Like it or not, moose definitely exist on the northern Oregon coast.
Each year, herds of Roosevelt elk make waves by bouncing on beaches, running through town, and feeding in beach house yards. But interactions can sometimes become dangerous for both elk and humans, and Cannon Beach officials are considering measures to keep the animals under control.
Moose was a major topic of discussion at the April 7 City Council meeting, which included intense public comment and a lengthy discussion of the city’s options. Council members asked Paul Atwood, district wildlife biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Dennis Roffman, director of the Columbia River Estuary Research Task Force. The two presented the findings of the Clatsop Plains Elk Collaborative, a group that formed in 2019 but had not met in years.
Mr Atwood said he had “spent an excessive amount of time considering all possible options” when it came to managing wild elk herds on the north coast.
Recommendations focused primarily on passing local ordinances banning feeding elk and promoting a public education campaign on everything from how far away people should stay from the animals to what to plant in yards to keep elk at bay.
Other ideas, such as disinfecting the herd, fogging the animals, and creating “elk corridors,” proved ineffective or difficult to implement. Although fencing is possible in some areas, it has proven to be an unpopular idea.
“We don’t want an 8-foot-tall opaque fence that creates this wall along the road,” Roffman said.
Culling the large flocks that come to town is also an option some people along the coast are already taking. From 2021 to 2023, hunters legally shot and killed 77 elk in the Surf Pines community between Warrenton and Gearhart, about 22 miles north of Cannon Beach. The killing was sanctioned through ODFW’s Landowner Damage Program.
It is unclear whether such killings are practical or widespread in Cannon Beach.
Several residents who spoke out at last week’s City Council meeting specifically pointed to Gearhart’s slaughter as something they don’t want to see in town. Later in the meeting, Councilman Gary Hayes said he felt it was necessary to at least broach the topic and asked Atwood to explain the “dirty, ugly” details of what moose hunting in Cannon Beach entails. This scenario could go in many different directions, the biologists said, declining to speculate on hypotheses.
Although many people worship moose, Hayes said their presence in the city is an issue that needs to be addressed.
“I’ve been charged at least three times this year. I fear for my safety and that of my dog, and I don’t know when I’m going to turn the corner and face it,” Hayes said.
Councilwoman Lisa Carr added that she has seen several videos of inappropriate interactions with moose in Cannon Beach. They include a video of a woman surrounded by animals and petting them, and a video of a person feeding a moose a burrito from a car, which violates local ordinances that prohibit feeding animals.
“When you see something like that, you have to make a joke,” Carr said.
Cannon Beach Mayor Barb Knopp said the City Council will discuss a proposed ordinance regarding people approaching moose. Hayes said it would likely be difficult to enforce, but “just being in the news in Portland” would help.
James Paino, executive director of the Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce, said Friday that education is the town’s best hope for reducing conflicts with wildlife.
“They’re wild animals. People need to know they’re wild animals,” Paino said. “We want people to be safe for themselves and for the elk.”
And while dangerous interactions between tourists and moose may get a lot of attention (this week included a salacious headline about a tourist riding a moose, which Paino said is misleading), the reality is that many people, locals and tourists alike, enjoy interacting with the animals.
“I think a lot of our community members love and appreciate moose,” he said. “They’re beautiful and majestic, so unless you encounter them, they’re great to see.”
But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do, he added.
“Safety is our number one concern,” Paino said. “And to try to educate everyone, not just tourists.”
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