’m sure they’re calves can be predated upon.

Jon Reed: Yes. We’re constantly, I know, at least at my place and I know a lot of other ranches, looking for where a predator will dig under the fence. Our fences are normally no higher than three inches off the ground. A lot of times we stake the fence down, but you will still get a predator that wants in bad enough, especially at calving time, and they will take calves.

You know, I have ran snares. We do try to keep the predators down that are coming onto the property. I don't care if they’re outside the fence, but if they come onto the property that that's a different story. But elk can also be very protective. You know, I talked about they can be aggressive. They get a predator inside that fence and get him in a corner where it can't get away from ’em. A lot of times they’ll handle the issue themselves.

Kenny Coogan: How long are the cows’ gestation period?

Jon Reed: Approximately nine months. Elk are very similar to beef. I don't have the days for gestation, but you know, you’re, you’re gonna breed [00:27:00] in September, October. You’re gonna be dropping calves May and June. And that's the prime time.

Kenny Coogan: And each cow has one calf usually?

Jon Reed: Normally they will just have one. We do have on the record where we’ve had twins. And so if you get a cow like that, then she's a keeper.

Kenny Coogan: And how long does the calves stay with their mom?

Jon Reed: 90 days, usually about a minimum. I mean, depending on when they drop. A lot of cows naturally will wean their calves as they go back into the breeding season. That's also a time where elk farmers and ranchers will go ahead and wean those calves, let those cows rest for just a little bit, and then put ’em into the breeding pins with the bull.

So

Kenny Coogan: you can breed the cow every year?

Jon Reed: Yes. Some can breed at a year and a half. The size is usually about 400 pounds or, or over, is they’re breedable. Some can start earlier, some may wait till they’re two, and then you can breed every year.

Kenny Coogan: [00:28:00] What age or size are you harvesting them?

Jon Reed: Cows average probably around 600 pounds. There are some that are heavier. You’ll want them, I mean, between 500 or over 500. There's not like any of your deer species. They may not produce as much meat as a beef cow or a bison would. You’ll want as big a frame on them as possible and as much meat. So you, you do watch for that. But the meat is excellent. It's probably the best meat out there for you when you start looking at your proteins and the good and the bad. If you look at elk meat across the board, even compared to chicken, salmon, about anything, even your bison products, elk is the best out there.

Kenny Coogan: This may be a strange question, but how do you weigh an elk? I understand you can easily weigh cattle because they’re like super domesticated and you’re like walking ’em through barns and things like that. Are you actually weighing them or you can size them up now?

Jon Reed: Well, you know, we actually, I have [00:29:00] scales in my runways so I can actually, as I run ’em down, I work my animals a minimum of twice a year. That gets, you know, where you, you want to keep that herd and good health. But also most folks are pretty good at sizing ’em up. You know, you, you look at your pig guys, your beef guys, and they are, they’re gonna say, well, that one weighs "X." so it's, you know, same thing with elk.

Kenny Coogan: So let's say you have a dozen elk and you wanna start breeding for vigor or maybe disease resistance or antler size. Do you have a method for selecting? If you’re a beginner, I’m assuming you might have to be taking photos and sending it to a NAEBA member, or you know, another farmer rancher who's had more experience. So if we’re gonna breed for trait, like one trait at a time, what would be the trait?

Jon Reed: Most people are gonna look at the antlers. I mean, what are they producing antler wise? Because at the end of the day, that is a lot of [00:30:00] times where the most return on that investment's coming from, whether it be velvet, hard antler, or at a hunting preserve. You’re gonna want to put on the antler. Those are a lot of the traits you’re gonna start looking for. And you can do that by researching bloodlines, and that goes back into the registry where being a NAEBA member is going to allow you a lot of access to that.

The other thing you brought up I want to touch on real quick is disease resistance. We are actually, the genotyping is coming on very strong in the elk. It's actually really taking hold on the whitetail deer, and elk are coming along. We actually have ranches that breed what they call the LL gene, which is a chronic wasting disease resistant gene. It's not that they can never get it, but it is more resistant. So we are genotyping animals and actually breeding and we hope to, at least in the farm and ranch world, we’re hoping to breed CWD out [00:31:00] of existence.

Kenny Coogan: I did another podcast where we were talking about breeding brassicas, like Brussels sprouts and broccoli and cauliflower, and, you know, over 10,000 years you can get these really diverse crops.

Going back to the antlers, how many inches can you gain in selective breeding? So like in the eighties, I think, is it when you said it kind of started so have we been able to get four inches more? A foot more?

Jon Reed: Double.

Kenny Coogan: Double?

