Parks Canada staff are warning the public to be wary in town and on the trails, as elk calving season approaches.

“It will start the last week of May, but we’re getting the signs out now,” said Terry Winkler, a resource conservation specialist with Jasper National Park. “Moms get protective of their calves, and they sometimes hide them. It’s important to give elk a healthy distance of 30 metres.”

During this time, Parks staff will continue to move aggressive elk out of the townsite through hazing, which usually involves scaring the elk with a plastic bag tied to a hockey stick. Resource conservation specialists push the elk from campgrounds and the townsite, to a more suitable, natural habitat. Many large carnivores rely upon elk calves as a source of food.

The townsite, Whistlers campground and Jasper Park Lodge have the largest concentration of elk, Winkler said, however elk cows often go off on their own to have their young – which is when they should be avoided. Often, lone elk can be seen with their young on islands in the various rivers around Jasper.

“If you see a cow on its own, it’s often seeking a shelter spot to have its young. After a few days she will take it to a nursery herd.”

Winkler said elk calves are hidden quite well, so hikers and cyclists may approach one accidentally. This will obviously upset a mother elk, who could potentially charge a perceived threat. If an elk becomes aggressive, it is important to act aggressively, maintain eye contact, raise your arms to appear larger and seek shelter in case of a charge. While it is rare to be charged by an elk, if this occurs, get up and do not play dead.

Elk use campsites and the townsite, as they’ve learned they are safer from predators when they are close to human settlements.

“Often bears, cougars and wolves won’t come into town or campgrounds,” Winkler said.

Aggressive elk exhibit protective behaviour through a number of methods: ground stomping, teeth grinding, often with their ears back, eye contact, often running in a circle.

“If you see this, it’s important to back away slowly and not get too close,” Winkler said.

Aggressive elk should be reported to Jasper National Park.

Calving season for bighorn sheep and mountain goats is later in the season. Moose are also ready to begin calving, Winkler said.