Jon Reed: Yeah. We’re we’re talking, the big bulls that were in the competitions, the eighties and even early nineties were, you know, you had 380s to even 390s. Those were big bulls. And then we got into the 400 s. Now we have bulls that are, some of the biggest ones that I’ve heard about are 660 plus inches. We may have a 670 out there. So you’re talking almost double where we were at 30 years ago, a little over, when the industry started, and that again is putting the best cows with the best bulls.

Kenny Coogan: And then the final question, can you kind of just [00:32:00] summarize why, if someone is looking for alternative livestock, why they should consider adding elk?

Jon Reed: They’re just majestic and wonderful. I could go on all day about this. We’ve touched on some of it through this podcast. But here's the thing. Elk are relatively calm. They are easy keepers. There's not a lot of oversight. If you’ve got ’em on enough acres, you don't have a lot of feeding involved either. One, you’ve got the beautiful animal. Two, you’ve got one of the most diverse livestock you can have. Again, we’ve talked about return on investment. From the bulls, it's the breeding, semen sales. If you have a, a bull that hits that and you pull semen for AI on other ranches, the velvet antler, the hard antler, and then the trophy ranches, as well as at the end product meat animal.

Same thing with the cows. They can go meat breeding, so [00:33:00] the elk can survive on, again, smaller acreage or less, what do I wanna say, usable. Or maybe it's something that you look out there and you’re like, hey, you know this cows are gonna love this, but this hillside over here is just rocky and they really don't wanna go up there. The elk are gonna take to that pretty quickly. And so like I say, again, a, a very diverse animal, easy to keep, you know, besides that, you just can't beat, you know, looking at the animals all day long.

Kenny Coogan: Thank you so much, Jon, for speaking with us. Our conversation on raising elk was very enlightening.

Jon Reed: Thank you Kenny. I’m glad to be here. Wish you and Mother Earth the best and anytime you need anything, please feel free to reach out to myself or any other NAEBA member or NAEBA.

Kenny Coogan: Very good, Jon, where can listeners find more about NAEBA?

Jon Reed: You can go out to our website. If you just type in North American Elk Breeders, it will take you over and give you the option.

Again, there is a lot of open information that we supply to the public, and then we have great [00:34:00] staff. Brenda Hartkopf is our administrative assistant. Travis Lowe, our executive director, as well as any member of the board is listed out there publicly and you can get a hold of us and we will try to help in any way possible.

Kenny Coogan: Very good. And we thank you, the listener, for joining our podcast and encourage you to share it with your friends, colleagues, and family. To listen to more podcasts and to learn more, visit our website, www.MotherEarthNews.com. You can also follow our social media platforms from that link. There, you can submit questions for future podcasts.

And remember, no matter how brown your thumb is, you can always cultivate kindness.

John Moore: You’ve just listened to our episode about raising elk. You can reach us at [email protected] with any comments or suggestions.

Our podcast production team includes Jessica Mitchell, John Moore, and Kenny Coogan.

Music [00:35:00] for this episode is "Travel Light" by Jason Shaw.

This Mother Earth News and Friends podcast is a production of Ogden Publications. Learn more about us at www.MotherEarthNews.com.

Jessica Mitchell: We here at Mother Earth News enjoy hosting in-person fairs, and you can see a list of upcoming locations at www.MotherEarthNewsFair.com.

We are also excited to present you with the opportunity to get that self-reliant, can-do content for the whole family right from your own home. All you have to do is go to Online.MotherEarthNewsFair.com and sign up for your favorite programs. Use the code FAIRGUEST for $5 off at checkout.

John Moore: Until next time, don't forget to love your Mother.

Jon Reed has raised elk and deer for nearly two decades. Jon is a past president for the Kansas Elk and Deer Association, serving 13 years in Kansas, two as president. Jon has served on the Board of Directors for the North American Elk Breeders Association (NAEBA) for almost five years, three as vice-president, and Jon is currently the NAEBA 2022-2023 president.

Jon's current operation has elk, whitetail deer, axis deer, Aoudad (Barbary sheep), American bison, and Longhorn cattle.

Jessica Mitchell, John Moore, and Kenny CooganMusic: "Travel Light" by Jason Shaw

Listen to more podcasts at MOTHER EARTH NEWS PODCAST.

Check out the MOTHER EARTH NEWS Bookstore for more resources that may interest you.

Go to the MOTHER EARTH NEWS Fair page for an opportunity to see some of our podcast guests live.

The Mother Earth News and Friends podcasts are a production of Ogden Publications.

Ogden Publications strives to inspire "can-do communities," which may have different locations, backgrounds, beliefs, and ideals. The viewpoints and lifestyles expressed within Ogden Publications articles are not necessarily shared by the editorial staff or policies but represent the authors’ unique experiences.